SETTING UP A HOME ALTER (BUTSUDAN)

Common to all schools of Japanese Buddhism, the home alter

is an important and integral part of one’s personal practice.
In Japan, the Butsudan (Buddha’s platform) is not only a
practice space but it is the nucleus of the family, where
important documents are stored (such as wills) and memorial
tablets are placed to remember dead relatives. All members
of the family will pay their respects to the Buddha and their
ancestors, as well as taking part in cleaning and preparing the
Butsudan. These Japanese Butsudans are usually quite large
and elaborate, sometimes even having their own separate
room which is only used for services

As Buddhism has spread to the west, the cultural significance

of the Butsudan gets lost, especially as we don’t have any
history of ancestor worship, let alone home alters. And quiet
often we find that only one person in a household is
Buddhist, so rather being family orientated, our daily practice
becomes very personal to the individual, and the need to
have a private space away from the family becomes
apparent. Modern Butsudans tend to be smaller, subtler, and
are part of a multifunctional room. This can be seen in Japan,
as the old ways are taken over by the new and homes
become much smaller. You can now buy, not only very small
butsudans, but also miniature butsugu (see below).

If you’re serious about your practice, setting up a Butsudan is

incredibly beneficial. It helps to centre and focus your
practice and provides a constant reminder every time you
walk past it. Not everyone has the space for anything large
and not everyone has the finances for anything elaborate,
but this doesn’t mean you should go without. The accessories
can be bought slowly over time, and in this sense the
Butsudan is fluid and changes as your situation, practice,
environment and seasons dictate.

Ideally, a butsudan should not be in your bedroom or

kitchen, however if you really do not have the space, then
you have no choice. It should also have doors, or screen, or
curtain that can be closed when not in use. Below is a guide
to what you may find on a typical Butsudan.
1. 本尊 Honzon. Main image
2. 脇尊 Wakison. Founders; Chih-i and Saicho
3. 仏台 Butsudai. Stand for Honzon
4. 回出位牌 Kuridashi ihai. Ancestral Tablet
5. 本位牌 Hon ihai. Memorial Tablet
6. 茶湯器 Cha toki. Tea offering
7. 仏器 Bukki. Cooked rice offering
8. 前卓 Meajiyoku. Offering stand
9. 打敷 Uchishiki. Altar cloth
10. 高杯 Takatsuki. Food offering plate
11. 花立 Hanatate. Flower vases
12. 地火灯 Jibito. Candle holder
13. 線香差 Senko sashi. Stick incense holder
14. マッチ消し Matchi. Spent match container
15. 机上香炉 Kiji-yokoro. Large incense burner
16. リン Rin. Bell
17. リン布団 Rin futon. Bell cushion
18. リン棒 Rin bo. Bell striker
19. リン棒置台 Rin bo okidai. Bell striker rest
20. 防炎 Boen matto. Flameproof mat
21. 吊灯籠 Tsuridoro. Hanging Lanterns
22. 常花 Tsune hana. Metal flowers

仏具 BUTSUGU
Butsugu, or ‘Buddhist accessories’ are the items found on the
butsudan. These can vary between sects, temples, regions,
and even depending on family traditions. Below is just a
guide of what you might find on a typical Tendai home
butsudan.
本尊 Honzon. Main image
‘Honzon’ means ‘Main Image of Veneration’. This is usually a
statue made of brass, copper, gold, wood or a combination,
and is the principle deity on the Butsudan. As Tendai is a
Mahayana school of Buddhism, this main image can be any
deity from the Buddhist Pantheon. The Honzon in the main
hall on Mt Hiei, the Head Quarters of the Tendai School is the
Medicine Buddha, or Yakushi Nyorai in Japanese. For this
reason, he is the Honzon of many Tendai followers
throughout the world. Of course, you may choose a different
deity, one that you have an affinity with, such as Shakyamuni
Nyorai or Fudo Myoo. Whomever you choose, follow these
simple rules in placing your deity;
• Always handle with respect – never by the head, or
around the neck
• The Honzon is the highest image on the Butsudan
• Place on a Butsudai (see below)

脇尊 Wakison. Founders; Chih-i and Saicho

The ‘Wakison’ are the two founders of the Tendai School.
Ven Chih-i (Zhiyi - Tendai Daishi) is the Chinese founder of
Tientai, the parent school of Japanese Tendai. As you look at
the Butsudan, Chih-i sits on the left of the Honzon. Ven
Saicho (Dengyo Daishi) is the Japanese founder of Tendai.
After he travelled to China, he brought back Tientai teachings
(pronounced Tendai in Japanese) and founded Tendai
Buddhism on top of Mt Hiei. He sits to the right of the
Honzon. Both these images are slightly lower than the
Honzon.

仏台 Butsudai. Stand for Honzon.

Sometimes elaborate, sometimes simple, this stand elevates
the Honzon both in terms of height and stature.
回出位牌 Kuridashi ihai. Ancestral Tablets
‘Ihai’ are memorial tablets for the deceased, much like
miniature tomb stones, they contain the Kaimyo
(posthumous Dharma-name) of the deceased, date of birth
and death and will often have a Bija, or Sanskrit syllable, on
top. The rear may also contain further information such as
birth name. The ‘kuridashi’ is a miniature shrine to house the
tablet. This is used both for travel (in some regions, it is
customary to take the tablet to the grave site and/or to the
temple for memorial days) and to change the tablets. If you
have a large family and a small Butsudan, you won’t have
room for numerous ihai, so you use the kuridashi to
temporarily house the appropriate ihai for the appropriate
anniversary of death. These are placed on the right hand side
of the butsudan and lower than the founders.

本位牌 Hon ihai. Memorial Tablet

The ‘Hon ihai’ (main memorial tablet) is the tablet of your
closest relative, such as your husband, wife, child etc or your
teacher, and the most recently deceased. Unlike the
Kuridashi ihai, these are left on your Butsudan for as long as
10 years. These are placed on the left hand side of the
butsudan on the same level as the Kuridashi ihai.

OFFERINGS
The next lot of butsugu on the butsudan hold the offerings.
An important aspect of Japanese Buddhism is to serve and be
in the service of others. When we invite people to our homes
we make sure our home is clean and tidy. We will then invite
in our guests and serve them refreshments such as tea and
biscuits, cakes or fruit, to make them feel welcome and enjoy
their visit. Similarly, when we practice in front of the
butsudan, we are welcoming the Buddha’s, Bodhisattvas,
deities and our ancestors, into our homes, so naturally we
want them to feel comfortable and welcome. Therefore, it is
customary to offer food and drink. In this way, we are in the
service of the Buddha’s and Bodhisattvas. After these have
been offered, if they will spoil quickly, it is fine to eat these
yourself, or as a family, or to offer them to the animals in
your garden. Offerings that won’t spoil easily can be left on
the butsudan for a number of days before being eaten, there
is no need to waste anything. All offerings are placed lower
than the ihai.

茶湯器 Chatoki. Tea offering

Just as it sounds, this offering houses tea, or water.
Sometimes there may be one for tea and a separate one for
water. This is replenished every day and the cup washed up.
The tea cup usually sits centrally with two bukki either side
(see below)

仏器 Bukki. Cooked rice offering

The ‘bukki’ are small shallow cups that hold cooked rice. You
can buy special moulds to shape the rice, and these are
placed either side of the tea offering. These three offerings
often come with a stand (see below). Rice is a stable food for
almost the whole of Asia, therefore it was a natural choice
for an offering. Although rice is popular in the west, it is not
something we cook and eat every day, therefore I think an
acceptable alternative for the Western butsudan is bread.

前卓 Meajiyoku. Offering stand

This is the stand to put on the rice and tea offerings on.
These can be bought as a set.
打敷 Uchishiki. Altar cloth
The ‘uchishiki’ is an altar cloth, usually triangular in shape,
with the Temple or family crest on the front. The offerings
usually sit on this, much like a table cloth at home, to help
keep the butsudan clean in case any of the offerings should
spill.

高杯 Takatsuki. Food offering plate

The ‘Takatsuki’ are plates with long thin bases that hold food
offerings. There should ideally be two of these at either end
of the butsudan. The offerings on them differ depending on
what is in season or for specific services. For example, during
the autumn there may be apples and pumpkins. During the
summer you may have citrus fruit. For the memorial of a
dead relative you may have their favourite food or sweet. It
is important that no meat items are offered.

花立 Hanatate. Flowers vases

People don’t often associate flowers as an offering, but
traditionally, flowers are an important and symbolic offering.
Flowers represents impermanence, which is the fundamental
truth of our reality on this earth. It is inescapable. Fresh
flowers look beautiful, but quickly whither, wilt and die, just
as we look beautiful in our youth, but quickly grow old, sick
and eventually die. The flowers remind us of the fragility of
life and tell us to enjoy it whilst we have it. The flowers also
represent the beauty of the dharma. On the butsudan,
flowers are usually placed on the left, lower than the food
offering. Some regions also include evergreens, such as
shikimi either with the flowers or replacing the flowers
completely. I believe this is a cultural adaption from Shinto,
the native religion of Japan.
地火灯 Jibito. Candle holder
Just like flowers, the candle is also a traditional offering. The
light of the candle represents the light of wisdom, of the
dharma, that dispels the darkness of ignorance. This ‘offering
of light’ is known as ‘Tōmyō kuyō’ 灯明供養 which signifies
true virtue. The candle is placed on the right, on the same
level as the flowers.

線香差 Senko sashi. Stick incense holder

Incense is yet another traditional offering, however it is not
the smoke but the fragrance of the incense that is important.
The fragrance is said to be the fragrance of the dharma –
pleasing and calming, clearing the mind and encouraging
deep meditation. How can you do that if your room is full of
smoke?! The best choice for the lay person is stick incense
(senko). The Japanese senko come in varying sizes so you can
buy what is appropriate for how long you sit in front of the
butsudan. Short sticks burn between 10-15 minutes, medium
sticks 20-30 mins and longer ones can burn up to 50 mins.
For your own safety, it is best not to leave incense burning in
an unmanned room. The scent is also important – sweet
smelling incense, although pleasing, is not conducive for
meditation, so if you like to meditation for long periods, it is
best to choose an earthy scent such as aloes wood or
sandalwood. You can also buy smokeless incense which is a
lot more mellow and better for a family environment, or for
those with asthma. The ‘sashi’ is a cylindrical container for
the incense.

マッチ消し Matchi. Spent match container

This butsugu is entirely practical. This is where you put the
spent matches, which is important when you are surrounded
by flammable items.
机上香炉 Kiji-yokoro. Large incense burner
Also known simply as ‘koro’, the incense burner is a large
dish with three legs that contain white ash. If you can’t get a
hold of white ash then any ash or sand will suffice. This has
two purposes, 1-to contain the heat of the incense stick as it
burns down, and 2-to catch the ash of the incense stick. Most
koro have three feet and it is customary to have the single
foot forward facing, with the two feet at the rear. This is
placed lower than the flowers and candle.

リン Rin. Bell
Another practical feature is the bell. This is used to call the
deities, to signify the beginning and ending of the liturgy (see
separate book) and as a signal to others that you have
beginning your practice (gongyo). This is either placed on the
floor or on a small table

リン布団 Rin futon. Bell cushion

リン棒 Rin bo. Bell striker
リン棒置台 Rin bo okidai. Bell striker rest
The cushion holds the bell to keep it still, give it a nice sound
and to keep it off the floor. The striker usually has a piece of
cloth or leather on the striking side to dull the sound slightly.
The striker has its own rest to stop it rolling around the floor
and making lots of noise.

防炎 Boen matto. Flameproof mat

Another practical feature that doesn’t need much
explanation. These come in a variety of pretty patterns.
吊灯籠 Tsuridoro. Hanging Lanterns
These small hanging lanterns have either 4 or 6 sides and are
usually made of copper or brass. Hung at the top of the
butsudan to help light everything. Their meaning and
significance is the same as the candle, but play more
functional.

常花 Tsune hana. Metal flowers

An alternative to fresh flowers are metal flowers, known as
tsune hana, can be used and is very popular in Japan.

PYRAMID/MOUNTAIN
The make-up of the Butsudan is pyramid-like with the main
image at the top and other images coming down from in,
with more and more the lower one gets. This is a
representation of Mt. Sumeru, which is the mountain at the
centre of Buddhist cosmology, the mythical centre of the
universe, with the Buddha at the top. It is for this reason that
butsudans are usually in the centre of the house.

ADAPTING FOR THE WEST

As Buddhism comes to the West, for better or worse, it is
being adapted. Some may prefer to order a butsudan from
Japan, which can be very expensive. For those who don’t
have as much money, here are some other options;

Very basic
The very basics needed for a butsudan would be a shelf with
a Buddha image (either a statue or scroll painting) and a
cushion to sit on. This is perfect for a multifunctional space
with very little room. The height of the shelf should not be
too low and not too high. You should be able to easily see the
Buddha image without straining your neck when sat in
meditation, but at the same time should not be too low and
can be easily seen when stood up. A general rule of thumb
would be to have it slightly above head height when sat
down. Some cultures say the Buddha image should always be
above head height when standing but I am not aware of such
customs in Japan.

Basic
You may also choose to have a candle or two and an incense
burner, these are known as ‘offerings’. The candle represents
the light of Buddhas’ Wisdom which dispels the darkness of
ignorance. Incense represents the beautiful fragrance of the
Buddha Dharma and of moral conduct. The incense burner
belongs in front of the Buddha image. You can then have a
small candle next to the incense burner or you may choose to
have two candles either side of the Buddha image.

Standard
A standard Butsudan will change depending on the school
you belong to and/or the practices you are undertaking. A
standard butsudan will contain offerings.
Mitsu gusoku 三具足 – Three accessories
The 3 offerings are a candle (wisdom) on the right, incense
(Dharma/conduct) in the middle, and flower/evergreens
(beauty & impermanence) on the left.

Go gusoku 五具足 – Five accessories

The 5 offerings are 2 vases of flowers (outer most), 2 candles
(inner) and incense (central)
Shichi gusoku 七具足 - Seven accessories
The 7 offerings are the same as above, but with the addition
of water and rice.

Ju gusoku 十具足 - Ten accessories

The 10 offerings are the save as above but with two rice
stands instead of one, and with the addition of two food
stands.
OTHER ITEMS
More Buddha images
It is normal in the Mahayana schools to have more than one
deity on your altar. For example, I have Yakushi Nyorai
(Medicine Buddha) as my Honzon, but I also have Jizo
(Ksitigarbha) and Fudo Myoo (Acala) on my butsudan. If you
have more than one, the Honzon should be the largest and
on a pedestal to make him/her stand above the rest.

Kakochō 過去帳 – ancenstral book

This small book is what we might call in the West a register of
deaths. It contains the names, dharma-names and dates of
births and deaths, of the family ancestors. On particular
occasions, the family or a priest will open the book and call
out the names of the ancestors.

Yoraku 瓔珞Hanging ornaments

These gold, bronze or copper hanging ornaments can
sometimes be found in miniature on butsudans in the top
corners. They are said to look like the princely jewellery worn
around the necks of Bodhisattvas and Indian aristocrats, and
represent the jewelry cast off by Siddhartha when we left his
life of luxury to attain the way.
Lotus Sutra
It is often customary to have the main sutra of your school on
the butsudan, usually in miniature form so as not to take up
that much space, and in the case of Tendai, this would be the
Lotus Sutra. The sutra will also have a special stand for it to
sit on.

Ryōguzen 霊供膳 Meal offering to the dead

Another custom to do with ancestral worship is the
Ryōguzen. On specific days and memorial services, families
will prepare their loved ones favourite meal and offer it
before the butsudan.

SUMMARY
As you can see, a butsudan can vary considerably, but I hope
the above has given you enough information to be able to
create your own. If in doubt, just ask your teacher. Below are
other examples of Tendai butsudans, and as you can see, the
precise placement of the various butsugu differs slightly. You
can’t see it on the first image, but it has a scroll for a Honzon,
instead of a statue.