As a Buddhist, you walk on a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of reality. This path ultimately culminates in Enlightenment.
As an enlightened being you’ll see the nature of reality absolutely clearly and you’ll live fully and naturally in accordance with that vision.
This is the goal of the Buddhist spiritual life, representing the end of suffering for anyone who attains it.
The reason for setting up an altar is to reduce your mental afflictions and to seek the ability to help all beings. The Buddhist Altar Builder provides you with all you need to change yourself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom.
You can use the Buddhist Altar Builder to invoke holy beings and to enrich your wisdom and compassion until the Perfect Enlightenment is achieved.
It is easier to form an unalterable habit by doing the daily practices at a definite place, and this is the Buddhist Altar Builder. It brings purification and your mind is enhanced and accelerated.
The Buddhist Altar Builder features:
-the bowl of water, a fresh and pure offering, with the wish that all beings be relieved of thirst
-Buddha Statuettes, bringing in the body, speech, mind, merits and activities of the depicted holy beings
-elephant statuettes because the main characteristics of the elephant are his strength and steadfastness. Therefore it becomes a symbol of physical and mental strength, as well as responsibility and earthiness.
-horse statuettes because in Buddhism the horse is symbolic of energy and effort. It also symbolizes the air which runs through the channels of the body and is the vehicle of the mind.
-the Garuda bird statuette because it can stretch out its wings and soar into space. It represents the great freedom of the mind, the growth of life and wisdom.
-lion statuettes because in Buddhism lions are symbolic of the bodhisattvas, the "sons of the Buddha" or "Buddhas lions". Bodhisattvas are beings who have attained a high level of spiritual development.
- tortoise statuette because the tortoise is considered a guardian animal.
-butter lamps and candles, also commonly offerings, the light signifies the stability and clarity of patience, the beauty which dispels all ignorance.
-flowers signifying the practice of generosity and opens the heart.
-food plate offerings with the wish that all beings be relieved of hunger
- incense representing discipline and moral ethics
- musical instruments; their nature is wisdom, which makes an offering to the ears of all the enlightened beings.
- stupa of enlightenment, representing the Mind of the Buddha
Dedication is crucial in the process of invoking Buddha. All the offerings should be dedicated to the elimination of suffering and its causes from all beings, to their achievement of lasting happiness, and to world peace.