IMAGE SET UP AT ALTAR AND MEDITATION WITH HOLY OBJECT IN MIND

For a new practitioner, it is very helpful for you to have a special room or space in your home that is reserved for the meditation practice. This is your “Gompa” or “meditation place”. The main items in your “Gompa” are an altar, your meditation seat, and perhaps, a text table. The altar is where you place the holy object, image and text which inspire you to practise. It should be in a clean and respectful place with the object placed higher than the level of your head as you sit facing it. When setting up the altar, make sure it is clean. Offerings should be made daily.

THE OBJECTS AND WHAT THEY REPRESENT
A proper Buddha altar symbolizes the enlightened body, speech and mind, traditionally represented by displaying a statue or photo of Buddha Shakyamuni, or Guru Rinpoche, a scripture and a stupa. At the very least, the altar should have an image of Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder and source of the teachings of our time.
In the placing of images, it is important that Shakyamuni Buddha should be the central figure. Other images should be placed from the uppermost of your altar in this order: root lamas, Yidams (highest Yoga tantra deities, performance tantra deities, the action tantra deities) dakinis and finally protector deities.
The scripture representing the speech of the Buddha does not always need to be in Tibetan or Sanskrit. It can be a dharma text in any language. The Dharma book or text is to be placed on the altar.
The mind of the Buddha is traditionally represented by a stupa of enlightenment. The stupa should be placed to the right of the Buddha image. The scripture should be placed highest on the altar and thus, in the order of the text, the Buddha image and the stupa as you face the altar.
The objects on the altar also represent the Three Jewels of Refuge. If there is only a statue of the Buddha, think that it represents all three jewels. If there are also a scripture and a stupa, think that the stupa represents the Buddha, the scripture represents the Dhamma, and the image of the Buddha represents the Sangha.
It is important to keep in mind that the object on the altar serves as a means of directing one’s mind to the Buddha’s enlightened qualities, which one aspires to emulate for others’ benefit.

Sarwamangalam. TashiDelek. Dedication from TulkuAshakThutob Rinpoche jigmedorje

Note: Maha Sadhu to Sis Loke Bee Leng for your kind contribution to edit on the above article. As every effort to edit the spelling to ensure that the content of the text is not altered, should there be any mistakes on our part, your forgiveness is highly appreciated. Sadhu!