Altars, Buddhist etiquette and service

It can be a calligraphy of the Name, Namu Amida Butsu, an image or a statue of the standing Amida Buddha. The object of reverence occupies the central position in the altar. It symbolizes the compassion and wisdom of Amida, the Buddha of immeasurable light and life.

The candle symbolizes the wisdom of the Buddha that illuminates the darkness of ignorance, which prevents us from seeing the reality of things as they are.

Flowers symbolize the Buddha's compassion and represent purity and beauty. Their haste in withering reminds us of the impermanent nature of life. They are arranged to the left of the altar.

Incense is offered in gratitude towards the Vow of Amida, which embraces and liberates all beings without discrimination. The transformation of the incense into smoke, after contact with light, symbolizes the transformation of our blinding angst into awakening when we are illumined by the Buddha’s light (i.e. wisdom).  Its fragrance prepares our mind to listen to the dharma. Other offerings are possible: rice, fruit, sweets or water.

The rin is used to signal the start, pause and end of a service.

The portraits of Shinran Shōnin and Rennyo Shōnin can be placed on both sides of the gohonzon. Also, other forms of the Name such as the Kuji myogo (9-character Name) Namu Fukashigikō Nyorai and the Juji myogo (10-character Name) Kimyō Jinjippō Mugekō Nyorai can also be placed on each side of the gohonzon.

Gassho means to join hands. The palms are joined while keeping the fingers extended. The nenju surrounds the hands and is held between the thumbs and the rest of the fingers. The elbows are close to the body and the hands are at chest level. This gesture is an expression of reverence and gratitude. 

The nenju envelops the gesture of gassho as a symbol of the interdependence between the Buddha and all beings, between samsara and nirvana. Whenever possible we should hold the nenju in our left hand. When we bow (raihai) with hands in Gassho we also say the Name, Namu Amida Butsu.

The bow shows reverence and gratitude and usually accompanies the gassho gesture. When bowing, the hands are still joined but we bring the body forward and then back to the upright position.

The sutras and chanting books should be treated with the utmost respect. Before and after chanting, the book is raised to the level of the forehead as a sign of reverence for the words of the Buddha and the masters. We also avoid to put sutra books on the floor, on sitting places or to put any other object on top of them.

When we approach the altar or enter the main room of a temple, we do so with the left foot first. When moving away from the altar or leaving the temple, we step backwards, moving the right foot first.

By reciting Namo Amida Butsu or Namandabu we say Buddha, we think Buddha...we become Buddha. In our denomination, nembutsu is not recited as a mantra or for the purpose of gaining merit, but is recited in joyful and grateful  awareness of the great compassion of the Original Vow. We do not recite to attain anything; our saying of the Name bears witness to the fact that we have already received the great benefit of the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion.

We come from samsara full of blind passions (bonnō), represented by our left foot, and approach the world of Nirvana, the Pure Land, symbolized in the Altar or Butsudan.

The service begins with the offering of incense. This gesture reminds us of our connection with the Buddha and the transformative power of such an encounter. The fragrance clears our minds and prepares us to listen to the dharma. 

The ringing of the bell symbolises the voice of the Buddha calling us to take refuge in the Three Treasures. It opens and closes the chanting of the Sutra. 

We chant the sutras aloud, in unison, and in the traditional way. We do not chant a text with the intention of understanding it, instead it is a way of paying attention, listening, and being in synchronicity with others. It could be said to be an exercise in mindfulness.

It is always important to listen with an attitude of utmost attention: ‘as if we are listening for the first time as if his message is addressed exclusively to us and as if this is the last opportunity we have to hear about Buddhism’. Our bodily posture should reflect this attitude.

After hearing the dharma, we symbolically return to samsara from the realm of nirvana, by stepping backwards with the right foot first, which symbolises nirvana, the Pure Land. Our blind passions (bonnō) remain with us, but we now know that we are not alone and that awakening has never left us.