Setting up a simple, respectful altar

Place, objects, offerings: common customs for welcoming an image of the Medicine Buddha at home.

There is no single right way to set up an altar: customs vary between traditions and teachers. Here are simple, respectful pointers.

The place

Choose a clean, quiet spot, ideally raised, at least at heart level. People usually avoid the floor, the bathroom and busy passageways.

An image: a statue, a thangka or a simple card.
A light: a candle or small lamp; an LED works perfectly and safely.
Offerings: in the Tibetan tradition, seven small bowls of clear water in a row; elsewhere, flowers or fruit.
Incense, if you wish and if the room is well ventilated.

Dust regularly, change the water daily and empty the bowls in the evening. What matters is intention and care, not the number of objects.

If you follow a teacher, ask for advice: some practices require a transmission. The centres listed in Services & places can help.

Altar items are in incense & altar, images in statues and thangkas.