Gareth Young's Bohemian Lifestyle

Instructions for Tending the Altar

Among the opportunities to serve the community and to support the community, that of tending the altar is highly revered. This is a task for which two persons are assigned, and which requires great diligence and frequent attention, at least twice each week.

The altar should be treated with great reverence and gratitude. It is the centerpiece of the meditation hall, and indeed of the whole Zen Center. We bow to the altar upon entering and leaving the meditation hall; it is before the altar we bow before and after services; it is on top of the altar that the statue of Buddha has its home, it is on the altar table that incense is kept and burned; and it is there, too, that a candle is burned during services. The altar is also the location of special events such as initiations; and it is where the kyosaku resides at rest. We must keep it impeccably clean and tidy, and well furnished with beautiful flowers.

The masters of the past provide us with countless impeccable examples of the reverence and gratitude we should keep in mind when tending the altar and burning incense, but none can surpass that afforded by Kyogen. One day as Kyogen was scything grass, a small piece of tile was knocked through the air and struck a stalk of bamboo. Upon hearing the sound of the tile hitting the bamboo, he instantly experienced vast enlightenment. Kyogen was at that time working in a graveyard, and had no altar present. Nonetheless, he bathed, lit incense and bowed in the direction of his Master, Isan, in gratitude for his great compassion. This is indeed a wonderful example for us in these lesser times.

The altar must first of all be kept clean and tidy. This requires a dusting at least once a week. Dusters are kept in the porch, and should be shaken outdoors after use and replaced. Not only should the altar and table be dusted, but so, too, should the small shelf in the area outside the meditation hall, where a second stick of incense and candle are burned, and the top shelf of the shoe shelves in the vestibule, where a third incense burner resides. In dusting, you should make a small bow before the item you are about to dust, and pay close attention: if there are extraneous objects they should be removed and placed in their proper location; if there are areas of stubborn dirt or wax, they should be scraped off with a thumb nail or using the appropriate cleaning chemicals. Never leave the altar damp after cleaning it. After you have completed dusting an area, you should make a small bow and move on.

You are also responsible for keeping the three incense bowls clean and tidy. This is to be done at least twice a week. It is a simple task, but should be performed with great reverence. Each is to be cleaned thoroughly in its turn, beginning with that on the altar, followed by the bowl on the shelf outside the meditation hall, and finally the bowl on the shoe shelves. You should approach each bowl directly, bow once, and pick it up with both hands. Carrying it carefully outside, you should blow the ashes off onto the yard, where it will serve as fertilizer. You should remove the ends of the burnt sticks, and throw them in the trash. Finally, you should return the bowl to its proper place, smooth the sand and either leave smooth or make a simple pattern. Bowing once, you should move on.

In tending the altar for others, or in bowing yourself, whether to the altar, or at some other time, you should also constantly remember to whom it is you are bowing. Once again, the masters of the past provide us great guidance by their examples, such as that of Master Rinzai.

Fortunately these events have nothing to do with the First Ancestor offending Rinzai; nor do they have anything to do with Rinzai bowing to the Buddha or to the First Ancestor. When making your offerings and obeisance at the altar you should be just like this.

Hyakujo’s words were also just like this. When the future emperor asked him, “Not seeking Buddha, not seeking Dharma, not seeking Sangha – when the master bows, what is it you are seeking?” he replied, “Not seeking Buddha, not seeking Dharma, not seeking Sangha – one always bows in just this manner.”

You should pay attention to the candles, and keep them in good order, and ready for use. To do this you should attend them once per week, and trim the wick and clean the candleholder as needed. Please make a small bow as you approach each candle, and as you complete your work and move on. If the candle needs replacing, you should consult the task coordinator, who will direct you to the proper place and method. You should be sure matches are available at altar.

Your most beautiful responsibility, and the last described here, is tending the flowers. This is indeed a high estate, and is one for which you should be enormously grateful. Monks of ancient times would offer nine prostrations daily in gratitude when performing such a task. Each petal of every flower is a door to the entire universe, and through each of these gates you have an opportunity to realize your own true nature. The scriptures are replete with stories of flowers raining down from heaven. Reiun gained enlightenment when he saw a peach tree in bloom and he composed this verse:

It is with this attitude of never doubting again that you must look to the responsibility of tending the flowers on the altar, and each petal of every flower as you do so.

You should present an arrangement on the altar in the meditation hall, and should also consider, depending on resource constraints, placing additional arrangements in the vestibule, and the small meditation hall. New arrangements are to be presented once per week, and in doing this you must ensure that there are fresh flowers on altar for Sunday meditation, as this is the day of the most important service of the week and the weekly dharma talk, the time of special services such as Fusatsu and Ohigan, and the time when we have the most participants. You should consult with the task coordinator to determine the budget for flowers for the period of your responsibility, and you should manage this allowance as if it were your own life. You should procure the best flowers possible with these resources. The DeKalb Farmers Market gets fresh flowers on Friday. Their prices are good and they have a variety, but this is not the only place to get them. If the flowers are very cheap, they probably are not very fresh and will therefore fade too quickly. This will impact the time they look presentable on the altar. You must use your own judgment.

You should also acquire a powder that you put in the water for the flowers that keep them fresh looking longer, such as Flower Fresh. It typically comes in little packets that sometimes are included with the flowers. At the DeKalb Farmers Market, you can get it free if you ask for it from the flower arrangers that are in the flower area or it can be purchased at approximately 10 cents per packet at most florists or nurseries.

Once you have procured the flowers and powder, you should select an appropriate vase that will compliment the anticipated arrangement and is of the proper size. An assortment of vases available is stored on the shelves on the back porch. You can now commence with the arrangement. This should be done with care, and you should ensure that the flowers are each treated tenderly and with respect, and that your work area is left clean and tidy. You should prepare the arrangement in its vase in the kitchen, and consider how it will look on the altar. Be aware of how large and tall the flower arrangement is.  The altar is small and you do not want to overwhelm it. It is fine to use a single flower or a small number of them if you wish.

When complete, you should take the arrangement into the meditation hall. Approach the altar quietly and come to a stop in font of it. Make a small bow, present your display and remove the old one in an exchange of vases, and making another small bow, turn and exit. You should feel free to place the flowers on the altar at any time, even while a sitting session is underway, if this is when it is most convenient. After removing the old arrangement, inspect it to see if it can be used in whole or in part elsewhere in the Center. It is nice, for example, but not essential to have flowers near the front entrance, in the second meditation hall, on the table in the vestibule.

Water should be added to each display at least once during the week they are on the altar, and more often if possible. It would be helpful if the attendant could monitor this and add water if needed. Some flowers drink up more water than others. If you are using a flower fresh type product, you do not empty the water out of the vase, just add water.

If some of the flowers begin to look badly, it is appropriate to pull them out and rearrange the remaining blossoms.  Of course this would not be done in the sitting hall.  Take it to the kitchen to handle the rearrangement.