How to Enshrine the Gohonzon and Care for Your Buddhist Altar

The primary purpose of the altar is to protect the Gohonzon. The altar should be placed in a location where it will be secure and stable, with minimal risk of the Gohonzon being knocked over or damaged. If possible, avoid placing the altar too close to doors, open windows, fireplaces or busy passageways.

Minimal Distractions

Whenever possible, the Gohonzon should be enshrined in a place with minimal distractions, for example, a location that is not too close to a television or in areas that may often be used by other members of the household.

Ultimately, the focus of the altar in Nichiren Buddhism is the Gohonzon. Therefore, please refrain from adorning the altar with items that are not associated with or that take attention away from the daily practice of reciting the sutra and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. 

Similarly, images of Shakyamuni Buddha or other deities or religious symbols (such as crystals, elephants or other animals) are not the focus of a practitioner’s prayers, and so should not be placed on or around the altar. Larger religious symbols should be placed in a separate room when possible. Rather than a painted or sculpted image, which could not fully express Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren employed written characters on the Gohonzon to communicate the state of oneness with the Mystic Law that he realized in his own life.

Sensei writes: “When we of the Latter Day, with the Gohonzon as our clear mirror, believe that this same expansive cosmos of life exists within us, we can open and reveal the benefit of that vast and boundless condition. We can thereby fundamentally eliminate all suffering and build eternal, indestructible happiness” (The World of Nichiren’s Writings, vol. 1, p. 302).

Ample Light

The location should have ample light so the Gohonzon can easily be seen when the altar is open.

Enshrining the Gohonzon

The enshrinement of the Gohonzon is a deeply significant and joyful event, especially when done in company with your local SGI leaders and members. When possible and appropriate, please feel free to invite your family and friends.

Respectful Attitude

The Gohonzon is the object of devotion representing one’s enlightened life. Therefore, it should be handled with care and respect during the enshrinement.

Careful Handling

To prevent stains or soiling, avoid directly touching the Gohonzon (which consists of calligraphy on white paper) or its cloth backing.

Level Position

When the enshrinement is complete, the Gohonzon should be hanging so that it is at eye level when sitting in a chair, and also level horizontally. Make adjustments by gently touching the dowel at the top, as you would a framed picture on a wall.

Caring for the Altar

Cleanliness

Keep the altar area clean and dust-free. Just as we maintain and clean our homes, it is important to keep our altar orderly and neat. On a practical level, the area in front of the Gohonzon should be cleaned daily to protect the Gohonzon from exposure to dust, and candles and incense should not be placed too close to the altar.

Offerings

Greens, incense, candles, fresh water and fruit can be placed on the altar as an expression of sincerity and respect for the Gohonzon. While chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and reciting the sutra are fundamental, such offerings are meant to dignify the altar area as an expression of our sincere spirit to treasure and protect the Gohonzon. In reference to making offerings to the object of devotion, Nichiren writes: “Whether you chant the Buddha’s name, recite the sutra, or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits and roots of goodness in your life. With this conviction you should strive in faith” (“On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 4). Some may choose to use electric candles as a safety precaution or forgo incense due to allergies. The key is our sincere spirit to treasure and protect the Gohonzon.

Moving the Gohonzon to a New Location

As with the original enshrinement, the Gohonzon should be treated with the utmost respect. Therefore, please refrain from moving the Gohonzon to a new location while still inside the altar, as it could be damaged in the process. When removing the Gohonzon from the altar, please avoid directly touching the Gohonzon or its cloth backing. Gently roll up the scroll, secure it with the attached ribbon and place it in either its original or a similar protective box. While the altar can be transported in a vehicle or carefully wrapped and shipped to a new location, the Gohonzon should be kept in a protective box and carried by the recipient to its next location. Please re-enshrine the Gohonzon as soon as possible.

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Good to Know

What do the offerings symbolize?

Water

We offer a cup of fresh water to the Gohonzon prior to doing morning gongyo and remove it at the end of the day, just before evening gongyo. The tradition of offering water began in ancient India, where Shakyamuni lived and spread his teachings. Water has always been highly regarded in this hot climate and was customarily offered to guests. In Sanskrit, the word for water also means “benefit” or “water of benefit.”

Fruit

Fresh fruit can be another offering to the Gohonzon. When placing the offering on the altar, we can ring the bell three times, place our palms together and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times as a gesture of gratitude and appreciation.

Incense

Offerings of incense have a long history in ancient India and elsewhere, symbolizing such things as purification or an awakening of the senses. Practitioners with young children or those who find incense a physical irritant may prefer not to use it. Incense should not be placed too close to the altar.

Candles

Candlelight symbolizes the light of Buddha wisdom, or our inherent wisdom with which to extinguish darkness and make all things visible. Candles therefore signal our awareness of our innate Buddha nature. Candles should not be placed too close to the altar. Practitioners concerned with fire danger posed by candles, such as parents of small children, may opt to forego them or use electric candles.

Bell

The pleasing tone of the bell is meant to harmonize the recitation of the sutra and chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. There is no specific instruction on how to ring the bell or how many times to ring it during recitation of the sutra, though a general guide is given in The Liturgy of the Soka Gakkai. Care should be taken not to disturb others in shared spaces, such as apartments.

Greens

Evergreens symbolize the Buddha’s enlightened physical property or his compassionate action. Traditionally, evergreens have been used to adorn the space before the Gohonzon, because they bear fragrant leaves throughout the year, representing permanence and purity. In places without easy access to natural evergreens, plastic greenery is an acceptable substitute.

January 10, 2025 World Tribune, pp. 6–7