Buddhist Portable Altar

A few years ago, during our last trip to Japan before the Pandemic, we came to the famous Buddhist temple of Zojoji: one of two head temples of the Jodo Shu sect.

My wife and I like Zojoji in particular, and since it is right next to the famous Tokyo Tower, it is always worth a visit.

Along its famous treasures is a “black Amida [Buddha]” statue which has a separate altar room, in the annex room to the right of the main hall:

Anyhow, on that visit, I picked up a neat little portable altar/image of Amida Buddha: it is normally wrapped in a small brocade envelope:

Inside you can see an image of Amida Buddha:

The writing on the left is a verse from the Shiseige (aka Juseige) a devotional set of verses, which is in turn an excerpt from a Buddhist text, the Immeasurable Life Sutra. The verse above reads:

神力演大光 Jin riki en dai ko
普照無際土 Fu sho mu sai do
消除三垢冥 Sho jo san ku myo
広済衆厄難 Ko sai shu yaku nan

With my divine power I [Amida Buddha] will display great light,

Illuminating the worlds without limit,

And dispel the darkness of the three defilements [greed, anger, delusion];

Thus I will deliver all beings from misery.

On the right is a poem by Honen (法然, 1133-1212), founder of Jodo Shu, called “Moonlight”. I talked about the poem here.

This folds out like a mini triptych, though it doesn’t stand up very well on its own.

Because it’s so small, yet very beautiful, it is a nice thing to carry with you sometimes for those moments of inspiration or private devotion.