BERKELEY BUDDHIST TEMPLE … Hondo/Onaijin 101 What do the Buddha's hand gestures mean? a) The right hand is raised to say "come without fear". b) The left hand is lowered and represents compassion. On the main altar table "maejoku" (my-ehjoe-koo) in front of the statue of Buddha, you have large arrangements of flowers on the left and candles on the right. The flowers represent the world of samsara because they are living now but in time will die, just as we will. On the right side of the maejoku table will be the candle. The candle represents the Infinite Light (Dharma) of the Buddha. What are the typical altars in a Hongwanji naijin? The traditional Hongwanji temple naijin will have one, three or five altars. a) One Altar - enshrining Amida Buddha only. b) Three Altars. - Amida Buddha, Sbinran Shonin, Rennyo Shonin c) Five Altars - Amida Buddha, Shinran Shonin, Rennyo Shonin, Prince Shotoku and Seven Patriarchs of Jodo Shinshu Looking at a statue representing the Amida Buddha, what are some of the key features/ representations embodied in the statue? There are 32 signs which signify a Buddha. Some of them are: a) "Bump on the top of the head" (Nikkei) this represents Amida's vast wisdom. This bump is sometimes colored blue - it is said that the Buddha's hair will be blue in color. b) "Spot" on the forehead (byakugo) -- originally represented a tuft of white hair which curled to the right and later was said to emit light symbolic of the Amida's third eye to see all. What is behind the statue of the Buddha? This is called "Kohai" (coe-high) and represents a background of light and is the earliest and original representation of a "halo" which later came into prominent use with western religious images. The traditional Shinshu altar image of Amida Buddha wilLhave a "kohai" with 48 spokes. This represents the 48 Vows of Dhannakara Bodhisattva to become Amida Buddha. … 2