Altar box for daily worship at home and on trips

A sadhu spends much of his life in front of the outer altar. The altar communicates with the higher worlds, the deities, the sacred energies, the subtle dimensions of one's mind, oneself, and God the Absolute.

An altar is a window into another dimension, the world of gods and holy beings, and the mandala of pure vision.

An altar is to a sadhu what a computer is to an "advanced" user. Just as the user or programmer sits for hours at the computer, solving his tasks, getting the information he needs, communicating with others, and downloading files, the sadhu sits in front of the altar, doing his work. A movable, quick-folding altar is handy for those who travel and yet strive to maintain their worship practice and invoke sacred energies (Upasana).

Such as a folding altar in the form of an inlaid box with images of Ganesha was purchased in a German Indian goods store. The store clerks said they get these goods from North India. From where exactly, we will clarify.

Such an altar box is convenient for missionary monks who travel extensively worldwide and lay practitioners of karma-sannyasi. It is compact, elegant, and handy to use on trips and at home when you need to create an altar and conduct ritual practices quickly. There are altars finished inside with velvet in a deep blue color, and there are burgundy ones. Accordingly, blue is more for Shiva principle worship. Burgundy - for Shakti practices (Lakshmi, Saraswati). The box requires minor cosmetic modifications after purchase to be fully used for our purposes.

Since 2016, these altar boxes have been used by monks, and the Monastic Sangha Council is considering purchasing them for all monks or making their own. They can also be given to monks who wish to accumulate merit on special spiritual feasts and at the Bandara.

A set of objects inside the casket:

- A depiction of the major Deities and Saints of our tradition (Twenty-Four images; a copy from a classical altar)

- Small sculptures of Ten Deities and Saints of our tradition (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Parvati, Ganesha, Dattatreya, Vasishtha, Brahmananda)

- Offering bowls

- Bell

- Incense stand

- Cup and spoon for acha mana

- Auspicious symbols of Lakshmi worship

- Mini-Padukas

- Vibhuti box

- A candlestick or oil lamp, etc.

Suppose any practitioner would like to develop such a line of service throughout the Sangha, purchase such boxes for distribution within the World Community, make them himself in our "Russian" Europe, or create a fund or methodically replenish it. In that case, you may contact Nun Advaitavadini - advaitavadini@gmail.com.

We must never forget the instructions of our Dev Guru: "At which altar you spend more time, to which you make more offerings, pay more attention, that is what blesses you..."