By J.J. Kyoji Anderson

My altar continues to change and evolve, and I appreciate it more every day. I am grateful to Gendo, whom I have to credit with this design. In the center sit two versions of Quan Yin. The taller Quan Yin is very precious to me because it was a gift from the Hazy Moon sangha when I took Tokudo. The jade Quan Yin in the front was a gift from my father to my mother after he visited Japan. My mother gave it to me when she moved down here. On one side is a picture of the Cypress Tree at Joshu’s temple in Bailin. It was given to me by Sotetsugen and Myotai after I sat shuso. The gift was so thoughtful and appropriate, since my my koan was “The Cypress Tree in the Garden.” On the other side of the altar are my father’s ihai and a picture of my teacher, Nyogen Roshi.

I try to keep the four elements on the altar at all times, although fresh flowers are sometimes a challenge. The altar cloth is not an altar cloth at all, but the flag from a green on a golf course that somebody had thrown away. I just couldn’t resist the bright red color, and the price was perfect.

My altar sits on an old Japanese tansu chest, which I purchased solely to function as my altar. It contains my ketchimyaku, chant books and incense. All of it pretty much sums up my practice.