The meditation shelf

I have a friend who isn't usually very superstitious, but the other day when I visited, I saw him busy building an altar. I was surprised, and my friend explained:

- This isn't an altar, it's the ancestral altar at my parents' house. I don't worship any gods or Buddhas. You can think of it as a meditation shelf if you like!

It would have been better if you hadn't explained; the more you explain, the more confused I become. Why would the altar be empty? Isn't that blasphemous? Isn't the purpose of worshipping ancestors or deities to show reverence, to seek protection from misfortune, and to receive blessings?

- I don't think so. The good fortune and blessings that come to us in life are not bestowed by any gods or ancestors, but are the result of our own worldview, brought about by ourselves.

My friend answered casually while drilling holes in the wall to install a "meditation shelf."

People often say, "The father eats salty food, the son suffers from thirst," meaning that karma continues from one generation to the next. If parents do bad things, their children will suffer the consequences – in simpler terms, "karma strikes back." Or conversely, "If the tree is green, the leaves are also green; virtuous parents leave a legacy of virtue for their children," meaning that good parents will leave their children with sweet fruits later on. Generally, these viewpoints seem true in reality, but we are actually misunderstanding the essence of the matter. The saying "The father eats salty food, the son suffers from thirst" actually means that if the father eats salty food, the son will also eat salty food; the thirst comes from the son's own consumption of salty food. Karma is real, but we are misidentifying which cause leads to the immediate effect. Each person bears their own karma; the misfortunes or good fortune that come to us in this finite life are the result of a series of actions reflecting our worldview – past, present, and future. A correct worldview yields sweet fruit, while a distorted worldview yields bitter fruit. Children's worldviews are often influenced, shaped, and inherited from their parents'. Therefore, saying that parents pass on virtue to their children isn't wrong, but it's an indirect cause, not a direct one as we often think.

That sounds reasonable! But I'm wondering, how does this relate to my friend suddenly setting up an altar—or rather, a "meditation shelf"?

- An altar is fine, a meditation shelf is fine too. They look the same, but each person's heart is different. Some people set up an altar to show reverence to their ancestors and deities. Others set up an altar to seek personal gain. As for me, I don't worship any entity; I "worship" my own ego. It's often said that palm lines reflect destiny; when you open your hand, you see your whole life, but when you close your hand, isn't life still in your palm? Having this space allows me to create a habit, a bond, a sense of responsibility. To have two days a month to confront myself, put everything aside, and reflect. Because even the most steadfast person sometimes forgets their true self.

I remained silent and didn't ask any more questions, because I was also waiting for the answer for myself.