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The Benefits of Offering Incense
Incense is called "Dhupa" in Sanskrit. In ancient Indian mythology, there is a deity of incense known as "Gandharva". This deity abstains from consuming meat and alcohol and sustains itself by the fragrance of incense. It emits fragrance from its ethereal body, thus earning the name "Deity of Incense." Later, it became one of the eight protectors of the Dharma in Buddhism.
In Buddhism, the use of incense is described in Volume Six of the "Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish". It recounts that during the time when the Buddha resided in Jetavana, a devotee named Fu Na Qi constructed a sandalwood monastery so that he could welcome the presence of the Buddha.
He held an incense burner in his hand and went to the top of a building. From there, he burned incense in the direction of Jetavana as an act of reverence. The smoke of the incense gracefully drifted towards Jetavana and gently descended upon the Buddha's head, forming a canopy of fragrant clouds. The Buddha knew that this was an invitation and therefore travelled to Fu Na Qi's sandalwood monastery.
According to this legend, incense serves as a medium through which disciples express their faith to the Buddha. Hence, it is referred to as the "emissary" of the Buddha in the scriptures. This is also the origin of using incense to pay homage to the Buddha in Buddhism.
Merits of Offering Incense
Offering incense to the Buddha has numerous merits. Such merits have been described in many Sutras. The main merits are:
- Elimination of negative karma
- Accumulation of abundant blessings
- Rebirth in a higher realm
- Fulfillment of wishes and aspirations
- Avoidance of the lower realms and eventual enlightenment
Offering incense to the Buddha is a sincere and devout act of offering, as incense is a medium for conveying sincere feelings. A pure, devout, and blissful state arises during the burning of incense. It is only with a genuine and sincere state of mind that one will have the divine experience of witnessing the fragrance rising to the divine realm.
Offerings commonly involve incense and flowers. According to The Humane King Sutra (Vol. 1), when the Buddha spoke, countless flowers showered down with fragrance as immense as Mount Sumeru and flowers as large as chariot wheels. In the Lotus Sutra (Intro.), it was said that the attendees at the Dharma assembly constantly made offerings with incense, flowers, and instrumental music. Further, incense and candles are usually combined in the offering.
The following is our Incense Series recommendation:
