First of all, let me explain why we offer the incense. There are three main reasons for doing it. 1) According to some sutras, the smelling of incense is one of the ornaments in the Pure Land. So, we offer the incense to praise the Buddha’s Virtue. 2)By using the incense, we purify our bodies. Our bodies are not so pure and clean no matter how often we take a bath. Our bodies create waste products continuously. Long, long ago in India, people believed that they could purify their bodies by offering the incense before they worshipped the Buddha. So, we offer the incense to express our gratitude to Buddha’s Benevolence. 3) By smelling the incense, we become calm so that we can listen more effectively to the Right Teachings of the Buddha. So, we offer the incense to embrace and receive the True Dharma.

The next question is how many sticks of the incense should we burn at one time. We do not stand the incense in the incense burner. It is broken into appropriate lengths and laid in it. There is no need to be concerned about the number of the incense stick that is to be offered. The most important thing is our feeling for the Buddha, not number of it.

The next question is how many times should we offer the incense powder. When I see the people who offer the incense, they offer it various ways. So, let me explain the right way of offering the incense. Whenever you offer the incense, you do it only once. 1) Bow once, two or three steps before the incense burner. 2) Advance to the burner and take a pinch of the incense with your right hand and place it into the burner. 3) Then put your hands together in Gassho, recite the Nembutsu, take two or three steps back, bow and return to your seat. Remember (a) you do not Gassho before offering of the incense, (b) offer the incense only once, (c) not necessary to raise your hands to your forehead just prior to offering of the incense.

Our founder, Shinran Shonin mentioned about the incense in one of his Hymns of the Pure Land. It is as follows;

    "Such beings are like people who, imbued with incense

    Bear its fragrance on their bodies;

    They may be called

    Those adorned with the fragrance of light."

(The Collected Works of Shinran, Volume I page 357 #116)

Shinran Shonin interpreted that the fragrance of light refers to the Nembutsu, which is Wisdom. That is, he thought that the follower of the Nembutsu way is the person who imbued with incense. So let us endeavor to rededicate ourselves to live our life to its fullest in the Light and Wisdom of the Nembutsu and show our gratitude to Amida Buddha in our daily life.

Namo-Amidabutsu