Incense offering has its meaning and connotation in Buddhist rituals. This research explores the culture of using incense in India—where Buddhism originated—and the culture of offering incense in China, which is considered the center of Buddhist development. Through the analysis of Buddhist texts, this paper provides the connotation and history of incense offering. Within the Indian cultural context, incense can take on the forms of liquid, powder, or sticks, and its purpose of purifying the user's body, mind, and environment is achieved through its unique physical characteristics. Within the Chinese cultural context, various incense offering instruments were developed, and this paper will organize on the instrument used at Famen Temple as a representation of prosperity of Buddhism during that time. The Buddhist doctrinal and cultural connotations reflected on the instrument's physical form and symbols will be explored. In Chinese Buddhist rituals, incense offering is a means of communication between the natural and supernatural world. This is reflected through the Water and Land Dharma Service Liturgy, where an otherwise mundane item becomes a sacred offering item through integration with religious spirituality. In addition, incense offering is seen to have the goals of communicating with higher realms, smoldering, and purifying one's body and mind. Through its religious application, one is able to transcend from a worldly state to a sagely one, thus perfecting one's character. This research will highlight the value and worth of incense offering in the modern day, hence proving the intrinsic value and doctrinal validity of Buddhist incense offering.
