Collection or compilation of information on Incense.
I bet you didn’t think Incense could be this complicated!!
An internet compilation of incense articles
Main Entry: 1 in·cense
Pronunciation: ‘in-“sen(t)s
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English encens, from Old French, from Late Latin incēnsum, from Latin, neuter of incensus, past participle of incendere to set on fire, from in- + -cendere to burn; akin to Latin candre to glow.
Date: 13th century
1 : material used to produce a fragrant odor when burned
2 : the perfume exhaled from some spices and gums when burned; broadly : a pleasing scent
3 : pleasing attention : flattery
Etymology: Incense, n., smoke of burning spices. — Middle English encens, from Old French and French encens, from Late Latin incensum, ‘incense’, literally ‘something burnt’, neuter past participle of Latin incendere. Compare censer. (KL)
The cense is akin to the -cendiary in the word incendiary as well as the word cinder and censer which all refer to fire. Also the incense in the transitive verb form, as in ‘to make angry’ comes from the idea of setting on fire.
Incense in Hebrew is ‘lebonah’, Greek ‘libanos’, Latin ‘tus’. (Lat. thus, Gr. thumiama), ???
Possible Origins/My theory
Who could ignore the odor of incinerated trees left in the wake of an electrical storm. Lightning’s victims left smoldering in a field of tall grass. Early humans knew that burning embers gave off a scent; it was just a matter of kindling and controlling fire. Incense, in a vague sense, was most likely stumbled upon just by trying to keep a fire going. Throwing any dried up twigs into the flames, eventually you’d figure out that certain ones smelled better. You were most likely to remain in close proximity of a fire and would prefer the better smelling twigs, wouldn’t you?
If you didn’t think Fire itself was a God, you probably thought the scent would please your God. Also Fire and smoke rises…what better way to send blessings to the heavens.
Purposes or uses, then and now
Funerals, lets face it dead bodies stink.
Egyptians used it for purification & offerings. Myrrh was mixed with anointing oil , incense was mixed in with such things as food offerings and even mixed into some ritual clay statuary.
Used in Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, and Crete, in ancestor worship.
Greek sacrifices.
The Israelites used incense as a sacrifice to God, a form of worship that served to placate divine anger.
Christians first used incense at burials then later it was in liturgical ceremonies.
Native Americans used the ‘peace pipe’ or calumet, giving off aromatic smoke as well as something to inhale.
Mayans also burned incense as a form of sacrifice.
Middle East, incense was burned in sacrifices and to ward off evil spirits.
In Rome it was used at funerals and in the worship of the emperor.
European occultists used incense following in the foot steps of antiquity, narcotic materials were burned to facilitate visionary experiences.
Incense was also burned in everyday life for pleasure.
Cannabis enthusiasts use it to cover up the smell.
How to make incense, a great site that I recommend
http://www.scents-of-earth.com/makyourownna.html
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Notes
(So with the precious mind of enlightenment, even if you burn
only one incense stick and offer the fragrance to the holy objects
and so on, the merit you will gather will be enormous. If, before
you light the incense stick and offer the fragrance, you say to
yourself, Today I offer this incense stick to the gurus and the
Buddhas may I achieve the state of enlightenment for the sake of
all sentient beings, saying it not in a jaded, mechanical way but
with full sincerity, you will gather as many merits by burning this
one incense stick as there are sentient beings throughout the
universe.) TURNING THE WHEEL OF THE DHARMA
Gen Rinpoche teaches Bodhicitta, the Mind of Enlightenment
Teaching given by the Most Venerable Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey
at the Dhargyey Buddhist Centre, Dunedin, Sunday
18th December 1994. It has been edited by Ven. Ani Sönam
Chökyi from the oral translation by Losang Dawa. copywrite
Dhargyey Buddhist Centre.
Of these five, incense is perhaps most important as well as easiest
to use. Incense creates a subtle aroma which removes stagnant energy
from our psychic environment.
The Culture of Ritual and the Quest for Enlightenment
By David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri)
On Ketoret~
Incense supposedly removes death or the angel of death
‘Incense is ever a sign of joy’
Incense is during the morning and evening services in Judaism, burned in the morning because incense is a token of gladness that removes death and creates bonds with the sefirot & morning is a time of joy, at night it is burned because that is the time of judgment when the shadows stretch over the world and are the accusers, incense is believed to stop judgment.
Incense can break evil inclinations, to banish sorcery, and to protect us from the Other Side. It creates unity above and below, atoning for sin and idolatry.
It creates unity above & below!
Incense comes before prayer, hymns & praises.
Best of all offerings is incense, which is completely wholesome and not burned for sin, nor for any inadvertent trespass, nor any wrongdoing.
Oil & incense are burned together because oil alludes to Chokmah and incense to Binah.
Incense means bond in Aramaic (?)
Incense means connecting in (Aramaic (?) ktiru) (Heb Ktoret)
Originally Ketoret consisted of 4 spices, Stacte, Onycha, Galbanum & frankincense, later more spices were added. Ketoret Bisamim=the 11 spice mixture of incense mentioned in the Talmud. The incense is the most important part of Temple service, regarded as the most precious of offerings by G-d. The altar in the Holy temple was made of Acacia wood and over laid with gold. The 11 spices that are said to make up the Ketoret are Balsam, Clove, Galbanum, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cassia, Spikenard, Saffron, Costus, Aromatic bark, Cinnamon
Ketoret also spelled Qetoret can over came death because the very nature of its substance and creation. It contains in it 11 spices, 10 sweet smelling spices and the 11th spice being a vile smelling one is called evil both for its smell and it’s number. Which alludes to the elevation of evil into the realm of the holy and the only way to transform evil is to bring it back to its source. When it’s created it’s broken down into smaller pieces alluding to the shattering of the vessels.
{A similar line of thought may be adopted with regard to the mizbach ha-ketoret. We learn from the Yom Kippur service that the cloud of ketoret facilitates a vision of the Shekhina – “For in the cloud I shall appear above the kaporet” – like a sort of veil which serves to dull the dazzling revelation. Perhaps, this is indeed the function of the mizbei’ach ketoret throughout the year: it is meant to allow the Shekhina to dwell in the Mishkan by “screening” the revelation therein! According to this understanding it is quite clear why the mizbei’ach ketoret is not mentioned together with the other vessels: it too, like the kiyor, “merely” facilitates the revelation of the Shekhina in the Mishkan, removing the “side effects” of the revelation to mortal eyes.
Throughout Tanakh, in fact, we find that prior to or concurrently with every Divine revelation there is a cover which facilitates man’s encounter with God. In Sefer Yechezkel, God descends in a cloud, and before the Shekhina takes to the streets of Jerusalem in order to leave the city, the angel is commanded to spread “coals of fire” in the city – a sort of smoke screen, “Go in between the wheels, under the keruv, and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the keruvim, and scatter them on the city” (Yechezkel 10:2).
While the (basin)kiyor facilitates the priestly service, the mizbei’ach ketoret facilitates the presence of the Shekhina. But each is just a means to allow the mishkan to function as God’s house, and therefore both appear at the end, after the closing verses which conclude the command concerning the construction of the Mishkan and its vessels.}
Japan- Various powdered ingredients are mixed with honey(or sometimes with plum meat) then kneaded and formed into balls, are called nerikoh. Nerikoh sometimes contains over twenty ingredients, which must be finely ground so that they can be kneaded and blended completely. Moisture is very important for creating a rich fragrance, therefore honey is used instead of water to prevent the nerikoh from drying out.
Incense sticks originated in India before Buddha was born. They consisted of a bamboo stick surrounded by blended incense, and resembled a lollipop. Besides giving off fragrance, it measured time, because the incense burned at a constant rate. The techniques to make joss sticks were introduced to Japan about 400 years ago.
Japanese incense ceremony called Koh-do literally translates into ‘the way of incense’. “soradaki”(empty burning) for pleasure , “sonae-koh”(incense offering to Buddha). The Chinese used incense for pleasure,medicinal purposes as well as religious purposes. The Japanese used it for the same purposes as the Chinese but found more ways to use it. They would even scent their clothing with it, made a game out of trying to guess the scent by letting an image come to their mind and seeing how close they got to what the incense master had in mind when creating the mixture, at gatherings to elevate the mood. Zen monks only used it for rituals but incorporated its use for meditation. Incense masters would name pieces of Aloeswood and it was a great honor to be given a named piece of Aloeswood. In the incense ceremonies, there are two ways to burn incense, using a mica plate over white ash or trail burning.
THE TEN VIRTUES OF KOH
(Incense)
*It brings communication with the transcendent.
* It refreshes mind and body.
* It removes impurity.
* It brings alertness.
* It is a companion in solitude.
* In the midst of busy affairs, it brings a moment of peace.
* When it is plentiful, one never tires of it.
* When there is little, still one is satisfied.
* Age does not change its efficacy.
Used everyday, it does no harm. (unless made with Salt peter)
Mica plate Technique
Items Needed: Kodo (Incense) Cup, White Rice Ash, Fragrance-free charcoal, Mica Plate, and loose incense.
1. Fill the Censer (Kodo cup) two-thirds full of white rice ash
2. Heat a piece of Charcoal until it is grayish white all over.
3. Fluff the ash so that it’s not compacted.
4. Place the charcoal in the center of the censer on top of the ash.
5. Push the charcoal down in the ash so that it’s halfway down in the cup.
6. Cover the charcoal with the ash, forming a mound or cone on top.
7. Slightly tamp and compress the ash into the cone shape with the ash press or butter knife.
8. With a metal chopstick or skewer, gently make an air hole to the charcoal.
9. Place the mica plate gently on top of the air hole and press down softly.
10. Place a piece of Jinkoh, Sandalwood, Aloeswood or other (herb, loose) incense material on the mica plate.
Makko-Incense trail burning
This incense trail method of burning incense was used in the ancient “Incense Seals” and used as the principle means of measuring time in ancient Asia.
Here we present the steps to prepare and begin burning incense in this ancient style.
a) An incense bowl is filled with white rice ash, which is compacted by tapping lightly on the bottom of the bowl.
b) An indentation is made in the ash with a “U” shaped koh press. If a koh press is not available you can use any small object that will leave a straight line or “U” shaped impression in the ash. Press into ash to make an indentation roughly about 1/2 inch deep x 1/2 inch wide.
c) Makko powder is used to fill the entire indentation and again the koh press or its substitute is used to lightly compact the makko.
d) light one end of a small piece of an incense stick, about 3/4″ long, and stick into one end of the line of compacted makko and let burn.
e) once the makko is burning you can sprinkle your incense mixture or ingredient directly on top of the burning makko.
f) as the makko trail burns, place additional incense on the portion of makko that is burning.
Sources/Biblio
http://www.begedivri.com/ketoret.htm
http://www.jewishmag.com/11mag/mystic/mystic.htm#1
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07716a.htm
http://www.luckymojo.com/incense.html
http://www.kyoto-teramachi.or.jp/shobido/okou-e2.html
http://landru.i-link-2.net/shnyves/incense_offering.htm