On the Incense Hymn -- Zhi Tong (disciple)

I’d like to share with you my commentary on the Incense Hymn, as I really like it. Such a well-written verse is like the Udumbara Flowers which rarely bloom and whose fragrance wafts across the Dharma Realm. It is just that inconceivable! Hopefully, the article helps you to gain a deeper understanding about the verse.



Amitabha-Buddha!



INCENSE HYMN



Smoldering incense suddenly burns and the Dharma Realm is covered with its fragrance.

The myriad Buddhas learn about it no matter how distant they are away.

Everywhere auspicious clouds manifest.

Sincere thoughts and honesty flourish as the myriad Buddhas appear in their Perfect Forms.

Namo Fragrance Cloud Canopy Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas!

Namo Fragrance Cloud Canopy Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas!

Namo Fragrance Cloud Canopy Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas!



Text:

Smoldering incense suddenly burns and the Dharma Realm is covered with its fragrance.



Commentary:

The Buddha Dharma is represented by many things, be it a statue or any item to be used in worship or offering-making. Incense, too, is representative of the Dharma.



An incense stick stands upright. It reminds us that we need to set our mind upright standing before the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.



As the incense sticks are being burnt, its fragrance is so pervasive that it covers the Dharma Realm in the ten directions all over, though it takes but a little spark to set it smoldering.



It emits fragrance instead of odor. Fragrance brings benefit to people and make it comfortable for us both physically and mentally. It also may touch the one who lights it and others around to tears, and clean their eyes as they pray.



An incense stick also reminds us to cultivate with a singular focus, as it is straight and upright. It sacrifices its life (energy, breath, and spirit) to benefit others, from the very beginning till the end of its life, without any grumbling or regret. It stands for determination, faith, an irreversible force of action, courage, and perseverance.



An incense stick reaches far beyond its physical body of a stick. Its fragrance can transform into any shape and reach the Dharma Realm across the ten directions. It sets off for its journey of enlightenment from the moment it gets connected with the fire (analogous of the Buddha lights), and stays lighted till the end of its life. It stands for single-mindfulness in this regard.



We usually light three incense sticks one time, which stand for our body, mouth, and mind, or the three poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance. We light the incense before the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, so that their Buddha lights shine forth upon the incense, and we get to stay immersed in and enlightened by its fragrance, and rid ourselves of the odor from greed, hatred, and ignorance.



The incense burner stands for our body. The fragrance pervades the incense burner of our body, and wafts beyond to across the Dharma Realm in the ten directions.



Text:

The myriad Buddhas learn about it no matter how distant they are away.



Commentary:

All the Buddhas shall visit us, once they smell the fragrance. Or, to put it in another way, when we do so, we’d get to feel how it is when surrounded by the myriad Buddhas, who are mindful us, protect us, and bestow power on us.



They learn about it, either by hearing it or smell it, which, of course, illumines our mind instantly. We’d feel they are coming to us from afar.



Text:

Everywhere auspicious clouds manifest.



Commentary:

Let me share with you a story about how Lingxu makes auspicious clouds manifest everywhere. As a housewife, Lingxu had to fight against cooking smell everyday whenever she cooked. She disliked the smell, and always equipped herself with towel or scarf against it. Nevertheless, her hair and clothes still smelt it every time she finished cooking. The other day she came to me asking for a towel to prepare for the cooking. She visited us at the Flying-to-Heaven cave and did not bring her own towel. I told her, “Lingxu, why don’t you try making friends with the smell? Why bother to dispel it? Why not take it as auspicious cloud around you?”



Lingxu has a superb level of comprehension. She got my point, and went to the kitchen to make friends with the smell and got immersed in the auspicious cloud as she cooked. The approach worked so well that she was quite amazed. She said, “The cooking smell has really become my friend. It went upward away, without creating any trouble for me. After I finished cooking, the cooking smell did not stay attached to me.”



She was talking to the smell when cooking, “My good friend, I was wrong to have taken you as my foe. Now I am going to make friends with you.” This is how she made the auspicious cloud manifest. A good friend, for sure, won’t make it difficult for you.



Text:

Sincere thoughts and honesty flourish as the myriad Buddhas appear in their Perfect

Forms.



Commentary:

The Buddhas appear in their perfect forms as long as we show utmost sincerity. In fact, the myriad Buddhas are an Energy Body. They can transform into anything in any sequence. The cooking oil, too, is transformed from the Energy Body. The Body gives rise to good things and bad things, depending on how we thinking of them.



Text:

Namo Fragrance Cloud Canopy Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas!



Commentary:

"Namo" is an expression of showing respect. "The fragrance cloud "is the cloud of auspiciousness made by the incense smoke. "Canopy" is like an umbrella that surround us and protect us.



"Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas":You can easily get its explanation on-line. I am not going to dwell on it.

Well, that’s what I would like to share with you my understanding on the Incense Hymn. I feel relieved to have written it down as if having a wish realized. There has always been something in my mind that urges me to do it.



Transference of Merits



I wish to transfer the merits of writing the article,

To all those who have read it, and

To all beings with whom I have the affinity across the Dharma Realm.

May you get back to the Proper Path from the Deviant.

May you get to cultivate the Buddha Dharma as soon as possible.

May you get reborn in the Pure Land after the present life is over.



Amitabha-Buddha!