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A BRIEF HISTORY OF INCENSE AND SPIRITUALITY
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In Japan incense and smell appreciation is a developed art form called Koh-do or Kodo. Kodo means the Way of Incense or is often translated
as Incense Ceremony. Kodo may be placed into the same classification as tea ceremony, flower arrangement
and Kabuki. It is a traditional Japanese art form less well known as others. In Japan the history of incense and Kodo is linked to
Buddhism.
Buddhism was introduced to Japan through the Korean peninsula by the middle of the sixth century as was Incense. Indeed there were
Buddhist rituals which could not be performed without the aid of incense. Along with the switch of political
power to leaders who supported Buddhism during the Nara period (A.D. 710-794) was an influence of Buddhism into the state. Court
functions and state ceremonies which had once been solely the outgrowth of Shinto, the native religion
of Japan, had Buddhist rituals incorporated into them. Thus incense was burnt both as an offering to Buddha, and also to purify
ritual sites. The burning of incense at government functions was practiced until 1868 at which time
it was abandoned due to the Meiji Restoration when the reigns of power were transferred from a feudal clan to the Emperor. After this
the burning of incense was left to the Buddhist rituals.
The traditional Buddhist incense in Japan is called Shokoh, which is a chipped incense. There may be five, seven or ten substances
included. Primary ingredients include sandalwood, cloves, ginger, jinkoh (aloes wood), ambergris, cinnamon,
and camphor. The amount of each would vary slightly from one Buddhist sect to the next. This type of incense is burnt by placing a
small amount of the chipped mixture directly onto hot ashes. It is said that the pleasing fragrance
helped to invoke Buddha's presence and to manifest his peaceful outlook.
There is a story of a Chinese Buddhist priest named Ganjin (A.D. 688-763) who lost his eyesight attempting to bring Buddhism to Japan.
Ganjin failed three times to cross the Japan Sea but succeeded on the Fourth. With him he brought
his ceremonial use of incense, along with incense recipes.
The land of Tibet is synonymous with Buddhism. In Tibet people burn incense for both meditation and for sacrifices to deities.
Each household burns incense every day to honor Buddha and patron saints as well as in prayers
to the gods. Even the poorest of households has an alter, in front of which incense is burned daily. Such smoke is believed to combat
dark forces, which bring bad luck and sickness.
During the morning in Tibet, large branches of cedar, juniper and sage are burnt outside in stone stoves. Incense sticks are
burned in unheated cloisters during the hard cold winters of the Tibetan highlands.
Monastic Orders make medicinal incense according
to ago old patterns.
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