Metaphysics Q&A 094 – Difference between offering the Heart Incense and real incense
Q094: Respected Master Lu, I am now following your Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. I have started to perform recitations and learn Buddhism. However, I do not yet have an altar at home to pay respects and make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Does it still have the same effects when I perform recitations? From listening to your “The Art of Applying Comprehensive Metaphysic” radio program, I have learnt that we can offer the Heart Incense instead. Does offering the Heart Incense have the same effect as offering real incense?
A094:
When you offer the Heart Incense, you are visualising that the image of Guan Yin Bodhisattva is in front of you. You visualise that you are making oil offering, light offering, followed by taking an incense stick, lighting the incense, joining your palms together, and then raising the incense above your forehead between your eyebrows. Then you visualise that you are placing the incense into the urn, making full prostrations, and saying your prayers in your mind. As you offer the Heart Incense, you are using your mind to connect your energy with Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
If you are limited by your living circumstances and you cannot have an altar at home to pay respects and make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or when you are on business trips or on holidays, you can offer the Heart Incense, pay your respects, and make prostrations to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in your mind. By performing the above, you can connect your energy with Guan Yin Bodhisattva, and ensure that you will receive positive effects from your recitations.
When you offer real incense, you are actually offering one or three incense sticks at the altar where you pay respects and make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at home. You can make incense offerings twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Making incense offering is one of the forms of paying respects and making offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattva. It is best for Buddhists and Dharma cultivators to have an altar at home. If a person is unable to have an altar at home, or receives objections from family members, this karmic obstacle could be due to this person’s own negative karmas.
If you offer the Heart Incense with a sincere and respectful mind, then you would still be able to connect your energy with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It would certainly be better if we could offer real incense in front of a real altar. If you have only just started cultivating and find it difficult to control your thoughts and mind, it is recommended that you focus your attention on statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This would be better than trying to control your scattered thoughts and visualise Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at the same time.
If you have a real altar, it would be easier to connect your energy with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In the long term, when you regularly pay respects and make offerings to statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at home, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would frequently visit your home to protect and bless your family. You would accumulate tremendous merits and virtues by paying your respects and making the offerings.
When your karmic conditions are not yet ready, it is recommended that you respect the karmic condition and go with the karmic flow instead of fighting against it. As you progress in your cultivation, and regularly receive protection and blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, eventually the karmic conditions would arise and you would have a suitable location at home to invite statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. During the time when conditions not yet allow you to invite statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to your altar at home, it is best not to dwell on it. If you perform recitations, and cultivate with a sincere and respectful mind, then everything would eventually work itself out for you. If at the moment you cannot invite statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to your altar at home, you can still perform your recitations and experience the same effects as long as you have a sincere and respectful mind.
Regarding how to mindfully pay respects and make offerings to statues and images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, please refer to Q&A 005 “Regarding decoration of the altar”.
Q094: Respected Master Lu, I am now following your Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. I have started to perform recitations and learn Buddhism. However, I do not yet have an altar at home to pay respects and make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Does it still have the same effects when I perform recitations? From listening to your “The Art of Applying Comprehensive Metaphysic” radio program, I have learnt that we can offer the Heart Incense instead. Does offering the Heart Incense have the same effect as offering real incense?
A094:
When you offer the Heart Incense, you are visualising that the image of Guan Yin Bodhisattva is in front of you. You visualise that you are making oil offering, light offering, followed by taking an incense stick, lighting the incense, joining your palms together, and then raising the incense above your forehead between your eyebrows. Then you visualise that you are placing the incense into the urn, making full prostrations, and saying your prayers in your mind. As you offer the Heart Incense, you are using your mind to connect your energy with Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
If you are limited by your living circumstances and you cannot have an altar at home to pay respects and make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or when you are on business trips or on holidays, you can offer the Heart Incense, pay your respects, and make prostrations to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in your mind. By performing the above, you can connect your energy with Guan Yin Bodhisattva, and ensure that you will receive positive effects from your recitations.
When you offer real incense, you are actually offering one or three incense sticks at the altar where you pay respects and make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at home. You can make incense offerings twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Making incense offering is one of the forms of paying respects and making offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattva. It is best for Buddhists and Dharma cultivators to have an altar at home. If a person is unable to have an altar at home, or receives objections from family members, this karmic obstacle could be due to this person’s own negative karmas.
If you offer the Heart Incense with a sincere and respectful mind, then you would still be able to connect your energy with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It would certainly be better if we could offer real incense in front of a real altar. If you have only just started cultivating and find it difficult to control your thoughts and mind, it is recommended that you focus your attention on statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This would be better than trying to control your scattered thoughts and visualise Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at the same time.
If you have a real altar, it would be easier to connect your energy with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In the long term, when you regularly pay respects and make offerings to statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at home, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would frequently visit your home to protect and bless your family. You would accumulate tremendous merits and virtues by paying your respects and making the offerings.
When your karmic conditions are not yet ready, it is recommended that you respect the karmic condition and go with the karmic flow instead of fighting against it. As you progress in your cultivation, and regularly receive protection and blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, eventually the karmic conditions would arise and you would have a suitable location at home to invite statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. During the time when conditions not yet allow you to invite statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to your altar at home, it is best not to dwell on it. If you perform recitations, and cultivate with a sincere and respectful mind, then everything would eventually work itself out for you. If at the moment you cannot invite statues or images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to your altar at home, you can still perform your recitations and experience the same effects as long as you have a sincere and respectful mind.
Regarding how to mindfully pay respects and make offerings to statues and images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, please refer to Q&A 005 “Regarding decoration of the altar”.
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