Why are you not suppose to light an incense with a lighter?

Question

I am buddhist and just wonder the reason.

Answer 1

when you touch the match when lighting an incence your energy goes into it . From your hand , your energy and believing is what makes the incence more intune with you .

Answer 2

I've never heard of that before... I'm assuming you mean in the Buddhist tradition? Hmm. I'm intrigued now... I always light my incense with a lighter, but it's just for personal rather than religious use.

Answer 3

Don't know about Buddhist, but in Wicca, it is a personal choice. I have a candle snuffer as to not blow out the flames on a candle, but use a lighter for incense all the time.

Answer 4

Celtic Pagan here.
i do not know the Buddahist reasons. but my reasons are these.

Insence is lit for rituals that involve magical workings.
these workings are of an ancient nature.
In keeping with the colture and traditions of the ancients i do not use Chemicaly fueled fires to light candles or to light insence.

Yes i do frown on the use of matches.
Yes i have used them (i just do not like it.)

I was trained by an Apache Shaman to make fire by friction alone. and i can accomplish this in less then 5 minutes.

for a ritual that i will spend 2 hours or so preforming 5 minutes to make fire that has nothing but my energy in it is well worth it.

I believe that self started fires are more spiritualy powerful than quick start fires. I believe this because they have a lot of your energy in them just from making them.

I believe that when you make yourself tired doing something you respect it more. the harder that you work for something the more value it has to you.

these are my beliefs, i hope that they help you.

Answer 5

I've heard of not blowing a candle out, but having to use a thing to put it
out, like in church. Blowing it out somehow offending fire elementals.
That's why I don't particularly go for these kind of rituals. Is it really
having knowledge and wisdom when we have to "appease" the spirits
with everything we do. Sounds like we're thier slaves to me!

Answer 6

I'll have to guess here, since I"m not a Buddhist.

I thinking it has some thing to do with respect for tradition. Sort of like buying a Christmas present and leaving it in the bag, with the receipt.
Purely a guess, I have no real clue.

Answer 7

well techniquely if thats the view shouldn't you be rubbing two sticks together to create flame as I imagine matches would have artificail properties which in that respect must be at least as bad as lighter gas .... I love religious dogma

Answer 8

i have never heard this--must be some kind of culture thing, because that is how i light incense.

Answer 9

I don't know. I guess I have been doing it wrong. I can never find any matches.

Answer 10

too modern i suppose or the butane destroys the soul in the incense