Material: Bhutanese handmade incense

Size : 22cm

Narrative:

Bhutanese Handmade Incense is a traditional incense product from the Kingdom of Bhutan. It is famous for its pure natural ingredients, rigorous production process and profound Buddhist background. It is an important offering commonly seen in Tibetan Buddhist rituals and practices. The following is an introduction to you from the **origin** and **advantages**:

1. The Origin of Bhutanese Handmade Incense

1. **Incense culture inherited from Buddhism**

Bhutan is a country with Tibetan Buddhism (mainly Nyingma and Kagyu) as its state religion. Incense is an integral part of spiritual practice and is required for offering to Buddha, paying homage to the deity, and purifying space. Flat incense (without bamboo core, burned horizontally) is widely used in Bhutan in temples, homes and festivals.

2. **The wisdom of combining ancient medicinal incense with Tibetan medicine**

The recipe of Bhutanese incense comes from Tibetan medicine and Buddhist tantric literature. It is said that some of the recipes can be traced back to the time of Padmasambhava. It was made to heal the body and mind and drive away bad spirits. Incense makers usually make their incense according to the ratios of medicine and incense recorded in classics, and purify the materials and finished products by praying or chanting mantras.

3. **Generations of craftsmanship**

Most Bhutanese incense is made by monasteries, temple-affiliated workshops, folk inheritance families or non-profit organizations, such as \*\*Paro Incense House** or **Neyphug Monastery\*\*. The production process of each incense stick usually includes complicated steps such as collecting herbs, hand-grinding, mixing, rolling, and drying, which takes days or even weeks to complete.

2. Advantages of Bhutanese handmade incense

1. **Natural, pure, non-toxic and harmless**

Bhutan incense is made of **natural plant raw materials**, such as: white sandalwood, red sandalwood, saffron, juniper, clove, cypress, snowy plateau herbs, etc., and does not contain artificial flavors or chemical adhesives. Many fragrance products advertise "edible grade ingredients" to express their purity and harmlessness.

2. **Dual effects of pharmacology and energy**

* According to Tibetan medical theory, certain incenses can harmonize the meridians, improve sleep, refresh the mind, or soothe the emotions. 

* In the eyes of practitioners, incense is a Dharma offering to the heavens, which has the functions of purifying space, dispelling evil spirits and obstacles, and accumulating blessings.

3. **Handmade, rich in blessing power**

* Incense is mostly made while monks are chanting scriptures and mantras, and is believed to have **blessing and protective powers**. 

* Compared to mass-produced incense, Bhutanese handmade incense is more spiritual and individual.

4. **The fragrance is warm and long-lasting, not irritating**

The smoke of Bhutanese lying incense is mostly mild and calm, not pungent or choking, suitable for long-term incense offering and meditation practice, and is also regarded as a tool to help open the mind and mindfulness.

5. **Can be used as a thoughtful gift**

Due to their cultural connotations and aesthetic packaging, Bhutanese incense is often regarded as a spiritual gift to bless health and pray for peace.

Additional notes:

The Bhutanese government also has certain regulations on exported incense products to protect natural resources and cultural industries. It is important to pay attention to whether the common Bhutanese incense on the market is authentic **made in Bhutan** and not imitations from Nepal or India. The authenticity can be determined by the aroma, formula label and production location.