Why is there a strong aroma in the Buddha shop? Is it sandalwood?

No Practical Significance Khenpo Sodaji explained that the common problem among Han lay people is that they like to talk about supernatural powers, such as what magical dreams, what Buddhas and Bodhisattvas they see, and so on, and they pursue these "realms" with one mind. But what good would it be to us today if a man could fly from the twenty-ninth floor of this edifice to the opposite floor? Can we fly with him?

Even if you fly over, so what? Can it solve our old age and sickness? Impossible!

It's not so easy for people like us to meet Guanyin and Manjushri. The path designated by the Buddha for us is a stable, down-to-earth, and realistic path, and we must follow this path in a down-to-earth manner. Although some supernatural powers will naturally appear in the process of cultivation, we do not reject these supernatural powers, and even if they occur, we should ignore them and not care, because supernatural powers can never solve any problems.

There will be supernatural powers in the outer realm, and the beings in the nether realm will also have supernatural powers, and even the poor beings in the hungry ghost path will have supernatural powers, but none of them have attained liberation. Therefore, we must take the path of safe, reliable, and accurate liberation from samsara. This path to liberation does not depend on supernatural powers, but is guided by the wisdom taught to us by the Buddha and practitioners who have already crossed the path.

If we are Shinto all day long, and lay people get together and don't talk about Buddhist views, or about renunciation, bodhichitta practice, or how to attain liberation, but say that this person has supernatural powers today, and say that person has seen Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in a dream tomorrow, not only will other people think that Buddhism is superstition, but they will also be farther and farther away from liberation, so we must get rid of these habits, cherish these practices, and practice them in an orderly manner. The first thing a student of Buddhism needs is a pious, simple, and pure mind, which cannot be shaken by other supernatural powers. Only those who always maintain this mentality can learn Buddhism and achieve it.

If you are interested in Buddhism after reading it, you can read the Buddhist materials I recommend in my biography.

There are many types of incense for worshipping Buddha, among which old sandalwood and sandalwood are the more common two. Old sandalwood refers to the use of dried sandalwood in the production process, the fragrance is more bitter, but there is less smoke and the burning time is longer, which is suitable for long-term concentrated burning and use. Sandalwood refers to the use of fresh sandalwood in the production process, the fragrance is relatively sweet, and the burning time is shorter, but the energy of Lu Hui is stronger, which is suitable for burning and use in a short time.

In different schools of Buddhism and in different environments, the choice of incense for worshipping the Buddha is also different. In general, old sandalwood is more common in traditional schools of Buddhism such as Nanden Buddhism and Japanese Zen Buddhism. In places such as Chinese mainland and Taiwan, sandalwood or mixed incense containing sandalwood powder are more commonly used.

In addition, different people may have different preferences or habits, so the choice of incense for worshipping the Buddha should also be chosen according to individual circumstances.