Buddhism is the national religion in Cambodia, and praying is part of being a Buddhist. What many people don’t know is the meaning behind the number of incense that people ignite when they pray. Praying with burning incense is connecting a person’s energy and sense to the gods or spirits they are praying for. This is why the correct number of incense is important, so let’s take a look below.
1
One incense represents the souls that are lost in another world around us. People only use one incense to pray when they want to dedicate their prayers and offerings to the lost souls. It is common among praying for the demons and ghosts to avoid harming or causing any bad luck.
3
Three incenses represent heaven, the living world, and the underworld. It is the linkage to the ancestors, parents, and grandparents who have passed away. This is common among the families who have 4 incense pots, so 3 incense in each pot equals 12. Those 12 incenses represent all 12 months that are the connection between their relatives.
5
For 5, it represents the connection of a person’s 5 senses with unseen souls and spirits. Those include the low-rank angels, housekeepers, and other deities. In Buddhism, 5 incense also represents the 5 Buddhas.
7
Seven incense sticks represent the connection of a human’s 6 senses with another special sense. This special sense will give you hunches or gut feelings about unfortunate events in the future. Another thing is that people also ignite 7 incenses to invite parents who have passed to protect them.
9
This is a high-level praying to powerful beings that can foresee the future. It is specifically for deities and gods who are extremely powerful and have a connection with a person’s special senses.
11
As for 11 incenses, it represents the connection between the 10 senses or souls of a person with an outside soul. The outside soul could be of an angel, demon, and other beings that are invited to possess their body.
21
When a person ignites 21 incense, they dedicate their prayers and calls to all 21 gates of the gods. The calls to all the gates are to pray for something or complain about something that they are not happy with. This praying is to seek help from the gods or deities, and it is more common among mediums or seances.
Related Post: Animals & Cambodian People’s Beliefs
[…] Incense & The Meanings Behind Them […]