Is the smoke and scent of incense sticks to “be eaten” by the deceased?

2025年2月16日

※この記事は「お線香、煙と香りは「食べる」ため？」を英訳したものです。

It is customary to make offerings at the Buddhist altar and grave. Speaking of the offerings, we often place sweets, fruits, and beverages on graves, but many people would associate the custom with the smoke of incense sticks wafting in the air.

So then, why do we light and burn incense sticks? Although you may have not questioned the reason behind it and followed it as it is, it is actually said that the deceased preferably ‘eat’ scents in Buddhism.

This is written in a sutra(a Buddhist sacred book) named “Kusyaron”, which is said to have completed around the 4th and 5th centuries. In some sects of Buddhism, a period called ‘Tyuu’ when a dead individual is waiting for their next life after their body has died. It might be easier to imagine it as a period during which the sprit is still alive even though the body is dead just like a ghost.

During this period, it is thought that the deceased spend time ‘eating’ the scent of the incense sticks and foods offered to them, the existence of which is called “Jikikou”. The theory has it that you must keep the smoke wafting until after 49 days after the death”, which is said to be because Jikikou feed on scents.

Nowadays, unscented incense sticks are sold, but they might be a bit of trouble for Jikikou.

It is also passed down that those whose deeds were benevolent according to Buddhist teaching can eat good scents. The scent of fresh fruits would likely please Jikikou while there are a variety of scents that are considered desirable to be burnt every day.

“Is that person who’s passed away eating the scent they like?” Why don’t you recall the person in your memories and enjoy the scent together with them?