At the foot of the Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown, in an old building that once served as a cinema for pornography and kung fu flicks, a 16-foot statue of the Buddha looks down upon a handful of practitioners.
The believers have left the frantic streets of Chinatown behind, and for moments as brief as five or 10 minutes, have found relief in this temple. Each of the disciples grasps a number of burning incense sticks. The fragrant smoke has left the distinct aroma of sandalwood in the precincts of the temple.
The disciples hold the sticks delicately between their hands. Some are on their knees, while others stand. Heads are bent down and then brought back up three times in succession. In Buddhism, this is a sacred offering, a way of honoring the Triple Gem of the Buddha, his Dharma and the Sangha. It serves as a cue to believers to burn away the negative qualities within us, thereby revealing the pure self within. The incense ascends and disperses into the air, a reminder of the transient nature of existence.
By focusing on the act of offering, one tangibly sees life’s impermanence turning to ash. The offering is also not just being made to a statue of the Buddha. According to one of the disciples here, Buddha himself said that there is no difference between an offering given to his living entity or to his statue.
This golden Buddha, seated atop a giant lotus flower, is sporting red glossy lips, an affection that symbolizes the sacred speech of the one revered as the “awakened one.” The Buddha is himself likened to the lotus. Like a lotus that grew out of the mud and blossoms on the surface of the water, the Buddha also arose. He overcame the suffering and negative in life, and his students are now practicing exactly this. With their offering, they are reminded of their own Buddhahood. They stand before this golden statue moving their hands up and down as imperfect humans with many flaws. Their teacher, the Buddha, reminds them of their potential for growth and enlightenment.
A neon blue halo, which is more reminiscent of Studio 54 than sixth century India, sits on the wall behind the statue’s head. On the statue’s right hand, the thumb and ring finger touch on the tips forming a circle. The index and middle finger extend straight, resembling rabbit ears. This mudra, or symbolic gesture, is meant to banish and ward off the evil.
The hands of the believers holding the incense sticks are in the Anjali mudra. The palms of their hands held together, fingers pointing upwards in the same direction as the incense sticks. Anjali is Sanskrit for “divine offering” or a “gesture of reverence,” and the first such gesture appeared over 4,000 years ago. Today, it is alive and well in lower Manhattan.
This ritual is meant to reframe and reorient the mental and emotional patterns of the believer. Beyond the physical motions, in their hearts and minds, these believers are retraining themselves in how to engage with the world beyond the doors of this refuge.
The Buddha does not need or want these incense sticks, and nor are these believers trying to appease or win the Buddha’s favor through flattery. The offering of incense creates a positive energy. For the believer, this bouquet of aromas is a reminder to cultivate good conduct.
James Branch, a Christian convert to Buddhism, has a different theory on the offering of incense.
“Have you ever tried living in a mud hut in the 4th Century? It stank bad, and its not like you could just stick a Glad plugin into your wall.”
The New York Mahayana Temple Buddhist Association is located at 133 Canal Street, New York. The temple is open from 8:30am-6pm daily.