As a child growing up in Fujian, I watched elders light incense at dawn. The scent would drift through wooden lattice windows and into the courtyard, weaving itself around the pomegranate tree before disappearing. Years later, as I founded MonianLife in Phoenix, Arizona, I came to understand that those tendrils of smoke were more than perfume; they were an invisible thread connecting us to our ancestors, our beliefs, and our sense of time. Lighting incense is a way to sanctify space, offer respect, and invite mindfulness. In Buddhist and Taoist cultures, incense is burned during funerals, daily prayers, meditation and ceremonies to purify the air and create a tranquil mood. Stick incense also serves as a meditation timer and a gentle reminder to move with awareness. Beyond spiritual practice, incense accompanies mundane tasks; it punctuates a workday, marks the start of a meal, and signals the changing of seasons. It is a quiet companion that invites us to slow down.

Why Three Sticks? Chinese Incense Meaning Symbolism

The use of three incense sticks is far from arbitrary. In Chinese cosmology, numbers carry profound meaning, and three embodies a fundamental balance: beginning, middle, and end; birth, life, and death; heaven, earth, and humanity. When three sticks are placed together, they form a small tripod, symbolizing stability and grounding. In many temples and homes across China, from the bustling streets of Shanghai to the serene mountains of Sichuan, burning three sticks is a way to harmonize Heaven’s timing, Earth’s advantage, and Human intention, aligning ourselves with the rhythms of the cosmos. The number three is also auspicious in Feng Shui and considered a harbinger of luck, stability, and prosperity. Though interpretations vary by region and lineage, from the ancient traditions of Beijing to the modern practices in Guangzhou, the act of offering three sticks always represents a desire for balance and completeness.

Why Three Treasures? Buddhist Incense Rituals

In Buddhism, the practice of burning three sticks together symbolizes reverence for the Three Treasures—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha represents awakening, the Dharma is the teaching, and the Sangha is the community of practitioners. Lighting three sticks pays homage to these three pillars of the Buddhist path and invites their qualities into the space. The fragrant smoke not only honors spiritual teachers but also calms the mind and reduces anxiety. When I light three sticks in my studio, whether in the quiet mornings of Phoenix or during my travels through Asia, I think of it as a vow: to cultivate wisdom like the Buddha, to follow a path that alleviates suffering, and to support the community around me. It is both an offering and a promise.

Why Three Pure Ones? Taoist Incense Practices

Taoism offers a different triad: the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) who represent the primordial energies of the Dao. According to Taoist practice, one stick is used for everyday meditation while three sticks honor the Three Pure Ones in rituals. Each Pure One embodies an aspect of the cosmos—origin, transformation, and fruition—and together they reflect the cyclical nature of existence. Some sects also burn five sticks to represent the five elements, reminding us of the fluid interplay between wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Burning three sticks in a Taoist context is not dogmatic; it is a gesture of alignment with cosmic forces. It reminds me that whatever I craft, whether an incense holder or a tea bowl, is part of a greater process—emerging, changing, and dissolving.

Why Honor Ancestors? Ancestral Worship Incense

Three incense sticks are often offered at family altars to honor deceased relatives. The rising smoke becomes a bridge between worlds, a connection to those who came before us. Taoist teachers describe the rising smoke as a metaphor: spiraling upward to connect Earth and Heaven, dissolving to teach detachment, and lingering to mark the trace of intention. In ancestral worship, one stick may be dedicated to Heaven, another to Earth, and the third to our ancestors or the self, uniting past, present, and future. The act of lighting three sticks transforms grief into gratitude, reminding us that we are part of a continuous lineage. I remember my grandmother quietly whispering names as she lit incense, each stick carrying a memory. When you place three sticks into ash or sand, you are making space for those who came before and those yet to come.

Why Ritual Matters? Incense Burning Etiquette

Ritual is the choreography of intention. How you light incense—what wood you choose, how you hold the sticks, whether you bow—shapes the quality of your presence. The Shaolin tradition advises caution: incense sticks can become hot and must be handled carefully. It is considered disrespectful to blow out the flame; instead you wave the stick, fan it with your hand, or jerk it downward to extinguish the fire. After lighting, the sticks are placed upright into a bowl of accumulated ash, clean sand, or rice. Each motion—lighting, extinguishing, placing—reflects mindfulness. I find beauty in this attentiveness: it slows my hands, steadies my breathing, and turns a fleeting act into a meditation. In our hectic lives, even small rituals can create a pause, a chance to notice the smoke curling and to feel time passing.

Why MonianLife? Handcrafted Incense Holders

At MonianLife, we design objects that support these quiet gestures. Our minimalist incense holders are inspired by Song-era ceramics and the simplicity of Zen gardens. Each holder is crafted to cradle three sticks, whether you are honoring the Three Treasures, the Three Pure Ones, or your own family. We source natural woods, clays, and resins and favor forms that allow smoke to rise unhindered. Crafting a holder is itself a meditation—smoothing clay, firing it, allowing glazes to pool and crackle. We believe that when you set a stick into a well-made vessel, you are more likely to slow down and breathe. We also encourage mindful blending: choose sandalwood for grounding, agarwood for deep calm, or cinnamon and cypress for clarity and purification. Our handmade incense invites you to create your own triads of scent that reflect your intentions.

Modern life can feel fragmented. Lighting three incense sticks is a way to gather those fragments into a single thread of smoke. It is a practice that spans time zones and traditions—from ancient temples in the mountains of China to city apartments in Phoenix, Arizona. When I light my own three sticks each morning, I am offering something small but deliberate to the universe: attention, gratitude, and stillness. May your own practice, however simple, bring you closer to balance.