Ways to Identify Naga Incense

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krodha
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Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by krodha »

Interested in tips on identifying what is and is not incense appropriate for nāgā offering.

I went to my local ling to buy some but they did not have any. Decided I would try a local Tibetan shop and they had a wide variety however even with ingredients listed the contents were still ambiguous due to the lists often ending with “etc.” or “and other fine substances.”

Any brands or types that are generally acceptable?

I am mainly using it for offering of remnants in the context of ganapuja.
jet.urgyen
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by jet.urgyen »

krodha wrote: Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:04 am Interested in tips on identifying what is and is not incense appropriate for nāgā offering.

I went to my local ling to buy some but they did not have any. Decided I would try a local Tibetan shop and they had a wide variety however even with ingredients listed the contents were still ambiguous due to the lists often ending with “etc.” or “and other fine substances.”

Any brands or types that are generally acceptable?

I am mainly using it for offering of remnants in the context of ganapuja.

imo, the brand or type generally acceptable are those without musk, or animal subproducts in general, and so perhaps is better oneself makes them or command it's fabrication to someone who knows how to do them. I don't trust much commercial incenses, but i use them only when don't have choice.

for offering of remnants in the context of ganapuja the best is to use the remnants of the incenses used for offering to the three roots whatever this are made of.

pd: perhaps a doctor knows better.
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Grigoris
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by Grigoris »

Make your own. That way you will be sure to exclude substances that may cause the Naga to anger.
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Mantrik
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by Mantrik »

there are several sellers such as Stamford on Amazon which claim to have no animal products.
Aside from the obvious, such as musk, some may use animal products to bind the powder, as glue for sticks etc.
If you want to be absolutely sure, use plant resin or other raw plant such as juniper. I'd rather gather some leylandii or eucalyptus than use a commercial product.
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lelopa
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by lelopa »

Grigoris wrote: Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:29 am Make your own. That way you will be sure to exclude substances that may cause the Naga to anger.

:good:
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by pemachophel »

Potalagate sells a specific Naga incense in stick form. Little pricey, but convenient.

A woman at our center, makes her own Naga sang in pwdered form. So we're sure of the ingredients. But it's a little heavy on the spices and light on the woods and herbs. Fine for outdoors, but too strong for indoor use. So whenever I'm in Asia, I always buy powdered Naga sang/incense. I often add this to what my friend makes for greater variety of ingredients and to "tone it down" a bit. One knows it is specifically Naga incense 'cause it says so on the package (in Tibetan). Just brought back several packages from Bhutan. (In Nepal. Bhutan, etc., one typically sees three general types of powdered incense for sale: Riwo Sangchod, drib sang for dispelling hindrances, and Naga sang.) I also bought some special single-ingredient rhododendron sang from a nomad woman at a "farmer's market" in Punakha. I wanted to bring it back to add to our Naga sang mix, but then we burnt it at the top of the pass going into Phobjika valley (where Gangtey monastery is).

If I could afford a commercial grade herb grinder ($800 or so), I'd make Naga incense to sell. I enjoy collecting the ingredients, combining them, etc. However, that'll burn out a countertop coffee grinder pretty fast. I also like the idea of including local woods and herbs to propitiate the local Nagas, Nyen, and Sadags.
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by Hansei »

Does anyone know a good resource about making your own incense?
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by pemachophel »

Naga incense or any incense? Powdered or stick?

For the ingredients of Naga incense, see Dudjom Lingpa's introduction to His Naga puja. Also see the offering ingredients section of Naga Amendment of Breaches. These ought to give you a good idea of what kinds of ingredients are typically included.
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by Hansei »

I meant for making any kind of incense. Just by coincidence I've been thinking about that lately, then stumbled into this thread. :smile:
jet.urgyen
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by jet.urgyen »

Hansei wrote: Fri Jan 18, 2019 11:43 pm I meant for making any kind of incense. Just by coincidence I've been thinking about that lately, then stumbled into this thread. :smile:
try this https://www.amazon.com/Incense-Crafting ... B00O80NHJY

is the best book i have found. for making sticks just use a pastry bag, those used for decorating cakes with cream.

cheers!
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The bodhisattva nourishes from bodhicitta, through whatever method the Buddha has given him. Oh joy.
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Karma_Yeshe
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by Karma_Yeshe »

I'd recommend to use guggul (Commiphora wightii) on charcoal, like one does when doing sang, instead of using incense.
Hansei
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Re: Ways to Identify Naga Incense

Post by Hansei »

javier.espinoza.t wrote: Sat Jan 19, 2019 12:05 am
Hansei wrote: Fri Jan 18, 2019 11:43 pm I meant for making any kind of incense. Just by coincidence I've been thinking about that lately, then stumbled into this thread. :smile:
try this https://www.amazon.com/Incense-Crafting ... B00O80NHJY

is the best book i have found. for making sticks just use a pastry bag, those used for decorating cakes with cream.

cheers!
Looks great. Thanks!
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