Tibetan incense originated more than 1,300 years ago during the Tubo Dynasty. In order to study Indian culture, Songtsen Gampo sent Thonmi Sambhota and 15 other young scholars to India to learn Buddhism. After completing his studies, Thonmi Sambhota not only created the Tibetan script but also brought back the incense-making techniques he had learned in India. By combining these methods with the unique geographical features of Tibet and the needs of Tibetan Buddhism, he invented Tibetan incense.
In the Avatamsaka Sutra it is recorded: “In the human world, there is a fragrance called Xiangzang, born from the battles among the dragon clans. When someone burns this Tibetan incense, vast clouds of fragrance arise in the sky, and within seven days, a fine rain of scent will fall. Whoever is touched by this rain will find their body turning golden. If garments, palaces, or pavilions are touched by it, they too will turn golden. Beings who inhale this fragrance will rejoice for seven days and seven nights, their bodies and minds filled with joy.”
This is Tibetan incense — a wondrous gift from the snowy plateau.
Tibetan incense is a specialty of Tibet. Unlike ordinary single-ingredient incense, it is handcrafted from more than 20 precious spices and medicinal herbs, including saffron, snow lotus, musk, spikenard, rhodiola, clove, borneol, sandalwood, agarwood, and jatamansi. It not only carries the aromatic qualities of incense but also holds certain medicinal value.