A Buddhist understanding on Agarwood
By Heng Zhi Wen, Founder of Aloesincense
Credits: Tōdai-ji Temple, Nara – The first piece of agarwood that arrived in Japan in 724AD.
In Sanskrit, agarwood was known as agāru and aguru, which means “non-floating” wood. Similarly in Chinese, it is named as 沉香, the “sinking fragrance”. Agarwood is a form of resin that grows in the Aquilaria tree species. As a defence mechanism, the tree produces this resin to protect itself from bacteria/fungal infection and injury caused by natural phenomenon. Forest fires, typhoons, lightning strikes, insect bites, wild animal attacks are some of the examples of how an Aquilaria tree can be injured in the wild.
A high concentration of such resin will make the wood denser than water and thus sinks in water. Such tree species grow only in tropical climates and could be found across Southeast Asia. Agarwood takes decades to thousands of years to form in the wild. Agarwood is the most valuable fragrance wood. In the Song and Ming dynasties, an inch of agarwood was worth an inch of gold. In today’s context, the price of sinking agarwood is many times the price of gold. It was one of the earliest precious commodities to be traded even before the invention of the silk roads and maritime trade. The Egyptians were the earliest to use agarwood for purification purposes and death rituals. The use of agarwood has since been recorded in almost every civilisation for its medicinal and metaphysical properties. Agarwood has been used as a traditional Asian herb for the treatment of blood circulation (Qi), digestive and respiratory illnesses. Such mention could be found in Traditional Chinese Medicine classic texts such as the Compendium of Materia Medica, and also in Traditional Japanese Medicine as in the recipes for Kyushin Pills (救心丸). Agarwood’s metaphysical properties are often associated with the clearing of upper Chakras, dispelling of evil spirits and its ability to boost one’s wealth.
As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “One will need 3 lifetimes of merits to experience the scent of Kinam.” Kinam or Kynam, is known to be the highest-grade agarwood that occurs only in 5% of all infected Aquilaria Sinensis trees (Found in Vietnam and China). It is the most expensive agarwood, and its supply has been controlled by the royal families in ancient times. It used to be an exclusive fragrance for the royalty and aristocrats.
“Impermanent are all compounded things. (conditionings)
When one perceives this with true insight,
One becomes detached from suffering;
This is the path of purification. ”
— The Dhammapada
The offering of incense has been deeply rooted in Buddhist culture for centuries. During the era of Shakyamuni Buddha, the use of fragrance served as a form of purification and cultivating mindfulness. The burning of fragrance wood, especially sandalwood and agarwood has been widely documented in Buddhist scriptures. Incense offering continues as a practice to honour the triple gem - the Buddha, the Sangha, and the Dharma.
The burning of incense symbolises the impermanence of things and the need to appreciate the present moment.
The rising smoke of incense is often metaphorically linked to the fleeting nature of existence, reminding practitioners of the impermanence of life and the need to find liberation from suffering though understanding the truth.
In the fifth volume of Lankavatra Sutra 楞严经, twenty-five bodhisattvas were sharing on their path towards enlightenment. It was concluded there were multiple paths one can take. A newly enlightened Arahat, known as the “incense boy” (香严童子) stood up and shared his experience. In his recount:
“I heard the Buddha teaching the characteristics of all conditioned phenomena. At that time, I took leave from the Buddha, retired to a quiet meal, and saw the monks burning agarwood incense. The fragrance calmly entered my nostrils. I observed this aroma was neither wood nor smoke nor fire. Departing without attachment, arriving without origin, my mind revealed the unconditioned.”
Original Chinese Text:
在《楞严经》卷五，有二十五位菩萨分别讲自己修的法门，每个菩萨都不一样。香严童子所修是香因法门，以闻香悟道;大势至菩萨念佛圆通;观音菩萨耳根圆通。每个人修学的法门都不同。《楞严经》中说：
香严童子即从座起，顶礼佛足而白佛言：“我闻如来教我谛观诸有为相。我时辞佛，宴晦清斋，见诸比丘烧沉水香，香气寂然来入鼻中，我观此气非木、非空、非烟、非火，去无所著来无所从，由是意销发明无漏，如来印我得香严号。尘气倏灭妙香密圆，我从香严得阿罗汉。佛问圆通，如我所证，香严为上!”
The beauty of agarwood is in its ability to emit different permutations of fragrance profile within a single piece of wood. The variance in the notes and tones when burning a piece of agarwood makes the mind mindful in appreciating how the fragrance changes. Unlike other fragrance wood, agarwood is closely related to the teachings of Buddha. Its formation must undergo a series of trials and tribulations. Its fragrance opens one’s sensorial experience in exploring impermanence and staying in the present.
Agarwood is highly revered in many schools of Buddhism. The most notable mention would be that it was used as the firewood for the cremation of Buddha after his passing. Agarwood was also used to contain Buddha relics after his cremation.
Agarwood was one of the most premium incense offerings one can make to the Buddha during his time. Apart from its fragrance, agarwood was also used as a form of spices in cooking during Buddha’s era. Agarwood is also an important ingredient for the ancient Indian herb tradition of Ayurveda wherein Agarwood is used for the treatment of mental well-being, insomnia, and depression issues. Overtime, agarwood’s exclusiveness, and rarity made sandalwood a more well-known alternative fragrance wood that is easily accessible.
Interestingly, the mention of agarwood is beyond Buddhism. Also known as the “Wood of the Gods”, agarwood is mentioned in ancient Hindu texts, the Bible and Quran too.
In the New Testament, the significance of agarwood is mentioned in the gospel of John (20:39-40), where Jesus’s body was anointed with a mixture of myrrh and aloes (agarwood is known as aloeswood in the bible’s context) following his crucifixion.
In Islam, prophet Muhammad described paradise where among many wondrous things, agarwood would be used in incense burners. (Sahih al-Bukhari 3327, Book 60). The prophet also advocated the use of agarwood as a medical treatment for the tumours. (Sahih al-Bukhari 5692/5693, Book 76).
This treatment has been validated by science today, as agarwood oil has shown its ability to shrink tumours. [In Vitro antimetastatic activity of Agarwood essential oils against pancreatic cancer cells. Alexandria Journal of Medicine (2016) 52, 141-150. In vivo toxicity and antitumor activity of essential oils extract from agarwood. Dahham et al. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2016) 16:236.]