Can't I worship Buddha on my birthday? Why do I need to burn incense when I worship Buddha?

In our country, people burn incense and worship Buddha on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month to pray for their own or their family's safety and health. So can’t I worship Buddha on my birthday? Is studying Buddhism superstition? Let’s take a look together below!

Can't I pray to Buddha on my birthday?

Being able to worship Buddha on one's birthday is considered a very blessed thing.

1. “Repay the Fourfold Grace”: Buddhist disciples “repay the Fourfold Grace and relieve the sufferings of the three evil paths” mainly include: first, repay the grace of parents for giving birth and raising children; second, repay the grace of sentient beings for protecting them; third, repay the grace of teachers and masters for imparting knowledge; fourth, repay the grace of the country and society for protecting them;

2. Birthday is called "Mother's Hardship Day" in Buddhism. It is the day when mother is most distressed. On the path of practice for us Buddhists, our parents are also the first Buddha on the path.

Why do we burn incense when worshipping Buddha?

Incense and candles symbolize the fragrance and light of the heart

1. Because all sentient beings, like Buddha, originally have the fragrance and light of the heart, but are obscured by delusion and attachment. Now when we pay homage to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, we are revealing the original fragrance and light. At the same time, it is also a way to show respect to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

2. Therefore, it is enough to light one to three incense sticks and a candle as long as it is bright. Some people do not understand this principle and think that the more incense sticks they light and the bigger the candles they light, the more merit they have and the more blessings they can get from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This is a misunderstanding of the meaning of lighting incense and candles. Moreover, in some places, in order to prevent fire hazards, even if you don’t light incense or candles, as long as you have a pious heart, you can still gain the merit of the offering.

3. And when offering to Buddha, do not make it too complicated. Usually you can use incense, flowers, lamps, clean water, food, melons, fruits, etc. If this is not easy to do, it is ok to miss a few things or not have them at all, but you must not offer alcohol and meat dishes, and you must not burn paper ingots in front of the Buddha.