Of the three, kodo is arguably the least well-known, but aromatherapy, its contemporary cousin, is currently quite popular.
When performing kodo, incense or aromatic wood is placed on a mica plate set on burning embers. The wood subtly releases its scent rather than burning.
Although the sense of smell may seem to be the key to kodo, “listening” is the key. Instead of “smelling” (kagu in Japanese) the incense or aromatic wood, the participants “listen” (Kiku), opening their hearts and soul more than their nasal passages. Western psychologists and therapists nowadays are aware of the power of fragrance and how it may instantaneously take a person back to a location they remember from their early years. For millennia, people in Japan have been transported to a higher spiritual realm by burning incense and purchasing rare, scented wood.
Read More
- Unlock the mystical powers of Hypersthene: Elevate your energy and heal your spirit
- Meaningful ways to celebrate birthdays: Creating memories over material gifts
- TAS Weekly: What’s age got to do with your dreams and aspirations?
- Do you think it’s time to switch to Pilates?
- Unakite Jasper: Healing benefits for balancing emotional and physical bodies
It is said that fragrant wood was used in Buddhist ceremonies from the Nara Period (710-794). Man-made incense was created because naturally fragrant wood is extremely uncommon and might take decades to acquire its aroma. It was believed to have cleansing qualities, much like the incense that is occasionally used in Christian churches.
It is still used today to cleanse the lengthy wooden memorial tablets presented to the departed after a funeral. Senko, or burning incense sticks, are frequently set on gravestones or the butsudan, which are little shrines seen in a lot of Japanese households. When the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1443–1490) instructed the scholar Sanjonishi Sanetaka to categorize all of the incense that was being used at the time, Kodo was formally established. Sanjonishi is regarded as the “father” of Kodo because of this.
Kodo perfumes are separated into rikkoku gomi, which translates to “six countries, five tastes.” Kyara, rakoku, manaka, manaban, sumatora, and sasora are the six types of aromatic wood that make up the rikkoku. Amai (sweet), nigai (bitter), karai (spicy hot), suppai (sour), and shio karai (salty) are the gomi. It takes years of practice and a highly developed sense of smell to dissect a particular fragrance into these many components.
Kodo has been associated with 10 virtues or bodily and psychological advantages since the Muromachi Period (1336–1573).
1. Enhances the senses
2. Cleanses the body and psyche.
3. Eliminates “pollutants” of the mind or soul (kegare)
4. Encourages vigilance
5. Alleviates loneliness
6. Produces a sense of balance even in stressful situations.
7. Even in large quantities, it is not overpowering.
8. Satisfies, even in tiny amounts
9. Does not deteriorate over generations
10. Has no negative effects even if taken daily.
Like the tea ceremony, Kodo practitioners will assemble in a space with tatami mats covering the floor, such as a private residence or a temple. They take turns attempting to predict the aroma produced by the komoto, or a person who burns the incense while sitting in the traditional seiza position, which quickly becomes quite uncomfortable for those who are not accustomed to it. Lifting the aroma to their face, they cup the delicate smoke in one hand while holding the incense burner in the other.
The guessing approach makes kodo seem like a game, even though practitioners usually take this art very seriously and dedicate decades of their lives to it. The simplest way to learn more about Kodo is to contact a branch of either Shino-ryu or Oie-ryu, the two schools.