"Crazy" puja question

[c.smith]

Please forgive me in advance. Although this question seems silly, I am serious because it is straining my living situation. I use incense in my daily puja at 4AM, well before my roommate rises for the day. I rent a room in a large 2 story house. My room is on the second floor, his on the first. He says that he can smell my incense and that it irritates him - he hates the fragrances, that it lingers, and that I need to find some other way to "do my thing". I've explained my ritual and its importance, even before moving in. My task now is to try and find a very mild fragrance that he can live with that doesn't linger long beyond the three hour window of my puja and when he wakes. I keep the door to my room shut mind you so that solution has been tried.

I have used the Sai Baba Nag Champa Blue Incense, and am now using a Red Nag Champa. Both too lingering and too strong. Any other suggestions to try?

Many thanks!

Om Namah Shivaya!

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam C. Smith: Indeed some can be very strong. At our temple we have a small outdoor shrine about 100 metres down in a ravine. If some is lit there, you can smell it back up on top while cutting grass. And this is outside. So your neighbour does have a point.

I have two suggestions. One is to just burn less. There is no stipulation that a whole stick must be burnt at once, so you can butt it out, after a couple of good wafts. The other is to find a decent Chinese import store. Some of the Chinese or Buddhist varieties hardly smell at all. Cheaper, too. Hope this helps.

Aum Namasivaya

[Arjuni]

Namaste, c.smith,

Not a silly question at all! I grew up with a mother hypersensitive to scent - even a whiff of perfume could send her into sneezing fits - and have also had roommates bothered by heavy incense.

An incense I've found good is Shoyeido's "Jewel" series. There are five varieties with light, lovely fragrances, and the sticks are 5.25 inches long, smaller than most incense. They're available online, and I've also seen them at New Age stores and even at my local Whole Foods Market when I still lived in the States.

If even that is too much, try looking up a product called "incense matches." They're tiny incense sticks, presented in a little matchbook, that are portable and easy to use. Hopefully that little breath of incense wouldn't be too much for your house-mate!

Indraneela
===
"I wait the power of one like thee, O Indra, gifts of a Helper such as thou art, Hero.
Strong, Mighty God, dwell with me now and ever."
Om Indrāya Namaḥ.
Om Namaḥ Śivāya.

[Sahasranama]

One time I was doing agnihotra in the backyard on mahashivaratri with Rudrashtadhyayi mantras. My neighboor came in the middle of the yajna screaming I had to put the fire of and shut my mouth, otherwise he would call the police. I wasn't going to disburb the ceremony, so I kept going. He did call the police, they came to visit a little later. Then my father said, "wait from so and so to become minister- president, he will kick us out of this country." There was a famous politician back then who was very likely going to win the election, he was a xenophobe and everything. I got really angry at that moment and said: "so and so is going to die." A few weeks later he was shot dead. I don't know why I am sharing this story, but I will say that I have very little sympathy for neighboors who get annoyed with puja practices. I mean, I don't call the cops when these people are barbequing steak and the whole neighboorhood smells. But if you are looking for some pure and natural incence, see this website: http://www.pure-incense.com/index.html

[sunyata07]

Namaste C.smith,

Not a crazy question at all. It's something that has been bothering me for a long time, too. My mother is just like Indraneela's - just one whiff she gets from any perfume, deodorant or incense sticks and she is rendered almost helpless with sneezing fits. I've considered performing puja outdoors like Sahasranama but the weather is usually too poor for that kind of thing.

I keep the door to my room shut mind you so that solution has been tried.

Have you tried stuffing the crack under your door with heavy towels and cloths? If you leave the window open from the time you begin lighting incense sticks, it shouldn't leave much smoke around - it would just be the after aroma. You could buy the smaller brands of incense sticks that are burnt up in less than 10 minutes - they can be as small as your little finger.

Om namah Shivaya

[TatTvamAsi]

1.) Your roommate is an idiot.

2.) Kick him/her out or find a place by yourself.

3.) If that's not an option, buy a cheap fan (<$20) and place it facing outwards near a window. The fan will provide enough ventilation to take any fumes outside of your residence.

Did I forget to mention your roommate is an idiot?

[c.smith]

Thanks all for the replies. The web is great - was able to research and purchase a few varieties based on your valuable suggestions. HDF to the rescue once again.

[Maya3]

I never use a whole incense stick, just for a few minutes when I pray before I meditate.

You can buy an exhaust fan, not just a fan to put in the window, but a fan that sits IN the window and actually SUCKS the smoke out.

You wouldn't have to turn it on in the beginning, it will suck it out the window even if you wait a little while I think.

Maya

[SethDrebitko]

Have you tried the tiny little cone incense instead? Alternatively you room mate really might be agitated by the smoke; I for example get headaches from it, and would not use it because it hurts my head badly.

Another thought are those tiny little air purifier and just set it down wind to give you an all day clean feel.