Buy incense at the temple if you don’t have your own, then light it from the temple’s central burner rather than someone else’s lit sticks. Hold the incense with both hands, burnable end up, at roughly chest height before you place it, this stance is what reads as respectful, not just holding it any old way.
Use three sticks, or just one, and never a random count. Insert them vertically into the designated burner so they stand straight, a crooked stick reads as carelessness. Let it burn out on its own rather than waving or blowing it out, which can come across as dismissive and is also a minor safety hazard in a crowded hall.
- Photography is often restricted inside main worship halls, even when courtyards and exteriors are fine — skip flash entirely and never photograph someone mid-prayer.
- Don’t point your feet at an altar, statue, or monk — it’s read as one of the more disrespectful postures you can take in a temple, seated or otherwise.