Nine pillars of incense are Jiuhuang incense, Jiuxiao incense and Jiutian all-shen incense. 1. One incense stick means wholehearted respect and wholeheartedness.

2. Three pillars of incense generally represent: respect for heaven and earth, respect for gods and Buddhas, and respect for ancestors.

Buddhism has three meanings: first, it means to worship and take refuge in the three generations of Buddha; second, it means to make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; and third, it means to express the three infallible learning of precepts, concentration, and wisdom.

Taoism also has three meanings: first, it means to worship and take refuge in the Three Pure Heavens; second, it means to make offerings to the Tao, scriptures, and teachers; third, it means to pay homage to the gods of the three realms.

3. Five pillars of incense represent respect to the five elders, the five-star king, the five-way god of wealth and the five gods.

4. The seven-pillar incense is the seven-star incense.

5. Jiuzhuang incense is Jiuhuang incense, Jiuxiao incense and Jiutian all-shen incense.

6. Thirty-six pillars of incense are Tiangang incense and thirty-six days of incense.

7. Seventy-two incense sticks are the incense of heaven and earth.

8. One hundred and eight incense sticks are the incense of Dzogchen.