This quote is from Master Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on the Medicine Master Sūtra.

When we make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, we should not think that they are as greedy as we are, always hoping someone will invite them for tea or a vegetarian meal. We offer fine incense, fresh flowers, and so forth to show our sincerity, but that doesn’t mean the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas enjoy these things. They aren’t delighted if we burn incense for them, and they don’t get upset if we don’t. They don’t need any of the worldly things that people offer to them. We make such offerings only because we have no other way of showing our sincerity.

When we make offerings, we should not be like those superstitious people who light big handfuls of joss sticks in front of the Buddha. When they burn so much incense, the Buddha, who had been peacefully shining his protective light on living beings, disappears in a cloud of smoke and can’t even open his eyes. That causes him to stop shining his light and protecting people. Of course this is just my foolish conjecture about the Buddha’s state, but my point is, there’s no need to offer great big handfuls of incense to the Buddha. It would be like covering a hundred-foot-long table with food and expecting one person to eat it all.

We should light no more than three sticks of incense as an offering to the Buddha, with perhaps one more stick for the Dharma-protecting spirits, making four sticks in all. Usually, one stick of incense is enough. If you are sincere, the Bodhisattvas will protect you even if you don’t offer incense. The Buddhas will be happy as long as you are mindful of the Three Jewels and you recite the sūtras. You don’t need to light incense to make them happy.

Ordinary people dislike criticism and are fond of praise, but Buddhas are not so petty. Our common minds cannot fathom the wisdom of sages. Don’t think Buddhas are as greedy as people. Don’t be like the superstitious folk who worship in the temples, thinking, “The more money we give and the more incense we burn, the better.” They are very sure that their attitude is correct, but they can’t explain why. Now wouldn’t you say that they are muddled? Buddhists should listen to truth and wisdom and not be superstitious.