Therefore, they should be something symbolic of permanence and purity. But unlike pines, cedars, and other evergreen trees and bushes, it's also an aromatic tree whose wood has a distinctive fragrance. This fragrance is thought to ward off evil and to have the power to purify. That makes shikimi the ideal offering to the Gohonzon. However, in the Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin mentions flowers as an acceptable offering.
Candles stand for the truth of non-substantiality or the latent potential of life.
They also represent the property of wisdom or the Buddha's enlightened spiritual property and they symbolize the potential wisdom to become aware of our innate Buddha nature. Both express the depth and breadth of the merit that offering light to the Buddha brings. Burning candles thus also signifies incinerating earthly desires and the sparking of the flame of wisdom in the Buddha nature. The last of the triad is the incense. It represents the truth of the Middle Way, the essential property of the Buddha's life or the property of the Law, and the potential of our innate Buddha nature.