沉香是香王嗎？Is agilawood the best kind of incense component?

     沉香被尊稱為「香中的鑽石」、「香中之王」，因沉香得來不易，沉香樹結香的形成原因很多，但都來自於外界的傷害，沉香樹為了自我防護，會分泌樹脂使傷口癒合，再經過真菌感染後，慢慢结成膏脂狀的結塊物，其中混合了樹脂、揮發油、木材等多種成分。

        Agilawood is considered to be the diamond or king of all the incense components, since it is not always available. As agilawood gets damaged, it creates resin to cover its wounds and protect itself. Meanwhile, the wounds can get infected by the fungi and then turn into paste-like lumps that contain resin, aetherolea, wood, and other ingredients.

 

         

點香會產生二氧化碳，這樣是否不環保？ Burning incense produces carbon dioxide, so is burning incense eco-friendly?

根據SGS驗認結果，在1立方公尺點燃一支香〈長度7公分，直徑3釐米，燃香時間約20分鐘〉所產生的二氧化碳含量濃度會增加一百萬分之483，也就是增加約0.000483，其重量約0.62克，因此每分鐘約增加0.031公克的二氧化碳量。

Based on the SGS test, burning an incense stick (7cm long, 3 mm in diameter) in a one-cubic-meter compartment for twenty minutes can increase 0.000483％ of the total amount of carbon dioxide, weighing about 0.62 grams. That is to say, there is 0.031 more carbon dioxide each minute.

香要如何保存？ How to preserve incense?

   從外觀來看，一般市面上較常見的香有粉香、線香、盤香等。香品拆封後，可用密封罐封存好，如果包裝袋內附有乾燥劑，須先取出，因為開封後，乾燥劑會吸附空氣中的水分，如果再放回盒內，容易使香品受潮變質。

In the markets, we can commonly find powder incense, stick incense and dish incense. After we open an incense package, we should store the rest of incense in air-tight containers. If desiccants are enclosed in the packages, we have to remove them after opening, for the desiccants can absorb the moisture in the air and therefore humidify the incense if they still stay in the packages.

  

  

嬰兒半夜不安穏，點香有用嗎？ Can incense help calm down fretful infants in the midnight?

      

點香可以營造一個穩定安祥的場域，嬰兒對能量是很敏感的，只是他們不善於表達。當身體不舒服、餓了、尿布濕了、或是受到負面磁場干擾時，他們就會用自己的情緒語言---哭鬧--來表示。

Burning incense can help create a stable and peaceful field. Infants are very sensitive to energy, but they cannot express themselves well. As a result, they show their emotions by crying when feeling uncomfortable, hungry, wet in the diaper, or disturbed by negative energy field.

  

買房子、車子可以用香來祈福淨化嗎？如何做？ Can we purify our new houses or cars for good luck with incense? How can we do it?

買房、買車是一件喜事，許多人會選個黃道吉日，挑個好時辰，開開心心迎接新車、住新房。

Buying new houses and cars is a delightful thing, so many people tend to choose a good timing to welcome their new possessions.

  

香的前世今生 Before and after the incense is made……

 當你嗅息香的氣味時，可曾深觀這支香如何生成？如何來到你的手上，成為心底一抹悠長的馨香 ？

當你觸摸一支香，感受著它的質地、溫度、濕度、顏色、形狀、大小、長短；你已觸及天地萬有的滋養、支持與蘊生！

As you smell the fragrance of the incense, have you ever thought of how it was made and how it reached you to entertain you with bits of aroma? As you touch one incense stick, have you ever felt its texture, temperature, humidity, shape, size, and length? If you do, you have touched the sky and the land and are being nourished supported by mother earth!

  

出國旅遊在飯店睡不好⋯⋯點香有用嗎？ Does burning incense enhance your sleeping quality while travelling abroad?

很多人出國旅遊會在飯店睡不好、睡不著、常醒來、做惡夢。有的則覺得房間「怪怪的」、聽到不尋常的聲音，或感覺渾身不對勁，但卻說不出原因。

Many travellers suffer from poor sleeping quality when travelling abroad. Some feel something wrong about their rooms; others complain about some unusual sounds or feel somehow uncomfortable. But, none of them can tell why they feel so.

  

品香時，為什麼會不舒服或感覺麻麻的？ Why do some people feel uncomfortable or numb while smelling incense?

合香是由多種中藥調製而成的香品，具有開竅、通絡、散邪、逐穢的作用。品香時，香的藥性在體內運作，調整臟腑或經絡的振動頻率，而五臟〈心、肝、脾、肺、腎〉與五官〈舌、眼、口、鼻、耳〉、五志〈喜、怒、憂、思、悲、驚恐〉、五炁〈 神、魂、志、魄、精〉互相關聯；彼此之間具有相生相剋的關係，所以就會幫助身體恢復原本的和諧、平衡與活力機能。

Synthetic incense is made up of many kinds of Chinese herbs, which can smoothen our nadi systems and chase away filthy or bad energy. As we appreciate the scents of incense, the properties of the incense act on our five organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys), five features (tongue, eyes, mouth, nose, and ears), five emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, sadness, and fear), and five elements (moods and spirit). These properties reinforce and counteract one another; therefore, smelling incense helps our body restore the harmony and balance of all the body parts.

為什麼聞香會想哭或頭暈、排氣、想吐？Why do some people feel nauseous upon smelling incense?

    聞香會頭暈想吐，首先，必須先確認是否買到化學香。由於化學香燃燒時，會釋放苯、甲醛、丁二烯、二甲苯等十多種有毒化學物質，對能量感知較敏銳、體質較敏感的人，或在密閉不通風的空間燃香，都會讓人產生噁心、想吐、頭暈、胸悶的感覺。

If you feel sick and nauseous upon smelling incense, there are some things for you to clarify. First, check if the incense you bought contains chemicals. Since artificial incense consists of poisonous chemicals, including benzene, formaldehyde, butadiene, dimethyl benzene, those who are sensitive to energy tend to feel uncomfortable while smelling it. Or, if you burn incense in close surroundings where the ventilation is not good enough, then you may also feel sick, dizzy, or even stuffy.

 

  

為什麼拜拜要用香？ Why do we worship with incense?

用香祭祀，是源於上古時代的「燎祭」。當時人們將珍愛的玉器、布帛、牲畜、以及燃燒時會散發香氣的薪材一起燃燒，用來祭天拜神，祈求遠離災難，保護生命財產安全。這種祭祀行為流傳至今，成為日常拜拜的用香文化。

Worshipping with incense can be traced back to the flaming festival in ancient times. Back then, people set fire to their cherished jade, cloth, domestic animals, and fragrant wood in order to worship their Gods or heaven. That was done to pray for good luck, chase away disasters, and protect their belongings. Such a practice still lives on and is known as our incense culture.

彰化南瑤宮  歷史照片1

彰化南瑤宮  歷史照片2

點香，生意就跑了，這是怎麼一回事？ Why did the burning incense chase someone’s business away?

最近，有朋友反應，只要點了某款香，原本約定好的客戶就會因故取消，讓幾乎到手的生意不翼而飛。由於發生頻率接二連三，他懷疑，是否香出了問題！

Recently, a friend remarked that upon burning a certain kind of incense, his client would somehow cancel the appointment and thus he missed some deals. Since such a situation repeated itself several times, he could not help but wonder if it had something to do with the incense.

  

用香拜拜，為什麼可以上達天聽？ Why can we contact Gods with incense?

中國人對香，有一份很特別的情感與記憶。古人在幾千年前就已使用香來祭祀天地，祈求平安；經過了漫漶歲月的遷流，人們依舊以焚香祝禱的方式，祈求上天庇佑事業騰達、家庭圓滿、身體健康。用香禮拜神明，讓心願可以上達天聽，其背後的秘密是什麼？

Chinese have a special feeling and memory about incense. Ancient Chinese started to worship Gods, heaven, and mother earth several thousand years ago in order to pray for peace. As time goes by, people still burn incense to pray to Gods for great business, good family relationships, and health. But, why can we contact Gods with incense and make our wishes heard?

 

點香會招來靈界眾生嗎？ Will burning incense invite spirits?

 很多人認為點香會招來靈界眾生，因為靈界眾生聞到這麼香的香，會不想離開，所以大都不贊成、甚至害怕點香。

Many people assume that burning incense will invite spirits, since the fragrance of the incense can be tantalizing to not only humans but also spirits, and thus some people may reject or even fear burning incense.

點香，一定可以轉化運勢嗎？ Can we change our fortune by burning incense?

香可以淨化空間磁場，也可以協助個人身心調整，讓人寧靜、喜悅、健康。但是有些人在點香期間，發現某些事情變得不順利了，例如婚變，失業、意外、類似或不喜歡的人事物再度出現生命中，因此認為點香會招來楣運或惡運。

Incense can be used to purify the energy field, to help us improve our body and mind conditions, and to make us feel peaceful, delightful as well as healthy. However, even when burning incense, some people may still encounter setbacks or misfortunes, such as marital problems, unemployment, accidents, or the arrivals of nuisances. As a consequence, they may suppose that burning incense can induce bad luck.

 

小孩可以聞香嗎？ Can children smell incense?

傳統的香，是一種藥香，採用古法炮製與中醫理論調製而成。透過蒸熏與嗅覺的方式，讓藥性進入人體。所以聞香時，注意空氣流通、留意個人身心狀況，選用適合兒童品聞的香品，〈如提高專注力、調整腸胃功能、促進食慾等〉。一般而言，品香並無性別或年齡之分！

 有些孩子對煙較敏感，就可用精油取代，或將香粉加上天然黏合劑〈如天然楠樹皮粉或以古法煉密的方式〉，製成香餅或香丸，再以「空熏法」的方式讓香丸、香餅發出香氣。

Traditional incense is comprised of herbs based on ancient Chinese medicine theories. By steaming and smelling incense, the medicinal properties of the incense enter our bodies. As a result, it is vital that we pay attention to ventilation as well as our body and mind condition. If the incense is for children, we can choose the kinds that can enhance children’s attention, gastrointestinal function or appetites. Yet, generally speaking, the incense products are for both sexes and all the ages. In case the kids are too sensitive to the smoke of the incense, we can substitute essense oil for incense. Or, we may also mix natural adhesives with incense powder, such as the powder of Phoebe zhennan, and then turn the mixure into an incense ball or pie. Finally, we can lay the products in the air to give off their scents.

 

招財香真的可以招財嗎？ Can Incense of Wealth really invite wealth?

        一般人所謂的「財」大都指可以滿足物質欲望的錢財。然而，所謂的「財富」有三種--外財、內財和密財。三者皆具，就是物質與性靈皆富裕的生活。

    Generally speaking, wealth is thought of as a means to satisfy our needs for materials. However, the so-called wealth involves three types, including outer wealth, inner wealth, and the ultimate wealth. If one can get these three types of wealth, he must enjoy a rich material and spiritual life.

             

靜坐可以點香嗎？ Can we burn incense while meditating?

        靜坐點香的好處很多，因為好的天然香品具有穩定、祥和的能量，可以淨宅辟邪、袪除穢氣，營造出潔淨和諧的場域，置身其間，很快的就能感受到靜謐自在，紛亂的念頭就在不知不覺中，逐漸沉澱下來。

There are many advantages to burning incense while meditating, for high-quality natural incense brings stable and peaceful energy, and can thus chase away filthy energy as well as evil spirit while creating a pure and harmonic atmosphere. With the incense around, we can easily feel serenity and freedom; furthermore, we can evade from disturbing thoughts and gradually calm down.

     

怎樣才能買到天然好香？ How can we choose natural and high-quality incense?

市面上的香品琳琅滿目，針對香的製作過程及香料成分來區分，可分為「天然香」與「化學香」。前者以純天然原料製成，後者是化學合成製品、添加香精的香品。

 In the markets, we have a diversity of incense, differentiated by the way the incense is manufactured and the ingredients contained in the incense. Roughly, incense can be divided into natural incense and artificial incense. The former is made from completely natural materials, while the latter consists of chemicals as well as artificial additives.

  

夜間可以點香嗎？ Can we burn incense at night?

很多人不贊成夜間點香，以為夜間點香會招來不祥之物或容易著魔，導致家中走楣運、家人情感失和、事業受阻、健康變差等。

Many people disagree to burning incense at night, assuming that it can lure sinister things, make people lose their mind, lead to discord among family members, hinder their business, or harm their health and so on.

  

為何會排斥身旁點香的人或香？ Why do some people reject incense and those who burn incense?

嗅覺是一種很特別的感官，關係著我們的情緒、學習和記憶。

Our sense of smell is very special and it involves our emotions, learning, and memory.

 

臥房可以點香嗎？ Can we burn incense in our bedrooms?

一般人對「香」的觀念，大都認為用於宗教祭祀，是禮佛、敬神、祭祖、廟會的用品；香，因此被賦予一種不可褻瀆的神聖性。而中國人對「房事」則有著很難啟齒的情愫，甚至認為「性」是不潔、羞恥及罪惡的，只能用於傳宗接代。在神聖與不潔的相互牴觸下，很多人認為臥房點香對神明不敬，其實古人早有臥房點香的用法。

Typically, people associate incense with religious rituals, and thus incense has been regarded as something sacred or inviolable. And, particularly in the opinion of most Chinese, sex has been an embarrassing topic and considered filthy, shameful, and even sinful; as a consequence, sex is only essential to carry on the family line. That is why many people assume it is improper to burn incense in their bedrooms. As a matter of face, ancient people used to burn incense in their bedrooms for various purposes.

香是藥方嗎？

        藥，指的是可以用來治療疾病、減輕病患痛苦、或預防疾病的物質；藥方則是針對疾病所開出的方劑。從中醫的配方來看，藥方必須符合君、臣、佐、使的配藥原則，因此 以「療癒」的觀點來看，依照傳統古法所製的天然香，才可以稱為「藥方」。

香，有加持力嗎？

 「加持」是佛教的用語。所謂「加持力」就是藉由外在力量，如諸佛菩薩、上師、或上師所賜與的甘露丸、法器、其他加持品，乃至一句可以撫慰、鼓勵心靈的話語，幫助自己圓滿達成目標的，就是「加持力」。

加持力雖然來自外在，但最終的意義是藉由外在有形的實相，喚醒內在原本就已經圓滿具足的潛能、自信、勇氣、智慧與愛力。

只有宗教才點香嗎？

在一般人的觀念中，香就是拜祖、求神的祭祀用品。這種祭祀及宗教焚香可說是用香的最初形式。

早在三千多年前的殷商時期，當時是屬於尚鬼敬神、庶物崇拜的宗教觀念，人們透過「燎祭」的方式，傳達對大自然力量〈如洪水、風暴、大雨〉的怖畏與崇敬；並藉由供奉神靈，祈求物豐雨足、遠離災難。 

  

點香會致癌嗎？

香從製作的成分來看，可分為天然香與化學香。

 1868 年，化學家帕金在英國利用煤焦油製造出了第一種人工合成香料--香豆素（即香豆內脂）之後，從此化學合成香料幾乎涵蓋我們的生活層面。無論是吃的、喝的、用的〈如保養品、寵物用品、清潔用品、洗手乳、藥品、空氣芳香劑〉，甚至連小朋友使用的文具用品〈彩色筆、橡皮擦、紙張、原子筆〉都離開不了這個範疇，透過皮膚或空氣的接觸，吸收進入人體。 

香，一定要炮製嗎？

中國傳統香道是一種「香藥同源」的概念，以中藥材及其他香料做為燃香之用，因此具修身養性之效。藥材採摘回來後，必須經過妥善處理方能使用，這個過程就稱為「炮製」，也就是生藥材的再加工。

 中國最早的藥學專著《神農本草經》中記述了中藥炮製的基本原則：「藥，有毒無毒，陰乾暴干〈曝乾〉，采造時月，生熟土地所出，真偽新陳並各有法，若有毒宜制，可用相畏相殺，不爾勿合用也。」可見炮製是一門專精的學問。

                                                          

中藥材炮製具有多種功用，例如選取適當的藥用部位〈例如蓮子心採用成熟種子的綠色胚芽〉、增加藥材有效成分的釋出、改變或緩和藥物的性能、降低藥材毒性、減少副作用、方便貯藏〈枸杞乾燥過後，就不會發霉〉、提升用藥安全、除去砂土碎石等雜質，還能矯味矯臭、利於服用。

  合香以中藥材及香料製成，是透過呼吸進入人體的香藥，可以療癒身心、預防疾病；經過炮製後的藥材，能保持藥材安全，並讓藥效完全釋出，達到香藥養生、悅性、理氣、通竅、醒腦之目的。因此即使宣稱「漢方香藥」，但如果未經炮製就直接使用的中藥材，有可能產生副作用，讓人產生頭暈、噁心、呼吸不順暢的現象，這樣不但有害健康，也違反傳統香道的精神。

 製香業者了解炮製原理，不僅是基本的專業知能與職業道德，也是對香、對環境、對人的尊重，帶給用香者真正的健康。所以，香材一定要經過炮製才能用來製香！ 

  

什麼是「藥王」？

 中醫的藥材，取自草木蟲魚、礦物礦石、五穀雜糧，其中絕大部分取自植物；根據《神農本草經》記載，人參是治百病的靈丹妙藥，「氣味甘微寒，無毒。主補五藏，安精神，定魂魄，止驚悸，除邪氣，明目，開心，益智。久服輕身延年。」因此人參被尊崇為「百草之王」、「百補之王」或「藥中之王」。

被遺忘的慢活心體驗----談現代人為何不品香

一個人的時候你會做什麼？

拿起電話找人談心？ 看一場電影？散步？看書？逛街？購物？聽音樂？吃美食？滑手機？ 或拿起電視遙控器，找一個頻道，窩在沙發打發時間？

這些活動，大都以視覺、聽覺、味覺、觸覺為主；單純且優靜的嗅覺美學，在人們的生活中幾乎已經被遺忘了！