香道--喚醒沉睡的嗅息覺受 Tao of Incense---Awakening the Sleeping Sense of Smell

          一般人很少把注意力放在五感的微細感受，對周遭所發生的一切經常是走馬看花、甚至是毫無感覺的。為了提高我們對事物的敏銳度，可以藉由品香過程

的氣味辨識，提高身體覺受及內在專注力。例如：吸氣時，感覺氣味如何進入鼻腔、進入肺部、進入身體；感受氣味前中後段有何不同、如何發生轉變；覺察氣味如何影響身體和情緒反應。透過這樣的訓練，可以開啟更精微的覺受力，讓自己從毫無知覺的麻痺式五感，提高為被動式五感，最後成為明察秋毫的主動式五感。

    Normally, people do not pay attention to the subtle changes in our five senses; that is to say, we may feel numb or nothing about the happenings around us. In order to enhance our sensitivity to all the occurrences, we can manage to enhance our sensitivity as well as concentration by distinguishing the scents in the process of appreciating the incense products. For instance, we can lead ourselves to notice how the smell enters our nasal cavities, lungs, and finally all over our body. In the meanwhile, we can also manage to distinguish the changes of the scents in the beginning, middle, and end of the process. Furthermore, we are also advised to feel how the scents affect our bodies and emotions. Through such training, we can sharpen our senses step by step and finally become more and more lucid.

 

       人入睡之後，五臟六腑也會進入休息狀態，但是有三個生理功能不會停止運作：心臟仍在跳動、血液繼續流動，呼吸依然進行。呼吸是人的自發性本能，一般人不會刻意去覺察呼吸的運作方式，但是透過專注力的訓練，可以觀照能量在體內的流動與產生的微妙改變，了解吸氣長短對香氣覺受的影響，以便找到品香最佳的呼吸長度及狀態。

    As we fall asleep, our organs rest too. However, there are three physiological functions that never cease working, including the beating hearts, moving blood, and breathing. In terms of breathing, it is our instinct and thus we usually do not notice our breathing pattern. But, through the training on concentration, we can observe the subtle effects of energy on our body, knowing better about how to regulate our breathing pattern in order to stay in the best state.

        透過嗅息覺受的訓練，將氣味的不同層次逐一儲存、記憶到大腦資料庫裡；當我們一聞到氣味，就能從資料庫中取出檔案，把無形的氣味轉換為可思考、可表達的語言，再與他人相互比對、分享。古人會將香氣分門別類，宋朝黃庭堅認為「意和香」富貴清麗，「深靜香」恬澹寂寞；明朝高濂在《養生八箋；燕閑清賞箋》中，對氣味有不同的品評，例如檀香是幽閑者，蘭香和沉香是恬雅者，芙蓉香與龍涎餅為佳麗者，棋楠香則為高尚者；高濂還將這幾種香氣定位在不同情境中賞用；日本香道則將香味分為苦、甘、鹹、辣、酸五種。這樣的分門別類，固然無法真正的、歸納出氣味的奧妙，卻能更有意識、更清楚完整地表達內在感受，豐富生活內涵。    

    The training on scents makes it possible for our brains to store information on various scents in our data. As soon as we smell a specific scent, we can immediately recall our memories and try to convey our feelings or discuss the invisible scents through language. Ancient people categorized scents into diverse classes. Some kinds of incense were considered to be a symbol of splendor, glory, grace, tranquility, or honor. Different incense materials were used for specific purposes. In Japan, people even divide the scents into bitter, sweet, salty, spicy, and sour. However, such classification cannot really sort out the essence of all the scents but can help deliver our expressions and enrich our life.

        香氣雖然抽象無形，卻比有形的物體更能挑動內在的豐富情感。它能穿越時空，喚醒遺忘的往昔記憶，人物、地點、時間、事件、光線、場景、氣味、色彩、身心狀況……全都歷歷在目、鉅細靡遺，香氣為枯燥無味的生活，增添了無限的想像。

      Despite the fact that fragrance is abstract and invisible, it can trigger the abundant emotions embedded in our hearts even better than visible objects. Fragrance can transcend time and space, awakening the forgotten memories about people, sites, time, events, light, scenes, smells, colors, body and mind conditions, and so on. Fragrance can make a boring life intriguing and thus bring possibilities into your life.

 

        香道，是嗅覺的藝術；更是一場寧靜、豐富且神奇的心靈饗宴。

    Tao of Incense is an art of smell; it is also a serene, rich, and fantastic feast for mind.