香的價值知多少？ How much do you know about the value of the incense?

        藥材的好壞決定了香的品質，為了確保品質優良，避免買到劣質香材或假貨，必須從香材的產地、氣味、外觀、色澤、質地來判定原料的優劣。

    The quality of the herbs determines the quality of incense. In order to make sure the quality of the incense is good enough, we cannot pay more attention to the origins, scents, appearances, colors, and textures of the materials.

        由於地球環境受到嚴重汙染或過度開發，導致生態失去平衡，一些寶貴的中藥材資源瀕臨枯竭；有些中藥材主要產地的農民不願意種植，因此產量逐年減少。這些原因讓好的藥材越來越稀少，也越來越難找，加上近幾年來藥材不斷漲價，好藥材越來越貴，真正以良心、正心、正念來製香的研香師，即使買不到好材料也會拼命找；再難找也會花費心思百般詢問、尋找。因為製香即是製藥，其目的就是為了守護用香人的健康、守護環境、守護地球。

  Our earth has been severely contaminated and heavily exploited, which leads to ecological imbalance and the lack of some precious herbs. Some farmers are not willing to plant a number of valuable herbs, and thus the amount of produce is on the decline. This subsequently gives rise to inflation. However, decent incense researchers and developers still go to great length to seek the materials of the best quality, simply because they want to guard the health of the consumers, protect the environment as well as the earth.

 

         例如，購買當歸時，有經驗、有品譽的製香廠會選擇主根粗長、飽滿、厚實、油潤、氣味濃郁的當歸，而不會貪圖便宜購買當歸粉或細根部位。用好藥材製成的香，氣味更為沉穩內斂；但是有些業者為了降低成本、避免麻煩，會購買來路不明或有瑕疵的藥材，缺乏經驗的業者甚至會買到染色或摻雜其他物質的藥材，這樣製造出來的香當然就不好了。

     For instance, when purchasing Angelica, experts would choose the large-stemmed, greasy, and aromatic ones rather than pick out the cheap Angelica powder of the thin-stemmed ones. With good-quality materials, the scent of the product can be more stable and reserved. Yet, some manufacturers would use flawed materials just to cut down the cost price. On the other hand, inexperienced manufacturers are even likely to purchase dyed or impure materials. In such cases, the quality of the incense is definitely not satisfactory.

    嚴選原料不僅是製香者應該具備的鑑賞能力，更是專業的良知良能。高能量的天然香具有淨化環境、轉化情緒、舒解壓力的功效，為家庭帶來祥和、健康與幸福。透過點香靜心，更能觀照習性、轉化很深的慣性模式，帶來新的生命契機與更大的可能性。

    Hand-picked materials are often the conscientious incense manufacturers’ selection. High-energy natural incense is beneficial to purifying the environment, shifting moods, relieving pressure, and bringing blessings to all the users. Therefore, burn great incense helps us focus on our inner world and ushers in new hope to our lives!

       香的價值知多少？其實已非金錢所能衡量！ 

    In a nutshell, the value of incense cannot be measured by money!