香，內在的覺旅 Incense, an awakening vehicle

自古以來，人們就很喜歡香氣，會用香來妝點生活、增加情趣；香也作為上達天聽的祭祀載體，具有宗教的崇高性。西方人喜歡用香水來表現個人魅力，但對華夏香文化而言，香則是內在的修為與人格象徵。

Since ancient times, people have been enjoying fragrance, with which they add something delightful to their life. Incense is also considered a vehicle, with which people convey their thoughts to heaven, and thus incense carries a religious meaning. In western countries, people like to show their individuality through perfume; yet to eastern people, incense can be a token of inner cultivation or a particular personality.

中國受儒家思想影響深遠，也有用香的禮節和規範。在《禮記》中記載：「男女未冠笄者，雞初鳴，咸盥漱，拂髦總角，衿纓皆佩容臭。」「容臭」就是現代所說的香包。孩童要向長輩請安之前，要先盥洗乾淨，整理服裝儀容，在衣襟上佩戴香囊，帶著香香的氣息去見長輩。透過香氣和禮節，是一種由外而內的精神形塑與教育，對孩童日後的立身行事與人格修養都有正向的影響。

Confucianism has a great impact on Chinese and stresses the rituals on how to incense properly. For instance, according to ancient documents, before the juniors greeted their seniors, they had to get clean and tidy as well as wear fragrant sachets, which was part of the courtesy and education. Such an act was believed to have a positive influence on children’s conduct of life.

孔子說：「與善人居，如入芝蘭之室，久而不聞其香，即與之化矣。與不善人居，如入鮑魚之肆，久而不聞其臭，亦與之化矣 。」孔子用香氣來形容人的美德，和心性高潔的人往來，就會在潛移默化中受到熏染，成為良善端整的人。

Confucius once said that if we associate with the good, we will eventually and naturally become good, and vice versa. Confucius depicted human virtues with analogs involving fragrance, and he meant to imply that if we associate with decent people, we will inadvertently become decent.

唐代文學家劉禹錫在《陋室銘》一文中，寫下︰「山不在高，有仙則名；水不在深，有龍則靈。斯是陋室，惟吾德馨。」「德馨」代表崇高純正的人格。一個具有德性的人，即使居住在簡陋的地方，也能夠遠近聞名，因為他的心就像香一樣，能夠散發出穩定、喜悅的氣息，讓人感到溫暖親切，樂於與他親近。

In the Tang dynasty, a literate called Liu-yu-shi once wrote a paragraph centering on decency. He further stated that a decent person with virtues has a heart that gives off invisible fragrance and can emanate an aura of stability, joy, and warmth, which attracts people around him.

明代的戲曲家湯顯祖用「四香」來自我省察，他說：「不亂财，手香；不淫色，體香；不狂訟，口香；不嫉害，心香。」香具有薰染、傳播遠處的特性，就像有德行的人，他的雅正人格也會流傳四方，感動大家。

In addition, a musician in the Ming dynasty inspected himself in four aspects. He thought that one should not gain something which does not belong to him, should not have improper sexual relationships, should not say something untrue or exaggerate, and finally should not bear jealousy or grudge in mind. If one can keep the belief in mind, his character can give off fragrance, and such a person can be praised and respected no matter where he is.

香在華人心中是品德崇高的表徵，從嗅覺感官發展為人格涵養，更成為通往形而上的道路，因此以至高的「道」來尊崇香的地位。

Incense is a token of great virtue, and it is commonly believed that we can cultivate our inner wealth through the sense of smell. Then gradually, we can appreciate the incense lore on the metaphysical level.