為自己點2019的開運頭香 Burning the first incense stick for good luck in 2019

傳說，人間第一柱清香上達天聽者，玉皇大帝會特別保祐他一切圓滿平安。

Legend has it that the first one who burns an incense stick to send prayers to gods can receive additional good luck from Jade Emperor.

在我們的內在裡，也有一個神聖的殿堂，那就是我們的神性和佛性。

As a matter of fact, there is a holy paradise within ourselves, which is our Godhood or Buddhahood.

一縷馨香，醇厚家風代代傳 The fragrance of incense conveys the virtue of a family

        香，用於禮敬諸佛菩薩、參拜宮廟神明，是華人用香的傳統。而逢年過節的焚香祭祖，更是華人慎終追遠的美德。家，是我們的根本，影響我們甚為深遠，重視家庭經營，彼此尊重包容同理，能讓我們活得扎實。透過焚香祭祖的儀式，感念祖先，凝聚家族情感，學習感恩、孝順與慈愛的倫理人情。

    Incense, traditionally widely used to worship gods with, has been a vital part for Chinese. It has been a significant ritual for Chinese to burn incense at the end of a year to send their best wishes to their ancestors. Home, to many of us, is synonymous with root; that is to say, we Chinese stress the importance of managing our family and learning to empathize with our own family members in the hope that we can have a solid bond with each other and have a fulfilling life. Through burning incense, we remember our ancestors, solidify our family bonds, learn to be grateful and filial, and last but not least, learn to be loving.

香道小常識----淺談品香三種方式 Tips on how to use the incense properly

目前一般所見之品香方式，可分為以下三種：焚香、熏香和生香。

Incense comes in three types, including burning incense, smoking incense and raw incense.

一、焚香First, burning incense

焚香又稱燃香、燒香，就是直接點燃香品的方式。例如使用香粉、線香、環香或篆香法。

Literally, burning incense means that the incense can be burned directly. And this type includes incense powder, incense sticks, and incense loops.

聞香，豈能不讚嘆？Appreciating the Fragrance of Incense in Awe

合香是中國傳統的製香方式。合香，亦寫為「和香」，又稱「合和香」，是將兩種以上的香藥合成的香，運用的是五行生剋的中醫智慧和天人相應的哲學思維。

Traditionally, synthetic incense has been the mainstream of incense manufacture. That is to say, the incense products commonly contain more than two ingredients and the combinations are based on the five elements of Chinese medicine and philosophy.

邀請春天進家門 Welcome Spring with Our Open Arms

中國老祖宗幾千年前發明了曆法，把一年分成24節氣。日常作息及農事活動就按照節氣來安排。所謂「春耕、夏耘、秋收、冬藏，四者不失其時，則五穀不絕。」依循四季樂活之道，不違背宇宙法則，人們自然能安居樂業，社會安康。

 

Ancient Chinese divides a years into 24 solar terms, by which people arrange their lives and agricultural activities.The 24 solar terms include Sowing in spring, Plowing in summer, Harvesting in fall, and Storing in winter. Living by the changes of the seasons, people can hopefully have well-being.

生活中的香道（2）--敬 Living with the Art of Incense---Respect

幾千年前，香就與人們的生活密不可分，尤其在莊嚴有序的宗教儀禮與家族祭祀中，已經成為不可或缺的符號。藉由焚香祝禱、詩歌樂舞與特有服飾，建構出神聖的儀式空間。香，傳達了至高無上的神秘性，讓人們心中升起虔敬之心。

Incense has been indispensable to humans since thousands of years ago. It is extraordinarily vital on religious ceremonies. By burning incense, reciting poetry, and dancing in particular attire, we can make the space for any rituals sacred. Incense conveys unfathomable mystery, making all of us respectful to it.

美的幸福方程式 The Formula of Beauty

清代醫學家吳尚先在《理瀹駢文》一書說：「七情之病，看花解悶，嗅香提神，聽曲消愁，有勝於服藥者矣。」

 

A medicine expert in the Ching Dynasty once mentioned in a book, saying that if one was upset, he or she was advised to appreciate the beauty of blossoms, smell the fragrance of something to enhance his or her spiritual status, or listen to some great music to chase away the melancholy, as all the methods were thought to be superior to any medicinal treatment.

 

生活中的香道（1）---淨 Living with the Art of Incense---Purity

   從人類用香的歷史來看，幾千年前，人們就開始使用香氣來豐富生活，並奉獻給至高無上的神。香具有清淨的功效，無論是空間、物品、身體或情緒，香都能發揮淨化的妙用。以下分為幾點論述：

Since the dawn of history, human beings have used incense for thousands of years to enrich their life and to pay tribute to their supreme gods. Incense can be utilized to purify the space, objects, bodies, or even emotions. The details are listed as follows:

關於香的二三事 Information about Incense

一般人所認識的香，都是廟裡拜拜完、插在香爐的物品。其實，這只是香在歷史發展過程中的一個面貌而已；香文化內容豐富，精神深遠，是很多人所不理解的。

Typically, people relate incense to the incense sticks that are held upright burning in the incense urn. However, this is simply one aspect of how incense is used. In terms of the culture, development, and history of incense, its abundance is beyond the understanding of most people.

香道與弓道的對話

The Link between Incense and Archery

香道與弓道都是訓練心專注於一處，當中涉及的動作、儀軌、修養、精神力、禮儀等，都能是為了充份鍛練身心，讓心、神合一的方法。

Incense ceremony and archery practices are both aimed at helping people concentrate. By means of the focusing on the actions, rituals, spiritual practices, concentration, and related courtesy, we can fully train our body and mind in the hope that our body and mind merge into one. 

焚香的本質The essence of burning incense

    中藥首先的功用是治病，而香是治「未病之病」。

  香，是由中藥材所製成，古法製香，依循中醫理論與藥材炮製方法，因此，二者形式和方法相近，本質卻不相同。

  焚香時，空間飄著淡淡藥香，透過呼吸將藥性吸入體內，身體放鬆了，情緒安靜了，能量逐漸被淨化、轉化，提升。香氣所帶來的愉悅，不僅是一種心理感受，也同時達到養生保健、安神定心的生理作用。

 點香，淨化了個人與空間環境的能場。從本質上來看，點香是一種預防醫學，用於創造出身心靈和諧平衡的場域。

The essence of burning incense
  The primary function of Chinese herbal medicine is to cure diseases, while incense is used to prevent diseases.

   Incense, traditionally composed of Chinese herbs, is manufactured based on Chinese medical theories and thus incense is in one sense synonymous with medicine.

  As we inflame some incense, the air will be filled with light and pleasant fragrance of some medicinal herbs. After we inhale it, our body and mind can gradually and naturally calm down and relax. As a result, our energy can be transformed or enhanced. The fragrance of incense not only upgrades our moods but also does good to our health and mental stability.

 Burning incense purifies our personal living environment. In essence, burning incense can be regarded as a means of preventive medicine and can be utilized to help create a peaceful energy field for our body, mind, and soul.

天然馨香紓解考試焦慮 Natural incense relieves the anxiety arising from exams.

七月酷暑，一群莘莘學子即將面臨人生的重要關卡---升學考試！

香道，內在合ㄧ之道Incense ceremony integrates the inner and outer world.

宇宙內所有現象和事物均存在著陰陽兩種不同的現象，如：晝/夜、男/女、動/靜、高/低、長/短、生/死、虛/實、天/地……萬事萬物就在這兩股動能中相互交替運作，生生不息。由此所啟發的哲學思維，則是追求陰陽平衡、相互尊重、彼此包容、剛柔並濟的和諧生活，以開啟更高的智慧，達到天人合一的圓滿境界。  古人說「器以載道」，「器」是一種物質性的創作或形式的展現。因此，若以「器」的角度來看，香道是美的形式與文化內涵的載體，透過美感經驗與專注覺察的精神修練，其最主要的目的，是回歸內在陰陽和諧的無極之「道」。

縫香包的文化雅趣～中華香道藝術文化協會Experiencing the pleasure of sewing incense sachet---by Association of Chinese Incense Ceremony

 香包，是放香藥的小布囊，讓香氣與藥性可以隨身攜帶，因此可用來驅蟲，避穢，除障，避邪，香身。 

天然香手作推廣---中華香道藝術文化協會 Association of Chinese Incense Ceremony has been devoted to promoting the hand-made natural incense to make your life even better!

香，可以豐富生活，陶冶性情；是千年來人們生活中永遠的心靈之友。中國傳統用香，是將炮製後的藥材磨成粉末來熏香，因此最初用香形式以粉末為主。

It is believed that incense can enrich our lives and transform our characters. Incense has been a great and vital companion to many people for thousands of years. Traditionally, Chinese process medicinal herbs and smoke the ground herbs. Therefore, incense was commonly used in the form of powder in the very beginning. 

香‧靜心‧環境的善循環 The benign cycle of incense, meditation, and our environment

      近幾十年來，我們的居住環境逐漸受到破壞，人們在各種污染與工作壓力下，心情容易浮躁、焦慮、不安、暴戾，這些負向能量以肉眼看不到的方式，影響居住環境與身心健康。有些負向能量來自家中，例如有長期生病的人，家裡就會有病氣；家人情感不和，就會有暴力的能量；東西堆積太多未清理，能量就無法順暢流動。這些外在因素也會讓人煩躁不舒服，甚至生病。

In the recent decades, our living environment has been gradually destroyed. People are easy to be fretful anxious, restless, or upset since we live with all sorts of pollution and fight against all sources of pressure, and such negative but invisible atmosphere seriously affects our physical and mental health and even our living environment. Some negative energy comes from households, where some family members are severely ill. Some comes from those living in disharmony. If bad or negative energy is not neutralized, then people can feel restless or fall ill.

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.

品香靜心…你看不到的影響力 Meditating with incense---an invisible influence

          品香靜心時，香氣透過呼吸進入身體，每個細胞都充滿了更多的能量，當身體的能量提昇了，就會更喜悅、平靜、充滿熱忱，心智也會變得清新、細膩和美麗；因此品香靜心是一種提升意識、轉化心靈的藝術形式。

As we meditate with incense, the fragrance enters our body and fills all the cells, making us feel more energetic, joyful, peaceful, enthusiastic, clear-minded, aware, and pretty. Therefore, meditating with incense can be considered a way to transform our spirit.      

馨愛流傳----記現代燎祭 Contemporary flaming rituals

燎祭，是中國香文化的開始。

Contemporary flaming rituals can be regarded as the origin of Chinese incense culture.

品香靜心，讓自己和世界更美好的快速法 To meditate with incense is a rapid way to make yourself and world better!

近年來，整個地球、社會環境的意識混亂，無論是環境、氣候、生態都已遭受嚴重破壞，戰爭、經濟、貧窮、人心疏離……人們承受嚴重的精神壓力，心靈空虛、感受不到愛、對生命絕望，因此憂鬱症、癌症、慢性疾病都已成為人類最迫切需要解決的問題。

In recent years, our world is experiencing unprecedented chaos in terms of the collective consciousness or the living environment. Moreover, the endless wars, financial recession, poverty, and segregation among human beings all impose severe burdens on our psychology. And thus, many of us tend to feel despaired, empty, and hopeless, suffering from depression or other chronic diseases, which has become an urgent issue that we have to cope with immediately.