Recently, I got into importing and exporting of Aloeswood (chips, coils and powder) due to high demand of my friends and business associates seeking good quality incense for their auspicious prayers.
The new shipment ( Premium Select Grade Aloeswood powder, coils and chips from Vietnam ) will arrive after 16th Feb 2010. Will update the products pics here soon.
If anyone of you are interested in these PREMIUM SELECT GRADES of Aloeswood 沉香, for your special auspicious prayers needs do let me know @ mobile +65 9855 2078 or email me candybqt88@gmail.com
Welcome all enquries and any qty order.
Hope this information below helps the understanding of this precious wood.
For thousands of years, this resinous wood has been burned as incense during meditation and prayer, to help people achieve a higher level of consciousness and a deep state of inner peace.
Many Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Taoists and Christians consider Agarwood as a very precious material.
Agarwood has a calming effect on the system and is said to increase our Chi positively, and improving one's mindfulness.
In Buddhist Scriptures, fine incense is that in the quality to bless us to joy and bliss and, in turn , help us accumulate charitable and pious deeds.
In fact , there are quite many proofs that by burning selected quality incense one will bring up indescribable delight and, in turn, accumulate tremendous charitable and pious deeds of benefactors.
To put it in more understandable terms, when you choose selected fine incenses, you will grow the highest wisdom , baptize yourself from all sins accumulated in the previous lives.
You delight the Buddha and guide all beings into the purified land . In short , choosing selected fine incense stands for your first lesson toward Buddhism.
在宗教上，沉香的地位很高，是世界佛教、道教、基督教、天主教等大宗教共同认可的稀世珍宝，更是普通百姓的药品和皇帝的御用熏香品。身上配带吸取天地之灵气的沉香，佛家视为驱邪化吉，避灾保身之圣品因其味道永久，且具有很大的增值空间，致使今天的收藏家费尽心思四处寻找一度在国内濒临绝种的沉香。
所谓的沉香，又名“沉水香”，“水沉香”，古语又称之为“沈香”（沈，同沉）。古来云“沉檀龙麝”之“沉”，就是指沉香。单单从从名字就能看出沉香的与众不同。
沉香的气质典雅，给人以一种高贵的感觉，它不同于其他玫瑰的妖艳，百合的清香，它属于超凡脱俗，那么沉香的功效到底有多大呢？
早时人们对沉香的医用认可是行气止痛、温中止呕、纳气平喘。
近代临床试验研究发现：沉香还是治疗胃痛的特效药。能够壮阳，补脾益肾，降逆平喘。它主要可以用于治疗气逆胸满、胃寒呕吐、积痞、霍乱、男子精冷、喘急心绞痛、恶气恶疮等等。沉香的用途越来越广。
用沉香制成的佛香，除似供养诸佛菩萨表诚敬之意外，另有解秽流芳、驱虫避邪、正念清神之效，尤以其味清柔甘醇，利于摄定心神，亦可帮助行气入定，最适合静坐修禅者使用。对一般修行人而言，也是相当有益于身心的修持
沉香號稱「香中之王」，人類使用沉香已超過三千多年以上歷史，然而沉香無論是在宗教上的氣通三界、驅邪降魔，靜坐修行之安神定魄、通關達竅或是用於居家風水之聚氣生財、助旺磁場，中藥上之益精壯陽、五臟調和等功效不一而述；沉香在人類精神文明及醫藥發展始終扮有重要之角色。
Chen Xiang 「香中之王」，/ Aloeswood / Agarwood
Promoting spiritual, mental, and physical benefits to the mankind; this "Wood of the Gods"", is the most rare and precious wood on the planet, prized for its rich, wonderful and healing fragrance.
With a familiar aroma across the world, it is also known as Oud, Aloes, Aloeswood, Eagle Wood, Lignum Aloes, Jinko, and Gaharu. The value of this wood and also the oil extracted from it-- Agarwood Oil, is worth 1.5 times that of gold.
The aromatic mystery and spiritual elevation of Agarwood Oil, make it one of the most valuable natural incense available on the earth.
With a balsamic and sweet woody association, somewhat similar to that of sandalwood oil, this essential oil has long been associated with various religions and cultures.
This viscous liquid is pale yellow to brownish yellow or dark amber in color. Capturing the hearts of the pious devotees and royal elites, the earthy aspect of agarwood oil has a quality that grounds our inner being and inspires our souls to the Divine realms.
The most important aspect to extract the essential oil of agarwood (with a reminiscent and long lasting scent of vetiver and sandalwood) is to note that the fungus infected tree must be at least 100 years old to produce the oil. The agarwood tree is a large evergreen tree found in various South East Asian forests, Bangladesh, Bengal, Bhutan, Burma, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and the foothills of the Himalayas.
The oil extraction process from the agarwood is undertaken through water or steam distillation. In case of water extraction, the agarwood is immersed in water for three months. After that, the soaked wood is placed into huge burners where the water evaporates, resin dissolves, and oil floats to the top. The steam extraction method is more popular in the East Asian countries.
History of Agarwood
The essential oil of agarwood has been prized for centuries by sultans, sheikhs, and explorers in the Far East, due to its rich and exquisite aromatic burst.
Even today, Oud is cherished and traded as a treasure more precious than red rubies and green emeralds.
In the past, old growth Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees were indiscriminately cut to find the resin though it was found only in few trees which were infected by fungus.
Due to this, Southeast Asia, which once was predominantly native region for these trees, is on way of loosing that title since the trees are being cut with no or little control.
The oil extracted from resinous wood of these trees has remained an inseparable part of Buddhist and Islamic cultures. It is also an important ingredient in many traditional medicines. It is prerequisite ingredient for incenses used in traditional Japanese ceremonies. Although, Agarwood is not a popular name in America and Europe, its use as incense (called aloeswood) finds mention several times in the Holy Bible.
Applicable Benefits as Aromatherapy
The essential oil of agarwood is rich of warming, balancing, purifying, and transcendent qualities. Having heavy base notes, it particularly blends well with other essential oils such as Rose, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Carnation, Geranium, and Sandalwood. The numerous benefits exuding out of this magical oil include the following:
•It is an effective tonic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, relieves epilepsy, antimicrobial, carminative, ad anti-asthmatic. In fact, agarwood oil is the most potent aphrodisiac of all the essential oils.
•Useful in nervous disorders, digestive, bronchial complaints, smallpox, rheumatism, illness during and after childbirth, spasms in the digestive and respiratory systems, fevers, abdominal pain, asthma, cancer, colic, diarrhoea, nausea, regurgitation, weakness in the elderly, shortness of breath, chills, general pains and cirrhosis of the liver. It also acts as a director or focuser for other medicines. Agarwood oil has been used as a treatment for lung and stomach tumours.
•The oil is used in Malaysia to flavour curries and Taiwan uses Agarwood as an aromatic ingredient in their local wines.
•Valerian is a natural component of agarwood resin and functions to relieve insomnia and calm the nervous system before sleep, allowing one to have a deeper, longer sleep.
•Aromatherapy: Agarwoods ability to invoke a deep sense of relaxation makes it extremely useful in any aromatherapy session, but is especially effective where anxiety and depression are present.
•It is non-sticky and can be applied directly to the skin or can be thinned in jojoba oil. This is one of the most precious and expensive of essential oils and is truly amazing. Connoisseurs of essential oils should experience it. You only need to use a tiny amount of this oil at a time; be prepared for the slow release of its aroma over the next 12 hours. There is no other known oil that is this tenacious.
•It has long been an olfactory prize for discerning noses. Agar oil, is highly valued and universally prized as ‘Otto of Roses”.
•Some European perfume houses YSL, Aramis, Ralp Laurent Polo especially seek out Agar oil to create heavier muskier perfume that have enhanced Agars demand, and thereby carved a special niche market for these agar dependant perfumes.
•Agar Oil also has therapeutic uses as it is used in a large number of Ayurvedic medicines. Interestingly agar is also used to flavour common and widely used betel nut.
•Agarwood is highly psychoactive. It is used for a spiritual journey, enlightenment, clarity and to bring the deep peace necessary for meditation. It brings communication with the transcendent, refreshing the mind, body and spirit.
It is said that prayers arise with the fragrant smoke of agarwood incense carry the prayer to the Creator.
Buddhists use agarwood for transmutation of ignorance. Tibetan monks use it to bring energy to calm the mind and spirit.
The Sufis and Japanese Shaman use agarwood oil in their esoteric ceremonies. It enhances mental clarity, opens the third eye and all of the upper chakras while calming the entire system.
•Sri Sankardeva is also believed to have said that agar and sandalwood are the two divine trees capable of fulfilling human desires. Religious texts and history were also written and copied on specially treated bark of agar trees.
•Lord Buddha was to have said that the smell of agarwood burning "is the scent of Nirvana".
•It is also a favourite of Lord Krishna, being mentioned throughout the oldest written texts - the Sanskrit Vedas.
•Although the southern Arabian Peninsula has been long identified with aromatics, few Westerners are familiar with agarwood. This obscurity is partly due to agarwood rarity and cost.
•Agarwood has also been used in nearly every religious tradition around the world and revered for thousands of years by many cultures as the most treasured incense ingredient.
It was agarwood and Myrrh that was burned at Jesus' burial ceremony.
•Ayurvedic, Arabic, Sufi, Unanai, Tibetan and Chinese physicians have all used agarwood in their practice to treat various diseases including mental illness.
•King Louis XIV of France had his shirts washed in rose water in which agarwood had been previously boiled.
•Samurai warriors scented their armour with agarwood smoke for luck before going to battle.
•This is the legendary "tree from the garden of Eden" where Adam and Eve were only allowed to take cuttings from the agarwood tree.
If you are interested to purchase a PREMIUM SELECT grade of Aloeswood 沉香 in woodchips, incense coils or powder for your special moments or occasion, please contact me at +65 98552078 or email : candybqt88@gmail.com
More info about aloeswood :
http://www.khandro.net/ritual_incense.htm
http://www.ravenhealingtherapies.com/page6.htm
http://www.pure-incense.com/agarwood.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agarwood
Agarwood is known under many names in different cultures:
In Hindi (India), it is known as "agar", which is originally Sanskrit based.
It is known as Chén-xīang (沉香) in Chinese, "trầm hương" [4] in Vietnamese, and Jin-koh (沈香) in Japanese; all meaning "sinking incense" and alluding to its high density.
Both agarwood and its resin distillate/extracts are known as Oud (عود) in Arabic (literally wood) and used to describe agarwood in nations and areas of Islamic faith. Western perfumers may also use agarwood essential oil under the name "oud" or "oude".
In Europe it was referred to as Lignum aquila (eagle-wood) or Agilawood, because of the similarity in sound of agila to gaharu.
Another name is Lignum aloes or Aloeswood. This is potentially confusing, since a genus Aloe exists (unrelated), which has medicinal uses. However, the Aloes of the Old Testament (Num. 24:6; Ps. 45:8; Prov. 7:17; and Cant. 4:14) and of the Hebrew Bible (ahalim in Hebrew) are believed to be agarwood from Aquilaria malaccensis.
In Tibetan it is known as ཨ་ག་རུ་ (a-ga-ru). There are several varieties used in Tibetan Medicine: unique eaglewood: ཨར་བ་ཞིག་ (ar-ba-zhig); yellow eaglewood: ཨ་ག་རུ་སེར་པོ་ (a-ga-ru ser-po), white eaglewood: ཨར་སྐྱ་ (ar-skya), and black eaglewood: ཨར་ནག་(ar-nag).[5]
In Assamese it is called as "ogoru".
The Indonesian and Malay name is "gaharu".
In New Guinea it is called "ghara".
In Thai language it is known as "Mai Kritsana" (ไม้กฤษณา).
In Laos it is known as "Mai Ketsana".
