Qing Miao Xiang Incense Amitabha Buddha pendant

1.The Story of Amitabha Buddha and the Design

Amitabha, meaning “Infinite Light” and “Infinite Life,” represents boundless wisdom and eternal life in Buddhism. According to the Infinite Life Sutra, he was once a king who renounced his throne to become a monk named Dharmakara. He made the profound Forty-Eight Vows before the Buddhas, promising that anyone who calls upon his name with sincerity will be welcomed to his Pure Land (Sukhavati). After eons of practice, he attained Buddhahood. His compassionate vow of “welcoming and guiding” all sentient beings offers a path to transcend suffering and find ultimate peace.

The front of this pendant features a detailed relief of Amitabha Buddha seated on a lotus pedestal, symbolizing his compassionate guidance and the profound blessing of “Infinite Light and Longevity. The reverse side displays a Dharma wheel surrounded by pure lotus —the wheel representing the turning of wisdom, and the lotus symbolizing spiritual purity rising above worldly troubles. Accented with a traditional cord knot and a blended incense bead.

2.”Qing miao xiang” – Clear and Subtle Incense

The “Qingmiaoxiang” (Clear and Subtle Incense) was first documented in the Song Dynasty’s “Chen’s Incense Manual”. During the mid-Northern Song Dynasty, literati gatherings flourished, with “instruments, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, tea, and incense” being central to these events. To meet the demand for an incense that was “elegantly subtle without overpowering, and ethereally inspiring for poetic moods” during these gatherings, a pioneer of literati incense culture, created the “Qingmiaoxiang.”

The ancients believed that incense should not be too strong, as it would disrupt the appreciation of music and scholarly pursuits. Therefore, Qing miao xiang uses agarwood and sandalwood as its base, accented with borneol and musk, creating a fragrance that is “clear but not bland, wonderfully elegant but not gaudy.”

The agarwood and sandalwood provide a rich, mellow woody base; the borneol adds a crisp, refreshing coolness; and the musk imparts a lively, penetrating quality to the aroma. White honey (refined honey) is used as a natural binder, along with a trace amount of natural saltpeter to brighten the scent. Its unique craftsmanship lies in the “double-boiler honey heating” method (gently heating the refined honey in a bain-marie to make the sweetness milder and avoid the cloyingness of raw honey).

After blending the incense, it must be sealed in ceramic ware for “cellaring” for one month, allowing the various aromatic properties to fully meld. When burned or worn, the incense emits a clear, moist, and ethereal fragrance with a sweet, lingering finish.

(Making Blended Incense)