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The Sacred Wood: An Olfactory Journey Through Aloeswood (in person)
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For over two thousand years, aloeswood—known as oud, agarwood, gaharu, jinkō—has been burned in Buddhist temples, Sufi gatherings, and traditional healing practices across Asia and the Middle East for centuries. This session offers direct encounter with one of the world’s rarest aromatic materials, exploring its cultural histories, spiritual significance, and contemporary challenges.
Participants will experience carefully curated specimens including wild and cultivated woods, oils, incense materials, and traditional burning implements. Through guided comparison and traditional burning demonstrations, the session will trace how aloeswood has functioned as medicine, meditation aid, sacred offering, and cultural medium across multiple wisdom traditions.
What Participants Will Experience:
– Olfactory exploration of wild and cultivated aloeswood from different regions, understanding grades, origins, and processing methods
– Traditional burning techniques using authentic implements, discovering how heat and preparation transform raw material into experience
– Cultural and historical context tracing aloeswood’s role in Buddhist, Islamic, and medical traditions from the Silk Road to contemporary perfumery
– Contemporary realities including sustainability, authentication, and the tension between traditional use and luxury markets
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