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Incense Successor Shih Yeh-chih: Planting Kindness into Fragrance to Benefit All Minds

 
Incense Successor Shih Yeh-chih: Planting Kindness into Fragrance to Benefit All Minds
[Merit Times Reporter Chao Chih-hsia, Taichung Report | 2014-11-30]
▲ At the "Doing Good Expo" held in Taichung on November 29, Master Chao-ding (third from right) promoted the philosophy of "Doing Good in Taichung, Loving Taiwan with Kindness." Shih Yeh-chih (first from right), the eighth-generation successor of the century-old Lukang shop "Shih Chin Yu San Fang," was deeply inspired. (Photo by Chao Chih-hsia)
 
How do you utilize your kind thoughts? Shih Yeh-chih, the eighth-generation successor of the century-old Lukang incense shop Shih Chin Yu San Fang, implants "kind thoughts" into his products during the manufacturing process. He hopes that every wisp of smoke from his incense can spread a wish for doing good.
 
"If everyone's heart is kind, the world will surely be beautiful. If enterprises implant kind thoughts into products starting from the production stage, it is equivalent to implanting kindness into people's hearts. This cycle of acting on good intentions will continue to revolve and have a profound impact." Shih Yeh-chih was deeply moved by the "Doing Good in Taichung, Loving Taiwan with Kindness" philosophy promoted by Jing-Yu Culture Publishing House.
 
Having returned to the family incense business for nearly ten years, Shih Yeh-chih admitted that while he had passion, his interest was initially limited. Under the guidance of Master Chao-ding, he began trying to infuse kind thoughts and a joyful mood while blending spices, blessing every stick of incense to benefit the hearts of the public. This prayer gradually helped him rediscover his "original heart" for inheriting the family business. When customers give feedback like, "This incense smells so comfortable," it serves as a testament to the incredible cycle of kind intentions.
▲ At the Doing Good Expo, the DIY "Incense Sculpting" activity allowed participants to knead spices and press them into molds. Once removed and sun-dried, these pieces release a natural, elegant fragrance indoors that calms the mind. (Photo by Chao Chih-hsia)
 
At the expo, Shih Yeh-chih led the public in DIY incense sculpting. He noted that their ancestral incense is made from agarwood and "Old Mountain" sandalwood. The raw material for the sculptures uses the natural stickiness of Phoebe tree bark mixed with a specific ratio of water. After stirring or kneading, the mixture is pressed firmly into molds. Once removed and sun-dried, the natural ingredients release a subtle fragrance when placed indoors, helping people feel calm and composed.
▲ Young Yang Tzu-hsuan happily displays her finished incense sculpture. (Photo by Chao Chih-hsia)

Chang Fu-duo and Li Chih-chin, two third-year junior high students from Taichung's Mingdao High School, also volunteered as assistants for the incense sculpting. Chang Fu-duo shared that she has been volunteering with her mother since childhood, helping the Genesis Social Welfare Foundation sort lottery receipts. For two consecutive years, she also organized her classmates to make cards for patients in the hospice ward of the Veterans General Hospital. Despite her youth, she is eager to contribute her strength to public welfare, hoping everyone can do one good deed a day to fill the world with warmth.
 
▲ Chang Fu-duo (first from left), a student from Taichung Mingdao High School, serves as an incense-sculpting volunteer, demonstrating the process alongside Shih Yeh-chih (first from right). (Photo by Chao Chih-hsia)
 
 
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