traces of compassion

Editions Alaya weaves scent, art and Buddhist philosophy to illuminate what often goes unnoticed in daily life.

Through natural fragrances, everyday objects, and curated experiences, we open a passage toward contemplative aesthetics —

where perception becomes practice, and compassion becomes a way of seeing.

philosophical note

The vision and name of Editions Alaya draws from two interwoven ideas in Buddhist wisdom:

Ālaya-vijñāna (阿賴耶識), the “storehouse consciousness,” refers to an ethically neutral and subtle continuum in which bīja (seeds) are deposited and perfumed (vāsanā) by experience.

From these, perceptions, emotions, and intentions ripen.

In Yogācāra, liberation is described as āśraya-parāvṛtti (transformation of the basis),

whereby latent afflictions are exhausted and cognition becomes non-dual wisdom (jñāna).

In some Mahāyāna traditions, this unobscuring is spoken of as Tathāgatagarbha (如来藏),

not a substance to possess, but clarity evident through compassionate seeing and wisdom.

Therefore, through thoughtfully crafted products and guided wisdom, Editions Alaya seeks to bring clarity, softness, and a touch of compassionate light into the rhythm of daily living.

from ritual object to instrument of insight

In the earliest strata of Buddhist practice, incense functioned as an act of offering:
a fragrant medium through which reverence was expressed, vows were carried,
and the human realm was linked to the sacred.
Its purpose was outward, directed toward the Buddha, the altar, the unseen.

By the Song dynasty, however, a decisive reorientation emerged.
Incense was no longer confined to the role of ritual tribute.
It became a ritual instrument for the inner life,

a means of returning to the mind itself.

The poet-scholar Huang Tingjian articulated this shift with clarity:
"To burn incense is to enter Chan meditation.”
From that moment, the rising column of smoke was no longer a gesture of devotion alone,
but an instrument of self-observation.
Fragrance became a field of awareness.
Smoke became a vector toward awakening.

Incense moved from the logic of offering
to the logic of insight.

It is this lineage of incense as cultivated consciousness
that Editions Alaya extends into the present.

MEET THE FOUNDER

Her life and work move between
Paris, Amsterdam, Shanghai, and Lhasa.

Yang WANG is the founder and creative director of Editions Alaya. Originally from Shanghai and now based between Paris and Amsterdam, she has spent the past decade working across Europe and Asia as a cultural strategist, specialising in Asian art, brand experience, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and international business development.

Raised by a grandmother devoted to Buddhism and inspired by more than a decade of professional experience in the art world, she has often found a shared ground between the two—

a compassionate mode of perceiving and being with the world.

In 2024, a personal research journey led her through the incense traditions of Tibet and Japan, and back to the earliest historical sources of incense in mainland China. These encounters and field studies deepened her interest in the cultural, and philosophical dimensions of scent, ultimately shaping the foundation of Editions Alaya: a space where fragrance, art, and contemplative wisdom meet.

Yang holds multiple master’s degrees across art history, sociology, art and luxury management, cultural entrepreneurship, and business & media, awarded by leading institutions in Europe. She has collaborated with international partners in the sectors of art and design, cultural heritage, and luxury.

With Editions Alaya, she continues to explore how scent, ritual, and contemplative aesthetics can inspire new forms of cultural experience and compassionate design. This work is conceived as an ongoing, lifelong project—one that grows through dialogue, shared practice, and exchanges with like-minded thinkers, makers, and communities.