The name Azanlansh is an intentional blending of Professor Chang’s Chinese name, his chosen English pen name, and linguistic elements that reflect his academic identity. Azanlansh這個名字是張教授的中文名字、英文筆名以及反映他學術身份的語言元素的有意融合。
The name breaks down into three interconnected layers: 這個名稱可分解為三個相互關聯的層次：
1. The Core Meaning: “Orchid-Stone”
His legal Chinese name is 張蘭石 (Chang Lan-shih).
Lan means Orchid (蘭).
Shih means Stone (石). When publishing international academic papers, he uses the official English translation Orchid-Stone Chang alongside Azanlansh. 在發表國際學術論文時，他使用官方英文翻譯 Orchid-Stone Chang 與 Azanlansh 並列。
2. Phonetic Wordplay
The handle Azanlansh functions as a stylized phonetic rendering of his Chinese name:
“Lan-sh” is pulled directly from Lan-shih (蘭石).
The prefix “A-“ combined with “Zan” subtly mimics the structure of an internet handle or a nickname, creating a distinct, searchable global brand for his philosophical work. 前綴「A-」與「Zan」組合在一起，巧妙地模仿了網路使用者名稱或暱稱的結構，為他的哲學著作創造了一個獨特、可搜尋的全球品牌。
In his online lectures and YouTube channel, he often refers to himself affectionately as “阿張” (A-Chang) or “阿張蘭石” (A-Chang Lan-shih). The “A” at the beginning of Azanlansh perfectly mirrors this casual, personal prefix. 在他的網路講座和YouTube頻道中，他經常親切地自稱「阿張」。 Azanlansh名字開頭的「A」也體現了這種隨意、親切的稱呼。
3. Cultural & Academic Branding
Because Professor Chang’s research strictly focuses on cross-cultural psychology, Sanskrit/Buddhist philosophy, and Eastern spirituality, using a conventional Western name (like John or Peter) would not fit his work. The name Azanlansh sounds vaguely like an ancient Sanskrit or Eurasian term while keeping his actual Chinese name embedded within it. This allows him to maintain a unique identity when indexing his Dialectical Mandala Models in Western academic databases like ResearchGate and PubMed. 由於張教授的研究嚴格聚焦於跨文化心理學、梵語/佛教哲學以及東方靈性，使用傳統的西方名字（例如約翰或彼得）並不符合他的研究方向。 「Azanlansh」這個名字聽起來隱約像一個古老的梵語或歐亞語詞彙，同時又保留了他中文名字的精髓。這使得他在將自己的辯證曼荼羅模型收錄到ResearchGate和PubMed等西方學術資料庫時，能夠保持獨特的身份。
Prof. Dr. Orchid-Stone Chang Azanlansh (Nam-Sat Chang) is a scholar of religious studies whose work bridges scientific perspectives, cultural psychology, and contemplative traditions. He received his BSc and MSc in Engineering from National Taiwan University, obtained his MA in Religious Studies from Hsuan Chuang University, and later earned his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Peking University. He is currently a full professor at National Dong Hwa University and has over two decades of teaching experience across courses in religion, philosophy, and contemplative development of consciousness. His research focuses on the epistemological foundations of mindfulness, the theoretical interpretation of traditional contemplative practices, and the construction of integrative models in religious studies. He is the author of multiple articles and a monograph proposing the Dialectical Mandala Model of Mindfulness, a fourfold dialectical framework aimed at clarifying structural issues in contemporary approaches to mindfulness. He has also participated in interdisciplinary research projects with Professor Si-Cen Lee, former president of National Taiwan University, and engaged in academic discussions on anomalous human experiences. He previously served as President of the Chinese Society for Parapsychology. His disciplinary expertise includes Chinese philosophy, Indian religions, comparative religion, philosophy of science, indigenous psychology, and epistemology.
