One day, he saw the work of an old Zen Master whom he greatly admired. He had undergone intensive symbol painting–his strokes were exemplarily polished. The story is told of a young Zen monk named Hakuin. Setting out to learn how to draw ‘good’ Zen symbol defeats the purpose. This transition is the impermanence of everything.ĭrawing an Enso can be defined as the practice of expressing the imperfect (suffering, emptiness) beauty (life, awareness, freedom) of the present moment, letting it go and starting all over again. Yet in this imperfection, the reality of one’s true nature is instantly and fully expressed.Įvery time the calligrapher has to draw a new Enso, the previous is left behind. Because drawing an Enso circle involves one single, non-repetitive and incomplete brush stroke, it is not dependent on ‘perfection’. The reality of life is that nothing lasts, nothing is complete, and nothing is perfect. In an Enso circle, form (the brush stroke) is void (the center of the circle) and vice versa. In Buddhism, Wabi-Sabi is used to refer to the three states existence: In its aesthetic essence, Wabi-Sabi is natural, authentic, asymmetrical, rough, simple and minimal. It is the perfection of the lotus blooming in a muddy pond. Think of it as the feeling you get when you see a chipped rustic old china-bowl or the sense of awe evoked by a harsh landscape. In art and aesthetics, the expression of a temporary and imperfect beauty is called Wabi-Sabi. So drawing a Zen circle is a creative experience without using creativity.” The Enso And Wabi-Sabi (Imperfect Beauty)Īn Enso ends up being a unique expression of the artist’s present reality in all its gore and glory. An Enso is done decisively, once and no correcting. It is simple because it is a circle but it is a very demanding experience because there is no explanation. “Because it does not depend upon language, you can by-pass intellect and communicate more directly. It is non-duality,” Japanese calligrapher and Zen teacher Kazuaki Tanahashi explains. “The Enso represents the wholeness of experience. As such, drawing the Enso circle has been referred to as the Zen way of the brush. No-mindfulness is one of the pillars of Zen Buddhism that encourages the connection with the spiritual rather than the physical. One simply lets it flow from the unconscious. To not be concerned about the skill, effort and result. This calls for practicing no-mindfulness. You cannot consciously pause in between a brush stroke to brace yourself for a perfect outcome. This can only be achieved through mindfulness–that is to have the ability to clear one’s mind and to be fully present in the moment.īut at the same time, drawing an Enso requires one to be fluid. To begin with, this requires concentration and certainty. An Enso is drawn in one continuous brush stroke, with only one chance to perform it to completion. Buddha-Nature is the recognition of the nature of the mind for what it is–when one goes beyond the illusions of the mind.īuddhism is the practice or the path that leads to this insight–to the awakening of the true nature of reality.Ĭreating a Japanese Enso is similar in thought and practice. Zen typically refers to an insight into Buddha-Nature through meditation and the expression of this insight in one’s daily life. Today, one of the oldest existing Japanese calligraphy is an inscription on the famous Medicine Buddha sculpture found in the Horyu-Ji temple. The roots of this calligraphy originate from 28th Century BC China, from where it was imported to Japan in the 5th Century AD.īecause it was mainly practiced by Buddhist monks and nuns before being adopted as an administrative tool for the state, Eastern calligraphy technique was widely influenced by Zen thought. The History of the Enso CircleĪn Enso is not a character, but rather a symbol influenced by Japanese calligraphy. An Enso circle is a stamp of all the things that happened in the process of drawing it. Additionally, how one draws the circle represents their state of mind at that particular moment. The Enso ring, also referred to as a Zen Circle, is a circular form that is drawn to express the completeness or the emptiness of the present moment. In a way, that is the epitome of a Zen state of mind, where nothing and everything exists. On the other hand, the circle could be a form that encompasses everything within it. You could choose to see it as a representation of nothing (that is zero). In its most basic terms, Enso is the Japanese word for ‘circle’ or ‘circular form’. But do you know what it stands for and symbolizes? What Does the Enso Circle Mean? You may have seen the Enso circle in art, tattoos or elsewhere. Both of these statements explain this ancient Japanese art form perfectly. Those who practice the art of the Enso will state that it is both simple and hard. In their wisdom and simplicity, Zen masters will state that an Enso Circle cannot be explained.
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