Enso: The Zen Circle Of Plenitude And Enlightenment
Few spiritual symbols are so magnetic to the viewer and powerful to those who draw it. Because only the one who has the mind free of charges and illuminated by the internal balance is able to draw this perfect circle. But never closed …
Buddhist masters used to say that Enso cannot be explained. In reality, there is only one way to come to understand it in all its nuances and in all its essence. By living it. This symbol is not a simple circle, nor is it an art form. We know that it is more and more usual to choose this minimalist expression of the Zen school as a tattoo. However, his involvement goes much further …
Enso is a state of mind. It is about this point of perfect harmony where the body and the spirit are released to be able to express their internal perfection through a gesture, a movement.
This circle expresses a personal state where everything is complete. Where everything and nothing exist in the present moment. And can be contained in the shape of a circle that remains open. This opening is left to evoke this small part which is always open towards infinity …
Enso, the art of the circle and inner balance
Circles have always had a magical, symbolic and spiritual transcendence. Carl Jung himself was fascinated for a very long time by this form and by the concept of mandalas.
In his spare time or when he needed to get away from his problems, he used to draw circles. According to him, they symbolized the formation and transformation of the mind. Because for the famous Swiss psychiatrist, through these forms, we find peace. But also the impulse that motivates us to go further …
For the Zen Buddhist, on the other hand, the Enso (circle) evokes that perfect moment during which the mind is free to abandon the body in order for the mind to rise. Only a mentally and spiritually complete person will therefore be able to draw a true Enso.
Enso is the reflection of an illumination expressed through a drawing by an artist capable of evoking its internal perfection. If we are now asking ourselves where this symbol came from, we have to take a step back in time to the twenty-eighth century BC. JC., In China. This concept was then imported to Japan by Buddhist monks.
In the Shinjinmei, an oriental poem that takes up the essence of Zen Buddhism, the Enso is described as a vast space where nothing is missing and where nothing is too much. The practice of these drawings arose when a monk asked his master to explain to him in words what enlightenment was. The master replied that such a thing could not be described in words or letters. He then took a brush, a sheet and drew a circle.
The Enso and the spinning universe
The shape of the circle is rooted in almost any culture. However, this symbol goes well beyond its outline because in an infinity of traditions, it rather evokes the perfect representation of the world, of movement and of this epicenter where everything comes together and is concentrated. It symbolizes the Ouroboros which bites its tail in its infinite cycle.
It is the full moon that attracts the tides when in contact with nature, it is the empty tea cup in which we read the future and even the Dharma wheel which contains the wisdom of Buddhism. The Enso is the universe in motion.
How to draw an Enso
To draw an Enso, you must start from an idea: fukinsei, the negation of perfection. It is simply a matter of expressing the present moment through full attention. We must free our mind from all thought. Wash him of any concerns. In order to experience this authentic contact with oneself. The circle must be drawn in a single gesture.
We should not seek to achieve a “perfect circle”. Perfection is not the ultimate goal: we should not think about our skills, our efforts or the result. You have to get carried away.
Zen art is an external expression of the internal state. Therefore, in order to draw or paint a real Enso, continuous work is required in order to find calm and balance. It is only when we are truly prepared that we will be able to draw this imperfect circle, a circle that will perfectly represent the present moment.
Our thoughts Discover the oriental concept of Wabi Sabi which teaches us to see beauty in the simplest things in life.
