Only a person who is mentally and spiritually complete can draw a true ensō. Zen Buddhists “believe that the character of the artist is fully exposed in how she or he draws an ensō. The brushed ink of the circle is usually done on silk or rice paper in one movement (but the great Bankei used two strokes sometimes) and there is no possibility of modification: it shows the expressive movement of the spirit at that time. In Zen Buddhist painting, ensō symbolizes a moment when the mind is free to simply let the body/spirit create. ![]() As an “expression of the moment” it is often considered a form of minimalist expressionist art. It symbolizes the Absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the Universe, and the void it can also symbolize the Japanese aesthetic itself. Ensō is one of the most common subjects of Japanese calligraphy even though it is a symbol and not a character. Ensō evoke power, dynamism, charm, humor, drama, and stillness.”Įnsō (円相) is a Japanese word meaning “circle” and a concept strongly associated with Zen. ![]() They seem to leave little room for variation, and yet in the hands of Zen masters, the varieties of personal expression are endless. Seemingly perfect in their continuity, balance, and sense of completeness, and yet often irregular in execution, ensō are at once the most fundamentally simple and the most complex shape. According to Audrey Yoshiko Seo, author of Ensō: Zen Circles of Enlightenment, “Zen circles, ensō, are symbols of teaching, reality, enlightenment, and a myriad of things in between.
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