Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Recommended Posts

ENSO

Zen Mystery

At first glance the Enso -- an ancient Zen symbol of mystery -- may appear to be nothing more than a circle. Yet when painted by a skilled artist, it becomes much more than that, representing the oneness of life, the beginning and ends of all things, the connectedness of existence, or perhaps the moon.

"Circle of Infinity, Circle of Simplicity, Circle of Beginnings, Circle of Endings. Emptiness with Fullness, All things visible, All things unseen. To End and To Begin---the Circle of Life."

kitagawa-k-enso.jpg

A circle -- known as "enso" in Japanese -- universally implies completeness, all. A zen circle can also imply zero, sunyata, absolute, true reality, enlightenment, no beginning/no end in all phenomena, no symbol, the spread of Dharma as a turning wheel, harmony, and womb.

The Zen symbol "supreme" is an enso, a circle of enlightenment. The Shinjinmei, written in the sixth century, refers to the Great Way of Zen as "A circle like vast space, lacking nothing, and nothing in excess," and this statement is often used as an inscription on enso paintings. The earliest reference to a written enso, the first Zen painting, occurs in the Keitokudento-roku, composed in the eighth century:

A monk asked Master Isan for a gatha expressing enlightenment. Isan refused saying, "It is right in front of your face, why should I express it in brush and ink?"

The monk then asked Kyozan, another master, for something concrete. Kyozan drew a circle on a piece of paper, and said, "Thinking about this is and then understanding it is second best; not thinking about it and understanding it is third best." (He did not say what is first best.)

Thereafter Zen circles became a central theme of Zen art. Enso range in shape from perfectly symmetrical to completely lopsided and in brushstroke (sometimes two brushstrokes) from thin and delicate to thick and massive. Most paintings have an accompanying inscription that gives the viewer a "hint" regarding the ultimate meaning of a particular Zen circle. The primary types of enso are:

(1) Mirror enso: a simple circle, free of an accompanying inscription, leaving everything to the insight of the viewer.

(2) Universe enso: a circle that represents the cosmos (modern physics also postulates curved space).

(3) Moon enso: the full moon, clear and bright, silently illuminating all beings without discrimination, symbolizes Buddhist enlightenment.

(4) Zero enso: in addition to being curved, time and space are "empty," yet they give birth to the fullness of existence.

(5) Wheel enso: everything is subject to change, all life revolves in circles.

(6)Sweet cake enso: Zen circles are profound but they are not abstract, and when enlightenment and the acts of daily life-"sipping tea and eating rice cakes"-are one, there is true Buddhism.

(7) "What is this?" enso: the most frequently used inscription on Zen circle paintings, this is a pithy way of saying, "Don't let others fill your head with theories about Zen; discover the meaning for yourself!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ENSO

Zen Mystery

At first glance the Enso -- an ancient Zen symbol of mystery -- may appear to be nothing more than a circle. Yet when painted by a skilled artist, it becomes much more than that,...

That's the most important factor!! If Singlestack or I paint it, it's a circle... Only Brian or Rika can actually paint an Enso... <_<

;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought happiest ending to this mystery was "X-rayed image of a condom in his carry-on" :ph34r::blink: ..have to find "fude" (Japanese calligraphy brush) ... I have it somewhere...

That's the most important factor!!  If Singlestack or I paint it, it's a circle...  Only Brian or Rika can actually paint an Enso...  <_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When the question first came up a while back, I made a little replica. Seemed pretty fitting for BE...

I sight-blacked the muzzle of a 40 barrel and used that to make an impression on a white T-shirt. (There are 3 or 4 things in that sentence that could easily be associated with BE.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...