enso1.jpg
I thought it would be a good idea to restart the Art Circle with zero, and I have been trying to put together a fancy presentation on the Enso.
Then something interesting happened... there is a lot of material out there on the Enso, but for all that material.. there is very little said.
...beyond the same basic things.
enso 2.jpg
This quote sums up what can be found about the symbolism...
It can symbolize emptiness or fullness, presence or absence. All things might be contained within, or, conversely, excluded by its boundaries. It can symbolize enlightenment, or it can symbolize the moon, which is itself a symbol of enlightenment—as in the Zen saying, "Do not mistake the finger pointing at the moon for the moon itself." Julia Hardy
enso 3.jpg
......and the act of painting the Enso can be summed up nicely by this entry from Wikipedia....
In Zen Buddhism, an ensō (円相 , "circle" ?) is a circle that is hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create. The ensō symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and mu (the void).
enso 4.jpg
It says a lot that Wikipedia has a pretty good entry on this. The Enso is not esoteric. It has depth, but it is a depth we can all relate to......
enso 5.jpg
The Enso is a symbol that has thoroughly entered western culture. It pervades the marketplace and is completely taken up by pop culture. A trip to the local "natural" grocers yesterday turned up the Enso on labels for a variety of products, none of Asian origin.
....and yet I do not think this pop culture and commercial appropriation has degraded the Enso in any way. It remains a simple circle made with a free and beautiful gesture, and it just glides through, always somehow pure.
So... Please make an Enso! Make it from any material you like on any scale you like... but please do it in PLAY.
When you have made an Enso please share on this thread. There is no judgement, no competition, there is just your Treeleaf community. If you would like to write anything about the Enso, please do. Poetry, photos of accidental Ensos of all kinds, it is all good.
Thank you and Gassho
Daizan
sat today
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