To begin with, it is important to know that the Enso is a circle drawn from Japanese calligraphy. It is a real invitation to calm and meditation.
This is why it fascinates people all over the world, both because of its simplicity and because of its imperfect drawing.
When we observe an Enso, our intuition guesses that behind this circle, there is something else than a simple circular representation.
That is why I am inviting you today to take a look at an unusual circle...
a. Let's look at an Enso
First, let's take a look at one of its representations...
What do we see at first glance?
An imperfect curve, the outline of a circle and, inside and outside, emptiness.
b. But what does it mean?
This is a legitimate question, and so we continue with a journey to discover its various meanings.
In Japan, the Enso is a drawing drawn in ink. It is marked by the usual minimalism of the Japanese aesthetic.
It is often found in Japanese calligraphy, especially in Zen Buddhist calligraphy.
The ink line is drawn with a brush (of various thicknesses) on silk, rice paper, and even on large canvases, for its most contemporary representations.
Enso is done with a single brushstroke, on a single expiration.
In Zen Buddhism, when one draws the Enso, the gesture must be free of all the inhibition created by the ego.
It thus expresses a moment when the right and liberated mind allows the body to create.
The Enso can be represented as completely closed or slightly open. It can be finely drawn or roughly brushed, evenly or deliberately irregularly.
A slight opening left by the brushstroke, and the circle takes on the meaning of openness, for example.
In Zen, it symbolises, among other things
- Awakening
- The universe
- Emptiness (a concept we have already seen, but to which we will return later)
- Energy (Chinese Qi or Japanese Ki)
It is also translated as "circle of lights" or "circle of infinity" . It is then the symbol of enlightenment or the limitless universe.
For others, it represents the endless cycle of life (karma), but also simplicity, wholeness or harmony between the elements.
The Enso is a spiritual symbol of great importance, as it combines the visible and the invisible. It is emptiness, simplicity, fullness.
What is particularly important in the design of the Enso is the singularity of the moment of its creation, making it unique and unrepeatable.
It is commonly accepted that it reveals the state of mind of the painter at the time of its creation.
It expresses the totality of the being and symbolises awakening and energy.
Although its form is very simple, its essence is difficult to define. As we have just seen, its representations are diverse and its meaning is never fixed, never static.
In short, to confine the Enso to a definition would be to reduce it to a simple circle. Which, of course, it is not.
The meaning of the Enso depends on many factors:
- The person who traces it
- The context
- The support
- Its shape
- Whoever observes it
The Enso is therefore a polymorphic free electron (which can take on different forms).
It invites us to place ourselves as observers, beyond appearances (isn't this the right spirit of meditation?)
In other words: Enso suggests, rather than asserts.
This is what makes it subtle.
Article by Christophe Lorreyte, Tangram meditation coach
