Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

, an 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.

Description

The symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and (the void). It is characterised by a

minimalism In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...

born of

Japanese aesthetics Japanese aesthetics comprise a set of ancient ideals that include '' wabi'' (transient and stark beauty), '' sabi'' (the beauty of natural patina and aging), and ''yūgen'' (profound grace and subtlety). These ideals, and others, underpin much of ...

. Drawing is a disciplined-creative practice of Japanese ink painting, . The

tools A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

and mechanics of drawing the are the same as those used in traditional

Japanese calligraphy also called is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. Written Japanese was originally based on Chinese characters only, but the advent of the hiragana and katakana Japanese syllabaries resulted in intrin ...

: One uses an

ink brush Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. ...

to apply ink to (a thin Japanese paper). The circle may be open or closed. In the former case, the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development as well as the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to , the beauty of imperfection. When the circle is closed, it represents perfection, akin to

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

's perfect

form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form also refers to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data ...

, the reason why the circle was used for centuries in the construction of cosmological models (see

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

). Usually, a person draws the in one fluid, expressive stroke. When drawn according to the (cursive) style of Japanese calligraphy, the brushstroke is especially swift. Once the is drawn, one does not change it. It evidences the character of its creator and the context of its creation in a brief, continuous period of time. Drawing is a

spiritual practice A spiritual practice or spiritual discipline (often including spiritual exercises) is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of inducing spiritual experiences and cultivating spiritual developme ...

that one might perform as often as once per day. This spiritual practice of drawing or writing Japanese calligraphy for self-realization is called . exemplifies the various dimensions of the Japanese ''

wabi-sabi In traditional Japanese aesthetics, is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature. ...

'' perspective and aesthetic: ''fukinsei'' (asymmetry, irregularity), ''kanso'' (simplicity), ''koko'' (basic; weathered), ''shizen'' (without pretense; natural), ''yugen'' (subtly profound grace), ''datsuzoku'' (freedom), and ''seijaku'' (tranquility).

In popular culture

* The design of

Apple Campus 2 Apple Park is the corporate headquarters of Apple Inc., located in Cupertino, California, United States. It was opened to employees in April 2017, while construction was still underway, and superseded the original headquarters at 1 Infinite ...

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...

's ring-shaped corporate headquarters, might also have been inspired by the ensō. * Between 1995 and 2006,

Lucent Technologies Lucent Technologies, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications equipment company headquartered in Murray Hill, New Jersey. It was established on September 30, 1996, through the divestiture of the former AT&T Technologies business u ...

used a red ensō logo, designed by

Landor Associates Landor is a brand consulting firm founded in 1941 by Walter Landor, who pioneered some research, design, and consulting methods that the branding industry still uses. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company maintains 26 offices in 20 count ...

, meant to convey creativity and urgency. * A mobile smartphone app for meditation is called Ensō. * Enso Gallery in Malibu, California features the zen-inspired enso paintings of local artist Tyler L. Barnett.

Description

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading