Enso - Zen circle of life

ENSO - The simple circle that symbolizes Zen more than anything else. Zen practitioners and monks try to draw the circle as a part of their practice. In fact, being able to draw a perfect enso is said to be the epitome of Zen enlightenment. 

The circle is drawn on a white paper with black paint and a brush. It is to be drawn in one stroke without dipping the brush in the paint again. Also, it is to be drawn with a free hand i.e. hand unsupported by anything. So, being able to draw a perfect enso shows the development of excellent self control and concentration which is a must for Zen. 

But the simple circle stands for more than that.

Firstly, enso is always drawn in black on white paper, no other color allowed. And in-spite of this simplicity there is an elegance to it. A well drawn enso looks beautiful. In-fact, it looks beautiful not in-spite of but because of its simplicity. A simple circle that is so difficult to draw perfectly and yet looks elegant symbolizes a simple life that is not everybody's cup of tea and yet looks so elegant and beautiful. 

Secondly, enso symbolizes the completeness and the incompleteness of life that coexist at once. Anyone looking at enso knows that it is a circle. Anyone looking at it will see that it is incomplete. But in-spite of being incomplete, it is still a complete circle if you are willing to accept it as that. Life, with all its shortcomings and challenges can still be complete and fulfilling if one has the right attitude.

Thirdly, enso shows the oneness of everything within and outside. The white within the circle is contained within it but is also a part of the white outside the circle. The circle itself merges with the white as it comes to the end of the stroke. That is like life, everything is interconnected in-spite of its seeming separateness. 

Lastly a perfect looking enso is the result of lots of practice, patience and mastery over self control and concentration. This comes from meditation, discipline and mindfulness. These are exactly the qualities needed for a perfect looking life.   

The beauty of this is not that a simple circle represents so much. But the beauty is that so much can be so easily and beautifully summed up with such a simple circle.