Right from the beginning of the Buddhist tradition, enlightenment was compared to the “bright full moon” and a “great round mirror.” In the biography of the Prajnaparamita master Nagarjuna, it states that whenever he taught in public, the master would appear as a luminous circle in order to reveal the true form of buddhanature: “Neither large nor small, neither wide nor narrow, neither good nor bad, neither transient nor eternal.” Bodhidharma, the grand patriarch of Zen, was called the “Great Teacher of Circle Enlightenment.” The Sixth Patriarch Huineng was said to have employed the use of ninety-six types of circles in his teachings. That’s one of the things I am trying to do here at Hellagood Life – find ways to explore many different experts and much wisdom to offer a modern approach to applying these ideas.Enso, a Japanese word meaning “circular form” and usually translated into English as “Zen circle,” is the symbol supreme of Buddhist enlightenment. How is that even possible? Sometimes we just need to embrace the wisdom of the past and find ways to apply it into our modern lives. My point here is even one of the fathers of modern psychology was influenced by the wisdom from some 3000 years ago. The Tao Te Ching is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Lao Tzu. Granted he died in 1970, but he was referencing ancient Eastern philosophies from China. Yeah in his book he was referencing the Tao Te Ching as great philosophies to explore in modern times. Ancient wisdom holds many lessons for us as we make our way through these difficult times and can be a source of strength, peace, and prosperity.Ī few days ago I was reading The Farther Reaches of Human Nature by Abraham Maslow, you know the creator of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. While some may find ancient traditions and belief systems unsuited to us in modern times, the reality could not be further from the truth. Because of all this and it’s idea of living well, it’s also become a part of the definition and graphic representation of the Hellagood Life brand. It’s become a form of creativity and art I enjoy creating. In short, this is the true path to living well.įor me, after a year or two of doing of ensō sumi painting or other drawing styles, it’s become an important fixture in my life and fun practice and form of meditation for me. Just as the ancient Japanese believed that the katana-wielding samurai needed to be masters of the sword and the brush, the same applies to us. Whether it’s overworking or laziness, overeating or anorexia/asceticism, frugality or reckless extravagance, celibacy or addiction to sensuality, the idea is to strike a balance that keeps us on an even keel. In Buddhism this is often called “the middle way” or “the middle path” that keeps us in a calm state and minimizing suffering. It reminds us that we should never lean too far toward one end of the spectrum in any aspect of life. In our working life, personal relationships, physical health, mental state, and the way we interact with all things, living or not, in the world, the qualities that the Ensō represents are useful. Sometimes in today’s world we live in extremes which puts us at odds with other people and even with ourself or our best interests at times. The ensō is a very fitting representation of the balance that all human beings should strive to achieve. The Ensō Circle holds nothing it does not need, but lacks nothing that it does. This is great for working on perfectionism! The Ensō is a perfect example of accepting our perfect imperfection. When doing art I often use Sharpie markers or pens as a way to commit to the design I create instead of using a pencil and erasing things to make them “right” or “perfect”. One cannot make any alterations or corrections to it, either once it is done.Īs an artist I love this once and done approach. The only unalterable constant that must be adhered to when making an Ensō Circle is that the drawing motion must be one (sometimes two) smooth, circular sweep(s) without pauses or breaks. You can draw out an Ensō Circle practically anywhere, including the dirt or even in the air, with the same internal significance. ![]() In practical terms, the Ensō Circle is brought to life using a black ink wash, known as Sumi, to draw out the figure using a brush on thin, rice paper, the traditional surface for Japanese calligraphy. To the casual observer, the Ensō Circle might seem like a regular painted circle, but it is so much more than that. ![]() ![]() ![]() You will find its origins in Japanese calligraphy and the ensō in Buddhism as an enlightenment tradition or practice, which are the two vehicles that have influenced much of popular eastern philosophies. Creating this minimalist Japanese symbol involves drawing out a simple circle shape left unfilled.
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