I love Calligraphy, Chinese, Japanese and Western...
Calligraphy is not simply an art. Practicing it is actually a form of "moving meditation" (yes sitting still is not the only way to meditate) and it's an excellent one!
Drawing Enso 円相 is the best example of brushing meditation - 円(En) means circle, while Enso 円相 is a word from Zen, means drawing a circle with one stroke.
Enso is the center of Japanese calligraphy, the circle being as a symbol of absolute enlightenment, represents oneness, wholeness, nothing, infinity, and the universe. And it is an expression of strength, elegant and aesthetic!!
(The circle looks pretty cool with its shape, stroke and the deep meaning there, some people even have Enso inked into the skin!)
Enso is a spiritual practice - drawing circle in a single brush stroke while in a state of no thinking, simply let the body and spirit create with a free mind, be present at the moment and achieving mindfulness. We can never draw two identical circles, every circle is a unique one. Once started the stroke, it cannot be changed, no regret, no comparison and no judgement as they are not necessary. Neither do we need to strive for any perfection of the stroke or shape, and never mind if the circle is closed or opened.
The circle created reflects ourselves at that brief moment, through the process and the finished circle, we also know a lot more about ourselves. For example, I haven't yet make an Enso that I am satisfied, sometimes I found myself difficult to clear my mind during the drawing, I can't help striving for a perfect circle with perfect stroke, as a result I think too much and even hesitate in the middle, the worst case is I do not finish the circle before starting another one.....so now I know this is a mirror of my real life....that's the exact pattern I work on everything - looking for perfect outcome and in the end create stresses on myself and even worse on others...
Now Look at the circle again,
Every circle in fact is the same - nothing inside and nothing outside. And what's inside is in fact the same as outside.
Our inner self is the same as the outer universe.
So now do we still need to struggle on the shape of the line?
Free the mind and let it flow, no matter it's a circle or a life!
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1 comment:
Nice informative blog. I like it. Thank you.
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