The Impermanence & Imperfection of Ensō

I recently received two beautiful pieces of Ensō art that my brother created and gave me for my birthday and I wanted to explore the significance of this Zen art form from a Feng Shui perspective for this month's newsletter. Ensō dates back to the sixth century and was referenced in a text called Shinhinmei which speaks about the way of Zen as "a circle of vast space, lacking nothing and holding nothing in excess." It is a circle that is sometimes left open by the artist and is sometimes closed, but it ultimately symbolizes the beginning and end of all things.

Now, let's look at the zen practice of Ensō and how it compares to the zen-like qualities we strive to create in our own homes when we apply Feng Shui to our lives. We are taught that it is a symbol that references the duality of life. And just like Feng Shui, it combines the visible and the hidden. The visible is the circular form that we see, but what of that which is contained within the circle? It is both contained and not contained. It is not drawn as a scientifically perfect sphere. It is drawn when the artist is in a place of oneness and can interpret that energy within themselves.

One of the best definitions I found says, "an Ensō reflects the true nature of existence by showing the duality within life and the imperfection of all things." Leaving the Ensō open is like leaving room for the spirit to flow in and out of the circle of emptiness; allowing it to breathe." (https://modernzen.org/enso-htm/)

Now, let us apply some Feng Shui understanding to this beautiful art. The circle shape represents the Metal element, and has a role in both the destructive and creative cycles of used in Feng Shui. If you are unfamiliar with the element cycles and their relationships, let me give you a quick review below.

The Creative Cycle follows a sequence of elements in relationship to one another as feeding or creating the one after it. For example, Water (the element of the Life Journey & Career gua) feeds the Wood element of the Family/Health gua. The Wood element then creates and feeds the Fire element of the Fame/Reputation gua. The Fire element then creates the Earth element in the form of ashes. The Earth element then forms the Metal element (because Metal is formed within the Earth) of the Child/Creativity gua and the Metal element is strong enough to hold the Water element and is back where it began. Think of a metal bowl vs. a cupped hands. Both are forming a circular shape, but one can hold water indefinitely while the other can hold it for mere seconds.

Part of using Feng Shui to its fullest is to develop an understanding of applying this active relationship of the elements in our homes and businesses to create success, peace and wholeness. The similarity between the cycles, the zen meditation practice of Ensō and Yin/Yang are all part of the whole that makes up the ever-changing beauty of living a life guided by Feng Shui principles.