Zen Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...

art, an is a circle hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express the Zen mind, which is associated with enlightenment,

emptiness Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation, nihilism, and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression (mood), depression, loneliness, anhedonia, wiktionary:despair, despair, or o ...

freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

, and the state of no-mind.

Description

The symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe ( Dharmadhatu), and (

). It is characterised by a

minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

influenced by Zen Buddhist philosophy, and

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 ...

. An empty circle also appears in the ten oxherding pictures which is a set of illustrations that depict Zen training. 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 ...

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. Japanese writing system, Written Japanese was originally based on Man'yōgana, Chinese characters only, but the advent of the hiragana and katakana Japane ...

: One uses an

ink brush A Chinese writing brush () is a paintbrush used as a writing tool in Chinese calligraphy as well as in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese which all have roots in Chinese calligraphy. They are also used in Chinese painting and other brush pain ...

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 and the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to , the beauty of imperfection. The space inside the circle may represent the state of the realization of emptiness ( shunyata) or no-mind. 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. 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 developm ...

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

Description

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