

It can also symbolize the void and the essential state in which all dualities and distinctions are taken away. It conjures up its limitless power, grandness and natural phenomena. In it’s most broad sense, the enso tattoo meaning is tied in with the qualities of the universe. It is a simple and clean tattoo that has a very powerful meaning.

This tattoo or drawing is often considered a type of minimalist art and an “expression of movement”. It is also known to represent the Japanese aesthetic in itself. The enso tattoo symbolizes strength, enlightenment, infinity, the universe, the void and elegance. In Japanese calligraphy, it is one of the most common subjects and this applies even though the enso is not a character. The concept of this image is tied very closely to Zen practices. Enso Tattoo MeaningĮnso means “circle” in Japanese. Once it is drawn, you do not change which means every enso will have slight differences and this coincides with the idea of imperfection. When drawing within the rules of Japanese calligraphy, when drawing the enso, you should do it swiftly. When drawing it, you will see the enso drawn in one stroke of the brush.

It was the reason a circle was being used in the construction of cosmological models for centuries.ĭrawing the enso is different than tattooing it but the image should look like it was painted on with a brush. This is similar to the perfect form of Plato. On the other hand, when the enso symbol is drawn or tattooed as closed, it might represent perfection. People that practice Zen can relate to the idea of wabi-sabi or in other words, the beauty in not being perfect. In the case where the symbol is open, it allows for development and movement in addition to leaving room for perfection. Like we stated above, the enso might be closed or open. It involves using a brush to apply the ink to thin Japanese paper known as washi. The mechanics and tools used to draw the enso are going to be the same as the ones that will be used to draw traditional Japanese calligraphy. Some people draw this circle completely closed but, in most cases, the circle will be drawn with an open space. The image of the enso looks like a circle drawn with a paint brush. We hope that by the end of this post you feel informed enough to consider getting your own enso tattoo. Many times, these additional symbols will change the meaning of the tattoo. We will also talk about some of the different variations tattooed incorporating the enso symbol and something else meaningful. We will talk about the meaning behind the enso tattoo and what it means to those that decide to get this inked on their body. In this post we are going to review the history and background of the enso tattoo. However, many haven’t see this symbol or aren’t sure about what it really means. It is one of the more popular Zen symbols and many that believe in the philosophy will know what this symbol represents. The enso symbol is a Zen or Buddhist symbol that has a great deal of meaning.
