For anyone that follows Zen philosophies, they know there are many ideas that you try to make a part of your life. Most of us try to adopt some Zen way and apply them to our lives but it isn’t always easy. We are so involved with our lives and keeping up with what society tells us we should be doing that we lose track of ourselves. It’s important that we are checking in with ourselves and trying to remember some of those Zen ways we are trying out. A great way to keep these ideas at the forefront of your minds is by getting a tattoo and in this case, there are many Zen tattoos to choose from. Then Enso symbol is a great choice.

The enso symbol is a Zen or Buddhist symbol that has a great deal of meaning. It is one of the more popular Zen symbols and many that believe in the philosophy will know what this symbol represents. However, many haven’t see this symbol or aren’t sure about what it really means.

In this post we are going to review the history and background of the enso tattoo. 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. We will also talk about some of the different variations tattooed incorporating the enso symbol and something else meaningful. Many times, these additional symbols will change the meaning of the tattoo. We hope that by the end of this post you feel informed enough to consider getting your own enso tattoo.

About the Enso

The image of the enso looks like a circle drawn with a paint brush. Some people draw this circle completely closed but, in most cases, the circle will be drawn with an open space. 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. It involves using a brush to apply the ink to thin Japanese paper known as washi.