The painting depicts the ensō, which in Japanese means “circle”. It symbolises enlightenment, strength, and the universe.
Many years ago, I had no idea of any of this. I had never read anything about it, nor had I ever seen the symbol before. I was simply unaware.
During a powerful meditation — repeated over several days — I realised I was consistently visualising the same image. On the fourth day of the same meditation and the same visual, I understood that it must have a deeper meaning, so I decided to search for it online.
A brief search revealed that it was the ensō, and that when it is drawn open, it represents the idea of imperfection — from which movement, growth, and evolution can emerge. It made perfect sense to visualise it during meditation, as I was in a moment of illumination, openness, and connection with the whole — with the universe.
What truly left me speechless was the fact that I had no conscious knowledge of its existence. I had never been interested in Japanese culture or Buddhist philosophy, and I knew absolutely nothing about that symbol.
So how could I have visualised it?
I interpreted it as evidence of the collective unconscious which, according to Jung, is a universal psychic container — that part of the unconscious mind shared among all human beings. It holds the archetypes and symbols that appear across all peoples and cultures.
We still know very little about what we truly are — or about the energy that is the source of all things, the universe itself — but I believe this is less about rational understanding and more about knowing through experience.
Meditation is a practice I will never give up, because the experiences I’ve had over the years have been enlightening and extraordinary.
In my work, I use meditation and archetypes as powerful tools for self-discovery, growth, and the expansion of one’s human potential.
As Shakespeare once said:
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.