Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

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圓相

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: a drawing of a circle

Senses:

  • In the Chan schools, the circle as a symbol of enlightenment, since the original mind of sentient beings is perfectly complete. The drawing of the circle as a teaching tool was particularly popular in the Weiyang 潙仰 school of Chan. 〔碧巖錄 T 2003.48.154a8〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Nakamura, JEBD]
  • The word for 'round' or 'circle'  圓 is used to describe the full moon and also carries the meaning of 'complete,' 'perfect,' and 'consummate.' In East Asian Buddhism in general, and the Japanese Zen tradition in particular, a circle (e.g. one drawn with ink on paper) is thus a symbol or 'mark'  相 of 'perfect' and 'complete'  圓 awakening. Japanese Zen monks play on this symbolism in their calligraphy by producing 'single marks of completeness'  一圓相 — circles — that thin out as the brush loses ink and trail off at the end leaving an unclosed gap. The use of such imperfect circles to symbolize perfection reflects the gap that inevitably exist between all conceptualizations or descriptions of reality and the way things 'really are' (i.e. the disjunction between conventional and ultimate truth), and signals that even this imperfect world we live in is perfect when viewed from the perspective of awakening. [Griffith Foulk]
  • A round ring which surrounds all the divinities in the maṇḍala 曼荼羅. This ring, signifying the moon (wisdom), and the lotus petal, signifying reason, show the two aspects of the Buddha, wisdom and reason. [Charles Muller; source(s): JEBD]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 95

    Bulgyo sajeon 653a

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 114c

    Record of Mazu: Baso no goroku (Iriya) 98-2

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 60

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 57a/63

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 114a

    Fo Guang Dictionary 5403

    Ding Fubao

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)306c,4004b

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 1869-2

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 1993-09-01

    Updated: 2009-10-30