Two Circles of Zen
One morning in October 2023, the words “Feminine Zen” popped into my mind. I felt their aliveness and became curious. This was a first sketch — stream of consciousness. I wondered how a feminine form of Zen might be different from the masculine-flavored Zen I was familiar with, which had been carried through a long patriarchal lineage.
When I set out to recreate this sketch as a proper diagram, I kept getting ideas for new diagrams. Thus Zenn Diagrams came to be.
The idea of Feminine Zen also inspired a series of writings I will likely share someday. If you are interested in this topic, let me know. In Part 3 of the Feminine Zen series, I talk at length about this diagram. Here is a short excerpt:
Two Circles of Zen
You probably already know that the living reality of Zen (and everything else!) cannot be adequately conceptualized. Maps never tell the whole story, but good maps can be extremely useful. I have found this new way of looking at the qualities of Zen to be significantly illuminating and healing.
The circle on the left shows the facets of the Zen experience I was generally exposed to, and what many refer to as a masculine path. The circle on the right represents the analogous feminine side, facets that were generally deemphasized, downplayed, or even absent in my experience of Zen and similar teachings.
The arrows on the diagram indicate that on a journey of awakened wholeness, each circle moves in toward the other until only one circle remains. The overlapping center of the diagram represents the creative union of the masculine and feminine, the heart and flowering of Zen where undivided presence comes to life. The seed of the lotus rises from the mud and flowers.
I invite you to pause and look at the diagram.
How would you arrange the words and ideas?
What words would you add, and where would you place them?
How does this way of looking at things relate to your unique spiritual path — Zen or not?
Let me know if you would like to be an early reader of my unpublished Feminine Zen article series. In the mean time, check out these Zenn Diagrams, which evolved from the Two Circles of Zen sketch:
☯ 2023-2025 by Maja Apolonia Rode
