Circles of enlightenment (Zen)

The use of the circle to indicate the contents of enlightenment is common in Zen teaching. In particular, the five stages of a disciples way can be represented by: (1) A black disc with a white section at the bottom, indicating the lord looking down on the servant; (2) A white disc with a black section at the bottom, indicating the disciple himself as the willing servant; (3) A white disc with a black dot at the centre, where the disciple realizes he is peripheral to the lord; (4) A totally white disc, where he realizes he is within the lord; and (5) An all black disc, where the servant has become lord, they are all one and in complete unity. The stages are realized in each disciple's life but cannot be known until they are experienced, when they are recognized.