When something appears,
–Linji
shine your light on it.
Have confidence in the light
that is always working inside you.
Whatever confronts you,
don’t believe it.
For the past several years, I’ve been interested in inventing, constructing, and documenting the peculiar history of the Zazen Manufacturing Company, America’s largest and most successful manufacturer of Buddhist home appliances.
Founded in 1925 in Elkhart, Indiana by a small group of Buddhist monks, the Zazen company took its name from the practice of seated meditation, a foundation of Zen Buddhist practice.
The Zazen company originally manufactured brass meditation bells, which were prized for their clear sound and elegant design. They are considered collector’s items today.
Inspired by the success of the bells, the monks began to explore the manufacture of other products. In 1934, the original Koan-O-Scope was released, the first of many home appliances that brought the fundamentals of Buddhist practice to mainstream America.
The Koan-O-Scope was a hit, and by the 1950’s, items like the mindful toaster and and mindful clock could be found in Buddhist households across the country
showing the eightfold path and the four noble truths
By the end of the 1950’s, Zazen employed nearly three hundred people and was growing fast. A new factory was constructed in Elkhart, a new logo was designed, and the company began to look at ways to expand into mainstream America. After much internal discussion, the decision was made to throw their resources into the production of the Ensomatic One.
In Zen practice, an enso is a circular form, usually drawn or painted in a single, uninhibited brushstroke. It can symbolize many things, including strength, the universe, everything and nothing.
The Ensomatic Model One was released in 1961. It was a portable device modeled on a record player that allowed users to easily create their own ensos automatically.
Coinciding with the rise of the counterculture, the hi-fi boom, and an increased appreciation for Zen tradition, the timing could not have been better. The success of the Ensomatic One led directly to the development of the Ensomatic Two, the Interconnector series, and the wide variety of Zazen Buddhist appliances that we know and love today.