
The Wonderful Dharma of the Daruma Doll

Hi ni! fu ni!
Fundan Daruma ga
Akai zukin kaburi sunmaita!
Once! twice!
Ever the red-hooded Daruma
Heedlessly sits up again!
- Children song from 17th century
One of the souvenirs I wanted to get when in Japan was a classic Daruma doll, because it personifies the important quality of rising after falling. I finally bought one in Tokyo near a temple. [The above motivational wooden sign was bought from the Japanese departmental store Daiso in Singapore. The words on it rendered in Chinese are 七转八起, which means 'Seven falls and/but/yet eight rises'. ] For those unaware, it would be seen as just a particularly Japanese roly-poly tumble toy, but it has greater significance than that. Daruma (Damo 达摩 in Chinese) is the shortened Japanese rendition of the name Bodhidharma in Sanskrit. He was the 28th Indian Patriarch of the Zen tradition, and became the first Patriarch of the Chinese Zen (Chan) lineage between 475 to 520 AD. As gathered from http://mrslinskitchen.com/nljul02.html , here are some interesting semi-legendary(?) factoids about him… [My comments in square brackets.]
Likely the most notable of such events is that of Bodhidharma’s nine year meditation in which he faced a rock wall, possibly of a cave. Sitting and gazing for such a prolonged amount of time, Bodhidharma consequently struggled against fatigue and drowsiness. In a fit of frustration, Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids to remain awake. [Kiddies, don't try this at home!] It is believed that the first tea plants grew at the place where his eyelids fell. From then on, monks, as well as the rest of Asia, would have tea as a means to resist lethargy and aid in meditation. [Tea as a caffeine fix came from Buddhism!?]
Another important aspect of Bodhidharma’s meditation explains the form he is presented in today. Because Bodhidharma remained motionless for such an extensive period, he eventually lost his arms and legs as they withered away [atrophied]. Nevertheless, Bodhidharma was still able to remain upright. Especially for Zen followers who believe that one’s personal energy [chi probably] resides right below the navel, Bodhidharma’s achievement has been attributed to his discovery of inner strength.







































