All over Japan one sees these round red faces seated everywhere people might look, sometime with only one eye colored in, sometimes both. Er.… what?
This:
There are everywhere because they are good luck. Typically you buy these with no eyes filled in. At the New Year, you make a wish and fill in one eye. Thru the year, if your wish comes true you will in the other eye. Thus when you see these at people’s houses, if both eyes are filled in you know they have achieved success of some sort.
Daruma is the Japanese name for Bodhidarma, the monk credited with bringing both Zen (Chan) and Shaolin Kung Fu to China. Supposedly, he went into meditation for 9 years because the Emperor of China wouldn’t recognize him. He wouldn’t move or talk to anyone. During that time his arms and legs atrophied after sitting so long without moving, which is why the Japanese doll only has his face. (another more grizzly part of the legend is that after 7 years he fell asleep, and he was so angry at himself for this that he cut his eyelids off… that’s one serious monk!)
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hi david. I’m planning to get a daruma doll tattoo. –to me this image would represent the idea of avoiding thinking things over for too long, planning and daydreaming about them instead of taking action and actually do something. I kinda’ have a serious daydreaming problem which in the long run “renders my limbs atrophied” cuz I lose the chance to act and I miss opportunities too often. (just sharing)
anyway, how popular is this legend of bodhidarma’s limbs ending up atrophied?? couldnt find much on the internet about that one (or I’m just not that good at looking things up) =P
hi david. I’m planning to get a daruma doll tattoo. –to me this image would represent the idea of avoiding thinking things over for too long, planning and daydreaming about them instead of taking action and actually do something. I kinda’ have a serious daydreaming problem which in the long run “renders my limbs atrophied” cuz I lose the chance to act and I miss opportunities too often. (just sharing)
anyway, how popular is this legend of bodhidarma’s limbs ending up atrophied?? couldnt find much on the internet about that one (or I’m just not that good at looking things up) =P