page_title: Daruma doll
section_title: Bodhidharma
hierarchical_section_title: Daruma doll / Bodhidharma
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Bodhidharma; Blockdruck von Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) English: "The moon through a crumbling window" in the "A Hundred Aspects of the Moon" series. Bodhidharma, by Yoshitoshi, 1887. 日本語: 月岡芳年筆 - 『月百姿』の内達磨を描いた「破窓月」1887年（明治20年）刊 Nederlands: Bodhidharma, door Yoshitoshi, 1887.
context_page_description: A Daruma doll is a hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism. These dolls, though typically red and depicting a bearded man, vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist. Though considered a toy by some, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement. The doll has also been commercialized by many Buddhist temples to use alongside the setting of goals.
context_section_description: Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an (Zen) to China. Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is extant, and subsequent accounts became layered with legend. According to one tradition, Bodhidharma gained a reputation for, among other things, his practice of wall-gazing. Legend claims that he sat facing a wall in meditation for a period of nine years without moving, which caused his legs and arms to fall off from atrophy. Another popular legend is that after falling asleep during his nine-year meditation he became angry with himself and cut off his eyelids to avoid ever falling asleep again.
  According to the principal Chinese sources, Bodhidharma came from the Western Regions, which refers to Central Asia but may also include the Indian subcontinent, and was either a "Persian Central Asian" or a "South Indian [...] the third son of a great Indian king." Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as an ill-tempered, profusely-bearded, wide-eyed non-Chinese person. He is referred as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" (Chinese: 碧眼胡; pinyin: Bìyǎnhú) in Chan texts.
caption: Bodhidharma, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887
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