Daruma doll
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A Template:Nihongo 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 the Indian monk, Bodhidharma, vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" /> The doll has also been commercialized by many Buddhist temples to use alongside the setting of goals.
Use
Template:Expand section When purchased, the figure's eyes are both blank white. The owner selects a goal or wish and paints in the left eye of the figure's two eyes with Chinese or Japanese ink. Once the goal is achieved, the right eye is filled in.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an (Zen) to China. Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is available, and subsequent accounts have become layered with legend.<ref name="McRae 2003">Template:Harvcolnb</ref> 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.<ref>Chapin, Helen B. "Three Early Portraits of Bodhidharma". p. 93</ref> 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."<ref>Emmanuel Francis (2011), The Genealogy of the Pallavas: From Brahmins to Kings Template:Webarchive, Religions of South Asia, Vol. 5, No. 1/5.2 (2011)</ref>Template:Sfn Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as an ill-tempered, bearded, wide-eyed non-Chinese person. He is referred as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" (Template:Lang-zh) in Chan texts, although note that while the translation "barbarian" is derogatory, in Chinese it is simply descriptive of non-Chinese origin.
History and commercialization
The current popular symbolism associated with Daruma as a good luck charm in part originated at Shorinzan Daruma Temple, in the city of Takasaki (Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo). Josef Kyburz, author of "Omocha": Things to Play (Or Not to Play) with, explained that the founder of Daruma-Dera would draw New Year’s charms depicting Bodhidharma. The parishioners would keep these charms to "bring happiness and prosperity and ward off accidents and misfortune".<ref name="autogenerated15">"Omocha": Things to Play (Or Not to Play) with p.15</ref>
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It is believed that the Daruma figurine then originated from this region when the ninth priest, Togaku, found a solution to handle the constant requests of the parishioners for new charms. The charms were always given with an effectiveness of one year, so the people required new ones every year. He solved this by entrusting them with the making of their own Daruma charms near the beginning of the Meiwa period (1764–72). The temple made wooden block molds for the people to use. The peasants then used these molds to make three-dimensional papier-mâché charms.<ref>"Omocha": Things to Play (Or Not to Play) with p.14</ref>
Kyburz notes that though it is unknown when the Daruma figurine combined with the tumbler doll; the two were well recognized as synonymous by the mid-19th century. The doll quickly grew in popularity, becoming a mascot of the region. This was due greatly in part to fact that the majority of the families were silk farmers, a crop which requires a great deal of luck for success.<ref name="autogenerated15"/>
There is an annual Template:Nihongo held by the city of Takasaki in celebration of being the proclaimed birthplace of the Daruma doll. The celebration is held at the Shorinzan, the name of Takasaki's "Daruma-Dera". According to the Takasaki city website, "Over 400,000 people from all over the Kanto Plain come to buy new good-luck dolls for the year. Takasaki produces 80% of Japan's Daruma dolls."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The festival also features a 24-hour reading of sutras by the Shorinzan monks for world peace.
Physical features and symbolism
Daruma’s design, particularly the shape, color, eyes and facial hair, each have its own history and symbolic meaning.
Shape
Darumas are still usually made of papier-mâché, have a round shape, are hollow and weighted at the bottom so that they will always return to an upright position when tilted over. In Japanese, a roly-poly toy is called okiagari, meaning to get up (oki) and arise (agari). This characteristic has come to symbolize the ability to have success, overcome adversity, and recover from misfortune.<ref name="autogenerated15"/> In Japanese popular culture on cards, banners and books, Daruma is often illustrated alongside the phrase "Nanakorobi Yaoki" (Template:Lang), translated to mean "seven times down, eight times up". While some traditional Daruma dolls have flat bases, the Sankaku or Triangle Daruma (Template:Lang) is constructed from a rolled cardboard cone attached to a rounded clay base so that it always stands straight when tilted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bodhidharma is said to have meditated for nine years at Shaolin Temple facing a wall until his legs atrophied from lack of use, which was the inspiration for its limbless form.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The tumbler doll style is similar to an earlier toy called the Okiagari Koboshi, a little self-righting monk which was popular in the Kinki region during the mid-17th century. The original okiagari toy, however, is said to have been introduced from Ming China around 1368–1644.<ref>"Omocha": Things to Play (Or Not to Play) with p.23</ref>
Color
Though it is not certain, the origins of Daruma's traditional red coloring probably came from the color of priests' robes. Reliable sources in English are hard to find, but one Japan-based website cites this red as being the "color of the robe of a high-ranking priest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The author then concludes that "since Daruma was the founder of the Zen Sect, he must have worn a red robe." The art historian James T. Ulak has documented a history of depictions of the Bodhidharma wearing lavish red robes, prior to representations of him as a doll.<ref>Japanese Works in The Art Institute of Chicago: Five Recent Acquisitions p.178</ref>
By virtue of his red robes, Daruma has come to play a role in recovering from sickness. During the late Edo period (1603-1868), red was believed to have a strong association to smallpox. In Edo and surrounding cities, there were many outbreaks of measles and smallpox. In present-day Japan, there are many red shrines dedicated to a God of Smallpox, which had a particular liking for red. These shrines were built in response to those outbreaks.<ref>Rotermund, Hartmut O. "Demonic Affliction or Contagious Disease? Changing Perceptions of Smallpox in the Late Edo Period." p.1</ref> Believing that the God of smallpox, if pleased, would spare the afflicted child, the Japanese would often stretch out ropes around the house strung with red paper strips, have the child wear a red robe, and make a small altar for the God to put talisman-like Daruma figurines on.<ref>Rotermund, Hartmut O. "Demonic Affliction or Contagious Disease? Changing Perceptions of Smallpox in the Late Edo Period". p.374</ref> These precautions were also used to warn others that sickness was in the house, and to encourage cleanliness around the sick. The red of Daruma, however, was used to pacify the God, while the image of okiagari was to encourage the patient to recover as quickly as they fell ill.<ref name="autogenerated15"/> Daruma are also sold as a set of five colors – blue, yellow, red, white and black – called Goshiki Daruma. These days, daruma can also be found in colors other than red, including gold, which is meant to bring luck in financial matters.
Eyes
The eyes of Daruma are often blank when sold. The "oversized symmetrical round blank white eyes" are described as a means to keep track of goals or big tasks and motivate them to work to the finish. The recipient of the doll fills in one eye upon setting the goal, then the other upon fulfilling it. In this way, every time they see the one-eyed Daruma, they recall the goal. One explanation how this custom started says that in order to motivate Daruma-san to grant your wish, you promise to give him full sight once the goal is accomplished. This practice might also have something to do with the "enlightenment", the ideal attainment of Buddhism. This custom has led to a phrase in Japanese translated as "Both Eyes Open". Referring to "opening" the second eye, it expresses the realization of a goal.<ref name="autogenerated2">Greer, Monte A. "Daruma Eyes: The Sixth Century Founder of Zen Buddhism and Kung Fu Had the Earliest Recorded Graves p.1</ref> Traditionally, the Daruma was purchased as a household item, and only the head of the household would paint in the eyes.<ref>Punsmann, Henry. "Daruma, a Symbol of Luck". p.5</ref>
One example of this tradition in practice is intentions set by politicians during election time. Political parties have often been shown at their headquarters with large Daruma dolls and amulets purchased from local temples as a prayer for victory. This practice was highlighted in a 1967 article in Time magazine: "Last week, in the Tokyo headquarters of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Premier Eisaku Satō dipped a sumi brush into an ink stone and with swift strokes daubed in the dark right eye of his Daruma. 'The eyes,' he remarked when he had finished, 'are as big as my own.'"<ref>"Japan: The Right Eye of Daruma". Time. p. 1</ref>
The Matsukawa Daruma (Template:Lang) is produced with the eyes already painted, with the purpose of watching over a family's household.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These intricate figures are more slender than traditional Daruma and typically feature blue coloring and a base molded (or simply painted) in the form of the ship that transports the Seven Lucky Gods.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Facial hair
Daruma's facial hair is a symbolic representation of the animals well known in Asian culture to embody longevity: the crane and the tortoise. The eyebrows are in the shape of a crane, while the cheek hair resembles the shell of the tortoise. Originally there was a snake or dragon depicted across the moustache and cheeks, but this was changed to a tortoise to emphasize the desire for longevity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In this way, Daruma was designed to match the Japanese proverb "The crane lives 1000 years, the tortoise 10,000 years".
Daruma burning
At the end of the year, all the Daruma are brought back to the temple they were purchased from for a traditional burning ceremony.<ref name="autogenerated2"/> This ceremony, called the Template:Nihongo, is held once a year, usually right after New Year's Day. The most renowned of these events are held at the Nishi-Arai Daishi Temple in Tokyo and the Dairyū-ji Temple in Gifu. At these events, people bring the Daruma figures they had used that year to the temple. After expressing gratitude to them, they turn them over to the temple and buy new ones for the next year. All of the old Daruma figures are burnt together in the temple. After a solemn display of the monks' entry, reading of the sutras and blowing of horns, the tens of thousands of figurines are then set aflame.
Feminine representations
Daruma dolls also come in the form of Template:Nihongo and Template:Nihongo. This contrasts greatly with traditional representations of Bodhidharma, who, accredited as the father of many martial arts, has traditionally been depicted as very masculine with rough facial hair.<ref name="mcfarland170">McFarland, H. Neill. "Feminine Motifs in Bodhidharma Symbology in Japan" p. 170.</ref> The origins of feminine Daruma began in response to social changes during the Edo Period. Contemporaneous class distinctions placed the merchants at the bottom, who in turn developed their own culture focusing on humor and poking fun at what those of higher class held sacred. This is evident in the depiction of Bodhidharma as a prostitute since prostitutes displayed the same "okiagari" resilience. Famous pieces of art depicting Bodhidharma were also redrawn with a woman in his place.<ref name="mcfarland170"/>
With the inception of the Daruma doll, the Onna Daruma doll quickly followed. Though the aforementioned examples of feminine motifs of Bodhidharma were satirical, the doll forms maintain the same wholesome image of a bringer of good luck.<ref>McFarland, H. Neill. "Feminine Motifs in Bodhidharma Symbology in Japan" p. 172</ref>
Children's games
Many children's games make mention of Daruma. In Japanese, snowmen are called "Yukidaruma" (Template:Langx), literally snow daruma. Possibly because the shape is related to Daruma, they usually only have two sections instead of three.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Darumasan ga Koronda is an equivalent to the American Red Light/Green Light game. Template:Nihongo is a traditional game played with a daruma doll in five pieces, usually in the colors of the rainbow, from top to bottom: head – a man's face, blue, green, yellow, red. The game is played by using a small hammer to hit each of the colored pieces, from bottom to the top, without letting the pieces fall during the game.
See also
- Japanese craft
- Japanese dolls
- Religions of Japan
- Darumaka and Darmanitan: Pokémon that are based on Daruma Dolls.
- As The Gods Will
References
Sources
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Further reading
- McFarland, H. Neill (1987). Daruma: The Founder of Zen in Japanese Art and Popular Culture. Tokyo and New York: Kodansha International Ltd.