Daruma Symbol – History and Meaning

Daruma is a depiction of Bodhidharma, a 5th- or 6th-century Buddhist monk traditionally regarded as the one who introduced Ch’an or Zen Buddhism to China. He was said to have started the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery, which led to the birth of Shaolin kung fu.

In Japan, Bodhidharma is known as Daruma. He is the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism whose image is made popular in the form of the eponymous Japanese traditional doll. 

Daruma Symbol – History and Meaning

If you want to learn more about the Daruma symbol, read on to find out the meaning, history, and significance of this Buddhist symbol.

Daruma History

From what little we know about Bodhidharma, he was a 5th- to the 6th-century sage monk who founded Zen Buddhism. He was said to be the third son of a great Indian king. He also introduced green tea and the seated meditation called Zazen.

It is said that, unlike the regular monks, Bodhidharma, who was also known as Daruma-Daishi in Japan, was a bit on the eccentric side. There is a popular legend that he had sat wide-eyed facing a wall in deep meditation for nine years without moving. This caused his arms and legs to fall off from atrophy. It also goes that after falling asleep during his nine-year meditation, he got so mad at himself he cut off his eyelids so he would never fall asleep ever again.

Bodhidharma’s depiction is that of a crabby, heavily-bearded man with wide eyes. He is referred to as “the Blue-Eyed Barbarian.” This image is commonly seen today in the Daruma dolls which are very popular in Japan.

The Daruma dolls are viewed as a good luck charm partly originating with the Temple of Daruma or Daruma-Dera in Takasaki, north of Tokyo. It is explained that the temple founder would draw New Year’s charms with Bodhidharma’s depiction. The parishioners would keep said charms in their belief that they ward off accidents and misfortune, and bestow abundance and happiness.

The Daruma doll then originated from the same region. The story goes that a priest found an answer to the parishioners’ persistent requests for new charms. The charms were believed to be effective for a year, so people needed new ones every new year. 

Near the beginning of the Meiwa period in the 18th century, the said priest solved this problem by giving the parishioners the task of making their own Daruma charms. They made block molds out of wood, which was then used to make papier-mâché dolls with the Daruma image. 

Now the city of Takasaki produces 80% of Daruma dolls in Japan. They hold an annual daruma-ichi or Daruma Doll Festival to celebrate this good-luck doll’s birthplace. 

The Daruma Symbol

Generally, Daruma is a symbolic representation of one’s goal, their action, and the result. But every aspect of its design also has its own symbolic meaning. 

Darumas are hollow and round in shape. They are designed with a weighted bottom to keep them in an upright position when they tilt over, a characteristic that symbolizes the ability to attain success, overcome adversity, and recover from bad luck or misfortune.

Daruma dolls are traditionally red in color, which is the color of a high-ranking priest’s robe. A history of depictions of Bodhidharma wearing lavish red robes has been documented. Daruma’s red is believed to pacify God when one is sick.

Today, however, Daruma dolls come in other colors. Gold or yellow Daruma is believed to bring fame and financial luck. Orange is for school success, while green is for health and fitness. White is symbolic of purity, silver is of social status, and pink is of love and romance. Black Darumas are used in warding off bad luck. Blue is for education and work status and purple is for self-improvement and personality.

Darumas often have blank white eyes when sold. This is used as a means to keep track of one’s goals or major tasks. It also serves as a motivation for one to work to accomplish those goals or tasks. The idea is to fill the left eye upon setting the goal, then the right one upon accomplishing it.

One is supposed to be reminded of the goal every time he or she sees the one-eyed Daruma. This practice is probably connected to Buddhism’s concept of enlightenment.

Daruma’s facial hair symbolizes the crane and the tortoise, animals that are associated with longevity in Asian culture. Daruma’s eyebrows are shaped like a crane, while the hair on his cheeks resembles a tortoiseshell. 

The ceremony of burning the Daruma dolls after New Year’s Day is called the daruma kuyo. All the dolls are brought back to the temple they were bought from to be burned and replaced by new ones for the next year’s goals.

Daruma Symbol Meaning

The Daruma doll, also called the Dharma doll, is a traditional Japanese doll designed in the image of Bodhidharma, the sage monk who founded Zen Buddhism. His name is Sanskrit, meaning “dharma of awakening/bodhi.”

Generally believed to be a symbol of good luck and perseverance, the Daruma is sometimes referred to as a “goal doll.” This is due to the belief that Daruma keeps its owner focused on achieving a major task or goal.