Blog

Daruma doll, the Japanese talisman to achieve your goals

  Mistral Bonsai       29/06/2021
Daruma doll, the Japanese talisman to achieve your goals

Daruma is the doll of purposes and one of the best-known Japanese amulets. It is usually given on important occasions such as birthdays, New Year or some special date for the person who receives it. Daruma doll gives you the opportunity to fulfil your purpose or objective. Therefore, it will help the person who receives it to achieve everything they set out. In other words, it is a motivating object that prompts to believe in luck and tests us to see if we are capable of fulfilling what we have set out to do.

The origin of Daruma doll

Legend has it that Bodhidharma, the founding monk of Zen Buddhism, (whose image is inspired by the design of Daruma doll) failed to achieve inspiration after 9 years of long meditation in a cave. Being so long without moving, and because of his atrophy, his arms and legs fell off. In addition, he plucked his eyelids himself so as not to fall asleep and thus be able to stay awake and focused.

Features and colours

One of its most peculiar characteristics is its facial hair. His eyebrows resemble a crane and the hair on his cheeks looks like a tortoise shell. Both animals are symbols of longevity in Japan.

Its traditional red colour reminds us of the clothes that the monk was wearing during his meditation. This has become the most popular Daruma, although there are different colours with different meanings related to our goal:

Red: It is the colour of luck and good fortune

Yellow: Relates to protection and safety

Green: It banishes diseases and brings good health

White: It is related to good harmony and love

How does this charm work?

Daruma doll, thanks to its shape, never falls off. As much as we try, it always returns to its standing position. This is the symbol of perseverance and the effort to achieve the chosen purpose.

It has two white circles that represent his eyes. We should paint the pupil of the right eye while we think about the purpose or goal we want to achieve. Afterwards, we must place the doll in a place where it is visible so that it reminds us that we must continue working and facing all the problems that arise on the way to our goal. Once we have achieved our goal, we will paint his left eye as a token of appreciation.

In conclusion, unlike other amulets, Daruma will not bring us luck or protection, but the fact of painting an eye will provide us with motivation and remind us of the goal we want to achieve.

Some people put their Darumas with both eyes painted in a visible place, so they are reminded every day of all that they have managed to achieve.

Now you know that, whatever colour your Daruma is, the message remains the same:

Make the effort and propose yourself to achieve all those goals that you want so much!

 

You may also be interested in…

Maneki-neko, the Japanese fortune cat

Share it!

About the Author

Mistral Bonsai

In Mistral Bonsai we are a communication team, technicians and masters committed from the first day to disseminating the wonderful art of bonsai. A world that offers many things to share. We believe that a bonsai is a tree with a soul, unique and unrepeatable. Another of our most essential pillars is, how could it be otherwise, our close commitment to the preservation of the environment and nature.