I have a Daruma doll, given to me by a friend. Is that a Buddha?
Daruma is the Japanese name for Bodhidarma, the founding father of Zen Buddhism, the first patriarch. Bodhidarma (in Chana Damodashi, putiduluo, Zunshe) is beloved worldwide as the Bodhisattva who brought Buddhism to China and founded Kung Fu (he taught the monks Kung Fu as a form of ‘exercise’ and ‘non harmful self defence’. He is universally popular in both China and Japan, although he was born in India as a prince. You’ll recognize Daruma dolls or Bodhidarma statues by their wide staring eyes and “exaggerated” features. Tradition says that Bodhidarma was not an “attractive” man and had a wild look. He spent seven years without food and water, meditating in a cave in China, where he obtained Enlightenment. In Japan, Daruma is considered a powerful talisman, is often painted bright red symbolizing luck. In one tradition the fierce eyes are not painted. The person receiving the doll meditates over it, wishing for a blessing or healing. The receiver then paints one of the eyes as he mak
