Persist!

When I returned from Japan in 1996, after having lived there for a year through a cultural immersion program, I brought back lots of cultural artifacts, some of which I've left with my parents over the years. One artifact in particular sits on top of my Mother's Music Cabinet which happens to be right across the hallway from my parents' bedroom door. It's called a Daruma doll - my Dad asked me about it today, wanting a memory-refresher about what it means and what it's used for. I had to google it to remind myself what the Japanese name is for the doll (one forgets much over 10+ years of time and thought distance) even though I've always felt like I had a full understanding of its use and meaning. So, here are my thoughts about the Daruma doll, which I will also happily share in person with my father next weekend:

So, this little round doll has two important characteristics: its shape, and the lack of eyes. With regard to the shape, note its low center of gravity and roundness. It is designed so that if you tip it, it will right itself - this characteristic is meant to be a symbol of persistence and determination, a concept which is also articulated in Japanese culture by the verb
Ganbaru 頑張る, literally translated as "to work hard" (*). This concept embodies - more than any other I know of - the Japanese approach to work, school, martial arts, and all other important life tasks. Repeated over and over by teachers, peers, friends, and parents, using the word Ganbaru is a form of emotional support that effectively encourages individuals to keep trying, to not give up, to focus carefully, and to make great efforts towards their goals. The idea is that even if you are being pushed to the edge of your limits, you - like the Daruma doll - can bounce back to your center and succeed if you focus carefully and persist.

With all of this symbolism in mind, the lack of eyes becomes another important feature of the Daruma doll - one that helps people set and accomplish goals. The idea is that when you have a new goal, you would paint in one of the eyes on your Daruma doll; when you accomplish the goal, you may paint in the other eye. The doll becomes a symbol of your goal and a reminder of the fortitude and effort it will take to accomplish that goal.

Some internet research reminded me that the history of this object is rooted in Buddhism and that the doll is named after the Father of Buddism, Daruma, who lived in the 5th Century. Click here for more information: Daruma.jp.

*As a footnote, I've often felt that language cannot be fully understood without having an equal appreciation of the culture in which it is used. Without overstating the importance of the concept of Ganbaru, I would say that to simply translate the word does nothing to help unfamiliar listeners understand the extent to which this concept is woven into the fabric of Japanese life. In my experience, having been put through the ringer of a-new-challenge-everyday (which came in the form of learning spoken and written language, being exposed to a variety of new cultural arts, foods, social norms, family styles, school customs, personal freedoms and on and on) I heard this phrase Ganbatte! (the imperative form: Persist! Keep trying! Don't give up!) a thousand times, and only from that degree of exposure, having been told in a variety of situations, did I come to truly understand what my Japanese friends meant when they said to me, "Work hard."