noun
daruma doll; tumbling doll; good-luck doll
A round, red-painted doll modeled after Bodhidharma; often used as a good-luck charm with one blank eye painted in when a wish is made, and the other when fulfilled.
新年にだるまを買って、願い事をしながら左目を入れた。
I bought a daruma doll at New Year's and painted in its left eye while making a wish.
だるまは倒れても起き
Because a daruma doll rights itself when knocked over, it is considered a lucky charm.
noun
Bodhidharma
The Buddhist monk traditionally credited with bringing Zen to China; historical/religious context.
達磨大師は禅宗の開祖とされている。
Bodhidharma is regarded as the founder of Zen Buddhism.
noun
Rare slang usage; possibly from the resemblance of a reclining prostitute to a daruma doll.
江戸時代の俗語で、遊女を「だるま」と呼ぶことがあった。
In Edo-period slang, prostitutes were sometimes called 'daruma'.
A traditional roly-poly toy similar in concept to a daruma doll, but usually smaller and without the wish-making custom.
From the name of Bodhidharma (達磨), the Buddhist monk. The doll is said to be modeled after the legend that Bodhidharma's limbs atrophied after years of meditation, giving it a rounded, limbless shape.