Daruma Dolls

choi

Rebecca Cairns, Daruma Dolls Are One of Japan's Most Popular Souvenirs. But Where Do They Come from? CNN, Apr 8, 2025
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/07/t ... intl-hnk/index.html

Note:
(a) "Katsuo-ji * * * the 1,300-year-old temple, located about an hour from downtown Osaka in Minoh National Park [箕面国定公園 (国定公園 is one level below 国立公園; in Japan, 国定公園 is national park designated by the central government but managed by a prefecture); oh and ō are two ways to romanize the same long vowel of o]. * * * Katsuo-ji has long been associated with success and victory for over a thousand years, with many emperors and shoguns visiting the temple for blessings. Today, it's frequented by locals before exams or important business meetings.
(i) Katsuō-ji  勝尾寺
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuō-ji
("in Minō city [大阪府箕面市], north of [大阪府大阪市 City of] Osaka, Japan. * * * the site was first occupied late in the Nara period by two priests, Zenchū [善仲] and Zensan [善算]. The Miroku-ji [弥勒寺 (kanji 弥勒 has Chinese pronunciation roku)] temple was erected in 765 CE. The name 'Katsuō-ji' was given by the Emperor Seiwa [清和天皇]. The temple was burned in 1184 CE. The present Main Hall and Temple Gate [山門] were rebuilt by Hideyori Toyotomi.   Katsuō-ji is the 23rd temple in the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage [西国三十三所第23番札所]")
does not explain. So it is helpful to consult
(ii) 勝尾寺
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/勝尾寺
("勝尾寺（かつおうじ）は、大阪府箕面市にある高野山真言宗の寺院。山号は応頂山。本尊は十一面千手観世音菩薩。西国三十三所第23番札所。開山は開成（かいじょう） * * * ")

section 1 歴史:

(A) "当寺に伝わる『勝尾寺縁起』によれば、神亀4年（727年）に藤原致房の子である善仲と善算の兄弟がこの地に入って仏道修行に励み、草庵を設けた。それが当寺のそもそもの始まりであるという[1][2]。

"それから約40年後の天平神護元年（765年）、光仁天皇の皇子（桓武天皇の異母兄）である開成が2人に師事して仏門に入ると[1]、宝亀6年（775年）には開成は念願であった大般若経600巻の書写を終えて[1][3]新設の堂に奉納すると、この堂を弥勒寺と名付けた。これが当寺の直接の創建であるという[1][4]。

"数年後の宝亀11年（780年）には妙観によって本尊の十一面千手観世音菩薩立像が作製されたと伝えられている[1]。

(B) "元慶4年（880年）に住職の行巡によって清和天皇の病気平癒の祈祷が行われると[1]、当寺は天皇より「勝王寺」の寺号を賜った。しかし、「王に勝つ」という意味の寺号は畏れ多いとして勝尾寺に差し控えたという。 * * *

"寿永3年（1184年）の一ノ谷の戦いに巻き込まれて全山焼失してしまった * * *

(C) "明応4年（1495年）2月14日に火災にあっている[1]。

"慶長8年（1603年）には豊臣秀頼によって山門が再建され、また本堂再建のための浄財も寄進される[1]。

my summary translation so that you can understand the en.wikipedai.org: Per 勝尾寺縁起 circulated in this temple, in 727 two sons of an aristocrat came here to to so ascetic practice 修行 of Buddhism and set up 草庵, which is indirect founding of this tempe.   In 765, 開成 (a prince/ son of 光仁天皇) arrived to study under 師事 these two men [善仲, 善算]. In 775 開成 completed the dearest wish 念願 [of these two men who had died] of transcribing 大般若経600巻, which were then consecrated in a hall 堂 called 弥勒寺 [that was more permanent than 草庵]. This is the direct foundation of this temple. In 780, from recommendayion of a Buddhist monk named 妙観, the temple nade a 十一面千手観世音菩薩立像 to serve as principal object of worship 本尊.   In 880 the chief priest 住職 conducted a procession to pray for the recovery of Emperor Seiwa from illness,  and the emperor bestowed the temple with the name 勝王寺 [kanji 王's Chinese pronunciation is also ō]. The temple refrained from using this name (as 勝王 means defeating the king] and called itself 勝尾寺 [kanji 勝 has Japanese pronunciation katsu 勝つ (as intransitive verb) or kachi 勝ち (as noun); kanji 尾 has Japanese pronunciation o (a short vowel of o; rather than the long vowel ō)].   In 1184, the whole temple was burned down after getting involved in 一ノ谷の戦い. [It was rebuilt.] In 1495, the temple was burned down again in a fire. In 1603 豊臣秀頼 [豊臣秀吉の三男] rebuilt 山門 and paied for reconstruction of main hall.  


(b) "Round and red with scowling expressions, the [daruma] dolls represent the Bodhidharma (or, 'Daruma' in Japanese), the fifth-century monk who founded Zen Buddhism. * * * which [doll] is weighted at the base so it will always stand back up when knocked over [kanji 不倒翁 )pronunciation fu-tō-ō)]."
(i)
(A) Bodhidharma
https://www.collinsdictionary.co ... english/bodhidharma
(pronunciation)

In both Chinese- and Japanese-language Wikipedia, Bodhidharma is literally 菩提達磨.  Kanji 達 has Chinese pronunciation da, so the "ru" om daruma was inserted MERELY to reflect the "r" in "dharma."
(B) Bodhidharma
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhidharma
(section 1 etymology; section 7 Cultural legacy: "Bodhidharma's image became the inspiration for Japanese Daruma dolls, which originated in Meiwa-era Takasaki [(群馬県)高崎(市); 群馬県 is northwestern neighbor of Tokyo] as good luck charms.[99][100] A Daruma Doll Festival (達磨市, daruma-ichi [kanji 市 as administration unit is pronounced in Chinese way (shi), whereas its Japanese pronunciation ichi is used to mean market, fair (the latter use is remininent of Chinese noun 市集]) is held at the Shorinzan Daruma Temple in Takasaki every year, celebrating the city as the birthplace of the Daruma doll)
(ii)
(A) Shorinzan Daruma Temple  少林山達磨寺

少林山達磨寺. 群馬官方觀光指南, 最後更新： 2022 年 02 月 01 日
https://www.visit-gunma.jp/tcn/spots/shorinzan-darumaji-temple/in
("這間寺院建於 1697 年，據說是日本達摩不倒翁 [ANA airline calls the doll 高崎達磨公仔, which is Cantonese[ 的發源地。這些受歡迎、一臉鬍鬚的不倒翁是吉祥物的一種。傳統做法是在許願時，先為不倒翁畫上一隻眼睛，等願望成真，再為它畫上另一隻眼睛。到了年底，人們會將不倒翁帶回神社燒毀")
No simplified Chinese version.
(B) one may use images.google.com to search 少林山達磨寺 for views of the temple.


(c) "Katsuo-ji offers visitors two different types of Darumas: the Kachi-Daruma [勝ち ダルマ], the classic doll known as 'the winning Daruma' which is used to set a specific goal; or the Daruma-Mikuji [ダルマ みくじ], known as 'the fortune-telling Daruma,' which are only found at Katsuo-ji.
(i) Japanese-English dictinary:
* mikuji 神籤; 御籤 【みくじ】 (n): "fortune slip (usu. bought at a shrine)"
(iii) 六十四卦  ダルマみくじ. 勝尾寺, undated
https://katsuo-ji-temple.or.jp/worship/darumamikuji.php
(" '六十四卦ダルマみくじ' は、日本で唯一勝尾寺でのみ行なえる占いで、その方法は古代中国において重要な政策や事案を決定する場面などで用いられてきた「易」を基盤としており、その基本となる哲学は大宇宙のあらゆる事象や存在は、陰（－）と陽（＋）相反する二曲の完全なる相互均衡が保たれた状態であると捉え、それらの法則は大自然の森羅万象のみならず、私たち人間にも例外なく作用するという考えに基づいた特殊なダルマ易占となります")

my rough translation: based on I Ching 六十四卦.


(d) "Katsuo-ji isn't the only 'Daruma temple' in Japan. In nearby Kyoto, Hōrin-ji 'Darumadera' Temple boasts a collection of around 8,000 Darumas, many of which are housed in a specially built hall funded by the temple's worshippers."
(i) For "Hōrin-ji 'Darumadera' Temple," see [京都] 円町 法輪寺（だるま寺）— 臨済宗 妙心寺派.
https://www.darumadera.kyoto.jp

The full name of 円町 is 京都府京都市 中京区 西ノ京 円町. 円町 was so named because ot housed one of the two prisons in ancient 平安京: "囚人を収容する獄舎."
(ii) The en.wikipedia.org for "Hōrin-ji" (all shares the same kanji name) says Japan has four and that "法輪寺, the 'temple of the Dharma Wheel' .'


(e) "In May last year, the temple introduced a 'stamp rally' [スタンプラリー: katakana for the English of 'stamp rally' where the hyphen ー signify a long vowl in katakana: a long vowel in hinagana has a horizontal bar atop a letter fpr vowel] : visitors visit six check-in points around the temple grounds in sequence, collecting stamps to create a single image."