YAMABUSHI DARUMA
Have a goal you’ve been meaning to get around to for a while?
Let Yamabushi Daruma help you achieve it.
Daruma are tiny statues of the buddhist monk Bodhidharma used for centuries in Japan not only for setting, but more importantly achieving goals.
Yamabushi Daruma combine the unmoving will power and determination of yamabushi with the unyielding intensity of Daruma to help you get things done.
Yamabushi Daruma work like this:
Think of a goal you wish to achieve.
Imagine the goal while you fill in Daruma’s right eye with a paint brush or marker.
Place Daruma somewhere he can observe you to remind you to do something towards your goal every day.
When your goal is complete, fill in the left eye.
Display Daruma to remind you of your accomplishment.
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Handcrafted with Japanese cedar and painted by local artisans, each Yamabushi Daruma is unique.
Japanese Cedar has been revered for centuries as the vessel kami use to travel between heaven and earth.
Much like the cedar forests on Mt. Haguro, Japanese Cedar has a deep historical and spiritual significance to the Dewa Sanzan Yamabushi and the local Shonai region.
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“The crane lives 1,000 years, the turtle 10,000” - Japanese proverb.
As with normal Daruma, each Yamabushi Daruma features an outline of two cranes and two turtles. Both of these creatures represent longevity and are very lucky in Japanese folklore.
As luck would have it, Tsuruoka City, where our trainings are based, means ‘crane hill’ in Japanese, due to the vast numbers of cranes to migrate to the region annually.
Yamabushi Daruma also feature the Three Sacred Mountains of Dewa (Dewa Sanzan). The Dewa Sanzan have been the site of ascetic practices for over 1,000 years.
Take a look and see if you can locate all of these motifs.
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White represents purity and the Shiroshozoku garb worn by yamabushi while out on the mountains.
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Each Yamabushi Daruma comes with an instruction manual handmade from 100% recycled materials. The materials are made in Gassan Sagyojo, a local company that proudly employs people with disabilities.
