Antique sculpture "Daruma". Made from patinated bonza. Japan, XX century.

Daruma is the Japanese name of a Buddhist monk, the founder of the Zen school. This mythical hero has several names: in China he is called Damo, in Japan - Daruma, and in his homeland, in India - Bodhidharma. The earliest understanding of the monk dates back to 547. According to legend, in 510 he went to China, where he founded the Shaolin Monastery in the Sunshan Mountains. Tradition says that he remained in a meditative state for about 9 years, looking at the wall. He died in 528, having delivered the sacred teachings to the Zen patriarch Khui-Ke. In Japan, the teaching has been known since the 12th century, and since the Muromachi period (1335-1537), Zen Buddhism and one of its founders have gained particular popularity in the Land of the Rising Sun.