Daruma are dolls traditionally purchased from Japanese temples and are commonly used for intention setting. When first acquired, both eyes of the Daruma are blank. The first step is to fill in one eye of the doll as the owner sets an intention. Upon fulfilling the goal, the second eye is filled in, expressing the promise kept, the goal achieved, and the vision restored. Traditionally, people bring their Daruma back to the temple from which they came for an annual ceremony in which all the Daruma are collected and burned together.
We spend so much time running from one obligation to the next that it is hard to find a moment to really think about what it is we want to achieve in our lives, from breaking bad habits to taking steps to create more fulfilling lives. While you are on the playa, we hope that you have a chance to think about your goals and take stock of what it is that you've been postponing in life. Our intention is that the Daruma provides you an opportunity to not only memorialize your intention on the playa, but also serve as a reminder to follow through on that intention once you return to the default world.
We invite you interact with our Daruma by filling in the right eye once you have set an intention that you hope to accomplish. As more people add their mark, we will continue to add space for additional people to make their own mark - be assured your intention will not be erased or removed from the Daruma.
For questions and inquiries, please contact
angie@darumaproject.org