The Daruma doll (達磨), also known as a Dharma doll, is a hollow, round, Japanese doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. These dolls, though typically red and depicting a bearded man (Dharma), vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist. Though considered an omocha, meaning toy, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement. When one receives the doll, the eyes are blank. By making a wish and painting the pupil in one of the eyes, it is thought that the Daruma doll will aid the owner in achieving his or her goal. When the goal is met, the second eye is filled in. The dolls are then burned at Buddhist temples around the new year, and the cycle repeats again.
The legend has it that the Bodidharma was a Buddhist patriarch in early China, and that as one of the feats of his perseverance, stared in meditation inside a cave for seven years, until his arms and legs atrophied and fell off. I think that this is a somewhat apt metaphor for the amount of time I've spent meditating on bicycles, and thus the name is born.
