White Wind Zen Community

A Community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985

Zen Boxes: Art Installation: 14 Seven Times Down

Wooden box with a daruma doll

"There is a saying associated with Mr. Daruma dolls: 'Seven times
down, eight times up.' In Japanese, 'nana korobi ya oki'. If you
knock the doll over it rights itself. Mathematically, of course it makes
no sense. Seven times down would be seven times up, not eight.
Regardless, it means that no matter how often you fall down, get up.
Just get up. This is very good advice. When you fall down, get up. If
you fall down again, get up again. No matter what happens, the last
thing you do should be to get up, not fall down."

Anzan Hoshin roshi,
Bodhidharma's Eyes, teisho 2: Mr. Daruma,
October 8, 2000, Daruma-ki O-sesshin

  • wooden box 4" by 3" by ¾"
  • Komyo scroll by Shikai O-sensei after Anzan Hoshin roshi
  • Daruma doll-wood-¼"