Daruma, an ancient Buddhist priest in India, was supposed to have been so spiritual, it was said, that he meditated so long in one spot that he lost the use of his arms and legs. This is suppose to be a sign of how the Buddhist, at least him, created a symbol of persistence and determination. That determination must have carried over to other life experiences I would think.
The Buddhist now feel that the Daruma has become to represent wishes of good luck. It was said that when the Daruma is made into a charm, that if one makes a wish, draws a symbol of the Daruma, and gives it one eye, the Daruma will help one pursue their wish therefore helping one to earn the other eye.
There is an exhibit of Daruma as one enters the Japanese American Museum. I really didn't get much information about it, but the thought of one being persistent about the wrong thing could be dangerous if one goes about being persistent the wrong way.
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