dharma
A daruma is a peculiar talisman resembling an empty shell of papier-mâché, in which one is meant to embed their own will. You paint one eye to vow a goal and can only complete your self-worth by painting the other—an eternal reminder that achievement tastes like an afterparty with no refreshments. Its uncanny habit of tumbling down and righting itself embodies both perseverance and dark irony. Straddling faith and self-suggestion, the daruma mocks our feeble resolve even as it comforts us like a twisted spiritual companion.