Fall Down Seven Times Stand Up Eight Japanese Card

If you're knocked down seven times, get back up eight! These kanji characters are pronounced 'nana korobi ya oki' and literally mean 'seven fall down, eight get up.' It is associated with Daruma dolls, the rounded, legless dolls with a hollow core that are ubiquitous in Japan and represent the Bodhidharma, founder of zen Buddhism. The characters here are read vertically from right to left in the traditional fashion. 七転び八起き. 七 is seven, 八 is eight. Daruma dolls always right themselves immediately when you poke them, and this idiom conveys the same spirit. When life inevitably gets you down, whatever it was that overwhelmed you isn't as important as your response to it. The response called for in this sage, inspiring proverb is resilience and determination, qualities that often loom larger in importance in Japan than the ultimate result of one's endeavours. Process is what counts, and focusing on the things you can control, namely your response to a challenging situation rather than on the past or future. Brush artist Hiro created this work at his studio in Kyoto by hand. Then we scanned it to offer here. Hiro's red name stamp is in the lower corner, adding an elegant splash of colour to this motif.