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| Japanese monk © Christopher Chan |
Visitors to Kyoto typically enjoy the rock gardens in Buddhist temples and trying to catch the eye of a Geisha in the Gion District (fat chance). What they fail to realize is just how close they are to some of the greatest endurance athletes in the world.
The marathon monks, who live in the Enryaku Temple atop Mount Hiei, are quite possibly the greatest anomaly in Japanese society, if not the world. Few choose to live their lives according to such strict guidelines, especially when it comes to feats of physical prowess. Pilgrims who set themselves on this path are called gyoja (行者, literally “moving man”), and the act of circling the mountains again and again kaihogyo (回峰行).
Wearing only straw sandals (replaced often), white robes, a staff, and hat, each marathon monk begins walking or running approximately 50 km around the mountain to return in time for meditation and the meal. This is done over 100, 700, or 1000 days, depending on how far along the initiated is in his monastic training.
Had enough?
After hundreds of days of running 50+ km, the monks begin a fast: nine days in a fixed meditation position (sitting full or half lotus, back straight) without water, food, or sleep. It is believed that by bringing the body so close to death, the monks will develop a greater appreciation and sensitivity to life, being able to “hear ashes fall form incense sticks, smell and identify foods from miles away and see the sun and moonlight seep into the interior of the temple.”
In case you’re wondering, there have been only 46 men to successfully complete the 1000-day quest.
Running meditation is well known in Buddhism; people unfamiliar with practices in these temples always assume that monks’ minds are constantly in motion, working to unravel the secrets of the universe and the deeper meaning of life. In reality, meditation is nothing more than training oneself to focus entirely on the present: the breath going in and out of the lungs, the wind caressing your face, the birds chirping from a nearby tree … Running meditation is only natural, by focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and communing with nature one step at a time.
Turner Wright enjoys the finer things in life, which include: writing travel articles, eating too much, and running until his veins pump battery acid. He is a simple boy from Austin, Texas, but will soon be bouncing around three continents. Check out his blog, Once A Traveler.
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