Date: Sat, 19 Nov 1994 15:49:26 JST From: Fer-Jan de Vries Subject: Marathon monks For Mary and Vida. Some weeks ago I promised to write about the Marathon monks. This fall of 94 Gyosho Uehara completed his 24000 miles path to enlightenment. He is a monk living on Mount Hiei, or Hiei-san. Son of another priest. In total only 11 people succeeded in completing this extreme severe self imposed religious training. To put it in our context it might perhaps be comparable with succesfully completing seven TransAM-Coast to Coast walk/runs in seven consecutive years. The training takes 6 years. And follows a prescribed ritual. I was hoping to be able to provide exact info, but I could not find suitable literature, nor did I manage to find people knowing this. The idea is that year 1: 100 consecutive days of 19 miles year 2: idem year 3: idem year 4: two 100 day periods of 19 miles per day year 5: idem year 6: 100 consecutive days of 37 miles per day year 7: 100 consecutive days of 52 miles per day are completed irrespective of weather and physical condition. The area is the surrounding hills of the mountain. The monks have a walking running style, start just after midnight, carry a lantern and a staff. They are dressed in white ceremonial robes. They run on straw sandals, like the toe string slippers, fastened with strings around the ankle. Running is not nonstop: the hills around the holy mountains are scattered with small temples and religious statues, where prayers have to be said. During their runs they bring visits to other religious men, living in the area. Of course this is not all. To complicate things, a vegetarian diet is followed: rice, tofu, noodles, seaweed, mountain vegetables and potatoes. And in between the difficult sixth and seventh year a seven and a half day fast with NO food, and NO sleep and only a little water in the middle of the night. The monk then stays on his own in a little hut in the temple area, and at midnight the other monks accompany him to the holy well where he can drink a cupful of water he has to scoop him self with a bamboo dipper. The ten meter walk takes many, many minutes the last few nights of the fast. This fast is langer than the medical world seems to believe to be possible, and in the past it has taken the life of many aspiring monks. Also in the past, the monks carried a small sword. In case they gave up, they were supposed to commit suicide. The few who survided this ordeal are considered to be living Buddhas. The 24 hr race I participated in a few weeks ago was blessed by such a Marathon Monk in a short buddhist ceremony. He was an old stately man of impressive statue: one of the seven Saintly Masters of the Highest Practice. Way to go Tony :-) Imagine 1000 days of longdistance running and mumbling prayers at the same time... Fer-Jan de Vries. ORN. I will go out in a few moments... -enjoying the fresh japanese fall weatheer- before watching the exciting finishing rounds of the present Sumo tournament. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 19 Nov 1994 15:56:05 JST From: Fer-Jan de Vries Subject: addendum to marathon monks Ah, rereading once more my previous mail I realized I forgot to say that only 11 people since World War II have completed the training... You might also have noted that the 24000 number is not the sum of the daily miles. As I said, I don't know the exact details: most of my sources mentioned 24000 as total, but the one source which gave more detail adds up to 22200 miles "only". But I believe you will have gotten the idea. Carpe Viam, Fer-Jan.