Marathon Monks

The spiritual side of Japanese society is often overlooked. This fascinating report focuses on Genshin Fujinami, a corporate employee who became a monk and embarked on a search for meaning in his life. He is one of only forty-six Japanese monks in the last four centuries to have completed a grueling running test, known as the "Kaihogyo." It is not simply running, but rather a pilgrimage around the sacred mountain, worshipping Buddha through nature and gaining intense personal awareness.

During the test, which takes more than three months, he walks or runs through the forest in rope sandals for seventeen hours a day, sleeping only two hours a night. He subsists on a rice ball and a bowl of noodles each day. Tradition decrees that monks who begin the Kaihogyo but fail to complete it must kill themselves. As a final endurance test, Fujijami must complete the "doiri" -- going for nine days without food, drink or sleep. Another monk who completed the Doiri says: "It is not about controlling worldly desires, but denying them. This is why some monks are able to hear the sound of ash falling from an incense stick, or smell food being prepared at the foot of the mountain."

Fujinami says, "You must think positively. I can't allow myself to think, What if?"

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"a fascinating glimpse of a seldom-seen sect." Booklist
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