the Adventure Lifestyle magazine

IJ FRONT:: For these devotees, the ascetic life involves running marathons daily. THEy'RE NOT ALONE THE MARATHON MONKS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES ON AN EXTRAORDINARY SPIRITUAL QUEST, THE ANCIENT LUNG- GOM-PA RUNNERS OF TIBET AND THE TARAHUMARA INDIANS OF MEXICO HAVE BEEN EXPANDING CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH EXTREME RUNNING FOR CEN- TURIES. CONSIDER THE RECENT PROLIF- ERATION OF ORGANIZED ULTRA- ENDURANCE FOOT RACES. LIKE THE MARATHON DES SABLES (ENTRY FEE INCLUDES A ' CORPSE REPATRIATION- CHARGE) AND THE HARD ROCK ALONG WITH THE EFFORTS OF A HANDFUL OF BOLD ATHLETES RUNNING ACROSS CON- TINENTS. TO THE SOUTH AND THE NORTH POLES. AND EVEN AROUND THE WORLD. AND IT SEEMS AS IF A PRIMOR- DIAL DESIRE IS RE-AWAKENING IN THE WESTERNIZED WORLD AS WELL. A PRI- MAL URGE BUBBLING UP FROM AN EAR- LIER TIME WHEN RUNNING WAS A VITAL ASPECT OF DAILY SURVIVAL. FOR MORE INFORMATION, _ READ THE MARATHON MONKS OF MOUNT HIEI BY JOHN STEVENS. _ WATCH CHRISTOPHER HAYDEN'S DOCUMEN- TARY FILM THE MARATHON MONKS OF MOUNT HIEI PRODUCED BY THE MILLENNIUM TELEVISION CORPORAnON (HTTPd/MILLENNIUM- lV.COM/MONKS.HTML) As the sun peeks over Lake Biwa, a solitary runner emerges from the mist on the crest of Japan's Mt. Hiei. He moves swiftly and steadily over the rocky path. Clothed in white, he glides through the early air. across the mystic Zen landscape, and back into the clinging mist like an apparition. A bank of clouds engulfs the ridge, obscur- ing the separation of earth and sky. This phantasmal runner isn't a competitor in a new ultra-distance trail or the latest installment of the Eco-Challenge. he's a gyoja-a spiritual athlete of Tendai Buddhism, based on Mount Hiei. above the ancient capital city of Kyoto. The "Marathon Monks," as they have come to be known, have been engaging in the art of spiritual enlightenment through movement for over 1,000 years and the practice is still thriving today. The mountain marathon, or kaihogyo, originated in the ninth century as a form of "moving meditation" in a wilderness environment free of the chaos and distractions of the city. It has evolved into the l,OOO-day challenge, the ultimate achievement of the gyoja. and one of the most physically and psychologically demanding feats imaginable. The grueling journey takes seven years to complete. During the first three warm up years, a monk must run 30 kilo- meters (18.8 miles) a day for 100 consecutive days while he dedi- cates the rest of his time to study and monastic duty. During the fourth and fifth years. he runs 40 kilometers (25 miles) a day for 200 consecutive days-the equivalent of running a marathon every day for over sixth months. In the sixth year he runs 60 kilo- meters (37.50 miles) a day for 100 days. The seventh year poses the most difficult challenge-84 kilometers (52.5 miles) per day for 100 days. followed by a "cool down" of 30 kilometers a day for the final 100-day term. Upon completion of the 1.000-day chal- lenge. the gyoja has run a distance equivalent to circling the globe. The majority of the running takes place in the dark. with only a small candle lantern for guiding light. The day begins at midnight on poorly marked. rugged mountain trails that are covered in snow in the spring. One particularly frigid stretch of the course. "The Slope of Instant Sobriety." speaks for itself. Though these days monks might be tempted by Gore- Tex and Capilene, they're still required to don the basic white cot- ton robe (which, during wet years. never dries completely). the long and narrow lotus-shaped straw hat. the straw raincoat (which offers only minimal protection). and the handmade straw sandals, which disintegrate in the often-wet conditions forcing the monks to use as many as five pairs a day. The monks can carry nothing more than a couple of books, containing directions and mantras, food offerings, and a sheathed knife and rope-the "cord of death"-tied around the waist. The latter remind the monk of his responsibility to take his life-by hanging or disembowelment-if he should fail (though no monk has done so since the nineteenth century). No PowerBars or carbo drinks allowed. The monk sub- sists on a diet of vegetables, tofu and miso soup. And very little sleep. With the distances involved and other responsibilities he must attend to in addition to the daily running, he's lucky if he's allowed two hours of "twilight meditation" a night. Often on the longer days, he forgoes sleep altogether. As a result. the monk becomes an excellent power napper and learns to rest sections of his upper body while running. After the 700th day of the challenge the participant must face the doiri-a seven-day period without food, water or sleep-by the end of which his senses become so heightened he's able to hear the ashes of incense fall to the ground from across the room. Only in literally pushing themselves to the brink of death, do the monks feel they're able to fully awaken in the here and now.

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