| |
Main
Date: 14 Dec 2006 01:20:03
From: Doug Freese
Subject: Real ultra distance
|
And some think DK does distance - ain't even close. ;) Check this out.
-DF
====================================================
The run of a lifetime
Japan's athlete monks run up to two marathons a day for 100 days on
their
path of enlightenment
James Davis
Sunday April 22, 2001
The London Observer
Some of the world's best athletes will give a very good run for their
money
in today's London Marathon, others will just pick up their appearance
fee and
potter round without threatening to win. The world's top distance
runners
are well rewarded - the best earn one million dollars a year - and they
reckon
to run only two or three marathons a year.
What a comparison that is to a group of men who can claim - though they
never
do - to be the greatest, toughest, most committed athletes in the
world.
They run for no other reward than spiritual enlightenment, hoping to
help
themselves along the path of Buddha towards a personal awakening. They
are the
so-called 'marathon monks' of Mount Hiei, Japan.
The monks, known as Kaihigyo, are spiritual athletes from the Tendai
Sect of
Buddhism, based at Mount Hiei, which overlooks the ancient capital city
of
Kyoto.
The ultimate achievement is the completion of the 1,000-day challenge,
which
must surely be the most demanding physical and mental challenge in the
world.
Forget ultra-marathons and so-called iron-man events, this endurance
challenge surpasses all others.
Only 46 men have completed the 1,000-day challenge since 1885. It takes
seven
years to complete, as the monks must undergo other Buddhist training in
meditation and calligraphy, and perform general duties within the
temple.
The first 300 days are basic training, during which the monks run 40km
per
day for 100 consecutive days. In the fourth and fifth years they run
40km each
day for 200 consecutive days. That's more or less a full marathon every
day
for more than six months.
The final two years of the 1000-day challenge are even more daunting. In
the
sixth year they run 60km each day for 100 consecutive days and in the
seventh
year they run 84km each day for 100 consecutive days. This is the
equivalent
of running two Olympic marathons back-to-back every day for 100 days.
Author John Stevens, in his book, The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei
describes
the running style which dates back over a thousand years. 'Eyes focused
about
100 feet ahead while moving in a steady rhythm, keeping the head level,
the
shoulders relaxed, the back straight, and the nose aligned with the
navel.'
What makes all these distances even more amazing is the manner and the
conditions in which the monks run. These runs are usually begun at night
and are
over mountain paths that are uneven and poorly marked. During the winter
months
the low temperatures and snow are a great hindrance to the runners.
These
monks do not wear the latest in footwear and clothing, but run in straw
sandals, an all-white outfit and a straw hat. They also run on a diet
of vegetables,
tofu and miso soup, which modern athletes and nutritionists would deem
to be
unsuitable for endurance events.
Not only do they wear clothes and shoes unsuited to running, but they
have to
carry books with directions and mantras to chant, food to offer along
the
way, candles for illumination, as well as a sheathed knife and a rope,
known as
the 'cord of death'. These remind the monk of his duty to take his life
if
he fails, by hanging or self-disembowelment. The course is littered
with
unmarked graves, marking the spot where monks have taken their own
lives. However,
there have been no cases of monks' suicides since the nineteenth
century.
During theses long runs the monks must make stops at temples of worship
that
can number up to 260. This means that the 86km run can take up to 20
hours to
complete leaving the monk with very little time for recovery or rest,
but as
an old saying goes: 'Ten minutes' sleep for a marathon monk is worth
five
hours of ordinary rest.' They also learn to rest sections of their body
while
running, such as their arms or shoulders.
And then there is the doiri, where the monk faces seven days without
food,
water or sleep or rest. During this time the monk will spend his entire
day
reciting Buddhist chants and mantras - perhaps up to 100,000 each day.
The only
time the monk will leave the temple is at 2am to walk the 200m to a well
and
return with water to make an offering. He is not allowed to drink any
himself
and the 200m walk can take up to two hours in the final days of the
fast.
During his time spent meditating there are two monks who are in
constant
attention to ensure that he does not fall asleep.
For several weeks before doiri, the monk will reduce his food intake so
his
body can cope with the fast. The first day is no problem, but there is
some
nausea on the second and third days. By the fourth and fifth days the
hunger
pangs have disappeared, but the monk has become so dehydrated that there
is no
saliva in his mouth and he will begin to taste blood.
The purpose of doiri is to bring the monk face-to-face with death.
During
this fast, the monks develop extraordinary powers of sense. They talk of
being
able to hear the ashes of incense sticks fall to the ground and, perhaps
unsurprisingly, of the ability to smell food being prepared miles away.
Physiologists, who have examined the monks after conclusion of the rite,
find
many of the symptoms of a 'dead person'. Monks talk of experiencing a
feeling of transparency where everything good, bad and neutral leaves
their body
and existence in itself is revealed in crystal clarity. Relatives of
those who
undergo this rite of passage talk of the difference that the seven days
makes
to those who undergo it. One remarked, 'I always dismissed Buddhism as
superstitious nonsense until I saw my brother step out of Myo-o-do [the
name of
the temple] after doiri. He was really a living Buddha.'
When the Japanese Emperor maintained his court in Kyoto, the monks were
afforded a special thanksgiving service in the Imperial Palace after
completing
their 1,000-day term and the 'marathon monks' were the only people who
were
allowed to wear footwear in the presence of the Emperor.
Even today thousands will turn out to watch a monk nearing completion of
a
1,000-day term, as he runs the old course that now passes through
Kyoto's
shopping streets and the entertainment district, complete with its bars,
restaurants and strip joints. Many turn up hoping to be blessed by these
special
monks whom they believe have powers to heal.
Japan has the largest number of marathon runners per capita in the
world.
From the Arctic northern island of Hokkaido to the balmy tropical
islands of
Okinawa in the Pacific, each and every town will organise a number of
long-distance runs and each school will have a strong running club.
There is even a corporate-sponsored running league, whose teams are even
allowed to have one foreigner in their team. Jeff Schiebler, a Canadian
Olympic
runner, is the only non-African foreigner who competes. He described
what it
is like to run in Japan. 'It is totally different from anything in
North
America. They have multimillion-dollar contracts, team chefs, great
training
facilities. That kind of thing makes Japan a power in long-distance
running. They
go mad for road races. Kids there grow up wanting to be the next
marathon
champ.'
Japan's love of marathon running was epitomised with the incredible
outpouring of emotion that followed Naoko Takahashi's victory in the
women's Olympic
marathon in Sydney last year. The race and the prize-giving attracted a
massive 84 per cent TV rating as the fresh-faced girl from the mountains
of Gifu
became the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
She became an overnight superstar and her face was splashed across
newspapers, magazines and on talk shows. She even received The People's
Honour (only
the third woman ever to do so) from the then prime minister Yoshiro
Mori, who
said: 'You have given inspiration and encouragement to youngsters as
well as
a whole people by crossing the finish line with a refreshing smile.'
Very few runners will cross the finish line in London today with a
'refreshing smile' after 26 hard miles. Grimaces of exhaustion and
relief will be a
more common sight. However, after looking back at the 26 miles and a
bit, there
will be a feeling of great personal pride and achievement in their
performance. Many will have achieved personal best times and others will
have raised
hundreds of pounds for charity. But will many of them be able to say
they have
gained something spiritually, as with the 'marathon monks' of Japan?
_READ MORE ABOUT THE MARATHON MONKS_
(http://www.runpunxsyrun.org/tendaimonks.html) _BACK_
(http://www.runpunxsyrun.org/punxsyrt.htm)
|
|
| |
Date: 18 Dec 2006 06:54:36
From: Sofa - Spud
Subject: Re: Real ultra distance
|
Doug Freese wrote:
> And some think DK does distance - ain't even close. ;) Check this out.
>
> -DF
>
>
> ====================================================
> The run of a lifetime
> Japan's athlete monks run up to two marathons a day for 100 days on
> their
> path of enlightenment
> James Davis
> Sunday April 22, 2001
> The London Observer
> Some of the world's best athletes will give a very good run for their
> money
> in today's London Marathon, others will just pick up their appearance
> fee and
> potter round without threatening to win. The world's top distance
> runners
> are well rewarded - the best earn one million dollars a year - and they
> reckon
> to run only two or three marathons a year.
> What a comparison that is to a group of men who can claim - though they
> never
> do - to be the greatest, toughest, most committed athletes in the
> world.
> They run for no other reward than spiritual enlightenment, hoping to
> help
> themselves along the path of Buddha towards a personal awakening. They
> are the
> so-called 'marathon monks' of Mount Hiei, Japan.
> The monks, known as Kaihigyo, are spiritual athletes from the Tendai
> Sect of
> Buddhism, based at Mount Hiei, which overlooks the ancient capital city
> of
> Kyoto.
> The ultimate achievement is the completion of the 1,000-day challenge,
> which
> must surely be the most demanding physical and mental challenge in the
> world.
> Forget ultra-marathons and so-called iron-man events, this endurance
> challenge surpasses all others.
> Only 46 men have completed the 1,000-day challenge since 1885. It takes
> seven
> years to complete, as the monks must undergo other Buddhist training in
> meditation and calligraphy, and perform general duties within the
> temple.
> The first 300 days are basic training, during which the monks run 40km
> per
> day for 100 consecutive days. In the fourth and fifth years they run
> 40km each
> day for 200 consecutive days. That's more or less a full marathon every
> day
> for more than six months.
> The final two years of the 1000-day challenge are even more daunting. In
> the
> sixth year they run 60km each day for 100 consecutive days and in the
> seventh
> year they run 84km each day for 100 consecutive days. This is the
> equivalent
> of running two Olympic marathons back-to-back every day for 100 days.
> Author John Stevens, in his book, The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei
> describes
> the running style which dates back over a thousand years. 'Eyes focused
> about
> 100 feet ahead while moving in a steady rhythm, keeping the head level,
> the
> shoulders relaxed, the back straight, and the nose aligned with the
> navel.'
> What makes all these distances even more amazing is the manner and the
> conditions in which the monks run. These runs are usually begun at night
> and are
> over mountain paths that are uneven and poorly marked. During the winter
> months
> the low temperatures and snow are a great hindrance to the runners.
> These
> monks do not wear the latest in footwear and clothing, but run in straw
> sandals, an all-white outfit and a straw hat. They also run on a diet
> of vegetables,
> tofu and miso soup, which modern athletes and nutritionists would deem
> to be
> unsuitable for endurance events.
> Not only do they wear clothes and shoes unsuited to running, but they
> have to
> carry books with directions and mantras to chant, food to offer along
> the
> way, candles for illumination, as well as a sheathed knife and a rope,
> known as
> the 'cord of death'. These remind the monk of his duty to take his life
> if
> he fails, by hanging or self-disembowelment. The course is littered
> with
> unmarked graves, marking the spot where monks have taken their own
> lives. However,
> there have been no cases of monks' suicides since the nineteenth
> century.
> During theses long runs the monks must make stops at temples of worship
> that
> can number up to 260. This means that the 86km run can take up to 20
> hours to
> complete leaving the monk with very little time for recovery or rest,
> but as
> an old saying goes: 'Ten minutes' sleep for a marathon monk is worth
> five
> hours of ordinary rest.' They also learn to rest sections of their body
> while
> running, such as their arms or shoulders.
> And then there is the doiri, where the monk faces seven days without
> food,
> water or sleep or rest. During this time the monk will spend his entire
> day
> reciting Buddhist chants and mantras - perhaps up to 100,000 each day.
> The only
> time the monk will leave the temple is at 2am to walk the 200m to a well
> and
> return with water to make an offering. He is not allowed to drink any
> himself
> and the 200m walk can take up to two hours in the final days of the
> fast.
> During his time spent meditating there are two monks who are in
> constant
> attention to ensure that he does not fall asleep.
> For several weeks before doiri, the monk will reduce his food intake so
> his
> body can cope with the fast. The first day is no problem, but there is
> some
> nausea on the second and third days. By the fourth and fifth days the
> hunger
> pangs have disappeared, but the monk has become so dehydrated that there
> is no
> saliva in his mouth and he will begin to taste blood.
> The purpose of doiri is to bring the monk face-to-face with death.
> During
> this fast, the monks develop extraordinary powers of sense. They talk of
> being
> able to hear the ashes of incense sticks fall to the ground and, perhaps
> unsurprisingly, of the ability to smell food being prepared miles away.
> Physiologists, who have examined the monks after conclusion of the rite,
> find
> many of the symptoms of a 'dead person'. Monks talk of experiencing a
> feeling of transparency where everything good, bad and neutral leaves
> their body
> and existence in itself is revealed in crystal clarity. Relatives of
> those who
> undergo this rite of passage talk of the difference that the seven days
> makes
> to those who undergo it. One remarked, 'I always dismissed Buddhism as
> superstitious nonsense until I saw my brother step out of Myo-o-do [the
> name of
> the temple] after doiri. He was really a living Buddha.'
> When the Japanese Emperor maintained his court in Kyoto, the monks were
> afforded a special thanksgiving service in the Imperial Palace after
> completing
> their 1,000-day term and the 'marathon monks' were the only people who
> were
> allowed to wear footwear in the presence of the Emperor.
> Even today thousands will turn out to watch a monk nearing completion of
> a
> 1,000-day term, as he runs the old course that now passes through
> Kyoto's
> shopping streets and the entertainment district, complete with its bars,
> restaurants and strip joints. Many turn up hoping to be blessed by these
> special
> monks whom they believe have powers to heal.
> Japan has the largest number of marathon runners per capita in the
> world.
> From the Arctic northern island of Hokkaido to the balmy tropical
> islands of
> Okinawa in the Pacific, each and every town will organise a number of
> long-distance runs and each school will have a strong running club.
> There is even a corporate-sponsored running league, whose teams are even
> allowed to have one foreigner in their team. Jeff Schiebler, a Canadian
> Olympic
> runner, is the only non-African foreigner who competes. He described
> what it
> is like to run in Japan. 'It is totally different from anything in
> North
> America. They have multimillion-dollar contracts, team chefs, great
> training
> facilities. That kind of thing makes Japan a power in long-distance
> running. They
> go mad for road races. Kids there grow up wanting to be the next
> marathon
> champ.'
> Japan's love of marathon running was epitomised with the incredible
> outpouring of emotion that followed Naoko Takahashi's victory in the
> women's Olympic
> marathon in Sydney last year. The race and the prize-giving attracted a
> massive 84 per cent TV rating as the fresh-faced girl from the mountains
> of Gifu
> became the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
> She became an overnight superstar and her face was splashed across
> newspapers, magazines and on talk shows. She even received The People's
> Honour (only
> the third woman ever to do so) from the then prime minister Yoshiro
> Mori, who
> said: 'You have given inspiration and encouragement to youngsters as
> well as
> a whole people by crossing the finish line with a refreshing smile.'
> Very few runners will cross the finish line in London today with a
> 'refreshing smile' after 26 hard miles. Grimaces of exhaustion and
> relief will be a
> more common sight. However, after looking back at the 26 miles and a
> bit, there
> will be a feeling of great personal pride and achievement in their
> performance. Many will have achieved personal best times and others will
> have raised
> hundreds of pounds for charity. But will many of them be able to say
> they have
> gained something spiritually, as with the 'marathon monks' of Japan?
> _READ MORE ABOUT THE MARATHON MONKS_
> (http://www.runpunxsyrun.org/tendaimonks.html) _BACK_
> (http://www.runpunxsyrun.org/punxsyrt.htm)
Strange stuff indeed but I smiled when they said a chap after the trial
looked like a real buddha - that would be several stone lighter then?
|
| |
Date: 18 Dec 2006 04:47:41
From: wully-m
Subject: Re: Real ultra distance
|
Doug, thanks for posting this. I found it fascinating reading and I
salute these monks even if I think that their path to spiritual
enlightenment is a bit strange. Do you mind if I refer my readers back
to your blog as I think they might find it interesting as well. My blog
is at
http://marathontrainingandnutrition.blogspot.com/ if you want to take
a look.
wully-m
Doug Freese wrote:
> And some think DK does distance - ain't even close. ;) Check this out.
>
> -DF
>
>
> ====================================================
> The run of a lifetime
> Japan's athlete monks run up to two marathons a day for 100 days on
> their
> path of enlightenment
> James Davis
> Sunday April 22, 2001
> The London Observer
> Some of the world's best athletes will give a very good run for their
> money
> in today's London Marathon, others will just pick up their appearance
> fee and
> potter round without threatening to win. The world's top distance
> runners
> are well rewarded - the best earn one million dollars a year - and they
> reckon
> to run only two or three marathons a year.
> What a comparison that is to a group of men who can claim - though they
> never
> do - to be the greatest, toughest, most committed athletes in the
> world.
> They run for no other reward than spiritual enlightenment, hoping to
> help
> themselves along the path of Buddha towards a personal awakening. They
> are the
> so-called 'marathon monks' of Mount Hiei, Japan.
> The monks, known as Kaihigyo, are spiritual athletes from the Tendai
> Sect of
> Buddhism, based at Mount Hiei, which overlooks the ancient capital city
> of
> Kyoto.
> The ultimate achievement is the completion of the 1,000-day challenge,
> which
> must surely be the most demanding physical and mental challenge in the
> world.
> Forget ultra-marathons and so-called iron-man events, this endurance
> challenge surpasses all others.
> Only 46 men have completed the 1,000-day challenge since 1885. It takes
> seven
> years to complete, as the monks must undergo other Buddhist training in
> meditation and calligraphy, and perform general duties within the
> temple.
> The first 300 days are basic training, during which the monks run 40km
> per
> day for 100 consecutive days. In the fourth and fifth years they run
> 40km each
> day for 200 consecutive days. That's more or less a full marathon every
> day
> for more than six months.
> The final two years of the 1000-day challenge are even more daunting. In
> the
> sixth year they run 60km each day for 100 consecutive days and in the
> seventh
> year they run 84km each day for 100 consecutive days. This is the
> equivalent
> of running two Olympic marathons back-to-back every day for 100 days.
> Author John Stevens, in his book, The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei
> describes
> the running style which dates back over a thousand years. 'Eyes focused
> about
> 100 feet ahead while moving in a steady rhythm, keeping the head level,
> the
> shoulders relaxed, the back straight, and the nose aligned with the
> navel.'
> What makes all these distances even more amazing is the manner and the
> conditions in which the monks run. These runs are usually begun at night
> and are
> over mountain paths that are uneven and poorly marked. During the winter
> months
> the low temperatures and snow are a great hindrance to the runners.
> These
> monks do not wear the latest in footwear and clothing, but run in straw
> sandals, an all-white outfit and a straw hat. They also run on a diet
> of vegetables,
> tofu and miso soup, which modern athletes and nutritionists would deem
> to be
> unsuitable for endurance events.
> Not only do they wear clothes and shoes unsuited to running, but they
> have to
> carry books with directions and mantras to chant, food to offer along
> the
> way, candles for illumination, as well as a sheathed knife and a rope,
> known as
> the 'cord of death'. These remind the monk of his duty to take his life
> if
> he fails, by hanging or self-disembowelment. The course is littered
> with
> unmarked graves, marking the spot where monks have taken their own
> lives. However,
> there have been no cases of monks' suicides since the nineteenth
> century.
> During theses long runs the monks must make stops at temples of worship
> that
> can number up to 260. This means that the 86km run can take up to 20
> hours to
> complete leaving the monk with very little time for recovery or rest,
> but as
> an old saying goes: 'Ten minutes' sleep for a marathon monk is worth
> five
> hours of ordinary rest.' They also learn to rest sections of their body
> while
> running, such as their arms or shoulders.
> And then there is the doiri, where the monk faces seven days without
> food,
> water or sleep or rest. During this time the monk will spend his entire
> day
> reciting Buddhist chants and mantras - perhaps up to 100,000 each day.
> The only
> time the monk will leave the temple is at 2am to walk the 200m to a well
> and
> return with water to make an offering. He is not allowed to drink any
> himself
> and the 200m walk can take up to two hours in the final days of the
> fast.
> During his time spent meditating there are two monks who are in
> constant
> attention to ensure that he does not fall asleep.
> For several weeks before doiri, the monk will reduce his food intake so
> his
> body can cope with the fast. The first day is no problem, but there is
> some
> nausea on the second and third days. By the fourth and fifth days the
> hunger
> pangs have disappeared, but the monk has become so dehydrated that there
> is no
> saliva in his mouth and he will begin to taste blood.
> The purpose of doiri is to bring the monk face-to-face with death.
> During
> this fast, the monks develop extraordinary powers of sense. They talk of
> being
> able to hear the ashes of incense sticks fall to the ground and, perhaps
> unsurprisingly, of the ability to smell food being prepared miles away.
> Physiologists, who have examined the monks after conclusion of the rite,
> find
> many of the symptoms of a 'dead person'. Monks talk of experiencing a
> feeling of transparency where everything good, bad and neutral leaves
> their body
> and existence in itself is revealed in crystal clarity. Relatives of
> those who
> undergo this rite of passage talk of the difference that the seven days
> makes
> to those who undergo it. One remarked, 'I always dismissed Buddhism as
> superstitious nonsense until I saw my brother step out of Myo-o-do [the
> name of
> the temple] after doiri. He was really a living Buddha.'
> When the Japanese Emperor maintained his court in Kyoto, the monks were
> afforded a special thanksgiving service in the Imperial Palace after
> completing
> their 1,000-day term and the 'marathon monks' were the only people who
> were
> allowed to wear footwear in the presence of the Emperor.
> Even today thousands will turn out to watch a monk nearing completion of
> a
> 1,000-day term, as he runs the old course that now passes through
> Kyoto's
> shopping streets and the entertainment district, complete with its bars,
> restaurants and strip joints. Many turn up hoping to be blessed by these
> special
> monks whom they believe have powers to heal.
> Japan has the largest number of marathon runners per capita in the
> world.
> From the Arctic northern island of Hokkaido to the balmy tropical
> islands of
> Okinawa in the Pacific, each and every town will organise a number of
> long-distance runs and each school will have a strong running club.
> There is even a corporate-sponsored running league, whose teams are even
> allowed to have one foreigner in their team. Jeff Schiebler, a Canadian
> Olympic
> runner, is the only non-African foreigner who competes. He described
> what it
> is like to run in Japan. 'It is totally different from anything in
> North
> America. They have multimillion-dollar contracts, team chefs, great
> training
> facilities. That kind of thing makes Japan a power in long-distance
> running. They
> go mad for road races. Kids there grow up wanting to be the next
> marathon
> champ.'
> Japan's love of marathon running was epitomised with the incredible
> outpouring of emotion that followed Naoko Takahashi's victory in the
> women's Olympic
> marathon in Sydney last year. The race and the prize-giving attracted a
> massive 84 per cent TV rating as the fresh-faced girl from the mountains
> of Gifu
> became the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
> She became an overnight superstar and her face was splashed across
> newspapers, magazines and on talk shows. She even received The People's
> Honour (only
> the third woman ever to do so) from the then prime minister Yoshiro
> Mori, who
> said: 'You have given inspiration and encouragement to youngsters as
> well as
> a whole people by crossing the finish line with a refreshing smile.'
> Very few runners will cross the finish line in London today with a
> 'refreshing smile' after 26 hard miles. Grimaces of exhaustion and
> relief will be a
> more common sight. However, after looking back at the 26 miles and a
> bit, there
> will be a feeling of great personal pride and achievement in their
> performance. Many will have achieved personal best times and others will
> have raised
> hundreds of pounds for charity. But will many of them be able to say
> they have
> gained something spiritually, as with the 'marathon monks' of Japan?
> _READ MORE ABOUT THE MARATHON MONKS_
> (http://www.runpunxsyrun.org/tendaimonks.html) _BACK_
> (http://www.runpunxsyrun.org/punxsyrt.htm)
|
| | |
Date: 19 Dec 2006 01:06:28
From: Doug Freese
Subject: Re: Real ultra distance
|
"wully-m" <william.milton@ntlworld.com > wrote in message
news:1166446061.646167.96280@j72g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Doug, thanks for posting this. I found it fascinating reading and I
> salute these monks even if I think that their path to spiritual
> enlightenment is a bit strange.
> Do you mind if I refer my readers back
> to your blog as I think they might find it interesting as well.
Feel free but please note I am not one of the monks although I do have
an aura. :)
-Doug
|
|
