Running Buddha
27,000 Miles to Enlightenment
The Marathon Monks of Mt Hiei in Japan average about 27,000 miles over a seven year period. As they make these pilgrimages they run/walk thousands of miles towards spiritual enlightenment. Some days they travel as far as fifty miles, on as little as two hours of sleep and no food. These monks don't sport the latest Asics or performance wear as you and I would, but have a very traditional dress code. The picture above is an example of a monk on his journey “His outfit is pure white -- the color of death -- the same thing he would be dressed in at his own funeral. It is cotton and consists of a short kimono undershirt, pants, hand and leg covers, a long outer robe and priests outer vestment and a pair of handmade straw sandals" - taken from the article in Trail Runner Magazine. This makes running a marathon seem a little less daunting. Asked what he learned from his grueling cycle of marathons, one monk humbly replied:
"Gratitude for the teaching of the enlightened ones, gratitude for the wonders of nature, gratitude for the charity of human beings, gratitude for the opportunity to practice gratitude, not asceticism, is the principle of the marathon."
The Marathon Monks of Mt Hiei in Japan average about 27,000 miles over a seven year period. As they make these pilgrimages they run/walk thousands of miles towards spiritual enlightenment. Some days they travel as far as fifty miles, on as little as two hours of sleep and no food. These monks don't sport the latest Asics or performance wear as you and I would, but have a very traditional dress code. The picture above is an example of a monk on his journey “His outfit is pure white -- the color of death -- the same thing he would be dressed in at his own funeral. It is cotton and consists of a short kimono undershirt, pants, hand and leg covers, a long outer robe and priests outer vestment and a pair of handmade straw sandals" - taken from the article in Trail Runner Magazine. This makes running a marathon seem a little less daunting. Asked what he learned from his grueling cycle of marathons, one monk humbly replied:
"Gratitude for the teaching of the enlightened ones, gratitude for the wonders of nature, gratitude for the charity of human beings, gratitude for the opportunity to practice gratitude, not asceticism, is the principle of the marathon."
posted by Ryan at 8:02 AM
1 Comments:
1-28-06 Hi Ryan, I enjoyed the article on the monks. My gift of gratitude is having you for a son. Thanks for finding my ring. Love Mom
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