Running for Enlightenment: The (spiritual) runner’s high of a “marathon monk’”
Posted June 18th, 2007 at 6:18 PM by Jessica Galvano
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation
We are all familiar with the notion of a runner’s high. The calm, euphoric feeling that sets in after a long run has converted many athletes to loyal distance runners. While many runners acknowledge the rejuvenating effects of this high, in the Tendai sect of Buddhism high-mileage running assumes a religious significance.
As a Tendai monk, Genshin Fujinami elected to embark upon the sect’s most trying ritual, a trial that spans thousands of miles of hallowed ground. Fulfillment of the ritual warrants the title of dai-ajari. Literally meaning living saint, this title is one of the Tendai order’s highest honors and therefore, requires displays of intense dedication and spiritual enlightenment.
Among Fujinami’s few possessions, a rope and sword served as an ominous reminder of the consequences of failure. If unable to accomplish the ritual, death — without title — would be Fujinami’s self-inflicted fate.
The ritual consists of stages that gradually build to divine clarity. To achieve enlightenment, the monk committed himself to a seven-year test of physical and spiritual strength.
During the first three years, Fujinami proved his devotion through a solitary life of prayer, chores, and long distance running. Nightly, for 100 days each year, the monk completed an 18-mile run. Without any prior training, Fujinami relied upon prayer to restore breath and refresh tired legs.
The next stage demanded 200 days of this same 18-miles around Mount Hiei, the early site of Tendai influence. In this phase of the ritual, two consecutive years of 3,600 miles culminate in the ultimate physical test. As part of the fifth year, the monk must endure nine days of chanting. While the spirit indulges in prayer, however, the body suffers absolute deprivation in the absence of water, food, and sleep.
The sixth year marked an increase in daily mileage. 18-mile days became a past luxury as the monk entered a year of 37.5 miles for 100 days. Over the course of his runs, Fujinami’s only stops were temples, where rest came exclusively in the form of prayer.
In the seventh and final year, the monk resumed his former regimen of 100, 18-mile days. These 1,800 miles were only part of another high-mileage year. An additional 100 days of 52.5 miles each amounted to a year-end total of 7,050 miles.
Four years ago marked the successful completion of Fujinami’s quest. Logging over 24,000 miles, a 44-year-old Fujinami became one of less than 50 “marathon monks.”
Despite the physical strain of the Tendai’s most demanding ritual, the real trial is a spiritual one. For Fujinami, each mile was a step nearer divine illumination rather than a point on a training schedule. And while the marathoner’s runner’s high may linger for hours after a run, the monk’s knows no earthly end.
Research sources and for more information: [NY Times], [USA Today]
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Tags: dai ajari, enlightenment, Genshin Fujinami, marathon monks, Mount Hiei, runners high, spiritual, Tendai, Tendai monk
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The Final Sprint
This is Incredible! I didn’t think that it was humanly possible, but spirituality goes a long way!!
June 19th, 2007 at 9:35 pm