Enryaku-ji Temple Japan - DanTraveling

One of my absolute favorite stories is about the monk that ran around a mountain for seven years. This is where his spiritual journey took place.
Part of Tendai Buddhism's teaching is that enlightenment can be attained in the current life. It is through the process of self denial that this can be achieved, and the Kaihōgyō is seen as the ultimate expression of this desire.
There are many serving priests at the Temple on Mt Hiei, but very few of them have completed the Kaihōgyō. Many who have completed it come from outside of the Order.
The selection process for the Kaihōgyō is after the first 100 days of running, the Gyoja (trainee Monk) will petition the senior Monks to complete the remaining 900 days. In the first 100 days, withdrawal from the challenge is possible, but from day 101 onwards the Monk is no longer allowed to withdraw; he must either complete the course or take his own life. The mountain has many unmarked graves from those who have failed in their quest, although none date from the 20th/21st century.
There are many parts to the Kaihōgyō, but the main challenges can be broken down into the following sections:
[edit]Running

The ultimate achievement is the completion of the 1,000-day challenge, which would rank among the most demanding physical and mental challenges in the world. Only 46 men have completed the 1,000-day challenge since 1585.[1]
The Kaihogyo 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 training is divided into 100-day sections as follows:

Here is a link to the NPR story and audio
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125223168

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[Daffodil2love]

Hi Dan, I was watching the journey of this monk only the other day. It is one video well worth watching. :)