The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei

by John Stevens

The greatest athletes in the world today are not the Olympic champions or the stars of professional sports, but the "marathon monks" of Japan's sacred Mount Hiei. Over a seven-year training period, these "running buddhas" figuratively circle the globe on foot. During one incredible 100-day stretch, they cover 52.5 miles daily—twice the length of an Olympic marathon. And the prize they seek to capture is the greatest thing a human being can achieve: enlightenment in the here and now. This book is about these amazing men, the magic mountain on which they train, and the philosophy of Tendai Buddhism, which inspires them in their quest for the supreme. The reader will learn about the monks' death-defying fasts, their vegetarian training diet, their handmade straw running shoes, and feats of endurance such as their ceremonial leap into a waterfall. Illustrated with superb photographs, the book also contains the first full-length study in English of Mount Hiei and Tendai Buddhism. John Stevens lived in Japan for thirty-five years, where he was a professor of Buddhist studies at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai. Stevens is a widely respected translator, an ordained Buddhist priest, a curator of several major exhibitions of Zen art, and an aikido instructor. He has authored more than thirty books and is one of the foremost Western experts on aikido, holding a ranking of 7th dan Aikikai. Stevens has also studied calligraphy for decades, authoring the classic Sacred Calligraphy of the East. Other John Stevens titles that are likely to be of interest include Extraordinary Zen Masters and The Philosophy of Aikido. Readers interested in related titles from John Stevens will also want to see: Abundant Peace (ISBN: 1626543232), Aikido: The Way of Harmony (ISBN: 1626543275), Sacred Calligraphy of the East (ISBN: 162654994X), Secrets of Aikido (ISBN: 1626543259), The Philosophy of Aikido (ISBN: 1626549931), Extraordinary Zen Masters (ISBN: 1626549923).

Genres: Buddhism, Nonfiction, Sports, Japan, Spirituality, History, Zen

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Stevens (1947- ) is a Buddhist priest and Aikido teacher.

Reviews

[Иван Величков · Rating 4 out of 5]

Освен доста добре поднесената информация, книгата е изпълнена и с прекрасни фотографии.
Разделена е на две части.
Първата е общоинформативна за навлизането и влиянието на будизма в Япония, от самото начало през девети век, до днес (или по-скоро до преди 30 години, когато е писана книгата). Материалът е поднесен леко с по-скоро научнопопулярен уклон и няма претенции за някаква тежест, като на места, чисто по азиатски пример, историческата истина се преплита неразделно с мита. Добра основа е за любознателния читател, но налага прекалено огромно значение на монасите от планината Хияй за развитието на будизма в Япония, не че го нямат, но поради центрирането върху тях, читателят остава с мнението, че всички учения са произлезли от там.
Втората част е за религиозните практики и ритуали на Тендай будизма, който е най-масово практикувания в храмовете на Хияй и в частност на хилядодневния изнурителен маратон, чрез който целят да достигнат просвещение. Доста от информацията през вековете е изгубена, за което можем само да съжаляваме, защото от модерната митогема около последните изпълнили ритуала, става ясно, че човечеството е изгубило стотици примери за подражание и три пъти повече полумистични истории и герои, някой граничести с така любимото ми фантастично.

[BookLab by Bjorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

They run a marathon a day for 100 days in a row. They kill themselves if they fail in any part of their practice. Meet the Marathon monks of Mount Hiei.

— We set the bar low —

My major feat this summer was to inflate a pool in preparation of a BBQ party (see pic. 2). Due to lack of proper equipment it had to be done manually. It took quite some time and effort on my part to get it ready; But I persisted and felt a slight bit of pride afterwards.

When the guests arrived their reaction was; "That's crazy! I can't believe you didn't use a pump for that!".

Now cut to the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei:

— The Marathon Monks —

Instead of being dressed in traditional black Buddhist clothes, they wear white, the color of death. They carry a knife in their belt. This is to take their life if they fail in any element of their practice. Knife for self-disembowelment - belt for hanging.

These buddhist monks and super athletes reaching for enlightenment in the here and now thought physical movement.

— The 1000-Day Marathon —

The 1000-Day Marathon is a big part of the practice of the marathon monks. It takes 7 years to complete. The first 5 years they run a marathon each day for 100 days straight. This is repeated 7 times. For the last 2 years the distance is increased to two Marathon distances each day (84km/52 miles!).They also adds a wild cart to this routine to spice things up. A 9-day fast during continuous meditation, without water or sleep.

— The 12 year retreat —-

As if that wasn’t enough there is also the 12 Year Retreat. Constant cleaning of the dead temple fathers resting grounds. Living on left overs and only allowed to rest for 3 hours a night. FOR 12 YEARS!


⭐️ TAKEAWAY:
When we get familiar with feats like these, either through books or elsewhere, our ability to complain about trifles is diminished.

Our standards and expectations of ourselves and others are so low nowadays... SO LOW.. (at least in Sweden where I live), that learning about stuff like this can, at least temporarily, raise the expectation bar a bit. So that you don't get too cocky for blowing some air into an inflatable pool. Or praise the one that did it. 😎

What’s the other side of the coin? Many tend to be really hard on ourselves. Arguably we could do well in giving ourselves a break from time to time.

All these paradoxes of life..

⚖️ VERDICT:
It's a great book! This book is not for everyone - It’s quite poorly written at times and weirdly edited, but the content is truly fascinating if you are a fan of running, endurance or just fascinated by incredible human achievements - then look no further!




ps. want weekly reviews in the genres of philosophy, psychology and human nature? Check out my channel: https://youtube.com/c/BookLabbyBjorn

[Ta0paipai · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a runner living in Japan, the legendary marathon monks of Hiei Mountain sparked my imagination. These men were said to run hundreds of kilometers a day, praying and starving themselves on the path to living-Buddhahood and, if lucky, enlightenment.

Intriguing as that sounds, the real story isn't so interesting. Stevens presents the information in a purely academic way. Although the result is extremely informative, it does little to get the adrenaline pumping. Although pictures are littered throughout the book, the dark, black and white printing leaves a lot to the imagination.

Add a long introduction on the foundations of Buddhisn in Japan to the content and we are left with a short treatise on the actual subject of marathon monks.

But the book does what it sets out to do - I learned about Buddhisn, Mount Hiei and the marathon monks. Those interested in the subject should check it out. But those looking for a bit of excitement, intrigue and possibly motivation for your next marathon should look elsewhere.

[Ciahnan Darrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book reads like someone upended a truck full of dry nuggets of knowledge, and subsequently made little attempt to fashion, order, or arrange them within an overarching narrative that might engage the reader.

If you’re a researcher, there’s a significant store of information collected herein, but if you’re not, I’d recommend looking elsewhere. (I imagine the author thought that any “embroidery” would threaten the integrity of his report, and commend him for his integrity, but I think the book falls short of its subject matter, and fails to meet its readers where they are.)

[Fred · Rating 1 out of 5]

A decent book, but honestly you can just skip it and read the wikipedia entry and watch the 15 minute documentary on youtube. It is a thin book, half Buddhist history and philosophy, and half description of the walking and prayer regimen.
For runners, this really doesn't have much for you. They actually walk, so maybe it has something for the ultra-marathon crowd. The achievements of the monks are interesting, but there just isn't a whole lot in this book for modern runners. The monks take 6 hours to do 18 miles, and up to 20 hours to do the 55. So doing that every day for months is impressive, but unless you are independently wealthy there is nothing here to help you train. The pictures are poor quality black and white, and actually quite few for being a large format paperback. Was hoping for more pictures or better writing.

[Erik Rostad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book half about Buddhism and half about monks who run, a lot. As in 1,000 marathons in a 7 year period. Was hoping for more from this book.

[Chalky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating topic but a bit of a dull read.

The topic is treated rather academically and much more from a historical and Buddhist perspective rather than their athletic feats. My second gripe, although the paperback has only just be released in past few months the pictures were taken about 30 years ago and the " current marathon monks" referred too are the same ones, so visually the book is dull and outdated too. This is not to knock the author for his immense scholarship but it will possibly offer more to those interested in Tendai Buddhism than Marathon Monks.

[Totochelamouche · Rating 3 out of 5]

They must be quite similar to the famed lung-gom-pa runners of old Tibet. Scores of explorers to Tibet and Mongolia recorded encounters with these running monks, who appeared to bound across the immense grassy plains; apparently in a trance, they could travel nonstop for forty-eight hours or more, covering over 200 miles a day. Since accomplished lung-gom-pa runners were faster than horses over long distances, they were often employed as human "pony express" to convey messages across that huge country.

Here one of Sakai Yusai's marathon dogs runs ahead of him on the path.

The 2:00 A.M. water-taking ritual helps revive the gyoja. As he steps out of the hall made stuffy by incense smoke and poor circulation, the pure, bracing mountain air helps clear his head.

Negotiation of the 84-kilometer course is made somewhat easier by the use of a "pusher" on straightaways. A padded pole is placed at the small of the monk's back while the pusher applies a gentle force.

Somewhat like the sixteenth-century eccentric Zen priest Fugai, Gankai hoisted a flag outside his hut when he was short of supplies and then exchange calligraphies and amulets for rice and other provisions.

A novice monk is a novice monk regardless of his age, and Sakai cheerfully fulfilled the tasks required of newcomers. He cleaned, shopped, cooked, and helped tend Odera's five little children [...] and changing their diapers.

Sakai did complain, however, about the increased pollution of Kyoto's air: "During the second Great Marathon I nearly choked on the smog, which was much worse than before."

[Matt Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine book, but it tries to be too many things. It spends its first half trying to give an overview of the development of Tendai Buddhism in Japan. Even the author admits that this part of the book is less engaging for those not already familiar with the topic. Since this is published by a Buddhist press, much of the terminology and many allusions are brushed over as necessarily familiar. At some point it becomes a wave of Capitalized Terms that don't stick long enough to sink in.

The second half is more engaging because it actually talks about the subject of the book. It seems to shift its focus, not sure if it's purely descriptive, biographical, or devotional. Central figures are alluded to before they're introduced, strangely, in the final chapter. The descriptions of the practice are very interesting, though a non-Buddhist reader will be struck by how the author takes every unprovable miraculous anecdote at face value. This is as slim an introduction as you're going to get in book form, and there's lots of engaging description once you get to the meat of it, but don't feel too bad if you skim the rest.

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav]

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[Bruce Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine that you've just crossed the line after running a marathon. An official comes up to you and says, 'Well done. You're half way. Turn around and go back to the start to complete this race.' Incredibly, you actually manage to run two marathons. Then, you're told that you need some rest, because, you're going to run another double marathon tomorrow. And in fact, you have to run like this for the next three months. Impossible right?
A few, very select monks on a mountain near Kyoto, Japan do this. It's not sport, it's moving meditation. It's worship in action. It's a demonstration of what is possible if the mind and body are fused. As the Buddhist monk Saichō said, “Even the dullest stone becomes sharp after twelve years of daily polishing.”
Both runners and the religious will ultimately be dissatisfied with this book, it unsuccessfully attempts to bridge the gulf between the two worlds. However, at least it makes an attempt.

[Matt Leiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

"All intercourse with the world is cut off; one robe and the thinnest bedcover suffice for the monk, summer and winter, in the heatless hall, and he subsists on leftovers-watery soup and plain rice-and three hours of sleep a day."

The ultimate combination of physical and spiritual, these monks run a marathon a day for many years in a row with almost no rest. The most extreme practitioners run 2 a day.

This book details some of their practices on running, as well as others that are just as extreme. They do all of this on meager food and rest. It is truly remarkable what someone can do when dedicated in mind and body and soul.

"Leaving behind the cacaphony of the restless, relentless world, the monk isolates himself to live every day as if it were his last."

[Guy Pauley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second time reading this interesting nonfiction tale about the famed Marathon Monks. When I read it originally it was almost certainly read through a running filter. I doubt the Buddhism aspect made much sense to me. In fact, it may have been the first book I'd ever read that had anything to do with Buddhism. I now have more general knowledge which made the first part of the book a lot more interesting than it was the first time. Overall it's a really solid read. Not spectacularly written. Most importantly it's the only book I know of about these incredible spiritual seekers and athletes. That alone makes it an important work.

[Christopher Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in an academic style (because it was originally for academic purposes), this matter-of-factly presents a history of Tendai Buddhism and then the 1000 day marathon that some undertake. The most interesting section are the last few pages recounting what is known about the handful of modern finishers, who are considered saints and living Buddhas.

The ultra-distance runner in me wanted an entire volume dedicated to the last 100 days of their devotion: 52 miles a day for 100 straight days.

[Calicopete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring!

Fascinating and inspiring insight into this extreme Buddhist path to enlightenment. Wonderful to hear the background stories of those who have completed this gruelling journey. As a practitioner of Buddhism and a long distance trail runner there is so much to be learned from the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei whose total dedication and commitment to this Path is what sets them apart, rather than any particular physical attributes or strength.

[Frank A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was stationed in Japan decades ago as an active duty U.S. Marine. It's a very inspirational book about the powers of the human spirit that can overcome the physical limitations of the human body. Five years after leaving Japan, I completed the Honolulu Marathon for the first time and I successfully finished this marathon for four years in a row.

[Adrian Eisermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great short read. Espacially the second part, which actually is about the monks, while the first is about general buddhism.
I found it intriguing, very well researched and overall entertaining.
There are some lessons to be learned.
If you are interessted in the marathon monks, you should read this first and branch out to the desired topic.

[Todd Dowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much info that is amazing! A must read for any ultra runner.

[Rachel Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not about running, more about Buddhism. Interesting, though.

[Nelson Liddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the amazing achievements and the absolute dedication of these spiritual athletes. Inspiring.

[André Filipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Human endurance can reach impressive levels.

Mind over body or a fusion of spirit and body - whatever it is, Hiei monks are inspiring.

Truly inspiring book (more the second half] in general.

[Jared Magid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting topic but not the most interesting storytelling.

[Jos Eijkelestam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the marathon monks due to an article in a running magazine some time ago. Especially the fact that they seemed to commit suicide if they couldn't fulfil their 'so many days in a row runs' triggered my interest.

If this is what you are looking for, do not read this book. Basically this book is about Buddhism in Japan with some running interspersed.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The information was interesting but I didn’t get a lot out of it from what I was looking for…I don’t know if the marathon monks even run or how fast they run. I guess I was looking for a little more info on the actual run. The second section read somewhat like a high school report about the authors favorite monks. Even the Buddhism side seemed a little lacking on info. Would’ve loved more of the Tendai theology but instead just got a history full of readily believed mysticism.

3 stars because I didn’t hate it, but it left a lot wanting.

[Bilyana Boychinova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Очаквах много повече, а намерих курсова работа на тема Тендай будизъм. Дори за пръв път от години наред (макар и бегло) познанство с будизма разбрах, че може би не го харесам и дори ми се видя безсмислен...

[Tero · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chapters on the founding of Tendai Buddhism and the history of Hiei were very interesting, and the book got even better with its detailed descriptions of the practices of these spiritual athletes. The photographs which stoked the imagination were wonderful and added a depth of feeling to this book. You also get glimpses of the personalities of the monks, and the other individuals surrounding them. The only sad thing about this book was that it had been published in 1988, which meant not only that some of the amazing personalities introduced in the book were deceased but also that the "future" of the Hiei gyōja has become the past. The uniqueness of the subject means that it is difficult to find recent literature about it. No news on what has happened in the past three decades on Mt. Hiei are given in recent editions or reprints of this book. One is left wondering what became of these men, these Buddhas, and whether there still are monks who aspire to complete the sennichi kaihogyo.

[Jeff Buddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it isn't what I was expecting. The first half of the book is a short-but-dense history of Buddhism in Japan and the evolution of the Tendai school. The second half is about the Marathon Monks themselves and the practice of the kaihōgyō, a 1,000 day running challenge for which the monks run approximately 52.5 miles every day to become enlightened in the here-and-now. Fascinating stuff, but since the tone of the book is academic it holds the reader at arm's length rather than getting into the nitty-gritty. I guess I was hoping for a more journalistic account, something that would bring the experience of these incredible people to life. The book is more for those with interest in Japanese Buddhism than in long distance running.

[Jasmin Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating insight into a little known branch of Buddhism that combines physical training (athleticism) with spiritual training (harmony, discipline, and balance). I really like this concept. What these monks can do is probably incredible for the average person who sits at an office desk all day, but I am quite sure that anyone can do this, if they apply and train themselves in the same way as these monks have. It does take a lot of dedication, mindfulness and effort, and it is indeed incredible what the human being is able to achieve when she/he pushes their boundaries and tests the established truth.

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating study of a Buddhist sect in Japan that practices an extremely athletic regimen consisting of marathon running, fasts, and extensive asceticism. Stevens goes over the history, the training regimen and its grounding in Buddhist tradition, and the personal stories of two of these "marathon monks."

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't really tell me more than a news article did 6 years ago.

First half is the history of Tendai and Mount Hiei and it's founders. Pretty boring. The second half was about the marathon monks and what they go through - which was the newspaper article. I wish there was more to part 2.

Quick read with full page photos sprinkled in.