Have you heard of the “Marathon Monk”?
Ryojun Shionuma has been called a “Living Buddha” and has taken on one of the hardest tasks of his religious practice, “The Thousand-Day Circumambulation Practice”.
In the practice, the monk must walk 48 kilometres per a day for 1000 days along the same steep mountain path to achieve enlightenment.
After completing his run, he must then recite a Buddhist chant without drinking, eating, sleeping, or lying down for 9 days.
However, the practice’s toughest rule is you must not quit. In fact, quitting has dire consequences.
If he quits, he must kill himself with a short sword, or a similarly sharp instrument (seriously). If he succeeds, he will become a Ajyari or what the West has deemed a “Marathon Monk”.
Shionuma is currently the second monk in 1,300 years to complete the challenge and only living marathon monk in the world.
Shionuma will also be presenting a lecture at JCCC on September 14 at 2 p.m. where he will discuss his experience and what he achieved enlightenment in the extreme asceticism.
Featured image courtesy: Ryojun Shionuma.