Comments on: Monk completes 1,000-day “marathon” ordeal 千日回峰行 http://planetkyoto.com/2009/10/monk-completes-1000-day-marathon-ordeal/ video stories from the heart of Japan Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:24:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: nils http://planetkyoto.com/2009/10/monk-completes-1000-day-marathon-ordeal/comment-page-1/#comment-3520 nils Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:51:35 +0000 http://planetkyoto.com/?p=153#comment-3520 There are academic papers that describe the meals of monks in training in Japan, but I'm not aware of any websites. Basically they eat shojin ryori, simple vegetarian meals of rice, tofu, boiled vegetables, roots and beans. A monk on the the Kaihougyo is not set apart, he still sleeps at the temple atop Hiei-zan, does temple chores and eats the same communal meals. Only those who go on to the longer 1,000-day version, and only in the later stages, does he find himself off the mountaintop at mealtimes. In both the Sekizan and Kyo-mawari stages, he took meals at Sekizanzen-in, and I saw him eat the simple meals at about 3 a.m. provided by Sokusho-ko members. A couple of simple rice balls (o-nigiri), tea, typically a banana, a small canned coffee and a small snack cake. At this time he changed his straw sandals, short footbath, and had a restroom break before blessing the gathered members one-by-one and leaving. His body appeared completely leaned out, his walk was fluid and FAST! It would seem that the modest meals would not support an arduous daily ultra-marathon and mountain descent/climb, and one of the academic papers I read described this situation, but it is what it is. Before the 9-day do-iri ritual fast, he does not load up on extra nutrition, as one might expect, but rather tapers off to ever-smaller meals in the practice that has been established over the centuries. Whatever moisture he can absorb from the air and while "rinsing" his mouth must suffice. There are academic papers that describe the meals of monks in training in Japan, but I’m not aware of any websites. Basically they eat shojin ryori, simple vegetarian meals of rice, tofu, boiled vegetables, roots and beans. A monk on the the Kaihougyo is not set apart, he still sleeps at the temple atop Hiei-zan, does temple chores and eats the same communal meals. Only those who go on to the longer 1,000-day version, and only in the later stages, does he find himself off the mountaintop at mealtimes. In both the Sekizan and Kyo-mawari stages, he took meals at Sekizanzen-in, and I saw him eat the simple meals at about 3 a.m. provided by Sokusho-ko members. A couple of simple rice balls (o-nigiri), tea, typically a banana, a small canned coffee and a small snack cake. At this time he changed his straw sandals, short footbath, and had a restroom break before blessing the gathered members one-by-one and leaving. His body appeared completely leaned out, his walk was fluid and FAST!

It would seem that the modest meals would not support an arduous daily ultra-marathon and mountain descent/climb, and one of the academic papers I read described this situation, but it is what it is.

Before the 9-day do-iri ritual fast, he does not load up on extra nutrition, as one might expect, but rather tapers off to ever-smaller meals in the practice that has been established over the centuries. Whatever moisture he can absorb from the air and while “rinsing” his mouth must suffice.

]]> By: Tyler Durden http://planetkyoto.com/2009/10/monk-completes-1000-day-marathon-ordeal/comment-page-1/#comment-3519 Tyler Durden Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:40:04 +0000 http://planetkyoto.com/?p=153#comment-3519 Can you please post the exact diet that the monks subsist on? Is there a website that details this somewhere? Thanks for any help... Can you please post the exact diet that the monks subsist on? Is there a website that details this somewhere? Thanks for any help…

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