Kaihōgyō

The Kaihōgyō (回峰行) is a set of the ascetic physical endurance trainings for which the Japanese ‘marathon monks’ of Mt. Hiei are known. These Japanese monks are from the Tendai school of Buddhism, a denomination brought to Japan by the monk Saichō in 806 from China.

Their quest is to serve Buddha through many duties but they are best known for their physical endurance in running, a form of extreme asceticism. The school is based north of Kyoto, at Mt. Hiei, which overlooks the ancient capital city.

The Monks and their quest for enlightenment

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 gyōja (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 either the 20th or 21st century.

There are many parts to the kaihōgyō, but the main challenges can be broken down into the following sections:

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.

The kaihōgyō 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:

Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year 6	Year 7
30 (40) km per day for 100 days.	30 (40) km per day for 100 days.	30 (40) km per day for 100 days.	30 (40) km per day for 200 days.	30 (40) km per day for 200 days.	60 km per day for 100 days.	84 km per day for 100 days, followed by 30 (40) km per day for 100 days.

(The numbers in parentheses indicate the distance of the Imuro Valley course which is slightly longer.)

The running is punctuated in the middle of the term by the Katsuragawa retreat which takes 4 days. Although not required all modern initiates have been known to add the missing days due to this retreat onto the end of their course, thereby completing the full 1000 day term.

Doiri or "Entering the Temple"

During the fifth year of the challenge, the running is punctuated by what many consider the most daunting phase of the process. The trainee Monk must go for 9 days (216 hours) without food, water, or rest of any kind. He sits in the Temple and prays constantly. Two monks accompany him, one on either side, to ensure he does not fall asleep. At 2am every night he must get up to fetch sacrificial water from the well, around 200m away, as an offering for Fudō Myōō.

Author John Stevens, in his book, The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei describes the running style which dates back over a thousand years. 'Eyes focused about 100 feet ahead while moving in a steady rhythm, keeping the head level, the shoulders relaxed, the back straight, and the nose aligned with the navel.'

External links

• Transcript of a story on the Kaihōgyō from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Foreign Correspondent television program
• The Spiritual Athlete's Path to Enlightenment by Holly Schmid
• 27,000 Miles to Buddhahood by Pete Bampton
• about Tendai Buddhism
• Tendai Buddhism in Denmark