The Seven Year Pilgrimage to Enlightenment

[@heterian97]

I've been a Buddhist for years now, and can say I relate to these fellow practitioners. Fasting combined with devotional physical exercises, Sutra recitation, visualization, ritual, etc. Really does puts you into a trance-like state which makes it easier for the mind to integrate the teachings of the Dharma.
And I have only done this kind of practices one day at a time (devout Buddhists do this 2 or 4 times a months and it's called "8 precepts day" or also "Uposatha"). I can't imagine how much the senses and mental capabilities enhance with 1000 days of this.
Also, the last 9 days with the purpose of experiencing a near death experience sound like tibetan practices used to reach enlightenment in the Bardo. Only that instead of using mostly visualization and mind training to simulate the experience, the gyoja does it by actually putting the body through a near death .

[@EnergiA854]

no need to be extreme like this.

[@OfficialGOD]

There are many paths to truth, and it's not necessary to give up if you don't find it immediately. Allow time to be your master and keep living.

[@francosalinas4459]

Wonderfully shot. Wish it were longer

[@j.scottburgeson3928]

Life is not about fixating on how others "oppress" you.
Life is about overcoming the ways in which you oppress yourself.

[@pumpkingamebox]

You are not affected by events, but by the view you take on them. - Epictetus

[@Peter-rg4ng]

So true my friend, we currently live in a culture of "I am a victim".

[@eddysetiawan2329]

Man this is so inspiring in kind of masochistic kind of way

[@julius5310]

easy to say in times and places where there is little oppression.

[@BAlvn-yr6ej]

Beautiful video, but extremely vague, especially the part about "they have duties during the day and only do this at night"...and how does 1000 days equate to 7 years? 7 years is about 2500 days! will have to read more about this practice! But I like this video quite a bit. thanks

[@thecandourcabin3758]

B. Alvn yes, they didn't explain very well the all process... I didn't understand! Maybe, the 1000 days are only part of the journey during the 7 years. This is a bit extreme...

[@sweetfishkutu]

ruclips.net/video/S06oMxdt40A/видео.html - Check out this video.

[@jd_1857]

Let me tell you it's actually in bits and pieces of 1000 days over the period of 7 years..
1 year :- 100 days of continuous daily 30 km run
2nd year :- 100 days of continuous daily 30 km run
3rd year :- 100 days of daily 200 km run
Like wise it's been divided into 7 years which all total 38000 km they have to run.
After the 7the year challenge they have to stay with out food and sleep for 9 days. Then only it'll get complete..

[@WestCoastWannabe]

"even if the body deteriorates, the heart stays the same"

[@alicecafe7771]

equanimity

[@adityadeshmukh4972]

💯💯💯💯 yeah

[@The1painkiller]

Motivating but false.

[@ignwx]

​@@The1painkiller It is absolutely correct from the perspective of mahayana philosophy.

[@pvsk10]

@@alicecafe7771 Absolutely. This is basically a practice to develop industrial-stength equanimity

[@adityadeshmukh4972]

This is madness and this is true enlightenment 💯💯💯. Huge huge respect for those monks🙏🙏

[@scottrobinson502]

Simply beautiful on many levels.

[@pvsk10]

This is madness on one level and on another level this is true spiritual training

[@cezarborkowski3505]

The heart and soul of self discovery.

[@MarvJo]

AMAZING!

[@raffermel81]

This inspire my heart.
Determination.
Discipline.
Kindness.
Compassion.
Live humble, help to others, with love, without judging.
From heart. 🙏❤️

[@antonkollo1311]

Wow, this is really good, The music, the visual, the story. Brilliant job!

[@BringBackTheDislikeButton]

This video is misleading. Most of these monks only aim to complete 100 days of Kaihōgyō. Each monk is asked on the 100th day if they want to continue and almost all agree to discontinue their journey. It's only after they agree to continue that they must complete the 1000 day journey. It is very rare for a monk to try and complete the 1000 day journey. The last time a monk tried, failed, and committed suicide wasn't even in the 20th or 21st centuries.

[@FriedrichDelgado]

Kyle S. Thanks. See also en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaih%C5%8Dgy%C5%8D

[@markc5960]

Come on.. If people take that into consideration they wouldn't have the opportunity to judge it as stupid on this wonderful platform for voicing uninformed opinions on the internet.
Like does it cross the mind of anyone having a negative opinion about it how it's even possible to have a whole movement/sect if everyone is expected to attempt this rather than just being what's possible, and that only 46 have ever done so? But no no no, lets not think about that because it takes away from the basis to call it stupid.

[@BringBackTheDislikeButton]

I'll be honest, I have no idea what your point is. Your response is fairly difficult to read.

[@markc5960]

It was a little bit of sarcasm considering how a number of people commenting just say "this is stupid" - your point about how not everyone undertakes the full 1000 day 7 year process but stop at the 100 puts it into context. If everyone attempted it, most might die, in which case there wouldn't even be enough people for there to be a Tendai sect.
There's also no information indicating they want everyone to do it, apparently it is something the aspirant decides and obviously it's not going to be a casual decision. People can be inspired or, like many here just call it stupid - which is probably casual and without giving it more than just a little superficial thought.

[@markc5960]

I mean, if they were preaching door to door telling everyone to go do this that would be different, but that distinction isn't made.

[@lydiarowe491]

Insight into what is possible when the focus remains without being distracted by outside influences.

[@namobhuddha8931]

Please don't take one own life, life is so precious, it is not so important to go far away to enlightment , Your mind is the pure land n let's celebrate your life with kindness' ,,, Compassion just shine from your heart wide and far in all directions without absent of time.....

[@namobhuddha8931]

@JOHN ASHLEY WINTER may all being find truth and get enlightment ,

[@nicolescott89]

Wow, its interesting and a bit scary that they go through so much for their faith.

[@RaGePr00fs]

it's not jus faith, they actually develop during those years they develop they're senses and awareness on a much higher level than us, the whole time they're being in this enlightenment trance. The main task here is not their faith, they're not doing this for buddha lol, they're doing this in order to learn true fulfillment and happiness of the life we're given

[@HarmonixHealing]

After watching this... I think I'll fire up a big joint & lie down in the hammock.

[@Dawncopal]

Enlightenment is a secret garden.

[@Dawncopal]

@OMINOID indeed ! ^^

[@SignalSingh]

David Goggins brought me here

[@RafaelSaffiotti]

Fantastic!

[@wunderkind654]

At what pace are they running? Which smartwatch they use?

[@TheAtl0001]

LOL not at the comment but how stupid you are. Typical millennial narrow-mindedness .

[@thebettermanproject]

B BG I think you missed the sarcasm here lol

[@legalknowledge139]

During the whole video i keep on crying do not know

[@tormacsaba2211]

I´ve been trying to find the music used in this video for months now.

[@aboxofphotons]

There is a very thin line between that level of dedication and madness.

[@lukeskysartchannel8553]

What is the song in this video? It's so beautiful along with the video

[@jonnielang9274]

Hi, please tell me you have found the song! :) I was thinking the same, but I coulnd´t find it anywhere!

[@LuisSierra42]

But didn't the Buddha himself said that ascetic practices were a waste of time, didn't he proposed the middle way instead? isn't the middle way the whole basis upon which Buddhism is built?

[@markc5960]

Have you ever considered how to define the middle? The middle of which points?
For example the "middle way" of developing vs. developed countries are probably different to some extent, largely based on the assumptions and what is commonly held to be tolerable norms.
One possible definition is it's the middle of the walls that make up an echo chamber, whether that's on the internet or any place where others may support an existing view.

[@LuisSierra42]

"middle" in this context just means "no extremes" but equilibrium. balance. Siddhartha Gautama used to practice the ascetic life, until he realized they were useless to attain enlightenment

[@markc5960]

Yes, which means he did practice it at one point in his process. This is pretty textbook and we have all heard of it, but the fact that he did it is almost completely ignored by Buddhists. There's his teaching and his actual experience, the teaching is favored over the experience.
As I noted above, they don't seem to say everyone needs to do this. My point is what exactly in practice (and not just in concept) constitutes "middle" is contextually and culturally dependent. One persons extreme is anothers norm. One persons extreme becomes their own norm further down the line as they develop increased capacity. Might there be an influence of Japanese samarai culture? Without considering any of this it's just a flat, conceptual definition of "middle" with a dash of subjective judgement.
Also, even in this little tiny video it says the final part is not completed in the practice, it's lived out in the rest of ones life. That kind of follows the pattern of the Buddhas life in a basic way in that he did the ascetic practices but that didn't lead to the end.

[@MultiPopculture]

Mark C: You are referring to White man's fake Buddhism, not Buddhism as we practice it in Japan.

[@rogerbajaj]

when will the movie/documentary be released in full and where can one access it ?

[@maryharkin3360]

Confused me too, at first. That is the movie. If you can track down a copy, there's a 1988 book, The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei, by John Stevens.

[@rogerbajaj]

Thanks for the prompt response Mary. I'll search for the book. Much appreciated.

[@rogerbajaj]

Thanks for the response Mary. Sincerely appreciated. Will search for the book. How does one communicate with you directly ?

[@maryharkin3360]

Don't know--no one's ever tried before. And I'm not going to put my contact information on a public message board.

[@alexanderphillips-sears7305]

Hi Roger. You can look for the book in your library on WorldCat search.
www.worldcat.org/title/marathon-monks-of-mount-hiei/oclc/934644815&referer=brief_results

[@raphaelcarvalhobezerra6913]

Noumaku Samanda Bazaradan Senda Makaroshada Sowataya Un Tarata Kan Man

[@singhutkal12]

❤️

[@jayjayfreeman]

How can the body physically be alive after 9 days without water? Were we not told in grade school science class that the body cannot physically survive without water after 3 days?

[@OfficialGOD]

Samadhi

[@Jesusmaverick89]

I would
Want to try this

[@Feyd01]

Nicely shot, but it doesn't even explain what the task actually is. It is just running up the hill once a day with a log? What's the actual task in its entirety?

[@emoraytorres6842]

Feyd01 18 miles a day for 7 years

[@TheAtl0001]

Watch it and read the subtitles. People with no focus and an attention span of a goldfish. 🙄

[@jamelpiclit3062]

About 80 km. Per day for 100day continously per year for 7 years...

[@TheMathieu2011]

Ono Ozaki brought me here!

[@virenderyadav707]

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@lovekyoto969]

Genial💮💜

[@Rombizio]

Once you realize the search for anything is the same as a quick trip to the toilet to take a dump, your seach is over.

[@lisa.user-xm7kz2tb6x]

sooo, how did he fair? i hope he's ok ✌

[@pumpkingamebox]

What is enlightenment? Understanding of an idea? What idea? Do we have to discover for ourselves? But then how would we know if we discovered the right idea? Is there even a right idea? Why attain enlightenment?

[@user-Void-Star]

It's a long talk

[@xerox9591]

"even if the body deteriorates, the heart stays the same" from which Buddhist Sutra is this?

[@invokingvajras]

I don't think this is a passage from scripture, but the notion is that one realizes the true nature of the heart. All conditioned things are impermanent, selfless, and suffering. That which is unconditioned is the opposite. That is the true heart. It is mind purified. Buddha.

[@xerox9591]

@@invokingvajras It is from the Buddhist Scripture "The Lotus of the Wonderful Law" (Saddharma Pundarika Sutra). Found it some time ago!

[@invokingvajras]

@@xerox9591Excellent! Do you know which chapter? The translation I'm studying may be different.

[@simeonbanner6204]

Too stylised and the dramatic music slightly gilding the lily but in essence it worked, conveyed the message. I suppose western orientated to appeal to the youth as some endurance test.

[@thevoiceinthewalls]

I am looking for away to do this in japan for seven years. if you know how or who I can contact then I would like to do the Kaihōgyō,

[@mindyschaper4119]

What percentage die during the last nine days?

[@xerox2610]

None

[@xerox2610]

No one

[@dpavlovsky]

Spoiler alert: he doesn't reach enlightenment. Another round on the hellish wheel of Samsara for him.

[@alanarcher]

So... The idea is basically to do exactly what the Buddha told us *not* to do?

[@jayjayfreeman]

Spot on. The Buddha taught the middle way, or the middle path. This is clearly not that.

[@OfficialGOD]

They are doing what the buddha did not what he taught. What he taught was to clear your mental issues not to reach anything (lost in translation).

[@thebettermanproject]

@@OfficialGOD The Buddha said his extreme asceticism put his body and mind into all kinds of torment, but did not bring the peace and knowledge he desired.

[@juno7496]

You can watch an entire BBC documentary that explains the whole ritual in greater detail here:
ruclips.net/video/emE-dxCyRz4/видео.html

[@meetontheledge1380]

Thank you!

[@rescuecomputers]

The people who don't like it - are you justifying your aversion based on survival instincts?

[@legalknowledge139]

Wow wow wow one day I will do it definitely

[@pvsk10]

I seriously doubt that.

[@lukeoshaughnessy9271]

FUCK THAT.

[@searching4pawgs495]

The messed up thing is, I'm watching this video to gain inspiration to build my business and make money. :D

[@Ishikaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Don't worry you'll got this

[@lockariques]

"monk, or gyoja, who can't complete it must take his own life" what?????!!!!!

[@BAlvn-yr6ej]

"traditionally...." which is their way of saying: "nobody does that anymore"...modern man are such pussies compared to the old days!

[@lilears4]

It is more of a statement of commitment.
i.e. Don't start this lightly. Here's what you are committing to do... if you aren't fully committed to it, don't start.

[@petopp8322]

take some mushrooms of the right kind instead of having stress for 7 yrs !

[@OfficialGOD]

They are here to stabilize the state, not to induce temporarily.

[@AmritaMandala]

Just today I read from a newspaper of a Finnish lady, who did marathon every day for a year, while working normally. No enlightenment, no search, no buddhas, no "hard training", no games.

[@VishalHanda]

Seems a bit... torturous

[@shittykittyification]

Religions!

[@dimitri1946]

Rank bullshit. #1) Buddha specifically preached that he was not a god and didn't want or need to be worshipped while alive or when dead. #2) This little ditty is designed to lure naive western (and other) "seekers" out of their insignificant lives into even deeper insignificance. #3) Spirituality is not a death defying endurance contest. It is what it is, and is best reflected in "loving thy neighbor as thyself". The folks depicted in this video seem not to even know about their neighbors and clearly see themselves as standing above them, which is but one interpretation drawn on the view from the mountaintop.

[@markc5960]

Like one opinion drawn from a 6 minute video?

[@MultiPopculture]

Dimitri: Which sutra have you read? The Buddha DOES want to be worshipped as a God. I am a PhD in Buddhism and I know.