They are ascetics

“Running around the World” was an interesting reading. Running certainly plays an important role in human life, and it is also important for our culture. Especially, the story, which Japanese monks run to reach enlightenment, was interesting for me.

They practice rigorous religious austerities, and they achieve enlightenment after a long period of practice. They are on the verge of death because it is so hard to achieve their goal. I think it is a reason that they can see the world in a new way. They are often near death, and probably their consciousness is dim, so they have hallucinations or auditory hallucinations. They might think those were real things, or they might feel they met God, but the few monks who have completed the 1,000-day challenge must gain a new horizon.

Japanese students also run to build up their body at school in a cold winter. Students put on a short-sleeved shirts and shorts, and then they run. Many students want to skip class because it is freezing and boring. Marathon class doesn’t give us enlightenment, but gives us a strong body and mind. That has the same meaning for students as the monk’s challenge.