Peoples Daily, Monday, june 23, 2014
Page 35
Strange World The marathon monks of mount Hiei put olympic athletes to shame
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n the foothills of Mt. Hiei, to the northeast of Kyoto City, lies a huge, 1,200-year old temple complex called Enryakuji. The Tendai-shu monks who inhabit this place are better known to the world as ‘marathon monks’ for their amazing physical feats that put Olympic athletes to shame Not all the Enryakuji monks are Tendai-shu; only some of them get special permission to participate in the sennichi kaihogyo, or the Thousand Day Challenge – one of the most rigorous spiritual challenges in the world. The trial lasts for seven years and involves
walking a distance that is equal to circling the globe once over. During this test of physical and mental endurance, the monk sets on a journey to venerate Fudo-myo-o, the central deity of the Tendai, by visiting a series of religious sites located on Mount Hiei. The selected monks are called ‘gyoja’ and their challenge consists of seven long years of pilgrimage to over 250 sites on Mt. Hiei, which is one of the top three sacred places in Japan. During their visits, they need to cover a total of 1,000 long marathons, a feat that seems humanly impossible to accomplish.
They adopt a very specific pace while moving – they don’t run, but a normal person would have to jog to keep up with them. They must not walk too fast though, because their goal is not to exhaust themselves. For these monks, walking is a type of meditation, a means to a spiritual end. Their posture is important while walking – they keep their back and hips upright and walk in such a way that their unique hats barely move, even if the path is rough. During the first three years of the kaihogyo, gyojas walk 30 to 40 kilometers a day for 100 consecutive days, irrespective of
the weather conditions. In the fourth and fifth years, the number of pilgrimage days is increased to 200. As they walk, they must make brief stops at pre-designated sacred spaces to chant mantras and pray. There are over 250 such spots – mostly waterfalls, streams, sacred trees, wells, springs, stone images, temples or shrines. They are clad in modest clothing – a white robe, a rengegasa hat, split-toe socks and straw sandals. They carry a staff and a lantern to show the way at night. During the rains, they may go through several pairs of sandals
a day. The trek is so difficult that it has been dubbed ‘the walking hell’. Gyojas often face several hardships, develop festering wounds, sore feet and serious injuries. But nothing deters them from their goal. In the fifth year, the monks engage in a special fasting called do-iri, in which they chant a special mantra for nine days straight. They do not eat, drink or sleep during this period. At 2:00 a.m. each night, they are permitted to take a short walk to a nearby well to get water as an offering to the deity. They are allowed one sip of water a day, which they must swish around in their mouth and spit out immediately. The amount spat out needs to be the same as what went in. On the last day of the fast, gyojas become so weak that they need to be supported by men as they make their last trip to the well. A 12 to 15-minute walk now takes them over an hour to complete. The fast is the closest that the monks get to death – they completely lose sense of the day and time and they are no longer able to think. The ordeal is so severe that it is often referred to as a living funeral. The only way to get through the year of fasting is with complete faith in Fudomyo-o. The sixth year involves a 60-kilometer trek per day for 100 consecutive days, and the seventh year is 84 kilometers. The final lap of the challenge is another 100day stretch of walking 30 to 40 kilometers a day.
New York sugar daddy university helps attractive women land wealthy men and vice versa
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ewly opened Sugar Daddy University aims to teach women how to become professional sugar babies, and men become better sugar daddies. Located in New York, the school is run by well-known sugar daddy Alan Schneider, who previously created the top dating site, sugar daddy for me. He’s roped in one of his own sugar babies, Carla Abonia, as a professor. Together, Dean Alan and Carla will teach students the five key elements required to become a successful sugar daddy or sugar baby – sexuality, understanding, generosity, attraction and reciprocity. They’re also collaborating with plastic surgeons, relationship experts and financial experts to help women look better and help men manage the relationship better. Many tend to frown upon this kind of relationship, but according to Alan there’s nothing wrong with a relationship based on a rich man providing for the woman of his dreams if she provides for him as
well. The transaction itself is not the problem, but the associated stigma is. “It’s a whole lifestyle that is taught and refined,” he said. “Sugar daddy relationships are ongoing, and they are as monogamous as other relationships, often more so,” he insisted. “Many sugar daddy relationships evolve into marriage or long term committed relationships. They are based on spoiling and pampering – and what’s wrong with that?” The Sugar Daddy University kicked off its courses with a 90-minute symposium on how to live this highly controversial type of lifestyle. The syllabus for the symposium read: “The course is a prerequisite for understanding the sugar daddy lifestyle, how to navigate successfully in it, how to avoid the pitfalls of approaching the lifestyle incorrectly, and learning the tools to initiate and prosper in this relevant and popular, but often misunderstood lifestyle.” “It’s not just about sex,” Alan added. “We help them discover a real spark, a real connection
and many couples get married. Because of the understanding it happens more regularly than other marriages.” Around 300 men and 300 women attended the symposium, which was a one-night event held at 230 Fifth, a popular Manhattan nightclub. Entry was granted free of charge, because the founders felt that the lessons were just too important. Some of the topics on the course included: “The Alan Action ‘Shtick and Move’ Proven Techniques,” “Transactional vs. Equitable Relationships,” and “Managing the Haters of the Lifestyle.” The names might sound strange, but they’re apparently exactly what people need to know to successfully navigate these relationships. “Many sugar-daddy and sugarbaby relationships are not to full potential,” said 37-year-old Carla. “Our experiences are what created the university – relationships can be better so we’re here to make them better. We are going to teach sugar daddies and sugar babies how to enhance their relationships. I’m
going to be teaching how to view the relationship so it can be prosperous and beneficial for both sides.” “We’ll teach a sugar baby how to be more transactional than equitable,” she added. “I’ll be putting all my experience together to help other babies appreciate the man they are with and let the daddies know how to approach us in the first place.” During her career, Carla has been flown across the world and has had lavish gifts bought for her by rich men who enjoy her company. But things weren’t always this great – she was in a string of bad relationships herself, before she decided to turn to the sugar baby lifestyle.
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