The 48,000 kilometer path to enlightenment

“Repeating the same practice with passion will lead you to a new discovery.” This Buddhist quote led Ryojun Shionuma, now the head priest of Jigenji temple, to attempt the Sennichi Kaihogyo – an extreme ascetic regimen which centers on completing a 48-kilometer climb every day for 1000 consecutive days. In this astonishing and illuminating talk, Ryojun recounts his ordeal and shares the profound insights he learned along the way.

When we are connected with someone,
or feel sympathy with others,

all of us feel happy.

Today, I would like to talk about
the "feeling of appreciation,"

"self-examination,"

and "respect for others,"

which I believe are
the most important mindsets in life.

I was inspired to hold this belief

by the "Omine Sennichi Kaihogyo,"

a practice in which you walk
48 km in the mountains,

every day, for a thousand days.

After that, there is a period
of 9 days without drinking,

eating, sleeping, or lying down.

When I was a young boy,

I found out about
this ascetic practice on TV.

I then had this true, pure feeling
of wanting to give this challenge a try.

You might wonder,

"Why would a young boy suddenly
get interested in such a tough practice?"

Perhaps the reason might be
my interest in figuring out

how I can help people
get along with each other,

learning the reasons
why people hate and dispute,

and trying to find ways
to resolve such conflicts.

Before elaborating
on the Sennichi Kaihogyo practice,

I would like to talk about
the religious values of Japanese people.

In Japan,

we originally had "Shinto"
as the indigenous religion.

Later, in A.D. 538,
Buddhism was introduced.

Both don't exclude others or impose
a superior attitude towards non-believers,

so these religions
coexisted naturally in Japan.

Shintoism is about valuing a sense of awe,
gratitude and coexistence with nature.

Buddhism is a religion which teaches us
the true, better way of life.

The two harmonized deeply,

and gradually evolved to treasure
the spirit of "wa" or "harmony."

Therefore, many Japanese people
believe our life is supported by nature,

which is a unique belief, globally.

For example, on March 11, 2011,

a great earthquake and tsunami
hit this Tohoku region.

Since then, we have faced
tremendous suffering and difficulties.

Despite such sorrow,
people helped each other,

shared their limited food,

and made our best effort
to live under the spirit of "wa."

Various media covered
this attitude and spirit,

which lead to countless voices
praising the people of Japan.

A while after the earthquake,
one foreign news source said,

"The Japanese people
believe that nature let them live.

It's surprising that they never hold
a grudge against mother nature."

This ascetic practice, peculiar to Japan,

is based on this unique,
nature-oriented belief.

To meet nature face-to-face and
to take on the challenge,

I headed for the Kimpusen-ji temple
on Mt. Yoshino, in Nara prefecture.

This practice demands that trainees walk
48 km of mountain trails every day,

which takes 16 hours each time.

This long journey lasted 4 months,
from May 3 to September 3.

Once you start the practice,

you cannot quit before completing it,
even in rain, or storms, or illness.

Should you decide to stop
for whatever reason,

you must end the practice
by killing yourself with a dagger.

Why this harsh rule?

The rule reflects the extreme difficulty
of completing even a day.

Repeating this 48 km walk
for a thousand times

means that a trainee must be prepared
to risk his life to try it.

In this context,

that rule is not something
that disregards human life.

During the practice, I get up at 11:30 pm.

I then purify myself under a waterfall,
dress myself in white,

and take two rice balls
and 500 ml of water.

At 12:30 am, I start my journey
towards the summit of Mt. Omine,

which is 1719 meters high
and 24 km away from the start.

Some mountain trails are extremely steep,
and precipitous cliffs await.

Every moment is life-threatening.

Arriving at the summit at 8:30 am,

I pick up another rice ball and some water
to go back down the same trail.

I would return at 3:30 pm,

and do the cleaning, washing,
preparation for the next day,

and sleep for four and a half hours.

This cycle continues for four months.

As I only eat rice balls
and drink water during the day,

in a month, my nails crumble
due to malnutrition.

In the third month, I walk in summer heat,
over 40 degrees Celsius.

I start to see blood in my urine.

I always faced the danger
of being attacked by bears, boars,

and poisonous snakes.

A trainee must endure and overcome
such situations every day,

to complete the thousand days
of the Sennichi Kaihogyo.

During this challenge,

I kept a journal
to record my state of mind.

Let me read some of it.

Day 17.

"The next step is unknown to an ascetic.

There is no other option
but to keep going.

It's beyond reason.

If he doesn't go,
he must kill himself with a dagger.

The next step is unknown to him."

Every day, I was forced to extremes,
both physically and mentally.

But at the same time,
I always had a feeling of fulfillment.

Why?

Perhaps it's because
I had the strong desire and hope

to become a person
who can be of help to others,

people suffering all over the world.

I was determined to realize that dream
by devoting myself to the daily practice.

Yet, only one person had completed
this practice in history.

I faced many difficulties.

Legend says there are at least
3 deadly moments during the practice.

For me, the first was a serious landslide,

the second was when
I was nearly attacked by a bear,

and the third was losing 11 kg in 10 days,

due to an illness, starting on Day 488.

Day 489.

"Stomachache. I cannot stand it.

Every joint of my body aches.
The pain is so intense.

I collapsed on the roadside,
leaning against a tree in tears and sweat.

But for others' sake,
it's my duty to stand strong.

My job is to give hope to others.

I told myself that I were not qualified
to be an ascetic if I inspired pity,

and I finally came back to the temple.

I had no idea how I was able
to walk the 48 kilometers.

My neighbor told me,

'Your steps are so light!
You're still healthy, aren't you.'

'Yes, thank you.' I say, but no.
I am in terrible shape.

No one knows the backstage of my life.

Nay, no one needs to know.

I just want to be as pure and sincere
in front of the Buddha,

as a wild flower blossoming,

to be seen by no one."

Running a high fever for several days,
unable to eat anything,

on Day 495,

I collapsed on the mountain,
in total darkness.

In the dark,

I didn't feel anything.

No pain, no agony.

I felt like I was enveloped
in something or by someone.

I assumed I would die in the morning.

Suddenly, memories of my life
came flashing back,

reminding me of the people
who supported me.

I firmly stood up, telling myself
that I couldn't quit here.

That is why I'm here today.

People say that our view of life changes
when one hovers between life and death.

Let's take a look at my case.

Day 563.

"I think people are all equal.

We must appreciate the fact
that we were born on the same Earth,

equally provided with air,
water and light.

We cannot count all the stars
in a lifetime.

Given that, I thought I should live
a truly enriched, placid life.

I can feel my heart beat
when I put my hand on my chest.

If I remind myself
that my heart won’t be beating forever,

I should be able to cherish and live
my gifted but limited life to the fullest.

We should respect others

just as we care about ourselves.

A thoughtful mind will bring us happiness.

Getting up early, walking,
eating, sleeping.

With these simple,
most fundamental parts of human life,

I contemplate such thoughts
alone in the mountain."

2500 years ago, Buddha said,

"Repeating the same practice with passion

will lead you to a new discovery."

This is where the meaning
of ascetic practice lies.

As I walked the trail every day
with all my strength,

I gradually realized what are
the important mindsets for us humans.

They are the "feeling of appreciation,"

"self-examination,"

and "respect for others."

They may seem simple and too ordinary.

We learn them from our parents
when we're young.

But when we ourselves experience
a critical moment,

we finally realize the importance
of simple things in life

from the bottom of our heart.

What's important is the harmony
between yourself and others.

We are all precious.

Everyone is dearest to themselves.

That's why it is important
to love our neighbor

as we love ourselves.

Your heartfelt respect,

or your thoughtful mind,

words and actions

will connect people together.

And someday, your blessings
will be returned to you.

This cycle will lead you
to a better, hopeful life.

Conflict and hatred
will never bring us happiness.

It is important to reflect upon
the current situation you are in,

to face it directly, and to accept it.

By standing face-to-face with others,
you will discover something new.

You can deepen the bond
between you and them.

Of course, facing them like that

may lead to additional problems
and difficulties.

But with a thoughtful mind,
and through respectful discussion,

we can discover new possibilities.

That's why we, the people of Tohoku,

have come this far from the disaster,

by coming face to face
with the enormous difficulty,

and by deepening our bonds.

It is often said
that Japanese people are indecisive.

I don't believe so.

We have the ability to choose
the best option, harmonize our thoughts,

and lead ourselves to a better future.

This spirit of "wa," harmony, in Japan,

should be shared with the world,

from here, from Tohoku.

An ideal world is a world

where people, nations,
religions and cultures

respect one another
with a thoughtful mind.

It is my sincere hope that, one day,

such a better and wonderful world
will be realized.

Let us wish the best for world peace,

and the peace of every individual.

Even in this moment,

there are people suffering
from hunger and poverty.

Now is the time to take action for them,

and to start with something simple.

Let's think in a wide perspective,
with a broad mind.

We are embraced by nature,

with its unique and incredible balance.

This nature and its balance
would never be achieved

through man-made technologies.

We must appreciate the fact
that we're able to live in such a world.

And when we are connected with someone,

or feel sympathy with others,

all of us experience happiness.

We are born on this Earth
to achieve such happiness.

I wish you all happiness.

Thank you.

(Applause)