27,000 Miles
of Gratefulness

The Marathon Monks of Mt Hiei in Japan make a pilgrimage of 27,000 miles, a distance greater than the circumference of the earth. During their seven-year journey, they complete 900 marathons (on top of the 100 that they run in order to qualify!). Some days they travel as far as fifty-two-and-a-half miles, on as little as two hours of sleep. Asked what he learned from his grueling cycle of marathons, one monk humbly replied:

"Gratitude for the teaching of the enlightened ones, gratitude for the wonders of nature, gratitude for the charity of human beings, gratitude for the opportunity to practice — gratitude, not asceticism, is the principle of the marathon."

Through Millennium Television's website, you can learn about the documentary movie, The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei, based on the book by John Stevens (Shambala Press).