The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei

Mount Hiei (比叡山 Hiei-zan^?) is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan.

The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tendai (Chin. Tiantai) sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Hōnen studied at the temple before leaving to start their own practices. The temple complex was razed by Oda Nobunaga in 1571 to quell the rising power of the Tendai's warrior monks (sōhei), but it was rebuilt and remains the Tendai headquarters to this day.

The Kaihōgyō (回峰行^?) is a set of the ascetic physical endurance trainings for which the Japanese "marathon monks" of Mt. Hiei are known.

These Japanese monks are from the Shugendō and the Tendai school of Buddhism, a denomination brought to Japan by the monk Saichō in 806 from China.

Part of Tendai Buddhism's teaching is that enlightenment can be attained in the current life. It is through the process of self denial that this can be achieved, and the kaihōgyō is seen as the ultimate expression of this desire.

The selection process for the kaihōgyō is after the first 100 days of running, the gyōja (trainee monk) will petition the senior monks to complete the remaining 900 days. In the first 100 days, withdrawal from the challenge is possible, but from day 101 onwards the monk is no longer allowed to withdraw; he must either complete the course or take his own life. The mountain has many unmarked graves from those who have failed in their quest, although none date from either the 20th or 21st century.

There are many parts to the kaihōgyō, but the main challenges can be broken down into the following sections: Read the sections.