[Buddha-l] Extreme practice

[Jamie Hubbard]

As others have pointed out, this is the kaihōgyō 回峰行 practice atop 
Mt. Hiei, recently (well, in the sixties) brought back after a hiatus. I 
too have known at least two priests who have completed the practice (I 
believe that it is always done together with a number of other ascetic 
practices, such as 12 years not leaving the mountain, ten-day fast, and 
some other stuff). There are several documentaries and books about it. I 
even walked a part of it several nights in a row back about 30 years ago.

My experience also was that, a number of years later visiting Mt. Hiei, 
the fellow that I had briefly accompanied was also an arrogant and 
pompous guy. I just figured that it was because he had become a celeb-- 
he was handing out postcards w/ his pic and bio-promo information. I 
wonder how this compares to the well known phenomena of forest recluses 
ending up with incredible worldly power and influence? Similar yet 
different?

Jamie

Weng-Fai Wong wrote:
> There is a form of very strenuous mountain walking practice called Gyo done
> by the Shingon sect in Japan. I even watched a documentary on it. It
> featured this Shingon priest who has done it several times, each time
> challenging death.
>
> Some years back I met another Japanese priest and told him about this. He
> knows the Shingon priest involved. But towards the end of the conversation,
> he gave me a funny look and then said "this guy is one of the most pompous
> and egotistical person I have ever met. What does that tell you of the
> practice?" I wanted to probe further but he left it at that.
>
> W.F. Wong
>
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