[Buddha-l] Extreme practice

[Curt Steinmetz]

I am reminded of a line from the Inspector Morse series. Morse and Lewis 
interview a Catholic nun about some murder. After the interview Lewis 
quips that he didn't appreciate the nun's "holier than thou attitude", 
to which Morse responded, "She IS holier than thou, Lewis."

Curt

Jamie Hubbard wrote:
> 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
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> buddha-l mailing list
>> buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
>> http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l
>>   
>>     
> _______________________________________________
> buddha-l mailing list
> buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
> http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l
>