Synopsis
For seven years in a row, Gyōja athletes perform a tough test to attain enlightenment, walking down more than 46 thousand kilometers.
A test made up of discipline, patience, perseverance, concentration, kindness and transcendental knowledge, step by step.
Gyōja athletes experience feelings of emptiness and transparency, by purifying thoughts, making them neutral, without judgments.
While running and walking, they learn how to rest body parts entering into a state of meditation.
They don’t run to become faster or to win something. They simply dance, running and letting themselves go.
At the end, the monks become one with the mountain throughout the long path, overcoming every obstacle and discovering interior peace, that mirrors the exterior.
During these seven years, the stars, the sky, the rocks, the plants and the trees become companions of the monks’ path, who develop the ability of predicting time through the shape of the clouds, the direction of the wind and the smell of the air.
They know when the birds and the insects start singing and they are surprised, as if it was the first time, in seeing the sun and the moon dancing at every twilight.
“Heat, open hearts and humanity are the most admirable things of these monks.
Facing death repeatedly, they feel alive in every moment, full of gratitude, joy and grace.
They have a lot to teach: they always seek for the best, without looking back, taking care of the others and keeping their mind focused on their path.”
