Hello, this is Dojo from the Creative Department.
This time, I would like to talk about the fasting training I undertook at Naritasan for three nights during the New Year holidays.
The motivation for fasting training
The reason I decided to undergo fasting training was to lose weight and train my body and mind.
At the end of last year, I had a lot of work to do, and my life was quite disrupted due to repeated all-nighters and working on holidays.
In particular, when I stay up all night, I find myself snacking more or reaching for cigarettes, which I had quit, and I end up repeating unhealthy habits every day.
If you continue living like that, before you know it, you'll have gained 5kg!
I realized that things were getting dangerous if I continued like this, so I made up my mind to take action.
In addition, this year will be a challenging one for me in terms of work, so I also wanted to re-train my mind and get motivated.
Preparation for fasting
The place I chose to fast was the fasting retreat at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple .
During their stay, the only thing guests can drink is Naritasan's well water; even mineral water is prohibited.
The stance is that this fasting is purely a Buddhist training and that only fasting aimed at training the mind and body is acceptable.
As I mentioned earlier, my purpose is to train my mind and body, so it's not a problem for me.
Also, since it is a training session, there are very strict rules about what to bring.
First of all, no electrical appliances are allowed inside.
This means that smartphones, music players, etc. are not permitted.
Furthermore, books other than those related to Buddhism are not permitted.
According to the person in charge of the fasting training, bringing in anything that is not related to the training is prohibited.
So, during the fasting period, I immerse myself in Buddhism.
I was worried about the hunger that would come from fasting, but I was also worried that being in a situation with no entertainment would make me bored to death.
To pass the time during my stay, I prepared four easy-to-read Buddhist books and set out to read.
Also, before fasting, you need to prepare your body by reducing your food intake for the same period of time as you will be fasting.
In my case, the trip took place over three days starting from January 4th, so I had to reduce my food intake from New Year's Day.
I reduced my food intake by only eating porridge on New Year's Day, salad on the second day, and soup on the third day.
Looking back now, I found it much harder to control my appetite during this period of reduced food intake because there were so many temptations around me.
Fasting training day 1
Before undergoing fasting training, you will need to undergo a medical check-up to determine whether you are in good enough physical condition to withstand the fast.
I had to arrive at the clinic, which is about 10 minutes from Narita Station, by 8:20 in the morning, so I left home around 5:30 in the morning.
After successfully passing the health check, it was time to head to Naritasan.
After listening to a brief explanation from the organizer, you will have free time.
Below is the main schedule for your stay.
5:00 Wake up
5:30 Report to the organizer how much water you drank
6:00 Morning Goma
22:00 Lights out
There was supposed to be a talk by a Buddhist monk at 3 p.m., but it never took place because the monk was busy during the New Year holidays.
So, once the goma ritual, which starts at 6am, is over, you have complete free time.
First, we went to Naritasan Women's Sanrodo Hall, where we will be staying during the fast.
*Photo is for illustrative purposes only.
The room is two 8-tatami mat rooms connected together, and the only heating is a halogen heater. The partition between the room and the hallway is a paper screen with a hole in it. If you're not in front of the heater, you can't feel the warmth, so it's really cold. It's actually warmer outside in the sun, and I started to worry whether the pack of hot packs I brought with me would be enough.
As for what was difficult during my stay, perhaps the most difficult thing was the cold.
After putting our luggage away, we took a walk around the Naritasan grounds, which are said to be the size of 3.5 Tokyo Domes.
It takes just under two hours to explore each facility. Be careful, though, as you are not allowed to take even one step outside the premises.
Since it was New Year's, the grounds were filled with food stalls and the smell of yakisoba was immediately appealing.
Delicious-looking fried noodles
Of course, with a firm resolve, I gracefully ignored it.
After passing through several halls, we arrived at the Heiwa Pagoda, where a statue of Acala is enshrined.
This statue of Acala is very impressive.
I naturally felt that Acala would be protecting me during my stay at Naritasan, and prayed for the success of my fast.
I felt a strong sympathy for Acala, so I began to go and greet him every day during my stay.
Statue of Acala (*The photo is for illustrative purposes only)
Our next stop was the Calligraphy Museum.
To be honest, I usually have no interest in calligraphy, but I have plenty of time, so I take my time to look at each piece.
Among the many works, what particularly caught my eye was a sumi-e painting on a sliding door.
Ink painting (※The photo is for illustrative purposes only)
The trees, the moon, and the sunlight are expressed through the use of light and dark ink, and looking at them made me feel calm and relaxed.
It was a rare and extremely precious experience, and before I knew it, I had spent about three hours in front of the painting.
After that, I took a walk and spent some time relaxing reading the Buddhist book I had brought with me, and it was time to go to bed at 10pm.
Since it's the first day, I still have plenty of hunger and boredom to spare.
It was very cold, but I managed to endure it until morning by layering a fleece with a down jacket and getting into bed.
Jun Miura's " My Buddhism " and Takeru Nikaido's " Starting Rock 'n' Roll Heart Sutra at 29 " "My Buddhism" is based on the author's anecdotes, and is interesting and easy to read. "Starting Rock 'n' Roll Heart Sutra at 29" explains the teachings of the Heart Sutra in a modern and easy-to-understand way, and makes you think that your daily worries are silly. As for the other two books I brought with me, I donated them to the bookshelf at the fasting dojo, so I don't have them with me now.
Fasting training day 2
As per the schedule mentioned above, I wake up at 5am and get ready.
Only cold water comes out of the tap, so even washing your face with extremely cold water.
After getting ready and reporting to the organizer how much water we had drunk, it was time to head to the morning goma ritual.
Morning Goma Ceremony (Photo is for illustrative purposes only)
Goma is a ritual considered to be a secret technique of esoteric Buddhism in which a sacred fire is lit to pray for the fulfillment of wishes.
It is said that the Goma ritual at Naritasan has been taking place since the Heian period.
Before the goma ritual, you will listen to a monk's talk and receive a purification ritual.
Once the purification ritual is completed, the goma fire is lit and the monks begin chanting sutras to the sound of large drums and bells.
Although I am not normally a religious person, on this occasion I was overwhelmed by the solemn atmosphere and was simply lost for words in the face of the sublimity of Buddhism.
I still remember the following mantra of Acala that I chanted during the morning goma ritual, and I sometimes find myself chanting it now and then.
Acala, the mantra is a chant of the Buddha , ...
After the morning goma ritual, we continue to relax as we did on the first day by reading a book in our room or taking a walk around the grounds.
Previous information had said that by the second day you would lose your stamina and it would become difficult to move, but in my case I was able to move around surprisingly without any difficulty.
As usual, I didn't feel particularly hungry, so I reflected that maybe I had too much fat stored so the damage hadn't been that bad.
Heart Sutra (※Photo is for illustrative purposes only)
On this day, I also had the opportunity to copy out the Heart Sutra. I had read a Buddhist book the day before and learned the outline of the Heart Sutra, so I was able to copy out the sutra calmly, thinking about the meaning of each character.
The Heart Sutra teaches that life is impermanent, and that we should change our way of thinking to live more easily. (My own interpretation is included.)
I felt that this philosophy was filled with life lessons that go beyond the boundaries of Buddhism and can be applied to anyone, and once again, I felt as if my soul was cleansed.
Fasting training day 3
Today is actually the last day of fasting.
I finished reading the book I brought with me, and to be honest, I'm feeling extremely bored.
After completing the daily morning goma ritual and a walk around the grounds, we head to the Buddhist library, which we had not visited before.
The Buddhist library basically only carries books related to Buddhism, but they also have manga inside, making it a kind of oasis for fasting practitioners.
Buddha (※Photo is for illustrative purposes only)
Still, being the stoic I am, having come this far I didn't want to stray from the realm of Buddhism to any degree, so I picked up Tezuka Osamu's Buddha.
Although I wasn't able to read it all the way to the end, I learned about the suffering that Buddha experienced up until his youth, and I was deeply moved by the realization that even the famous Buddha had days when he experienced worries and suffering, just like us all.
After the library closes, I relax in my room again.
Strangely enough, I didn't feel hungry, but I also didn't feel unable to move.
We often hear that modern people are taking in too much excess energy, but I experienced firsthand how much I eat in my everyday life.
Fourth day of fasting
On the fourth and final day, all you have to do is have some gruel after the morning goma ritual and then go home.
I had heard that after fasting, your tongue becomes more sensitive and it's a great sensation when you eat thick soup, but in my case, I didn't feel any particular sensation and was able to devour it easily.
Since it had been a while since I last had a meal, my stomach had no trouble accepting it, and I finished all of the thick soup in the hotpot.
This marks the end of our fasting training and we head to the station.
There are many attractive souvenir shops along the approach to Naritasan, and I found myself stepping back into the secular world for the first time in a long time and buying some freshly baked dorayaki.
summary
The thing I felt most throughout the three days of fasting training was how people can survive on just water and still function normally.
Considering that I walked around the Naritasan grounds every day during my stay, I was moving more than I usually do during my commute or work.
Despite this, I didn't collapse from hunger and just let time pass by.
As someone who is normally constantly bombarded with information from the internet and leads hectic days between work and play, the feeling of simply appreciating what is there, without any information from the internet or other sources, was extremely refreshing, and I thought that this is exactly what it means to "know enough."
Through this fasting training and by having such experiences and coming into contact with Buddhism, I feel like I have been liberated from the worldly worries of everyday life.
During these three days, I was able to return to my original state of living, free from worldly desires and grateful for the things around me.
Now I have returned to a life dominated by dizzying worldly desires when it comes to food, leisure, and work, but I feel that the time I spent training in fasting at Naritasan has helped me change my attitude and find satisfaction in what I have now.
As for the all-important weight, I lost 4kg immediately after the training.
Although I am now completely back to normal, the fasting training at Naritasan was still a very good experience.
Next time I would like to attempt the longest stay of six nights and aim for even greater spiritual heights.
If anyone would like to join us, we look forward to hearing from you.
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