Excuse Me - Was That You... I Heard Complaining? I'd like you to meet a man, a monk actually, from Japan. His name is Sakai Yusai, and what makes him unusual is not the fact that he is a monk. What makes this man unusual is what he has accomplished in terms of physical feats in his life. What makes him remarkable is the mind-blowing, superhuman effort he put forth. What makes him a legend is that his accomplishments are so beyond anything any of us would consider possible, it stretches the limits of even our wildest imaginations.
Sakai Yusai ran 1,000 marathons through the rugged, snow and rain-drenched mountains of Kyoto, Japan... in seven years.
Please pause for dramatic effect to let that sink in for just a moment. Most of us would consider running ONE marathon a life-altering event. But wait, it just gets better.
It seems that Yusai was not satisfied with his work, so he decided to do it again. No, I'm not kidding, and this time he completed ANOTHER 1,000 marathons through the rugged mountains... in six years!!
In 150 years of tradition, Yusai is one of only 46 monks to accomplish this feat. What!?! You mean more than one person was able to actually do this? Holy fecal material!
But wait, it gets even better.
Yusai was over 40 years old when he decided to join the monastery. Everyone laughed at the odds for a man at his age to take on these beyond physical feats. At the tender age of 61, Yusai completed his last run, which just happened to be one of one-hundred double marathons. Not just one marathon, mind you, but two marathons a day, in mountain terrain, for the last 100 days of his journey.
Yusai Sakai is the undisputed champion, a national treasure, and a media superstar. These days, he spends much of his time signing the many books that have been written about him.
During World War II, Sakai worked for Unit 731, the biological warfare unit that killed vast numbers of Chinese. When the war was lost, Sakai's family started a noodle shop. It burnt down. He married a cousin; she committed suicide. Depressed and aimless, Sakai joined the marathon monks and began to run. He raced through one seven-year challenge, then, though aged in his fifties, began a second.
YUSAI SAKAI: Because I was lazy and had a good-for-nothing life, there was nothing else for me to do. Furthermore, when I was a child at school, I flunked my exams again and again. I completed the pilgrimage once, but because I'd needed to do everything else in my life twice, I thought I'd better walk twice if I really wanted to achieve something.
At age 61, Sakai completed his 2,000th day on the road. Soon after, he was back on the track, revealing the mountain's secrets to a new monk. The novice's name was Genshin Fujinami, the man now undertaking a Kaihogyo of his own. Sakai is his master, responsible for guiding him through the seven-year challenge.
YUSAI SAKAI: The message I wish to convey is please live each day as if it is your entire life. If you start something today, finish it today. Tomorrow is another world. Live life positively.
Your head spinning yet? I'm still bouncing off the floor on that one!
So, where am I going with telling you a story that for the majority of us is simply pure fantasy? Simple; Your lame excuses to not get 30 minutes of daily exercise or to lose a few pounds sound like pure foolishness. Would you say that NOW?
From India, Madras
Sakai Yusai ran 1,000 marathons through the rugged, snow and rain-drenched mountains of Kyoto, Japan... in seven years.
Please pause for dramatic effect to let that sink in for just a moment. Most of us would consider running ONE marathon a life-altering event. But wait, it just gets better.
It seems that Yusai was not satisfied with his work, so he decided to do it again. No, I'm not kidding, and this time he completed ANOTHER 1,000 marathons through the rugged mountains... in six years!!
In 150 years of tradition, Yusai is one of only 46 monks to accomplish this feat. What!?! You mean more than one person was able to actually do this? Holy fecal material!
But wait, it gets even better.
Yusai was over 40 years old when he decided to join the monastery. Everyone laughed at the odds for a man at his age to take on these beyond physical feats. At the tender age of 61, Yusai completed his last run, which just happened to be one of one-hundred double marathons. Not just one marathon, mind you, but two marathons a day, in mountain terrain, for the last 100 days of his journey.
Yusai Sakai is the undisputed champion, a national treasure, and a media superstar. These days, he spends much of his time signing the many books that have been written about him.
During World War II, Sakai worked for Unit 731, the biological warfare unit that killed vast numbers of Chinese. When the war was lost, Sakai's family started a noodle shop. It burnt down. He married a cousin; she committed suicide. Depressed and aimless, Sakai joined the marathon monks and began to run. He raced through one seven-year challenge, then, though aged in his fifties, began a second.
YUSAI SAKAI: Because I was lazy and had a good-for-nothing life, there was nothing else for me to do. Furthermore, when I was a child at school, I flunked my exams again and again. I completed the pilgrimage once, but because I'd needed to do everything else in my life twice, I thought I'd better walk twice if I really wanted to achieve something.
At age 61, Sakai completed his 2,000th day on the road. Soon after, he was back on the track, revealing the mountain's secrets to a new monk. The novice's name was Genshin Fujinami, the man now undertaking a Kaihogyo of his own. Sakai is his master, responsible for guiding him through the seven-year challenge.
YUSAI SAKAI: The message I wish to convey is please live each day as if it is your entire life. If you start something today, finish it today. Tomorrow is another world. Live life positively.
Your head spinning yet? I'm still bouncing off the floor on that one!
So, where am I going with telling you a story that for the majority of us is simply pure fantasy? Simple; Your lame excuses to not get 30 minutes of daily exercise or to lose a few pounds sound like pure foolishness. Would you say that NOW?
From India, Madras
CiteHR is an AI-augmented HR knowledge and collaboration platform, enabling HR professionals to solve real-world challenges, validate decisions, and stay ahead through collective intelligence and machine-enhanced guidance. Join Our Platform.