Journey of a Thousand Days

     This type of journey originated in Zen Buddhism, the Japanese version of Chinese Buddhism. So it's old, ancient in fact, in more ways than being a subset of Buddhism even. Known by other names, most likely, all the journeys lead to the same end, self-discipline thorough life.

     I first learned of it from some evening news segment, I've forgotten which one or when, probably during the 1980s, if not the late 1970s. The human interest story was about a Japanese World War II vet who spent twenty years on his personal Journey of a Thousand Days. And after he finished it, he started another one.

     So what is this Journey of a Thousand Days?

     First of all it's not that, a two and three-fourths year trip. Seldom do religious teachings literally mean much of anything. It's just part of the cryptic way the religions' founders taught; "Look for the real meaning of what is said or written, not just what is said or written."

     Occassionally I'd spend a bit of time trying to find some other reference to it, but like other things I develop an interest in, there doesn't appear to be any. Kind of like seeing a whisp of mist in the dusk of evening but then it's gone; and after a while you start to wonder if you really saw anything. Part of the Journey is to discover things on your own anyway. So the phantom whisp of mist becomes part of the Journey, just another sign on the path to be judged and followed, or not followed.

     Like the religion belief system it's derived from, there's details of dogma, doctorine; rhyme and reason for each step. But I've learned on my own Journey, the details obscure the rhyme and reason parts. Too many people have been trained and conditioned to follow the teachings, all those signs, rules, methods along the path.

     But it's really suppose to be more like learning to recognize the signs on your own, and follow as you best judge the path to lead. That's the self discovery and self discipline parts of the Journey. And because it is a self discovery process, each person's journey is different. There never was suppose to be details of dogma and doctorine, just one's own rhyme and reason for each step.

     The Journey is both a physical and mental trip. You do go places and do things. But it's also the total awareness, some would call it enlightenment, of both the physical space-time and the mental space-time experience. You do something, at some place, at some time, with focus on the task of the moment. It is a task-goal-objective and steps taken to get there type of Journey.

     Neither is the Journey a thousand tasks, nor is it a set of tasks that take a thousand days. It's a continuious process through all of life or a short trip just to get through part of life. It all depends on one's own set of goals. It can be an on-again off-again Journey. The tasks can be very simple or complex, it's the reason for the experience that's important not the task itself. Too many people, again, have the mindset that goals and objective need to be noble and grand, I suppose. Sometimes it's the simple tasks that teach us the most.

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     Remember, they are no rules, except what one picks up along the way, just tasks-goals-objectives and the steps to get there with both physical and mental focus on the task of the moment.
     But .... There is one, single caution to note. At each decision to do or not do along the Journey, remember that it is absolutely irrevocable, irreversible, permanently unchangable. The consequence may be good or bad, great or small. Time can not be turned back, neither can the Journey, so you deal with consequences, whatever they may be.

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     Ever bathed in a river? Stood beneath a cold waterfalls? Showered in the rain? It's a cleansing of the spirit for some, just a simple thrill for others. The rain, streams, creeks, rivers are the life blood of nature. They bring nutrients to growing things, wash away the waste to the oceans.
     Do you think about: From where the water comes? Where it's been? Where it's going? The whole cycle process? How many cycles has the water molecules that touch your body been through since the dawn of the first rains? Part of some Asia monsoon rain months or years ago, down the Yellow River to the Yellow Sea and Pacific. Up into the atmosphere again, drifting across the ocean, then down again as rain onto the Sierra forests and into some other river where you bath.

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     Do you know how to make a fire? The ancient way, with flint, wood friction, tender? What water does to cleanes the spirit, fire does to warm the spirit.

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     Ever wash your own clothes, by hand, on a rock by a creek? For how many generations of humans has that been their way? Or just wash a few pieces in the kitchen sink?
     It's seldom done in the modern societies, perhaps by a few groups who want a flash back to the not so old ways. It was, and still is for some, a part of the common life. A few decades ago, it was more common than seldom. A 150 year back in time even more so. And then they're still those cultures who have yet to use modern methods. Some Australian out-back, Amazon jungle, Africa plains, Central Asia, Hymalayian cultures are stil there you know. Along with those real common people of modern societies.

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     Ever learn to sew, mend, patch, repair or make clothes? It's all simple survival skills, being self-reliant, self-dependent. But never the less, also satisfing and fulfilling the skills to repair one's own life, on occassion.

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     What other new skills do you want to learn? Sign language? Welding? Woodcraft? Watercraft? Archery? Perhaps one a season, or one a year. Learn from others, the Masters of the Art, or teach yourself something new.

ThoughtSmithing 1999. © jwhughes 1999