Barefoot Monk plans to be fun-run tortoise
The 14km run will be walked barefoot, in silence and at tortoise pace to secure the long dreaded position of last.
Fairfield
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The 14km run will be walked barefoot, in silence and at tortoise pace to secure the long dreaded position of last, but Bhante Jason Chan, the spiritual advisor of Australia’s only Buddhist School, is hoping the stunt will send an important message.
He’ll be making the trek with students of Pal Buddhist School wearing his traditional robe, while he hopes their yellow shirts will wear the slogan: ‘we slow down to get ahead’.
“I’m going to make a special effort to come last,” Mr Chan said. “It’s about doing things with awareness and wisdom to get ahead – and that’s an important message in this busy world.”
Completing the 14km City2Surf run barefoot and in meditative silence is a publicity stunt for Mr Chan, one he hopes will draw students Pal Buddhist’s new primary school before 31 July.
Already 17 of the school’s more than 80 students have committed to follow Mr Chan, as they crawl the 14km event in more than four hours.
The students will get to choose how they participate, whether they go barefoot, walk in silence or partake in mindful conversation.
“Our school is different to every other school, just as we’ll be doing the walk differently to 80,000 people,” he said. “We believe we can bring peace to the world by living mindful.”
Mr Chan is no stranger to sholess walks. In 2011, he walked 4000 kilometres barefoot from the Gold Coast to Sydney – with nothing other than his robe and alms bowl.
He practices Buddhism like the monks 2500 years before him, choosing to live without such modern luxuries as a mobile phone, car or credit card.
“I only ordained about eight years ago. Before that, I was lawyer at one stage; an honours graduate from Sydney University,” he said.
“But I’ve always been motivated to live my life to help others, and it became clear that the best way to help others to produce good in the world.
“And I could do that by becoming an old fashioned monk.”