On September 22, 2016, an annual Walk of Faith by GEBIS Buddhist monks was held. The walk started at around 6:10 am and concluded right after 11 am. More than 200 monks participated in this 19-km walk of 5 hours without rest on the beautiful Confederation Trail, Prince Edward Island‘s portion of the Trans Canada Trail.
Since ancient times countless practitioners have hiked through terrains of mountains and rivers in search for true reality, and through the hardships and ordeals accompanying such a journey, such practitioners have nurtured their aspiration for enlightenment. A journey as such is thus a crucial pre-requisite for an eminent monk. With that in mind, this marks the third year that GEBIS has been hosting this Walk of Faith.
Some monks shared their experiences:
Venerable Zheng said with a happy note, “It felt like my whole body was well worked and my mind full of energy!” Venerable Feng who is known to have weak stamina even noted that “it didn’t felt too tiring this time, feels like I can walk a bit more!”
“I was mindful about every step I took, and was chanting and praying all along”, said Venerable Qun. Venerable Si said, “It was a magnificent sight to see the procession of monks. It was like a river of ruby. Imagine if there were thousands more!”
Venerable Fang also shared that, “It was joyous. Seeing the forest, fields and small animals along the path makes you wonder what my spiritual teacher would have perceived them. It makes you want to try your best to send prayers to them.“
After the 5-hour walking meditation, all the monks who participated felt re-energized and more motivated to work harder towards peace and harmony. While taking a walk in the jungle however, it is suggested that you use a GPS tracker like the ones found at amcrest.com/gps-trackers-tracking-devices.html
