Many people talk about their “spiritual walk”.
Journalist/educator Amy Chavez chose a different path.
In 1998, Amy unexpectedly lost her university teaching job. Living on Japan’s island of Honshu, writing columns for the Japan Times and suddenly lacking a full-time paycheck, Amy acted on a suggestion from a friend.
The friend, a Buddhist priest, suggested she make the traditional 88-temple Shikoku pilgrimage.
This journey of 900 miles, through four regions of designated Buddhist temples, has been a tradition on Japan’s southeastern island of Shikoku for more than twelve centuries.
Despite her initial reservations (“But, I’m not even Buddhist…”), Amy was to discover that the pilgrimage is for people of all faiths, from all walks of life. Intrigued by the idea, she called her editor at the Japan Times, arranged to do a series of articles on her experience, and set off on her journey. But, unlike other pilgrims, Amy wasn’t going to walk the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
As a long-distance runner, she decided she was going to run it.
Her experiences on this journey ultimately led to Amy’s new book, Running the Shikoku Pilgrimage: 900 Miles to Enlightenment.
At the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Amy talked about the five weeks she spent running the Shikoku Pilgrimage, and the knowledge and understanding she received on her journey.
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