Harbin Marathon: Running is also a kind of spiritual practice

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The Harbin Marathon was held as scheduled last weekend. Being located in the Northeast, marathons held in surrounding cities have a certain magic for me and always attract me. Colleagues are chatting about how much money you spend on horse racing. After you finish the race, you post it on your WeChat account and feel like you have succeeded. I can no longer chatter at this point. In fact, even if running becomes a hobby, every time you run, you need courage and even some psychological construction to achieve self-motivation during the running process and complete your preset running goals. I couldn't think of anything better to say to my colleague.

On Saturday, I took a bus to Harbin one day in advance. The marathon will be held at 7:30 am on Sunday. In this way, there will be enough time in the afternoon to see Harbin’s Central Street and eat some delicious food. I have to say that Harbin’s Central Street is still very unique. This is the second time I have visited Central Street, but because I have been there before, I lack the novelty of such a place. It is said that Central Street is also a building museum. The buildings on both sides of the road have a relatively long history. I observed one carefully and it was built in 1923. In a few years, it will be nearly a century old. The uniqueness of the buildings on Central Street and the combination of modern commerce make this street full of all kinds of vitality.

Searching for delicious food on Central Street with your family and watching the bustling crowds of people passing by is actually a very happy state of life. On the road, I accidentally saw a monk who was alms, holding an alms bowl, standing on the side of the road like a green pine. He had no intention of flattering or pleasing at all. He stood quietly, just like a practitioner, and exuded a kind of peace and naturalness unnaturally. Yi. This was the first time I encountered such a real alms, and I couldn't help but feel envious.

I didn’t stop too much and continued walking on Central Street, looking for strange, fun and delicious things. Due to the rain in the afternoon, there were not many pedestrians on the road. The marathon package collection point is set up in an alley on the side of Central Street. From time to time, you can see people receiving competition packages on the road, with a look of joy on their faces. You can feel their happiness by participating in such activities. There are runners from all over the country participating in the race. Some do it as a ritual, some as a way of self-training, and some like the feeling of an event involving thousands of people. Various reasons bring everyone together in Harbin. . Marathon, like other sports, has entry barriers. Regular practice and perseverance, missing one of them will make it difficult for you to complete the event.

Suddenly, a sentence formed in my mind, horse racing is also a kind of practice. Run long distances to train your body. In the process of constant physical exertion, temper your mind. Running a marathon is also a sense of ritual for many people, walking with thousands of people. Even if you run slower, there are people walking with you, but it will not always be the same person. Experience life while running. It’s also a very good practice. Buddhist practice includes sitting meditation and walking meditation. In fact, horse racing is also about meditating all the time. During running, you can cultivate your state of mind, be alone with yourself for such a long time, and have self-talk with yourself. For those of us who have been in the trivial matters of work and life or under pressure for a long time, it is not a temporary letdown and relief.

On the way back, I saw the alms master. This time he was standing in the middle of the street, still tall and tall. Pedestrians would occasionally put some change into his alms bowl, and he would respond by bowing. I asked my son to take a dollar and put it in the alms bowl. I heard the master say that while bowing, he said thank you to the Bodhisattva. The more I feel like a practitioner, the more help I feel I should give. He asked his son to take ten yuan and put it into the alms bowl for the second time. The master still responded politely. My son was also very happy and interacted with the master.

On Sunday morning, the weather in Harbin was a little cooler, and thunderstorms were forecast. Everyone put on their raincoats in advance and prepared to participate in the running activity. It is said that things are unpredictable. In the early morning of Saturday, a hotel in Songbei District caught fire, killing 19 people, including marathon runners. Before the start of the race, the event organizing committee organized a three-minute silence. Cherish the moment and live life with all your might, the feeling at that moment is the strongest.

My colleagues and I made an appointment to run a half marathon together. The pace basically remains around 530. The process has not changed much. I have been running all the way, surpassing and being surpassed all the way. On the way, I saw old people, young people, students, and disabled people. There are people in strange clothes, and there are also people who bring their own clothes, which contrast with the purple of the uniform event uniforms, forming a running ribbon that changes and flutters on the Harbin track. It took about two hours to complete the race, which was relatively successful. During the process, I felt uncomfortable once, and then I was able to continue after readjusting.

Just take a step forward and give yourself a reason to go out. Whether it is experience or practice, we are actually always on the road. Keep a normal mind, stay in awe, stay optimistic about life, and no matter what you do, you will be fine. Running is spiritual practice, writing is spiritual practice, and work is also spiritual practice. It is actually quite good to do everything well at the moment, like a alms master, and feel content.