Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage

by Paul Barach

A 750-mile pilgrimage, an unprepared office worker, and everything that went wrong along the way.

Age twenty-eight and fed up with the office job he settled for, Paul Barach decided to travel to Japan to follow a vision he had in college: to walk the ancient 750-mile Shikoku pilgrimage trail.

Here are some things he did not decide to do: learn Japanese, do any research, road test his hiking shoes, or check if it’s the hottest summer in history.

And he went anyway, hoping to change his life.

Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains is the absurd and dramatic journey of one impulsive American’s search for answers on a holy path in an exotic land. Along the pathway connecting 88 Buddhist temples, he’ll face arduous mountain climbs, hide from guards in a toilet stall, challenge a priest to a mountaintop karate battle, and other misadventures. He’ll also delve into the fascinating legends of this ancient land, including a dragon-fighting holy man, a berserker warrior-priest, haunted temples, all manner of gods and monsters, and a vendetta-driven ghost that overthrew a dynasty.

Told with humor and humility, Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains is a funny, engaging memoir about the consequences of impulsive decisions, and the things you can discover while you’re looking for something else.

Also that boars are terrifying in person.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir, Japan, Adventure, Ebooks

359 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2014

Reviews

[Sarah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who's been fascinated by Japan since a young age, this book was a delightful step into a part of Japanese culture that is far from the mainstream that filters through to the states. The author's internal and external journeys and self-effacing wit weave together with history and culture to produce something a bit more than just a memoir. Highly recommended for anyone interested in travel, humor, buddhism, self-discovery, or who enjoys a little schadenfreude now and then.

[Jaynie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course, now I am inspired to consider the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
This book took me through the ups and downs Paul faced, literally. It seems like going through 750 miles of boredom/craziness/meditation and no alcohol has to change a person.
I was impressed by his dedication to the temple rituals even when dropping from exhaustion.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a ridiculous number of books about the Camino de Santiago, but this was a new pilgrimage for me to read about—by which I mean an entirely ancient pilgrimage in Japan that takes pilgrims to 88 different temples over the course of 750 miles.

88 temples is a lot to try to cover (and make distinct) in one book, but Barach does an admirable job of it. The temples are numbered in bold throughout the book, letting the reader keep loose track without getting too caught up in each temple, and Barach keeps the drama in the book more or less in proportion to the drama of the walk (which is to say that he knows when he's more dramatic than the events).

I don't think I'll be trekking off to Japan anytime soon (I promised myself I'd stay in one country for a while), but this did re-pique my interest in pilgrimage routes. It's a nice, light introduction to the Shikoku route for sure.

[Nikki Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read most of this wonderful story while I was visiting relatives on Shikoku. And it sure made me rethink my original idea of casually visiting the temples on this island just to collect stamps and say I'd been there. The struggles Paul Barach went through on his quest to trudge the entire 1000+ kilometers put my quickie drive-around-and-collect-stamps idea to shame.

The 88-temple pilgrimage, meant to honor Kobo Daishi, a founding father of Buddhism in Japan, is a strenuous trek through mountains, across sparsely inhabited shoreline, and through Japanese cities and towns. The few that take on this trek and somehow get through the whole thing without keeling over dead have accomplished something incredible. It's not just an adventurous hike. It's a spiritual journey, and one Barach captures incredibly well.

I had a hard time putting this wonderful story down. I had to--to go to work, sleep, stuff like that--but if I'd had the time, I would have read this in one sitting. I couldn't wait for the short moments in my day when I could pull out my kindle and read away. I guess it helps that I've been around Shikoku and up to Mt. Koya and have lived in Japan long enough to get some of the customs and references Barach writes about, but if I didn't have one inkling of Japanese culture or geography, or Buddhist thought, I'd still love this book. Not only is it a story of one man's lone struggle to conquer on of the world's most intense hikes, it's also full of humor, desperation, loneliness, and revelation. It doesn't read at all like a travel guide or a dry journal; it's a wonderful piece of writing.

If you've ever contemplated attempting this pilgrimage, if you've done it already, or even if you've never heard of it but want to read about an incredible adventure, pick up Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains. You'll love it. Promise!

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful read. It is filled with humor, suspense, and adventure as well as moments of poignancy. I appreciated Paul's honesty throughout the book. The journey is hard and Paul admits this over and over again. If it's not scorching heat he's enduring, it's trudging through a downpour, dealing with cultural and language barriers, sleep deprivation, or painful blisters, not to mention avoiding deadly wild animals, policemen, and the powerful punches and kicks of a skilled martial artist. Despite the hardship, however, Paul also describes many scenes of jaw-dropping beauty, his brief moments of oneness with his surroundings, and the many ways in which locals helped him along the way. In a number of instances throughout the book, Paul is aided by random strangers who run the gamut from giving a shout of support to offering him a cold soda on a hot day to even providing him with a full meal and a place to sleep while asking for nothing in return. These numerous acts of kindness as described in the book resonated with me and helped to re-instill the idea that we don't necessarily live in a world where everyone distrusts each other and that offering help to a stranger can really do a lot of good. I highly recommend this book and hope that Paul continues to write about his adventures in the future.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boars, ninjas, karate, blisters; what's not to like? Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains is a read that anyone can find something to like about it. It's funny, witty, sarcastic, sad, frustrating and adventurous all set within a fascinating story of one man's struggle to complete a pilgrimage in Japan.

Paul Barach's story of his pilgrimage is honest, raw and told in a self deprecating style. I've read a few adventure/hiking books and this was one of my favorites. The telling is filled with a history of the pilgrimage and each temple he visits. As a history fan, that was a great addition to the writing.

If you enjoy stories of adventure, perseverance, self-discovery, and wit, mixed with a bit of history, this is the book for you.

I received this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but this is a book I would have gladly paid for.

[Bruce Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent first effort. His Barryesque style and ability to capture a moment of self reflection with humor is his strong suit. As someone who went to college in Japan in 70's and many returns since I'm now looking forward to doing the pilgrimage myself and will use "Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains" as one of my sources.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Barach illustrates a journey most people would never dare to do. Filled with brutal honesty, humor, and a voice that easily connects the reader to a unique experience, Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains is a must have on any book enthusiast’s list.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling from page one, Paul Barach has done an amazing job of making his journey thoroughly entertaining. By turns hilarious, self-deprecating and insightful, he allows us to travel with him on his pilgrimage to the temples of Shikoku.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good and entertaining read

[Marklandman · Rating 3 out of 5]

a nice read with some interesting situations, glad I read it

[The Bookish Gardener · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on a roll with great books and this is no exception.
Another quick grab from the shelves pre-lockdown, this one was lurking in the spiritual section of the adult non-fiction, which is interesting as I wouldn't have looked for it there. It's a bit of a cross-genre book as the trail journey was as important, or more important to me than the spiritual side that the author struggled with.
What I think I liked most was his no bullshit approach. Further research shows that after his early career struggles that led to the trip, he went onto become a writer and a comic. His humour is refreshing especially when he is at his most fragile. And that is something that many readers would be able to relate to and admire. Most of the time he questioned himself as he went through the spiritual motions at each of the 88 temples that he visited, wondering why he was there and what did it all mean. I have never been interested in Japanese history or spirituality, but this book gave new insight and information without being preachy, casting the stories in a modern light, over the shadows of the ancient historical events.
One thing was clear. Paul was determined not to give up on his walk that would cover 750 miles and take almost two months. This was what I most liked in his journey.
The pacing of the highs and lows was spot on and the story never dragged or seemed historically tired. The author was good at the end of chapter tease, that would push you into his next adventure. I like that the book was broken into parts, paralleling the walk that he had poorly prepared for himself.
His moments of pure clarity and presence were beautifully written. His accidental discoveries of people, moments, thoughts and things, simply magical. His words were descriptive not gushing and there were a couple of other sidebar journeys that ran parallel to his physical one.
A great way to write a trail adventure book.

[Susan Storer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a wonderful premise. A strong young American man, fed up with his office job, decides to travel to Japan to follow a vision he had in college: to walk the 750-mile Shikoku pilgrimage trail. He didn't bother to learn Japanese, do any research, break in his hiking boots, or check if it might have been the hottest summer in history. What could go wrong?
As it turns out, of course, plenty goes wrong, and he has to negotiate past wild boars, hide from guards in a toilet stall, enter into combat with a monk whose daily discipline is in martial arts, and conduct a desperate search for real coffee.
Barach is entertaining, but I missed a feeling of engagement on this trip. I realized about halfway through that it was because he knew so little Japanese, and so I couldn't learn about the people he encountered. Neither could he.
Still--interesting, illuminating, and entertaining. Sometimes.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this one after hearing the author on the "Hike" podcast. This humorous and self-deprecating book chronicles the author's journey on the Shikoku pilgrimage, visiting 88 temples on a relatively quiet Japanese island, one that I knew basically nothing about before reading the book. Really liked it, though as an inveterate overplanner, the author's total lack of preparation for his journey gave me serious anxiety. I like books about physical challenges, adventure, travel, and learning about new places/cultures/traditions and this one checked all those boxes. I also appreciate that the book doesn't wrap up with a neat message/meaning-the author's own issues don't magically disappear at the end of his trip. It's about the struggle and the journey, not a pithy "take a long hike and all your problems will go away!" kind of story.

[Book Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only the second book I've found about the Shikoku pilgrimage, there don't seem to be many(at least in English), and I liked it a lot. I like that he gave the name of each temple and described most of them at least a little.
As usual with books about long distance hiking there were plenty of amusing anecdotes. I laughed out loud when he discovered a Japanese legend rarer than a tengu outside a convenience store. a panty vending machine!

[David Basinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant journey that relates well to the page..

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just boring. Page after page of praying at temples and hiking.

[Trey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as funny as I expected but very interesting. Lots of Japanese culture and history.

[Jane E · Rating 1 out of 5]

The question is "why bother?". This book is dull and pretentious and tells you little about the island where the pilgrimage circuit is situated. I only finished it because a long plane journey needed filling even if not very well.

[Mark Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi
I came to this book via Lisa Dempster's excellent Neon Pilgrim and listening to a hiking podcast. Both books cover the same journey the Henro Michi and by all accounts brutal and far less known pilgrimage route akin to the Camino De Santiago. Unlike the Camino which is well trodden by baby boomers in search of bragging rights, the Henro remains pertinent to very few outside of Japan. That both authors opted to do the trip in the blistering heat of summer speaks to how little is known about the journey outside of Japan.
While modern day pilgrims take bus tours between the 88 temples or hike it in sections both Dempster and Barack opt for unsupported through hikes that leave them battered and broken. Their brutal adherence to this regimen perversely works well in helping them attain a level of mindfulness that likely exceeds that found during an organised tour. Both write impeccably and draw you in with their very different ways of telling a tale.
I would highly recommend both of these for anyone with an interest in these pilgrim routes.

[Robin Mccormack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barach decides to walk the ancient 750 Mile Shikoku pilgrimage trail in Japan without knowing any of the language so could hardly communicate and wasn’t in a good shape as he thought. I kept waiting for it to get better, for him to learn something, but unfortunately he didn't. Except for the kindness of strangers, I don't think he would have survived.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reader who doesn’t get a sense of where this travel memoir is headed from the description surely will if they pause to consider the two quotes that proceed the prologue.

“Every day some new fact comes to light—some new obstacle which threatens the gravest obstruction. I suppose this is the reason which makes the game so well worth playing.” --- Robert Falcon Scott (Died exploring the South Pole)

“Adventure is the result of poor planning.” --- Roald Amundsen (Did not die exploring the South Pole)

Barach chronicles plenty of adventure in this story of his pilgrimage. I hesitate to call it a pilgrimage as the choice of hiking this trail seems to be driven by the author’s obsession with Japanese culture more than any particular religious belief, but at its root, his goals for this trip were not all that different than a typical pilgrim’s might be. He describes this as “enlightenment,” which is going to be different for each individual, but will boil down to making some kind of major decision or coming to terms with some aspect of life. In Barach’s case, figuring out his future direction, not wanting to become an office drone, but also not seeing an alternative.

I’m always drawn to travel books that involve a quest, some specific goal that might not mean anything to many people, but does to the author. This book fits, as would books from Amundsen or Scott (if he’d only survived to write it), as I think there is something to be gleaned from the story of the attempt, successful or not. I’m amused that at least part of Barach’s goal in this trip was to escape the repetitiveness of an office job, only to replace it by a trip that in many ways was just as repetitive, although with much more of a struggle to adequately satisfy basic human needs like food, water, and sleep. Does the author find enlightenment or come to terms with his future? I’ll leave it to you to decide. I will say that his journey was a positive step in life’s journey for me.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage by Paul Barach
This was another interesting story of a young mans trek on the 750 mile Shikoku Pilgrimage trail on the Island of Shikoku, Japan. This Pilgrimage is a multi site Pilgrimage of 88 Temples associated with the Buddhist Monk Kukai, at each temple one recites prayers and has ones travel book stamped, before moving on. The author, an adventurer at heart and never able to really conform to a daily 9-5 work routine, would do whatever it took to get off on his next adventure and he had heard about this one while in college, then at 28 decided to give it a try. We hear the usual stories from other hiking books, such as the sore feet, lack of food and sleep, but this adventure has such a different setting from the others I have read. He meets other pilgrims that are very helpful as well as some of the locals that help him out along the way.( and he spoke no Japanese) I have always been interested in Buddhism and found each of the temples and what they stood for so interesting.
Very worth reading.

[Sanjiva Wijesinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traversing an ancient path in a foreign land

I enjoyed reading 'Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains'.
Paul Barach's style (admittedly flippant - and even irreverent!) certainly engages the reader. He conveys a lot of information about Shikoku's 88 Temple Pilgrim Trail (the Henro Michi) in this book - information about its history and its legends that will be useful, especially for those unfamiliar with Japan and the Japanese language who may wish to undertake this journey.
Barach is open about his own personal travails and demons and shares these with the reader - as well as the pertinent lesson that "you can't let what you did not do in the past distract you from what you are doing now."
There is a dearth of good books in English about this Japanese pilgrimage, and Barach's book certainly helps fill this void.
I commend him for writing it - and I recommend it to any English speakers who want to find out about the Shikoku pilgrim trail.

[Mark Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain I've been very interested in completing the Shikoku Trail as well. This book sounded similar to other, similar types of books that I read to get myself motivated for and excited about The Camino - which should have been my warning. I've discovered that books about people walking for days on end tend to feel long and monotonous, much like hiking or pilgrimaging can be at times. Despite not really enjoying the pilgrimage books I read previously, actually going out and doing it was a transformative experience for me. Likewise, although Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains felt repetitive and drawn out, I trust that when you're doing the walking rather than reading about it, you'll have a better time.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read.

Felt like I was on the journey with Paul every step of the way. I backed the book on Kickstarter and then lost my copy so decided to buy it so I could read it.
It made me homesick for such a wonderful country. (My 2nd country I call it). In the beginning I thought wow I'd love to try this myself one day. By the end I decided living vicariously through Paul would be enough.

I've enjoyed Paul's storytelling and will maybe one day visit at least one of the temples I've read about.

[Brandur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this account of a guy hiking solo to every temple on Shikoku. Most travel adventure books are a mixed bag of mildly amusing anecdotes or situations that have been exaggerated to the point of fiction for dramatic effect, but Paul's narrative is light on that, and his quirky encounters are legitimately funny. There's enough books about travel in Japan that for all intents and purpose they're their own genre at this point, and if that's the case, this is one of the best I've read therein.

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** I received this book as part of Goodreads' First Reads Giveaway. *** I quite enjoyed this book. It is a story of struggles, of perseverance, and of finding your inner self. Written in a humorous yet serious way, it describes the author's Buddhist pilgrimage through the island of Shikoku, Japan. At times, I felt like the story dragged on for a bit as Paul was hiking from one temple to the next, but other than that, it was a fine little read.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a first read. It was an amusing and interesting memoir and a neat look at Japanese customs. It's similar to other find yourself quest books like The Kindness of Strangers and Into the Wild so fans of those books will also enjoy this read.

[Malika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and well-written, I got to live vicariously through Mr Barach as he went on this amazing journey. However, my knowledge of Japanese and the Shikoku pilgrimage means that I was constantly frustrated by Mr. Barach's ignorance and poor preparation.