Walk for Peace

My short journey

Earlier this week, I journeyed to South Carolina to cover the monks’ Walk for Peace. It was an amazing experience.

If you haven’t heard about the monks yet, here’s a summary.

Nearly two dozen monks from a Buddhist Center in Fort Worth, led by Bhikkhu Pannakara, are walking 2,300 miles to promote national healing, unity, and compassion. The journey began on Oct. 26 and is expected to end on Feb. 12 in Washington, DC.

Dr. Neeraj Bajracharya, general secretary of the Nepalese Buddhist Association of Texas, said in a written statement.

“This walk is more than a journey — it is a heartfelt offering to the community.” “Walk for Peace invites all people, regardless of faith, culture, or background, to come together in the spirit of compassion, mutual respect, and understanding.”

In a blog post titled “Why we walk,” the monks wrote:

“Our walking itself cannot create peace. But when someone encounters us — whether by the roadside, online, or through a friend, when our message touches something deep within them, when it awakens the peace that has always lived quietly in their own heart — something sacred begins to unfold.”

If you look at the images and videos of people who encounter the monks, you can see just how true that statement is. Tears are welling up as they greet the monks on the streets. Hearts are being touched, and in some cases, lives are being changed. All by the witnessing of these humble individuals.

I had to witness it for myself, so I drove from Carrollton to Leslie, SC.

I arrived Tuesday afternoon in preparation to greet the monks as they arrived from their day’s walk.

Being a small town south of Charlotte, NC, I was amazed by the larger-than-expected crowd. By the time they arrived, two or three thousand people were waiting to greet them — people of all colors and religions, including many Christians, and those with Christian values. Of the thousands of people, I only met one Buddhist.

Monks beginning the days walk at 6:30 AM

A crowd was watching the evening talk by the lead monk, Bhikkhu Pannakara.

I wanted to follow and cover the monks as they journeyed, but I realized it was too much for one individual. I needed a team, however small, to cover them and their daily journey to DC.

But… I did get a glimpse of it all. I also got to talk to people to find out why they were there, and what made them want to go through all of the trouble to wait in line, sometimes for hours, just to see the monks walk by.

My conclusion is that people are extremely hungry for some kind of peace, love, and unity.

They want whatever peace and love the monks have to rub off on them. People told me they liked the fact that it was non-political and non-devisive. Their acts of walking, not preaching, not protesting, not pushing any agenda was appealing. They are simply walking in the name of peace, and people are coming together to witness and support that.

The message is resonating with people at their core. It’s unifying. It’s bringing people of all colors, religions, and backgrounds together.

We all want peace. We all want love. We all want compassion for ourselves and others. And we all want to be unified. It’s really that simple. And the monks are tapping that desire within us by their actions.

Every day, the monks will stop for lunch and rest, and then the lead monk, Bhikkhu Pannakara, gives a short talk. Then, when they arrive for an evening, doctors will check them out, they eat, and then Bhikkhu Pannakara gives a talk to the crowd assembled.

On this night, they were staying at a Baptist Church. In my interview with the minister, he said that he was notified only the day before, asking if they could spend the night at his church. It appears they really are living one day at a time. The minister’s message was clear: “We have different beliefs, but we’re taught that when those are in need, we help, and they need a place to rest and sleep, so we were happy to provide that place.”

In the talks, the lead monk, Bhikkhu Pannakara, talks mostly about mindfulness, and that the real battle is not external, but internal in our own minds. He referred to our cell phones as our lovers. That we are obsessed with our lovers, day and night. He suggests spending less time scrolling and putting our phones down at least one hour before bed to allow our minds to calm down so that we can sleep better.

There’s so much more I can talk about on this.

If this touches you in any way, you can find them on Facebook and Instagram. Their dog, Aloka, has been walking with them, and it’s quite a story in and of itself.

I expect by the time the monks get to Washington DC, that there could be upwards of one million people showing up. The crowds continue to get larger at each stop when they finish their day.