Buddhist monks head to DC to complete a ‘Stroll for Peace’ that captivated tens of millions : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F49%2F05%2F4aae9d454416b86199b7ae73f4b1%2Fgettyimages-2259204622.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F49%2F05%2F4aae9d454416b86199b7ae73f4b1%2Fgettyimages-2259204622.jpg" class="img" alt="Led by Bhikkhu Pannakara (R), Buddhist monks participate in a "Walk for Peace" in Richmond, Virginia, on February 3, 2026. The group is walking from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, DC to promote peace, compassion and nonviolence." fetchpriority="high"/> Led by Bhikkhu Pannakara (R), Buddhist monks take part in a "Stroll for Peace" in Richmond, Virginia, on February 3, 2026. The group is strolling from Fort Price, Texas, to Washington, DC to advertise peace, compassion and nonviolence. Aaron Mathes/AFP by way of Getty Photographs conceal caption

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Aaron Mathes/AFP by way of Getty Photographs WASHINGTON — A gaggle of Buddhist monks is ready to succeed in Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, capping a trek from Texas that has captivated the nation.

The monks of their saffron robes have change into fixtures on social media, together with their rescue canine Aloka.

They stroll to advocate for peace. That straightforward message has resonated throughout the U.S. as a welcome respite from battle and political divisions. Hundreds have gathered alongside Southern roadsides to observe the monks' quiet, single-file procession that started in late October.

"My hope is, when this stroll ends, the individuals we met will proceed practising mindfulness and discover peace," stated the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group's soft-spoken chief who has taught about mindfulness at stops alongside the best way.

The monks plan to mark the final days of their Stroll for Peace with out of doors appearances at Washington Nationwide Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.

"Their lengthy journey and delicate witness invite us all to deepen our dedication to compassion and the work of peace in our communities," stated Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who will assist host an interfaith reception for the monks on the cathedral.

The monks have been stunned to see their message transcend ideologies. Hundreds of thousands have adopted them on-line, and crowds have greeted them at quite a few venues, from a church in Opelika, Alabama, to Metropolis Corridor in Richmond, Virginia.

Mark Duykers, a retired mechanical engineer who practices mindfulness, stated he and his spouse will drive 550 miles (885 kilometers) from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Washington to see the monks.

"In these divisive instances, we noticed whole cities within the Bible Belt popping out for these monks — having no thought of what Buddhism is — however being uplifted and moved by it," he stated. "That is inspirational."

Nineteen monks started the two,300-mile (3,700 kilometer) journey from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Heart in Fort Price on Oct. 26, 2025. They got here from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, led by Pannakara, who's vice chairman of the Fort Price temple.

Whereas within the U.S. capital, they plan to submit a request to lawmakers to declare Vesak — Buddha's birthday — a nationwide vacation. However, Pannakara and others have emphasised that isn't the stroll's aim.

Lengthy Si Dong, a spokesperson for the temple, stated the stroll is neither a political motion neither is it centered on advocacy or laws.

"It is a religious providing — an invite to dwell peace by on a regular basis actions, conscious steps and open hearts," he stated. "We imagine when peace is cultivated inside, it naturally ripples outward into society."

The trek has had its perils, and native regulation enforcement officers have offered safety. In November outdoors Houston, the monks had been strolling on the aspect of a freeway when their escort automobile was hit by a truck. Two monks had been injured; one had his leg amputated.

Among the monks, together with Pannakara, have walked barefoot or in socks for a lot of the journey to really feel the bottom immediately and be current within the second. As they've pressed on by snow and chilly, they've at instances donned winter boots.

Peace walks are a cherished custom in Theravada Buddhism. Pannakara first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah canine whose title means "divine mild" in Sanskrit, throughout a 112-day journey throughout India in 2022.

The monks apply and educate Vipassana meditation, an historical Indian approach taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection, observing breath and bodily sensations to know actuality, impermanence and struggling.

On Tuesday, the monks will full 108 days of strolling. It is a sacred quantity in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It represents religious completion, cosmic order and the wholeness of existence.

The monks' return journey needs to be much less arduous. After an look at Maryland's Capitol, a bus will take them again to Texas, the place they count on to reach in downtown Fort Price early on Saturday.

From there, the monks will stroll collectively once more, traversing 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) to the temple the place their journey started.

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Buddhist monks head to DC to complete a ‘Stroll for Peace’ that captivated tens of millions : NPR

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