These Buddhist monks’ stroll for peace captivated Individuals. It ends this week : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6479x4320+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3d%2Fc9%2Fc7a5612040008854c7852b2f3ab8%2Fap26042676256094.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6479x4320+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3d%2Fc9%2Fc7a5612040008854c7852b2f3ab8%2Fap26042676256094.jpg" class="img" alt="Buddhist monks walk near the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill, during their Walk For Peace." fetchpriority="high"/> Buddhist monks stroll close to the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill, throughout their Stroll For Peace. Rahmat Gul/AP disguise caption

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Rahmat Gul/AP WASHINGTON — 1000's gathered at Washington Nationwide Cathedral on Tuesday to see Buddhist monks who've accomplished a 108-day, 2,300-mile journey on foot from Texas to the nation's capital.

Surrounded by leaders from a number of religion traditions, together with Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, the monks talked about how the follow of compassion can transcend spiritual variations.

"In entrance of you all, you'll be able to see all religions' leaders right here collectively for a similar mission: peace," mentioned Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra, the monks' chief. "That is the primary time to me, that we're working collectively. We're strolling collectively on this path to seek out peace for ourself, to share that to our nation and the world."

On the occasion, referred to as "A Sacred Cease on the Stroll for Peace," the 19 monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Heart in Fort Value had been welcomed by a cheering crowd of individuals younger and outdated, a few of whom had waited for hours to safe a spot near the monks. Many held flowers or indicators, whereas others sported home made "Stroll for Peace" clothes.

Why the monks walked The monks are a part of a Vietnamese Theravada Buddhist custom and follow Vipassana meditation.

The stroll, which started on Oct. 26, 2025, was "to not deliver you any peace," mentioned Paññākāra, "however to boost the notice of peace so that you could unlock that field and free it."

Whereas calling mindfulness the "key to peace," the monk mentioned that it's not about Buddhism per se.

"All you should do is simply follow mindfulness to unlock that field the place you've gotten saved peace and happiness inside and locked it up after which left it someplace," he mentioned. "Now it is your job. It is your responsibility, to seek out it and unlock it. You are the one one who can do that, not the venerable monks, not the reverends, nor anyone else, however you."

Paññākāra provided humor and sensible tricks to incorporate mindfulness in a world the place distractions abound. ("Please do not contact your telephone while you get up within the morning" was one.)

He led the group in a brief mindfulness follow, asking the gathering to take three deep breaths with their fingers over their hearts in unison. In a booming echo, the group shouted the every day mantra provided to them by Paññākāra: "Right this moment goes to be my peaceable day."

"It would take seven days, seven months, or seven years to seek out inside peace," mentioned Paññākāra, however "each single one among us, we have now our personal path, and please keep in mind, do not anticipate our path to be easy and flat."

Over their more-than-three-month journey, the monks have confronted treacherous winter climate, roadblocks and even a critical accident that brought on one monk to have his leg surgically amputated. However in addition they acquired meals, flowers, prayers and hospitality from well-wishers alongside the way in which.

Kimberly Bassett, secretary of state for the District of Columbia, introduced the monks with an official proclamation. "Right this moment could mark the tip of a 2,300-mile stroll, nevertheless it's not the tip of our journey for peace," she mentioned. "Your pilgrimage has introduced individuals collectively throughout cities, states and communities, all faiths, all backgrounds, all of us collectively, united within the shared perception that we will select therapeutic over hurt, understanding over division and peace over battle. Your each step carried a message, and that message now lives right here with all of us."

The monks fielded questions from a handful of religion leaders, who requested about how you can assist the following generations and how you can reconcile religious stillness with an obligation to struggle for justice.

The monks' pilgrimage resonated with many Individuals Many who got here to see the monks had been following their journey on-line.

Susan Dorr and two mates drove 11 hours from Camden, Maine, to observe the monks as they walked from American College, to the cathedral and George Washington College.

"Believing in issues, perception techniques are divisive and simply put up partitions between individuals," mentioned Dorr, who mentioned she does not establish with any religion. "However there is no perception system connected to mindfulness. The simplicity of it and the indeniable fact of it, I really like that they make it so like, 'That is the factor that we will do, that anyone might do at any time,' is what is actually compelling about it. We do not have to imagine in something."

Danny Latifzadeh, a 27-year-old from Bethesda, Maryland, mentioned he believes mindfulness is an antidote to the world's distractions.

"I am not notably spiritual, however this expertise looks like one that would hopefully cross a whole lot of boundaries between individuals which are of various cultures and religions, as a result of particularly with their messages, it transcends Scripture, it transcends generations, ages, messages, and it doesn't matter what time interval in historical past," he mentioned.