A group of Buddhist monks, a day after completing a 108-day walk for peace from Texas to Washington, walked on Capitol Hill before heading to the Lincoln Memorial to end their journey on Wednesday.
Buddhist monks walk to the US Capitol on the last day of their 15-week journey from TexasThe 19 monks and their dog, Aloka, walked 2,300 miles across the southern states — sometimes in freezing conditions — drawing huge crowds to churches, city halls and town squares. The group, with its message of peace, has captured hearts across the country and the world, earning millions of online followers.
On Wednesday morning, the nuns walked in single file, followed by about 100 monks and nuns who joined them in Washington. Behind them was a sea of people making peace signs and marching silently. More than 21,000 people followed the livestream online from around the world, posting messages in Spanish, Hindi, Thai and Sinhalese.
From George Washington University, where they stopped for the night on Capitol Hill, crowds cheered and thanked the nuns from the sidewalk. Later in the day, they were expected to address large crowds at the Lincoln Memorial and officially end the peace march. Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, who led the group, will lead a loving-kindness meditation session at George Washington University.
Pannakara walked barefoot on Wednesday as he waved and smiled at the crowd. A number of monks, including small children, handed over flowers.
On Tuesday, the monks stopped by American University and Washington National Cathedral for an interfaith dialogue where thousands flocked to hear Pannaka speak.
The monks urged those gathered to practice mindfulness daily and cultivate peace in their hearts. He asked them to wake up every morning and deliberately write these words on a piece of paper: Today is going to be my peaceful day.
The monk’s track was his danger. In November, outside of Houston, the group was walking along a highway when their escort vehicle collided with a truck. Two monks injured; Venerable Maha Dam Phomason’s leg was amputated. Thomason, abbot of a temple in Snellville, Georgia, rejoined the monks near Washington and entered the grounds of American University in a wheelchair and joined the group on their walk to the Capitol.
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The walk of peace is a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism. Some monks walked parts of the journey barefoot or in socks to directly feel the ground and help them be present in the moment.
Monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha that focuses on the breath and the mind-body connection. Pannakar’s peace talks delivered at stops along the way urged listeners to put down their phones and find peace within themselves.
Their return trip should be less difficult. After an appearance at the Maryland State House, a bus will take them back to Texas, where they expect to arrive in downtown Fort Worth early Saturday morning.
From there, the monks will walk together again, covering 6 miles to the temple where their journey began.
Associated Press religion coverage is supported by a grant from The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Solely responsible for this content.
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