Millions inspired by monks’ ‘Walk for Peace’

In October, 19 Buddhist monks and their rescue dog, Aloka, left Fort Worth, Texas en route to Washington, D.C. for a 2,300 mile journey spreading a message of mindfulness, compassion and peace. They called it  “The Walk for Peace.” Along their journey, the monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center greeted well-wishers with blessings, smiles and thousands of peace bracelets as they marched toward the nation’s capital. “This world has been receiving so much anger and hatred and everything already that is why it's coming back to us with all kinds of sufferings, all kinds of disasters,” the group’s soft-spoken leader Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara said at of their final stops in Alexandria, Virginia.  “We walk not to bring any attention to us, but we just hope that we raise awareness of peace to all the people who will meet along the road.” As their message resonated with thousands across the country and world, the group’s social media channels exploded, racking up over 5.8 million combined followers on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Never taking a day off, some of the monks walked on foot, even in an ice storm and below freezing temperatures. Extreme weather conditions weren't the only challenge. In November, one monk had a leg amputated after he was struck by a vehicle while walking alongside the U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas. And in South Carolina, Aloka, the now-famous “peace dog” began limping and required surgery. As he recovered, he largely rode alongside the monks in an escort vehicle, joining  the group as they rested each evening. The monks completed their journey to Washington, D.C. on February 10 where they pressed members of Congress to recognize Buddha’s birthday as a federal holiday. They planned to lead a public meditation before departing home to Fort Worth. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show. Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6 Follow us: TikTok:   / pbsnews   X:   / newshour   Instagram:   / newshour   Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour