Every step carries a message of kindness, compassion, and peace for those who are suffering, feeling alone, or carrying invisible burdens. The monks walk mindfully, eat only one meal a day, sleep outdoors beneath the trees, and rely entirely on the generosity and support of the communities they pass through.
Does walking can bring peace? About 20 Buddhist monks who have been walking in the different settlements, villages and towns in the United States for a few months now are drawing attention of the world, not only the people of neighbourhood where travel.
The journey was organized by a group of 19 monks from the Vietnamese Buddhist tradition, affiliated with the Huong Dao Temple in Fort Worth. Inspired by the teachings of Gautama Buddha, the Walk for Peace aims to raise “awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world.”
The monks started from Fort Worth, Texas on October 26, 2025 and they likely to reach Washington, DC on February 13, 2026 to conclude the peace journey. The walk called “Walk for Peace” is 2,300 miles long and is estimated to take about 120 days to complete. Their journey has so far crossed the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama Georgia and South Carolina to North Carolina. They will also cross Virginia as well. In total, they plan to cross ten states of the United States.
The Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth is also the future site of one of the most ambitious Buddhist temple projects in the United States. The temple is attempting to raise $200 million to develop a center that will span 14 acres and feature 840 stupas, or Buddhist monuments.
The American people overwhelmed to appreciate the walk for peace. When they come to their neighbourhood, they walk a few kilometers together or stand by the side and silently welcome them. Some have even donated food or water to them. Some enthusiastic persons bowed to the Bhikhus with full respect as the Buddhists do in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. The Bhikhus offered sacred to interested people binding in the wrist, symboilising safety and peace. The Americans are expressing their happiness after seeing their photos on social media and congratulatory messages are also coming from different countries as well.
This journey is being led by monks from Pannakara and monks from Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavna Center. They all follow the Theravada tradition under Buddhism and according to this they do not eat anything after 12 noon and go hungry. Also, most of them spend the night under trees in the open air. Aloka, a dog from India who accompanied them on their journey, is now in the center of attraction of the walk for peace.
A serious incident took place last month in November when a monk was hit by a vehicle while traveling in Texas and his leg had to be amputated. However, the driver was pardoned by the monk.
This effort of the Bhikhus is not any kind of political protest but they are spreading the message of Buddha full of friendship and compassion by walking peacefully.
Years ago, in India, Aloka, the dog was just another stray. It had no home. Just dusty roads and empty days. Then one morning, he noticed something different.
A quiet line of Buddhist monks walking in silence. Calm. Focused. Moving with purpose. Aloka followed them out of curiosity. Then he followed again. And again. He never left. Now Aloka has become part of the team of Bhikhus. That same bond now carries him across an entire continent.
The walk began in Fort Worth, stretching more than 2,300 miles toward Washington, D.C. Each morning, as the sun rises, Aloka steps onto the road beside the monks. Calm. Steady. Present.
Some days he wears a scarf stitched with his name. Other days it reads, “Walk for Peace.”
Children wave. Strangers stop. Many kneel to greet him first, before the monks.
Aloka is cared for every step of the way. He rests when tired, receives regular veterinary checkups, and accepts treats offered with kindness. On his forehead, a small white patch forms the shape of a heart, as if nature itself marked him for this role.
Once a stray with no direction, Aloka now walks with purpose.
And everywhere he goes, he reminds people that compassion doesn’t need words. It only needs to walk beside us.
In a written statement, Bhikkhu Pannakara, spiritual leader of the Walk for Peace, said, “We walk not to protest, but to awaken the peace that already lives within each of us.”
“The Walk for Peace is a simple yet meaningful reminder that unity and kindness begin within each of us and can radiate outward to families, communities, and society as a whole,” Pannakara’s statement continues. (By R. P. Narayan)
