Buddhist Monks Arrive in Washington DC After Cross-Country Trek

A group of 19 Buddhist monks arrived in Washington D.C. yesterday having completed a 2,300-mile journey from Texas to the nation's capital.

The monks, led by the Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra, walked to promote peace, kindness, and compassion amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Their primary goal was to spread the message of spiritual mindfulness, helping people find inner peace within themselves, in addition to nonviolence and unity during a time of great division within the United States.

Rather than projecting their goals as political, the walk served as a spiritual offering to the people of the United States, encouraging mindfulness and peace in people's everyday lives.

However, the monks' 2,300-mile journey was not easy. After their departure from Texas' Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center on October 26, the group faced arduous conditions, particularly due to frigid temperatures across the southern United States. Despite ice accumulation, snowfall, and temperatures well below freezing, the monks never took a single day off, with three of them even walking barefoot.

The monks also followed a strict schedule, beginning their walk at 7 am. They would continue until noon, stopping for their daily meal of alms, before walking until nightfall, where they would set up pitched tents in public areas to sleep in.

The monks encountered another challenge when a truck hit the group's escort vehicle on November 19, causing an accident that injured two monks. One monk was treated by an ambulance on-site, while the other monk was airlifted to a nearby hospital and was forced to have his leg amputated.

Nevertheless, the monks were supported by citizens all over the country, with thousands cheering them on in person and millions more following their progress on social media. The monks were also accompanied by a rescue dog, Aloka, who completed the entire journey by their side.

Finally, the monks' journey came to a conclusion in the nation's capital of Washington D.C., with all 19 monks – including the injured monk, who arrived in a wheelchair – making their way across the Capitol and past the Lincoln Memorial. The trek lasted exactly 108 days– a sacred number in Buddhism, representing spiritual completion and cosmic order.

Various political leaders arrived to meet them in Washington D.C., including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, alongside religious leaders across faiths. Several leaders spoke with the monks about the spirituality of mindfulness and peace, which transcend the boundaries of religion.

Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra also gave some words of wisdom after completing the journey, calling mindfulness the "key to peace." He emphasized that spirituality is for people of all religions: "All you need to do is just practice mindfulness to unlock that box where you have kept peace and happiness inside and locked it up and then left it somewhere. Now it's your job. It's your duty, to find it and unlock it. You're the only one who can do this, not the venerable monks, not the reverends, nor anybody else, but you."

"It might take seven days, seven months, or seven years to find inner peace," he said, "but each and every single one of us, we have our own path, and please remember, don't expect our path to be smooth and flat."

Now, the monks will make their way back to Texas by bus, scheduled to return in two days. Their journey may be over, but the message they spread is sure to last in the minds of millions of people.

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Image credit to Reuters