One foot, one breath: following the footsteps of the Venerable Buddhist monks on their Walk for Peace

Herds of people line the city streets, the country roads, the path of peace. For a moment, the bustling craze of the world falls silent and bows its head to honor the Venerable Buddhist monks. As they walk past, something fundamentally religious occurs: the sharing of breath, unifying every soul through their radiation of inner-peace. 

Beginning on October 26, 2025, a group of 19 monks, and their dog Aloka, left the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, to embark on a 2,300 mile journey to Washington D.C. by foot. The trek is rightfully named the “Walk for Peace” as it is not a protest, but instead a display of the prevailing nature of peace and love. So far, the monks have traveled through Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and most recently North Carolina: making appearances in Charlotte, High Point, Greensboro, Apex, and Raleigh, amongst other small towns along the way. Despite harsh weather conditions, the monks are still on track. They’re currently making their way through Virginia and are projected to arrive at the nation's capitol by February 13th, barring any major conflicts. 

“You are bringing people hope. We live in a time of partisan rancor and political discord. ... In our heart of hearts, we don’t want to be on guard against our neighbors. We want to come together,” Governor Josh Stein expressed in his address to the Monks at North Carolina's state capitol in Raleigh. 

On January 24th, 2026, the Buddhist monks passed through Raleigh, stopping at the state capital. That Saturday marked day 91 in their journey, and although temperatures were bitterly cold, thousands of people bundled up and braved the winter winds to witness the monks speak. 

“Today is 91 days that we have walked and today is so special. You know why it’s so special? In this cold weather…all of us are coming out here just for this same mission: Peace,” Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group's speaker, remarked, while speaking to the large audience at Raleigh's capitol. 

On that day, Governor Josh Stein declared January 24th as Walk for Peace day. A proclamation that encourages all citizens to participate in the practice of community and peace in a time of uncertainty.

  “Our government officials are using words of violence and divisiveness. A polar opposite from what happened in Raleigh on Saturday where both the mayor and the governor gave addresses that were pro-unity and pro-peace,” Chaplain Brief, the Buddhist chaplain at Duke University, commented. 

Although it is significant that this walk is taking place during a politically volatile time in our nation, the walk's intention is not to make a political statement, nor is it a protest.

“It's important to understand that the monks don't take a side. I'm sure they have individual opinions, but they wish well for all people regardless of political affiliation, race, color, creed, religious, or non-religious background. Peace happens when we follow that lead,” Chaplain Brief emphasized.

At many of the peace gatherings, a large portion of attendees are teens and children. Even from a young age, people are aware of how important it is to witness something that may be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“We're literally living through history right now. Being a teenager and being active in something like this is extremely amazing, especially because you have seen a lot of activism in the past from people who are older, people who ‘understand the world a little more.’ To see the younger generation stepping up into that role is really awesome,” Andy Leikind, a senior at DSA who attended the Apex peace gathering, shared.