Amidst active snowstorms and the biting cold of late January, a line of saffron and ochre robes moved steadily across the North Carolina landscape. The “Walk for Peace 2025,” a grueling 2,300-mile pilgrimage, has now surpassed its 90th day, leaving the group of Asian Theravada Buddhist monks just 10 days away from their final destination: Washington, D.C.
The journey began on October 26, 2025, at the Huong Dao Temple in Fort Worth, Texas. The group is led by Bhikkhu Pannakara, a former Motorola engineer and University of Texas at Arlington graduate who traded his corporate career for the monkhood. (The term bikkhu refers to an ordained monk in the Buddhist lineage.) Under his guidance, the pilgrimage has traversed six states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
The Walk for Peace is not a parade, protest or ceremony of faith, Tue Nhan Bhikkhu, also known as the Rev. Nguyen and vice president of the temple, said during an Oct. 19 press conference. Instead, it is “a journey to bring blessings to countless lives in a world filled with uncertainty and restlessness.”
A path marked by sacrifice
The journey has been defined by both spiritual discipline and physical hardship. The monks follow a rigorous schedule, rising for dawn alms at 5:00 AM and walking until dusk. On nights when indoor shelter cannot be found, the group sleeps on the roadside in sleeping bags, using their robes as makeshift pillows.
The mission has also faced profound tragedy. On November 19, 2025, near Dayton, Texas, a distracted truck driver struck the monks’ support vehicle, causing a collision that resulted in the amputation of the left leg of another monk, Phra Ajarnh Maha Dam Phommasan of Laos. Despite the loss, the monks reunited with the injured elder in Georgia on New Year’s Eve to continue their mission.
Even the group’s companion, “Aloka the Peace Dog”—rescued during a previous walk in India—required surgery in South Carolina earlier this month for a ligament injury. Now restricted to short walks, Aloka remains a symbol of the “supreme light” the monks hope to share.
Discipline and dialogue
For participants like Venerable Shwe Phone Pwint Sayadaw Ashin Silananda, a former refugee of Myanmar’s 2007 Saffron Revolution, the walk is a historic contribution to the cause of peace. Bhikkhu Pannakara maintains strict discipline among the 10 to 24 rotating monks, emphasizing that the walk is a “journey to bring blessings,” not entertainment.
This discipline was tested on Day 79 in Knoxville, Tennessee, when the group was met by Christian protesters. Rather than retreating, Pannakara paused to engage. “We do not come to bring a new religion; we come to walk for the peace that your Christ also taught,” he told the group, emphasizing that while faiths may differ, the road beneath them is the same.
‘Every breath, every step’
On January 24, 2026, the group reached the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. Speaking to a crowd of activists and locals, Bhikkhu Pannakara addressed the physical toll of the Appalachian winter as a metaphor for social struggle. He urged the youth to view non-violence as a daily practice and mindfulness as a shield against suffering.
As the monks prepare for the final leg toward the nation’s capital, Pannakara’s message remains centered on the present moment. He reminded those gathered that the achievement is found in the effort itself, noting that unity across diverse customs and languages is the true rhythm of a heart seeking harmony.
“Peace is not a trophy we find at the end of 2,300 miles; it is the path we cultivate under our feet with every breath and every step.”
This story was first published by the Burmese language Myanmar Gazette.
Living in love peace and harmony, beautiful
Agree.
Thank – You ~♡~
You have inspired me.
I’m from Australia and I have felt you Kindness love and Peace
Across the Miles
Thank you
Norma Smith
Melbourne
Australia ♥️🌹🐕🙏
Thank you for the lovely message from across the pond. 😉
I am truly inspired by each and everyone of you …I’m doing homework with my 12 steps in AA and I decided that following you was starting to be truly helpful in my work ….i have felt more peace in the last few weeks than I have in a long time …I am not as anxious or resentful about people ..places or things …I am actually feeling pretty darn calm and cool and collected…I am a Christian and I love Our Heavenly Father …and I know He watches over each and everyone of you and all of us …I will share about you in my group tonight as I feel peace in my heart …thank you for walking in peace ☮️..thank you for now being a part of my personal journey in life ❤️
Thank you for sharing. Peace be with you.
What a beautiful intention to bring peace to all the world.
Inspiring and wonderful antidote to Trump sabre rattling and cruelty..peace is every step! Bless them all..they give us heart and hope in these suffering times
I firmly believe that every step they take helps one individual believe there’s hope for peace in this terrible time we live.
Peace begins within each of us and radiates out to all like ripples in water. Thank you for your blessing to all humans. I am thankful to have read about you and pray for your safe arrival in DC.
When do they arrive in DC?
Varje steg ni tar så känns det fridfullt även för oss på andra sidan Atanten. All er vänlighet, ödmjukhet och hopp om fred. Alla steg och tramp ni tar blir till konsekvenser av möjligheter som vi hoppas avgör våra öden här på jorden. Det är så vackert och fridfullt att få följa er väg.
Their route did not take them to Tennessee. They were not heckled in Knoxville, TN. That unfortunate and disgraceful activity happened in Georgia. .
Thanks for lifting my heart and mind with this peace walk, If we awarely walk it every day, Peace has a chance. I hope to see you and celebrate you when you come to Washington D.C.
Thanks and Love to you all.
Ragnhild
It is such a wonderful blessing that the Monks are walking for Peace. Most appear to be captivated by their strength, faith, determination and peacefulness. They are examples of what humans should strive for…inner peace, lovingness, kindness and faith in goodness. I love all of them for their honesty and blessedness.
Ein unglaubliches Vorhaben, was diese buddhistischen Mönche leisten. Ich verfolge es jeden Tag und bin tief beeindruckt. In der großen Welt ist es sicher ein kleines Zeichen, aber ein sehr wirksames. Friedlich und mit offenen Herzen nehmen Sie jede Strapaze auf sich.Meinen allergrößten Respekt.
These Sangha Monks have shown they earned lot of goodwill relative to other theist groups