group Buddhist monk Their rescue dogs strut along the rural roads and highways of the South, captivating Americans across the country Inspired a large number of local people Meet them along the way.
Dressed in flowing saffron and ocher robes, these men walk for peace. It’s a meditation tradition more common in South Asian countries that is now resonating in the United States, where it appears to be a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics that divide the country.
Their journey began at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas on October 26, 2025, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will petition Congress for recognition Buddha’s birth day and enlightenment day as a federal holiday. Exceed Promoting peace, their first priority is connecting with people along the way.
“My hope is that when this hike is over, the people we meet will continue to practice mindfulness and find peace,” said Bhikkhu Pannakara, leader of the group that hikes barefoot. At each stop he teaches mindfulness, forgiveness and healing.
The monks, who prefer to sleep outside in tents set up each night, have been surprised to find that their message transcends ideology, drawing huge crowds to churchyards, town halls and town squares in six states. They and their dog Aloka document their journey on social media, which has attracted millions of followers online. Thousands of people gathered in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, where monks chanted on the steps of the state Capitol and received a proclamation from the city’s mayor, Daniel Rickenman.
Physical damage caused by monks traveling long distances
At a stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrey Pierce joined the crowd on the street. She drove four hours from Little River Village and shed tears when Pannakara handed her a flower.
“Something painful and heartbreaking happens in our country every day,” said Pierce, who describes herself as spiritual but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and saw peace. Their bodies were undergoing so much physical torture, but they radiated peace.”
Nineteen monks from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the world began a 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) hike at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.
Their journey is not without danger. On November 19, as the monks walked along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, Their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driverinjuring two monks. One of them lost a leg, leaving the team with only 18 people.
This is Pannakara’s first trek in the United States, but he has already traveled through several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022, where he first met Aloka, an Indian pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.
The dog later became a stray and followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India to the border with Nepal. Once, when he was critically ill, Pannakara took him in his arms and nursed him until he recovered. Now, when he wants to give up, Alloka inspires him to keep going.
“I named him Light because I wanted him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.
The monk’s feet are now heavily bandaged from stepping on rocks, nails and glass along the way. He said that despite the pain these injuries caused him, his mindfulness practice made him feel happy.
Still, traveling through the southeastern United States presents unique challenges, and pounding the pavement day after day can be brutal.
“In India, we can take shortcuts through rice paddies and farms, but we can’t do that here because there is a lot of private property,” Pannakara said. “But what makes it beautiful is that even though people didn’t know who we were or what we believed, they welcomed and received us warmly.”
Churches, homes and towns hosted monks along the way
In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman Craig hosted monks at his United Methodist congregation on Christmas night.
He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people turned out, creating a block party feel. The monks, he said, were like the Magi who appeared on Christ’s birthday.
“Anyone who works openly and sacrificially for world peace, whether they identify with our heritage or not, stands close to the heart of Jesus,” Hitchman-Craig said. “I was struck by the number and diversity of those in attendance.”
After spending the night on the church lawn, the monks arrived at the Collins Farm in Cusetta, Alabama, the next afternoon. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks, the largest gathering she had ever seen there.
“There’s a sense of calm, warmth and community among people who have never met before that’s special,” she said.
Monk says peace walk is not a tool of transformation
When the monks arrive in Washington, they plan to seek recognition as a national holiday of Vesak, a day marking the birth and enlightenment of Buddha, said Long Sidong, spokesman for the Fort Worth temple.
“Doing so will recognize that Vesak is a day of reflection, compassion and solidarity for all, regardless of their faith,” he said.
But Pannakara stressed that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. Dong said the hike is also a separate event from the $200 million campaign to build a towering monument on the temple’s 14-acre site to engrave the Buddha’s teachings in stone.
Monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as central to achieving enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection – observing breath and body sensations to understand reality, impermanence and pain. Some monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and live in the moment.
Pannakara told the gathered crowd that their goal was not to convert people to Buddhism.
The Theravada Buddhist tradition of peace marches began in the 1990s, when Cambodian monk Maha Ghosananda led marches through war-torn areas littered with landmines to promote national healing after Cambodia’s civil war and genocide, said Brooke Schedneck, a professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.
“These walks really inspire people and inspire confidence,” Schedenek said. “The core intention is for others to watch and be inspired, not by words, but by how willing they are to make this sacrifice by walking and being seen.”
Becky Gable drove nearly 400 miles from Cullman, Alabama, to catch them in Saluda on Thursday. Gable, who grew up Methodist, said she wanted some relief from the loss of her daughter and her parents.
“I just thought in my heart it would help me gain some peace,” she said. “Maybe I can move forward a little bit in my life.”
Gable said she has taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She promised herself that every morning when she woke up, she would take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk had prescribed.
“Today is my peaceful day.”