Thousands gathered at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday to welcome a group of monks on the 108th day of their cross-country “Walk for Peace.” It was one of several events in the Washington, D.C. area, some of which Georgetown students attended.
“We are not walking from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to bring you any peace but to raise awareness of peace so that you can unlock that box and free it,” the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the walk’s leader, told the crowd. “Let peace bloom and flourish among all of us throughout this nation and the world.”
The monks are from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, which is part of a Vietnamese Theravada Buddhist tradition. Walking since the end of October, they have had to contend with harsh weather conditions and an accident that left one monk’s leg amputated after being hit by a car. The challenges have not stopped them from spreading their message, however.
On the cathedral steps, the monks stood alongside faith leaders from different traditions. Kimberly Bassett, secretary of the District of Columbia, presented Pannakara with a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office.
“Today may mark the end of a 2,300-mile walk,” Bassett said. “But it’s not the end of our journey for peace.”
Photo by Izzy Wagener Thousands listen to remarks from monk Bhikkhu Pannakara and other faith leaders at the cathedral.Photo by Izzy Wagener
Following Pannakara’s remarks, the monks entered the cathedral for an interfaith gathering while some attendees waited outside, ready to walk with them along Embassy Row.
As the line of red and saffron-robed monks departed the cathedral, supporters offered thanks from behind the barricades, while one attendee handed off a dog treat to a monk for Aloka, the monks’ canine companion. On the sidewalk, vendors had already set up impromptu tables selling pins and sweatshirts commemorating the visit.
Photo by Paige Benish Georgetown students pose for a photo with monks at George Washington University.Photo by Paige Benish
During their time in Washington, D.C., the monks also visited American University and George Washington University. Members of the Georgetown Buddhist Student Association (BuSA) attended a mindfulness meditation session at George Washington.
Brandon Hu, the co-president of BuSa, took away the importance of intentionality and spreading kindness.
“I thought their message on mindfulness was an important reminder for us to pause and reflect internally to develop peace and spread love and kindness,” Hu said.
For some, the walk represented a personal commitment to their spiritual beliefs. Laurie Fonken, 65, flew from Colorado with just a small backpack after tracking the monks’ progress on social media. Having trained in Shambhala Buddhism, she identified with the call for peace and mindfulness.
“We don’t have to fight, we don’t have to have the loudest voice. We don’t have to meet with all the senators and congresspeople and have all the rhetoric. We can walk,” Fonken said. “People just can’t believe that something so simple could be so powerful.”
Photo by Izzy Wagener Monk Bhikkhu Pannakara turns to look back at the cathedral before departing.Photo by Izzy Wagener
Others described the experience as restorative. Christian Lumsden took the train from Baltimore, his current residence, to Fredericksburg, Virginia, after feeling drawn to join.
“I needed this for myself, to walk the journey. If I can’t be peaceful within myself, how can I bring that to anyone else?” Lumsden said.
Casey Volanth, an Annapolis resident, spoke to how timeless the monks’ focus on personal reflection and inner peace was, especially amid today’s political polarization.
“The world we’re in, there’s so much stimulus and opinion and conflict and hatred and everything is at the tip of your fingers at every moment of the day,” said Volanth. “So this message that we all have the peace and the ability to create peace within ourselves, and that peace comes from within is so important right now.”
Some attendees explicitly connected the walk to current political struggles.
Photo by Izzy Wagener Supporters wave goodbye to the monks as they leave the cathedral.Photo by Izzy Wagener
Nadine Seiler, 60, wore a fluorescent pink frog costume in reference to a Portland protester who went viral for wearing a similar costume during immigration enforcement protests in October. A Maryland resident originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Seiler continues her activism despite increased ICE presence in D.C.
“The Portland frog is a symbol of peaceful resistance against the encroaching fascism that is happening. So I wanted to meld it in solidarity with the peace walk that the monks are doing,” Seiler said.
“I am not fearless, but I’m not fearful either,” Seiler said. “But I feel that I need to be out here, because I want to let other people know that, yes, I could potentially end up in [ICE’s] cross hairs. But if we are all afraid, and we all stay inside and get paralyzed by fear, nothing will ever change.”
Photo by Izzy Wagener Nadine Seiler poses for a photo with a man dressed as Jesus at the cathedral.Photo by Izzy Wagener
After concluding their walk, the monks boarded a bus back home to Fort Worth on Thursday, and they were welcomed home with a ceremony on Saturday.
