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A team of Buddhist monks, accompanied by rescue dogs, are currently traveling across the American South, attracting attention and inspiring local communities along the way. The monks, dressed in distinctive saffron and ocher robes, were conducting a peaceful meditation walk, a practice more common in South Asian countries. Their pilgrimage seemed to provide a welcome reprieve from the political divisions, conflicts and social trauma currently affecting the United States.
This spiritual journey begins on October 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas. The campaign is expected to culminate in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where the group intends to petition Congress to recognize the birth and enlightenment days of Buddha as federal holidays. Beyond this legislative goal, their primary focus remains promoting connections with the individuals they meet 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.
They prefer to sleep outside in tents every night monk People were surprised to find that their message transcended ideology, drawing huge crowds to church cemeteries, city 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. On Saturday, thousands of people flocked to Colombia, south carolinaMonks chanted on the steps of the state Capitol and received a proclamation from the city’s mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.
Thursday’s stop in Saluda, south carolinaAudrie Pearce 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 embarked on a 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) hike at the Vipassana Meditation Center in Xiangdao. fort worth.
Their journey is not without danger. As the monks walked along U.S. Route 90 on November 19, dayton, Texastheir escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost a leg, leaving the team with only 18 people.
This is Pannakara’s first hike in the United States, but he has already hiked in several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across the United States. India In 2022, he first met Aloka, an Indian pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.
Then a stray dog followed him and the other monks from calcutta in the east India until Nepal boundary. Once, when he was seriously 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.”
In Opelika, alabamaThe Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the 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 Collins Farm in Cusetta the next afternoon. alabama. 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.
Spokesperson Long Sidong fort worth The monks said when they arrive in Washington, they plan to seek recognition for Vesak Day, which marks the birth and enlightenment of Buddhism. Buddhaas a national holiday.
“Doing so would 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. The hike is also another part of a $200 million campaign to build a towering monument on the temple’s 14-acre site to accommodate BuddhaAccording to Dong, his teachings were carved 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.
Brooke Schedneck, Professor of Religion, Rhodes College, USA memphis, tennesseeThe Theravada tradition of peace walking began in the 1990s, when Cambodian monk Maha Ghosananda led marches through war-torn areas riddled with landmines to promote national healing after Cambodia’s civil war and genocide.
“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.”
