Why are Buddhist monks walking across the US? Here's what to know.
- - Why are Buddhist monks walking across the US? Here's what to know.
Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAYJanuary 14, 2026 at 3:59 AM
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A group of Buddhist monks is walking for peace from Texas to the White House in Washington, DC.
Nearly two dozen monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, led by Bhikkhu Pannakara, are walking 2,300 miles to promote national healing, unity and compassion. The journey began on Oct. 26 and is expected to end on Feb. 12.
The center is also the future site of one of the most ambitious Buddhist temple projects in the United States. The temple is attempting to raise $200 million to develop a center that will span 14 acres and feature 840 stupas, or Buddhist monuments.
As the pilgrimage enters its 80th day, here's everything to know about the walk.
Buddhist monks cross the bridge from Georgia into South Carolina during the Walk for Peace in Lincolnton, Ga., on Jan. 6, 2026. The Buddhist monks will be walking 2,300 miles from Fort Worth to Washington D.C.Why are the monks walking?
In a written statement, Bhikkhu Pannakara, spiritual leader of the Walk for Peace, said, "We walk not to protest, but to awaken the peace that already lives within each of us."
"The Walk for Peace is a simple yet meaningful reminder that unity and kindness begin within each of us and can radiate outward to families, communities, and society as a whole," Pannakara's statement continues.
The monks are crossing 10 U.S. states as part of their journey and were most recently in South Carolina. The group will stop at state capitols, historic landmarks and local communities to share their message and invite moments of reflection.
"This walk is more than a journey — it is a heartfelt offering to the community," Dr. Neeraj Bajracharya, general secretary of the Nepalese Buddhist Association of Texas, said in a written statement. "Walk for Peace invites all people, regardless of faith, culture or background to come together in the spirit of compassion, mutual respect and understanding."
In a blog post titled "Why we walk," the monks wrote: "Our walking itself cannot create peace. But when someone encounters us — whether by the roadside, online or through a friend — when our message touches something deep within them, when it awakens the peace that has always lived quietly in their own heart — something sacred begins to unfold."
The post continues: "This is our contribution—not to force peace upon the world, but to help nurture it, one awakened heart at a time."
The monks have been widely welcomed in differing religious institutions and communities across the country as they preach their message during a particularly divisive time in U.S. politics.
Where have the monks stopped on their journey?
In Georgia, children gifted the monks flowers, and the holy men serendipitously blessed newlyweds while taking a break at a farm, "though different faiths and philosophies were present," according to a blog post.
In Selma, Alabama, they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of the 1965 Bloody Sunday beatings of Civil Rights marchers, and offered chants and prayers in remembrance of those who lost their lives there. The monks released flower petals into the river from the bridge as a symbolic offering of their prayers.
The monks are being joined by their sidekick, Aloka, a former stray adopted from Kolkata, India. The canine had been walking alongside the men, but recently needed to undergo surgery for a leg injury. In a recent Facebook post, the group wrote that the animal is recovering and will rejoin them once he's healed.
Aloka runs during the Walk for Peace at Bethany Independent Methodist Church in Lincolnton, Ga., on Jan. 6, 2026. The Buddhist monks will be walking 2,300 miles from Fort Worth to Washington D.C.
Aloka's name means "light." He first encountered the monks in India as they participated in another peace walk, strolling alongside them for over 1,864 miles across Buddhist sites.
The walk has not been without struggles. On Nov. 19, the monks' security vehicle was involved in a car accident that left one of the monks with injuries so severe that his leg had to be amputated. Following the accident, he remained in Houston for a month to heal and then returned to his temple.
Following the crash, a community member in Texas donated his personal vehicle to the monks so they could safely continue their journey. Other community members also helped the monks by facilitating full insurance for the car, changing its oil, replacing its tires and installing safety lights.
How common are Buddhist peace walks?
Peace walks originated in Cambodia in 1992 during the repatriation of refugees from Thai border camps amid the Khmer Rouge, according to a paper published by Kathryn Poethig, a professor of global studies at California State University, Monterey Bay.
Following the 1992 walk, the event became an annual tradition in Cambodia. In the second walk, an estimated 3,000 people joined the procession, though participants faced shelling and crossfire. In the third walk, which traversed through a war zone in western Cambodia, a monk and a nun lost their lives.
People sit as the Buddhist monks hold visiting hours during the Walk for Peace at Bethany Independent Methodist Church in Lincolnton, Ga., on Jan. 6, 2026. The Buddhist monks will be walking 2,300 miles from Fort Worth to Washington D.C.How to follow the monks' journey
You can follow the monks' live tracker below:
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here's why Buddhist monks are walking across the US
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