Nineteen Buddhist monks and their dog, Aloka, have been walking across America since October 2025. They started in Fort Worth, Texas, and are heading to Washington, D.C., where they'll arrive on February 10 to speak about healing and unity at the Capitol. It's a 2,300-mile journey. It's also become something unexpected: a mirror held up to how many people still want to believe in peace.
This past weekend, winter tried to stop them. Temperatures dropped to 20°F with winds strong enough to nearly knock the monks over. They walked anyway. And hundreds of people came out to meet them in the cold—standing in freezing wind just to greet them, to hand them flowers, to bow.
The group's leader, Bhikkhu Pannakara, waves to supporters in the snow. Photo courtesy of Walk for Peace/Facebook
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Start Your News Detox"Your presence is so precious to us in this harsh weather," the monks wrote after their 105th day on the road. "To know that you came out in such difficult conditions, that you stood in the freezing wind just to greet us—this moves us beyond words."
Over the past 107 days, the walk has become less about the monks' endurance and more about what communities are willing to show up for. Thousands of supporters have lined the roads with food, medical care, water, flowers. Local churches have opened their doors. People have paused their lives to be present.
The monks haven't walked this journey untouched. There have been injuries. Aloka needed orthopedic surgery and had to pause. Winter has been relentless. But each day, they choose to continue—not because the conditions are comfortable, but because the work of walking for peace means walking when it's hard.
"We don't always know how far we'll make it on difficult days," they shared, "but we try our best, we take it step by step, and we trust in what each moment allows."
When they reach D.C., there will be remarks at the Capitol and later at the Lincoln Memorial on February 11. Then they'll bus back to Texas and walk the final six miles home to their temple. They've invited anyone who wants to join them for that last stretch.
What started as a walk for peace has become proof that peace is something people are still reaching for.
