Nineteen Buddhist monks and a dog named Aloka have been walking across America since October. They started in Fort Worth, Texas, and are headed to Washington D.C. on February 10 to share reflections on healing and compassion. This week, they reached Alexandria, Virginia — 107 days into their journey.
The walk itself has become the message. "The weather was harsh, the wind was fierce, but we were warmed up completely by the peaceful energy from hundreds of people who lined up on the roads to welcome us," the monks posted on Instagram as they arrived in Alexandria. Hundreds of people showed up to greet them, not because they were famous, but because something about nineteen people walking 2,300 miles to promote peace cuts through the usual noise.
This week also marked a personal milestone: Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan rejoined the group after missing weeks due to an accident in December. "His presence, wisdom, and dedication enrich this mission profoundly," the Walk for Peace account wrote. The return felt significant enough to share with their followers — a reminder that this isn't a spectacle, but a community holding itself together through difficulty.
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Start Your News DetoxOne woman, Usa Bunak, drove from Kensington, Maryland specifically to greet the monks as they passed through Alexandria. She's Buddhist and grew up in Thailand. One of the monks walking is from her hometown of Ubon Ratchathai. But there was another reason she made the trip: her husband is in hospice, dying at home. "It's so important for me to be here to bring the memory back to him and back to my family," she told WUSA9. She wasn't there as a spectator. She was there to witness something she could carry home.
The monks have about a month left. When they reach Washington D.C., they'll offer public reflections on what they've learned walking through America for 127 days. The Walk for Peace account has promised to introduce each monk individually in the coming weeks — not as inspirational figures, but as people with their own stories, their own reasons for walking.
