The Fort Worth Buddhist monks who embarked on a 2,300-mile walk for peace to the nation’s capital are coming home on Valentine’s Day, officials announced.
Since their October departure, the monks — along with their loyal pup Aloka — have touched the hearts of many as they journeyed from their Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in east Fort Worth as a means to promote peace and national healing across the country through reflection and prayer.
The monks are expected to arrive at the final destination at American University in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday morning, which is day 108 of the journey, officials wrote on Facebook. They will depart by bus on Feb. 12 and make their homecoming in downtown Fort Worth at 8 a.m. on Feb. 14.
From there, the monks will walk about 6 miles to the temple in Fort Worth’s Historic Stop Six neighborhood where the Walk for Peace initiative began. Details on the starting location and route will be posted on the Walk for Peace Facebook and Live Map, officials said.
“We would be deeply honored to have you walk with us on this final homecoming walk and to share in the joy and gratitude of returning home,” Walk for Peace officials said.
If you go What: Walk for Peace arrives in Washington, D.C. Time: 10 a.m. to noon Date: Feb. 10 Where: American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. | If you go What: Walk for Peace returns to Fort Worth Time: 8 a.m. When: Feb. 14 Where: Downtown; the starting location and detailed route will be updated later, officials said. The monk’s Fort Worth walk on Feb. 14 will conclude at Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, located at 4717 E. Rosedale St. |
Viral walk’s origins in east Fort Worth
Millions have followed the monks’ journey. Their Facebook page often shows swaths of supporters standing or kneeling on the side of roads waiting for them to pass, often holding flowers to give or signs with words of encouragement.
Videos posted to the Walk for Peace’s Facebook page show thousands of people gathering in city streets or walking along with the monks for a period of time within each state. Children and adults alike have offered the monks gifts like flowers or fruit. The monks bestow blessing cords to some of the individuals they have encountered along the way. Local law enforcement have also recognized the monk’s efforts by presenting pins to Bhikkhu Pannakara, the temple’s vice president who leads the group.
The initiative has amassed 2.6 million followers on Facebook and over 1.2 million followers on TikTok. Aloka also has his own Facebook page, with about 956,000 followers.
The Walk for Peace is not a parade, protest or ceremony of faith, Pannakara, who also goes by Rev. Nguyen, said during an Oct. 19 press conference. Instead, it is “a journey to bring blessings to countless lives in a world filled with uncertainty and restlessness.”
The monk’s walk faced peril.
Early into the journey, a traffic collision outside Houston injured some of the monks in November and resulted in a leg amputation for one of the participants.
The monks recently braved through snow and ice in the Carolinas and Virginia, following a massive winter storm in late January that hit Texas and many states on the eastern side of the country.
Aloka, 4, underwent surgery for an injury to one of his legs in January and continues recovering. Today, the tan and white pooch is seen in some social media videos walking or resting in a vehicle.
The Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center has been in Fort Worth for more than 26 years. The temple serves a predominantly Vietnamese-American community that follows the Buddhist faith.
The center is the future site of the $200 million Dhammacetiya Project, which is 14-acres that will feature 840 stupas, or shrines, each engraved with sacred scriptures representing the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion. The project was announced in 2022 and the temple kicked off the expansion in May.
Buddhist monks dedicate their lives to practicing and sharing Buddha’s teachings through meditation, study and service. Following Buddha’s example, monks often undertake walking pilgrimages that can last for months.
The monk’s return will bring the journey to a full circle, officials said.
“This is a deeply meaningful moment,” officials said. “Please come celebrate peace with us.”
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org.
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