Buddhist Monks ‘Walk for Peace’
I never know where inspiration will come from, moment to moment. This past week, I came across a story on social media that felt especially refreshing and deeply touching.
A group of Buddhist monks, along with their dog Aloka, is walking across ten states in the United States. Their journey, called Walk for Peace, is a 120-day, 2,300-mile pilgrimage that began on October 26, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas, and will end in Washington, D.C., this February.
Their mission is simple and powerful: 'to raise awareness of peace, loving-kindness, and compassion across America and the world.'
Watching videos of the monks walking in silence and engaging with people in the different communities brought tears to my eyes. There is something so pure and sincere about what they are doing. Their presence alone feels deeply impactful and inspiring.
They stop to talk with people, listen, offer meditations, and connect in a genuinely authentic way. You can feel it—even through the screen. Many who encounter them are visibly moved, some to tears. Others offer gifts, words of gratitude, or simply walk alongside them for a short while.
This walk reflects what I deeply believe about my own work: peace begins within, and our presence has a powerful impact on those around us and on the collective consciousness of the planet. When we meet ourselves with compassion, that inner shift ripples outward—into our relationships, our communities, and the world.
Our presence creates change.
It can be easy to think we can’t make a difference, that what we do is too small to matter. The monks and their journey have been a beautiful reminder to me that our presence creates a shift.
Every kind or compassionate thought, word, action, or our simple beingness sends a ripple outward—to our friends, family, community, and beyond.
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive".
~ Dalai Lama
One of their Facebook posts a few days ago said that thousands of people gathered together peacefully in South Carolina, and they said, "This is what peace in action looks like. This is what happens when hearts come together with one purpose. This is proof that peace is not just an idea—it is alive and blooming in all of us."
Follow the monks' journey
Facebook
Instagram
Aloka the Peace Dog – has his own page
Facebook
Instagram
(Check out the heart-shaped patch on his forehead)
May we all keep walking—mindfully, gently, with compassion.
With love,
Diane
(Photos are bring shared from Facebook Page - Walk for Peace)