A group of Buddhist monks, accompanied by their rescue dog, is walking single file along country roads and highways across the southern United States, captivating Americans and inspiring locals to greet them along their route.
Dressed in flowing saffron and ocher robes, the monks are walking for peace, a meditative practice common in South Asia that is now resonating in the U.S. as a calming counterpoint to the nation’s conflicts, trauma, and political divisions.
Their journey began on October 26, 2025, at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Fort Worth, Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid
February in Washington, D.C. There, they plan to ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday.
Beyond advocating for peace, the monks aim to connect with people along the way.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader, who is making the trek barefoot.
At each stop, he teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness, and healing.
Preferring to sleep in tents outdoors, the monks have been struck by how widely their message resonates, drawing crowds to churchyards, city halls, and town squares across six states.
They document their journey on social media, where they along with their dog, Aloka have gained millions of followers.
On Saturday, thousands gathered in Columbia, South Carolina, as the monks chanted on the State House steps and received a proclamation from Mayor Daniel Rickenmann.
At a Thursday stop in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce drove four hours from her village of Little River to see them and teared up when Pannakara handed her a flower.
“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who identifies as spiritual but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace.
They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture, and yet they radiate peace.”
The 19 monks, from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the world, are undertaking a 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) trek.
Their journey has not been without danger. On November 19, while walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was struck by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.
This is Pannakara’s first U.S. trek, though he has walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022, where he first met Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means “divine light” in Sanskrit.
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