"The Walk for Peace has been, in many ways, easy to miss. There are no slogans, no signs held up, no calls to action. Instead, there is just walking. One step, then another. Breath moving in and out. Bodies moving steadily through places designed for speed. After 108 days and over 2,300 miles, the Buddhist monks have arrived at their destination in Washington, D.C. On February 11, 2026-Day 109-they will host a global loving-kindness meditation at 4:30pm EST."
"Our current culture is shaped by loud things: urgency, outrage, and constant stimulation. This long-distance pilgrimage across the United States offers something distinctly countercultural. It is quiet, steady, unassuming, and attentive. It's a (sometimes uncomfortable) reminder that our ideas about peace are often future-oriented and externalized. We imagine a time that's not-now, where the horrors that plague us are gone, and we can finally feel okay."
"What I notice is that we are starved for gentleness in a world that glorifies dominance and control. We ache for compassion in a world that keeps telling us that softness makes us weak and defective. This past month, I've found myself multiple times a week checking in with the Walk for Peace. I watch videos of such tender interactions as people go to watch these monks pass by, sometimes offering flowers or just an encouraging hello. They spontaneously weep, and I do, too."
A Buddhist walking pilgrimage crossed the United States for 108 days and over 2,300 miles, arriving in Washington, D.C., with a global loving-kindness meditation scheduled for February 11, 2026 (Day 109) at 4:30pm EST. The Walk for Peace features no slogans or signs; it proceeds through simple walking—one step after another—through spaces designed for speed. The pilgrimage contrasts with a culture shaped by urgency, outrage, and constant stimulation by modeling quiet, steady, attentive presence. Urban communities experiencing instability simultaneously nurture webs of mutual care, emphasizing gentleness and compassion despite cultural pressure to equate softness with weakness.
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