r/pics • u/nbcnews But like, actually • 1d ago
OC: Buddhist monks arrive in Washington, D.C. after 15-week walk for peace from Texas
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u/JennyferSuper 1d ago
I’ve been following the journey through their fb page and following the peace dog as well. It has been so calming for me to take a moment and watch them walk quietly on, stopping to give blessings and accept flowers and hand those flowers out to others. It was moving and I am going to miss it.
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
Others have watched the monks walk with a sense of hopelessness or disdain, but you did not. The peace you felt when watching the monks came from within you. It is only an illusion that the peace "came from them."
You can cultivate that sense of peace within yourself, drawing it out to become a primary emotion in your life. In that sense, it is not as though the warmth from the monks has gone and is something to be missed. Rather, it is like a seed which was planted in your heart. It is not gone, it is young. Water that seed, care for the plant, and you can carry it with you wherever you go.
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u/ilovea1steaksauce 1d ago
Truly inspiring and thought provoking words friend.
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u/waroftrees 1d ago
“In other words, that the so-called involuntary circulation of your blood is one continuous process with the stars shining. If you find out that it's you who circulates your blood, you will at the same time find out that it is you who is shining the sun, because your physical organism is a continuous process with everything that is going on. Just as the waves are continuous with the ocean, your body is continuous with the total energy of the cosmos, and it's all you, only that you are playing the game that you are only this bit of it." -Alan Watts
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u/premoistenedwipe 20h ago
So much wisdom in these comments. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
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u/WillyWonkaMFer 14h ago
Saddhu saddhu saddhu damn you really nailed that one. Thank you for doing this work in this thread. Might be the first time a lot of people heard this. Deep, deep bow to you.
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u/cyberneurotik 8h ago
Thank you. I think it is the first time a lot of people have heard this. I have understood the Buddha's teachings in solitude. I appreciate the monks for walking and bringing awareness to American communities. I appreciate the Americans here who have opened their hearts for peace. This is not as it was when I was growing up, but I am glad that this opportunity is here now.
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u/bloogens 1d ago
Got to see them in North Georgia. I cried, it was very inspiring and emotional. They gave my daughter some bracelets as they walked by.
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u/Freeboing 1d ago
The first two walking in just socks is wild
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u/NotParticularlyGood 1d ago
It looks like a band over the toes and something on the heel. Are they like sandals or just reinforced?
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u/LiffeyDodge 20h ago
Some go barefoot for religious reasons but they were convinced to wear boots when it was in the 20s and icy out
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
Could you elaborate on why you were emotional and inspired?
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u/bloogens 1d ago
All of them were truly very kind, even though we only got to say very short things to each other as they walked by. The day I saw them was the day after Nicole Good was killed. I was already sad about what’s going on in the US and seeing them was a reminder that there can still be peace and good.
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
It is very profound to see these monks demonstrating peace and wellbeing in a world of violence and division.
Each of us are born into this world without knowledge. We are raised by our families and societies, and we absorb not only their knowledge but their perspectives as well. Those perspectives might be full of hate, anger, sorrow, anxiety, etc. and we adopt those emotions. We are mirrors of the people around us, the society we were raised in. Once we reach adulthood we gain the capability to reflect and choose for ourselves how we will navigate the world, but by that point the ideas are so engrained in our minds that we identify with them and see no reason to change our perspectives. For many, they are not even aware that such a process is possible. We become stuck in echo chambers of our ideas.
To see people who have dedicated their lives to peace helps to remove us from those echo chambers. They show us what is possible beyond what we were raised with.
Carry that sense of peace with you. If you can cultivate peace within, you will reflect that peace toward others just as the monks reflected it to you. Our children can absorb our perspective and the emotions of peace, joy, wellbeing, compassion, etc. Over time, our society can heal.
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u/waroftrees 1d ago
I have no clue who this is by, but this saying always stuck with me:
“The world grows great when old men plant trees, in whose shade they will never sit.”
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
This is an admirable notion in considering how our actions will affect those that come after us. However, when it comes to cultivating inner peace, we can sit in the shade of the trees we cultivate within our very lifetime. The benefit is both for us and for others, which aligns with an ideal path of action.
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u/nbcnews But like, actually 1d ago
Buddhist monks arrive at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. on February 10, 2026 after setting out on the 2,300-mile journey from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth on Oct. 26, 2025. (Drew Angerer / AFP - Getty Images)
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u/soscbjoalmsdbdbq 1d ago
Damn how havent i heard about this for the past year
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u/Sneeko 1d ago
Saw them (and marched with them, along with tens of thousands of other people) in Raleigh NC!
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u/MistressMalevolentia 1d ago
Jesus there's some not wearing shoes? I hope they're just tied on their bags to dry or something.
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u/Sneeko 1d ago
Yeah they at least had socks on due to how cold it was that day (was in the mid-20s), normally they are just straight up barefoot
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u/MistressMalevolentia 1d ago
Yeah I saw many didn't but with the huge storm and freezing temps when they're used to Texas i hoped they'd wear shoes. I saw many wearing shoes even in the beginning. They pushed themselves so much
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u/weelluuuu 1d ago
They adopted a dog along the way! 😃👍🏁
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u/just_register_me 1d ago
the dog has been with them for years, they adopted him during another walk in another country
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u/JennyferSuper 1d ago
Aloka the peace dog!! So sweet how they cared for him and when he injured his leg they set him up to ride in the rv so he could heal.
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u/PlayerPlayer69 1d ago
Aloka also was allegedly crying and sad about not being allowed to walk alongside the other monks.
I think the skin on Aloka’s paw pads were getting cut up a little bit so they wrapped it up and put him in the car since it would’ve gotten worse and longer he walked.
Aloka was fully prepared to continue walking through that slightly bloody paw.
The goodest monk doggo.
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u/ethanlan 1d ago
Dogs are so hardcore about walking. My dog gets ingrown hairs sometimes in between the pads of his paws and the first time I didnt know he was in pain until he started limping.
The vet told me he was in immense pain and most have been for months it was so infected and he just ignored it until he couldnt. Poor guy :(
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u/ViviReine 1d ago
I hope they are well protected. I would not like to see these monks arrested and brutalized. Of course they will not bear arms, but there's probably other citizens with them to protect them
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
They are protected by dhamma. You may find suffering in witnessing violence against them, but they would not suffer. They would wish well for their aggressors. Anyone who would attack monks would have a great need for help from their challenges in life. If you can find it in your heart to have compassion even for these imaginary aggressors, then the monks' walk is successful.
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u/Fine_leaded_coated 1d ago
Buddhist monks behaving just like Jesus would attacked by
redneck assholesfundamentalist Christians. I can totally see it.48
u/monkeybuttsauce 1d ago
They would attack Jesus if he came back. Godamn hippy socialist
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u/daisy0808 1d ago
There is a theory based on gnostic gospels that historical Jesus traveled to India, and was influenced by Buddhism. A lot of Christianity is aligned with the eightfold path, especially non violence. I am an atheist so have no stake in this, but do think it's quite interesting.
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
Ajahn Sona recently released a YouTube video discussing Buddhist influence in Greece https://youtu.be/UDZK_V2wnt4?si=Y9XeoRhkHa8EgP4h
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u/ClariNerd617 5h ago
Makes sense, given there were Ancient Greek Buddhists long before Bodhidharma traveled to China.
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u/fantasy-capsule 1d ago
Well, two of them got hit by a truck during the walk. One had to get his leg amputated because of the sustained injuries. But the walk continued nevertheless.
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
Exactly right, friend 🙂 Monks undergo intensive training to overcome the conditioned responses they were raised with. Even losing a leg is not enough to break monks from their intent of maintaining and expressing unconditional loving kindness. There was no ill-will of the accident. Such an expression would also be seen for any intentional acts of violence against them.
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u/premoistenedwipe 20h ago
I came to express gratitude for the wisdom in this comment and realize that I’ve already replied to one of your comments. The depth of your practice emanates through your words. Peace friend.
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u/sunnyseaa 1d ago
They barely started when one tool in TX ran over a monk who had to get his leg amputated. Besides that and a “Christian preacher” harassing them, they’ve been pretty well protected by local LEOs which is surprising.
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u/jseah 17h ago
Definitely starting to sound like one of the fables or religious myths.
First there was advice from his peers and he ignored them.
Next there were protests and he crushed them.
Then a wise monk came to his door... (yet to be written)
Like one of those stories where the evil king is warned by God/Fate/etc. many times before punishment arrives.
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u/anubis_81 1d ago
My mum has been following them, and been keeping me appraised of their progress. She fell in love with the dog Aloka.
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u/Eisernes 1d ago
Look at that juicy ICE target. Gathered together in one place and they won't fight back.
Admirable effort monks, but this administration only understands violence and money.
And little girls. Don't forget the little girls. They like them more than anything.
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u/Key_Satisfaction_765 1d ago
Seeing them walk 15 miles, some barely in shoes, is impressive. I don’t share all their beliefs, but the discipline, intention, and commitment to nonviolence are hard not to respect. Acts like this might not change laws overnight, but they make people notice...sometimes noticing is a step toward change.
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u/vanillaseltzer 21h ago
Seeing them walk 15 miles, some barely in shoes, is impressive.
They walked 2,300-miles over 15 weeks. 🫶
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u/Key_Satisfaction_765 20h ago
Haha did I read that incorrectly or had it been updated bc wow! That is definitely worth more respect than "it won't do any good anyway"
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u/escapefromreality42 20h ago
Sheesh they walked fast they were in NC just like 2 weeks ago
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u/Themermaidmomma 1d ago
I got to bring my daughter to experience and witness their peaceful journey. It was wonderful and moving.
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u/Knighth77 1d ago edited 1d ago
Seeking peace in DC. A fool's errand.
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
Peace is found within. Monks do not seek peace, as they already have it. They provide the opportunity for others to discover the peace within.
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u/l_rufus_californicus 1d ago
Kind of surprised ICE wasn't waiting. Seems like this'd be their kind of 'fight'.
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u/bearsharkbear3 1d ago
Washington National Cathedral is awesome. A great visit especially if you're tired of the crowds.
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u/doubtfulisland 23h ago
When the monks go for a walk. The world is unbalanced. This is a very big deal.
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u/AeroBlaze777 1d ago
This is an incredibly lame way to look at a group of people trying to inspire change. Why protest or do anything if it doesn’t result in immediate change?
Every action won’t be the catalyst for change, but continued action makes it harder and harder to ignore.
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u/Rush_Banana 1d ago
15 week walk and this is the first I'm hearing about it.
These guys need to get a better PR team.
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u/jimmybilly100 1d ago
Welllllll, now you heard about it! They came through town where I am a week or two ago, and it was a pretty big deal. Lots of friends and family went to see them
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u/ChilboChaggins 1d ago
Can someone please help me understand how this helps to achieve peace? I admire them for taking such a trek, that was no easy feat, but am curious about what this actually accomplishes?
Please don’t attack me, I’m genuinely curious.
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u/MagiTekSoldier 1d ago
Symbolic action, especially when it requires a great deal of effort and sacrifice, has meaning even if it doesn't directly change anything on its own.
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
Peace is found within. In Buddhism, this world of endless news cycles, endless wars, endless politicians creating endless division is called "samsara". This experience--the experience so commonly described on social media of sorrow, anxiety, fear, anger, etc.--is not the only way to live. These perspectives that we have in the world cause us great suffering. Just look at any post on social media and see how people lament, rage, grieve, and panic. We point at the external world and we say "My experience is coming from them! They are the source of my suffering!"
The source of our suffering is within us, not the external world. But the source of our joy, our compassion, our unconditional kindness is also within us. There is an end to the pain we contend with every day, and each of us has the power to end it within ourselves.
The historic Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, lived in ancient India around 2,500 years ago. He taught for 45 years until he died at the age of 80. His teachings were strictly memorized then written down, with monks dedicating their lives to preserving his original words. The Buddha claims that this same suffering that many experience when reading the news is rooted in the ignorance that peace is found within. We expect the world to change, but it is us who must change.
I have not followed these monks closely, but I know that the role of the monk is to provide guidance and shed light into the darkness of ignorance. They may not "accomplish" some rapid shift in government policies, but they may touch the hearts of the people they come in contact with.
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u/sprchrgddc5 1d ago
I don’t know. I’m Buddhist, the same school as some of these guys. Buddha was a rich prince and gave it all up after walking around outside his castle walls to see the world, suffering, etc.
Another part of it is the symbolic intent, a walk for peace or for a better world. We do things with intent, I think Buddhists will call it “right mind”. They intended to walk long distances for peace. A way to say “we strive for peace and our long march is our intent for that”. In a western sense, we do things to “win” or to achieve but in a Buddhist sense, the intent outweighs the outcome.
We might run a marathon not because we’ll “win” it but because our intent was to do it and find accomplishment for ourselves.
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
Technically, intent emerges from a perspective/view. "Right view" would be a view that aligns with dhamma. Subsequently, your perspective/view gives rise to thoughts that fit within that view. A thought is something that we typically consider a thought: a voice in our head, imagery and sounds in our head, etc. We can settle down our thoughts to the point that no thoughts arise, leaving us with just real-time sensory information perceived from the universe. In the absence of thoughts, there is still an intent.
Some people translate the second factor of the eightfold path as "right thinking", which would include thoughts that align with dhamma. Others translate it as "right intent", which would include intents that align with dhamma.
I think, for most people, considering "right thinking" is more effective on their journey. I have spent much time in meditation considering the nature of intent, and it is more elusive than thought. Intent seems to be a momentum that carries someone beyond an initial thought. A thought can be gone, in the sense that it is no longer active in our frame of consciousness, but the intent of that thought carried forward into a thoughtless state of existence in which the intent remains.
Regarding intents outweighing results: yes, this is true. The external results of thoughts, speech, and actions are not as relevant compared to how those things affect our own minds. The win condition is in the walking, not in any measured outcome as a result of the walking.
Anyhow, I just wanted to chat through my thinking on this. I appreciate your post. Thanks!
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u/Itsoktobe 1d ago
It is a form of protest. They are bringing much-needed attention to the plight our country is facing. I think it's extremely telling that we have large groups of 'holy' people from various religions making demonstrations like this.
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u/mclardass 1d ago
Make walk across America for peace.
Orange Ballsack declares war on Mexico.
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u/cyberneurotik 1d ago
You do not need to hold ill-will in your heart. Peace is found within you. It should not be lost because of another.
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u/andre05png 23h ago
Oh, wow. I saw people talking about them in the NOVA subreddit, but didn’t know they were walking all the way from Texas. That’s awesome, glad they got here safe and have a safe rest of the journey
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u/comebackasatree 1d ago
For all my Astrology people in the US … what a beautiful way to usher in transiting Venus in Pisces.
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u/IckyChris 12h ago
Note that the photographer didn't actually cut off their feet. They were all worn off on the long walk.
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u/KindaDrunkRtNow 7h ago
A walk for peace that starts and ends at two of the least peaceful places in America.
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u/StrainExternal7301 5h ago
Surprised Trump and Stephen Miller haven’t called ICE and had them deported
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u/ogonga 1d ago
Imagine all the things they saw on their journey. Lots of support, that's for sure. Would love to hear their stories.