In case you didn’t know, there is a group of Buddhist monks from Texas that are on a Walk for Peace -- a long-distance pilgrimage promoting peace, compassion, and nonviolence. Their route has moved through the southeastern United States, then north through the Carolinas and Virginia before concluding in Washington, D.C..

The monks maintain a meditative walking pace and pause in various communities along the way to engage with local residents and share their message through quiet presence and peaceful interaction rather than political messaging. They have been handing out bracelets to those they encounter, a Buddhist symbol of protection and blessings.

The walk has been positively received in various communities, with local news outlets and social media users highlighting the unique sight of the group traveling on foot in traditional robes. Wherever these monks arrive across different states and locations, they are welcomed by thousands of people, regardless of religion, race, or gender. Along the way, the monks speak to those who welcome them, conveying teachings resonant with the Buddha’s message:

“The world is one family. We must stand together in unity.
We must cultivate loving kindness, contentment, and compassion for others.”

In essence, the monks are embodying peace by walking it, hoping to ignite that same sense of peace in others, one step and one interaction at a time.

About two weeks ago, a dozen people from this Fellowship headed toward Jordan Lake to encounter the monks as they passed by this area. Hwy 64 that runs by the lake was lined with people on the eastbound side of the road as far as the eye could see in either direction. It was a crowd dispersed in a long linear fashion.

As the monks approached the anticipation in the crowd was evident. We could see them both receiving small gifts of appreciation offered to them, usually flowers, which they in turn would gift to someone else a bit further down the road. When they passed there was a palpable aura of peace around their whole group and even with the entourage of support vehicles and people.

I truly appreciate the inspiration and impact of the monks, their path to walk is not necessarily the path for everyone. We are not all called to monastic life or go on a 2,300 mile trek. We each have different gifts, ways to share our light in the world. And, the world right now is seriously out of balance.

While authoritarian powers continue to impose domination by force, people rise up in protest, expressing their rejection of oppression across the globe. The continual onslaught of human rights abuses, especially in our own country, is unconscionable and creates suffering for countless vulnerable people.

In these chaotic times there are courageous individuals and groups working for justice and equity. In the midst of all this, I am reminded of a question Rev. Jacqueline shared with us last week that stayed with me. When faced with all that is going on in the world and in our own lives:

What is mine to do? What is ours to do?

She also shared that sometimes these questions lead to uncertainty, and it is OK to be in the place of unknowing. I believe this place is where we have a chance to really grow deeper in our spiritual lives—when we are seeking discernment for the best way to focus our energies, share our gifts, and place our attention. This is where the monks have something more to teach us. Peace is not the goal or the destination, but a practice.

Bhikkhu Pannakara, spiritual leader of the Walk for Peace states:

“We walk not to protest, but to awaken the peace that already lives within each of us.
We do not walk to reach a destination; we walk so that every step becomes a destination of compassion."

What does it take to awaken the peace that already lives within us?
How does peace become a practice?

In a world of endless demands and constant chaos, peace is a rare gem. It is both simple and profound at the same time. When absent, its void creates worry, discomfort, and anxiety. But when present, peace anchors us amid life’s storms, offering quiet strength and calm amidst the chaos. Yet, peace isn’t something we wait for; it’s something we create.

The location of inner peace is the spiritual center of our being, most often identified as our heart. This must be discovered and nurtured. The spiritual journey does require some inner work, tending to the garden within. Yet, it also asks us to share the fruits of that garden with others. It is not a choice between just inner spiritual work or just outer work on the world, it’s “both/and.” The “both/and” doesn’t work if we tune out or numb out and ignore the outer world. It also doesn’t work if we focus only on the doing, over commit and burnout while neglecting the importance of cultivating balance within our inner life.

Systems thinker Ervin Laszlo states:

“Attaining peace in people’s hearts is a precondition for attaining peace in the world.
Inner peace very much depends on creating more equitable conditions in the global village.”

As members of a single human community sharing one planet, we are one global family living together in a web of interdependence. The responsibility for this family’s happiness and suffering does not depend on one particular religion, nationality, gender, race, or whether one is a monastic or a layperson. It belongs equally to all of us.

So what are we bringing to the global human family potluck? How are we sharing our gifts, the fruits of our cultivating our inner life?

If we choose to bring peace, then it requires finding and growing that peace within; then practicing ways to embody peace, then actively sharing peace, even if that is through small acts of kindness. Any gift we wish to bring requires intention, attention, and practice. If we want to change the world, that work begins in our own hearts.

The power of peace lies within each of us.

Today, may peace be with you, and all around you, with every breath, in every step, on the journey.

May it be so.

Daniel