by Dennis Augustine
After 2,300 miles and 108 days, these remarkable monks quietly entered Washington, DC — welcomed along the way by people of every ethnicity, background, and belief. Religious or not, many recognized something rare: discipline, humility, and genuine peace.
Rooted in the Thai/Burmese forest tradition, their walking meditation carries generations of monastic training — simplicity, restraint, and unwavering mindfulness.
Before my 3-week retreat at a Burmese monastery in Bangkok in 2008, I had completed four retreats in Myanmar under my teacher, along with former monk Steve Smith of Vipassana Hawaii. I did not return that year because the military government would not allow Westerners.
I know the rigor. The silence. The steady step. Watching lead monk Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara — faithfully accompanied by Aloka, the Peace Dog he rescued in India — walk across America is deeply moving.
Peace is not an agreement.
It is a practice.
(My monestery photos in Bangkok are my own; the screenshots are from CNN and AP).
