WASHINGTON, D.C. – Walking 2,300 miles from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C., these Buddhist monks have captivated the nation. Their mission is simple: to advocate for peace. It’s a message that’s resonated across the country, especially here in D.C., where it’s the center of political discord.
Many gathered near the US Capitol building Wednesday morning, hoping to get a glimpse of the monks.
“We’ve been following the monks for the 100 plus days they’ve been walking,” said Mary Michael, who traveled from New Jersey to see the monks. “The resilience, the stamina, the determination, the discipline, that’s taking them inspired me to the point where I could not miss being here.”
Others laced up their walking shoes and joined them on their last few stops of their mission.
“I hope to walk with them for a while,” said Suprina Thompson, who traveled from Maryland to see the monks. “I wanted to see this because especially of what America is going through, this is exactly what we need: a peace walk.”
We asked a few of the people who were walking behind the monks what it’s like to walk with them. They responded, “the best feeling”, “awesome”, and “peaceful.”
“I’m seeing a strong reaction on social media from friends, family people getting caught up in the world and politics and I think something like the peace walk is something we should all get behind and support and really embrace because its something good and nice and it makes us feel happy,” said Corey Bailey. Bailey is from Elmira, New York but lives in D.C. He has been following the monks’ journey for months and joined in their walk in D.C. Bailey hopes the monks’ message reaches everyone.
“Division is going to drive us apart as a country so if we can find these little things, if we can find that yellow, we can find the warmth, the joy, the things that make us happy, I think it’s going to make it so much easier for all of us,” said Bailey.
