{"id":160821,"date":"2026-02-12T01:40:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/160821\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T01:40:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:40:12","slug":"walk-for-peace-buddhist-monks-gather-at-lincoln-memorial-in-dc-for-concluding-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/160821\/","title":{"rendered":"Walk for Peace Buddhist monks gather at Lincoln Memorial in DC for concluding ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Marissa Greene and Alysa Horton | Cronkite News, Fort Worth Report
February 11, 2026<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 About 19 Buddhist monks from Fort Worth, some barefoot, walked through snow-covered Capitol Hill silently on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thousands followed behind or lined the streets of Washington while another crowd awaited the monks\u2019 peace ceremony at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n

From politicians \u2014 including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi<\/a>, who was spotted holding flowers, and Sen. Andy Kim<\/a>, D-New Jersey \u2014 to proud Texans, thousands of people gathered around Capitol Hill to see the monks in person on Feb. 11.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\/Buddhist monks who are participating in the Walk for Peace hold a peace gathering and concluding ceremony at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Day 109, Feb. 11, 2026. (Sarah L. Voisin for Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

Geraldo Garcia, 43, a Houston native who now lives in Alexandria, Virginia, was among those gathered. He said peace is always an option, no matter the circumstances.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways find it,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cYou can find resilience. You can find strength in it, and that can illuminate and infect others.\u201c<\/p>\n

Through social media and personal encounters, the monks, along with loyal pup Aloka, inspired many and gained millions of followers as they journeyed on foot from their Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in east Fort Worth to Washington to promote peace and national healing through reflection and prayer.<\/p>\n

The monks will return to Fort Worth on Feb. 14, and invite the public to join them in a homecoming walk from downtown to their east Fort Worth temple.<\/p>\n

\"\"Buddhist monks who are participating in the Walk for Peace hold a peace gathering and concluding ceremony at Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D.C. on Day 109, Feb. 11, 2026. (Sarah L. Voisin for Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

Since leaving their temple in October, the monks\u2019 Walk for Peace initiative amassed 2.8 million followers<\/a> on Facebook and over 1.3 million followers on TikTok<\/a>. Aloka has his own Facebook page<\/a>, with over 1 million followers.<\/p>\n

About 2,300-miles after departing Fort Worth, the monks arrived in Washington<\/a> early on Feb. 10. On Tuesday, thousands of people packed an American University arena and then gathered outside the Washington National Cathedral<\/a> to catch a glimpse of the venerable trekkers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Waiting for the monks to pass by on Wednesday was Drew Masada, 42, who lives in Maryland but is from Austin. Masada said he appreciated the monks\u2019 journey and the positivity their Walk for Peace has delivered along the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think unhappy people make unhappy decisions. Happier people, more peaceful people, try to do the opposite,\u201d Masada said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many shouted words of thanks to the monks as they walked toward the Lincoln Memorial.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/Aloka is pictured. Buddhist monks who are participating in the Walk for Peace hold a peace gathering and concluding ceremony at Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D.C. on Day 109, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Sarah L. Voisin for Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

\"\"\/Buddhist monks who are participating in the, “Walk for Peace,” hold a peace gathering and concluding ceremony at Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D.C. on Day 109, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Sarah L. Voisin for Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

Bhikkhu Pannakara, vice president of the temple, took to the podium to thank the churches, law enforcement officers and others who volunteered their resources or time in supporting the monks\u2019 journey.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, all it takes is a few seconds to hurt someone, Pannakara said. Instead, he encouraged attendees to use those seconds for the \u201cthe beginning of peace.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, I do not ask you to think about big ideas. I simply invite you to live five seconds of your life with mindfulness,\u201d Pannakara said.
\u00a0
Walk for Peace will continue Feb. 12 in Maryland, where the monks will walk from the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to Maryland State Capitol, officials announced on the monks\u2019 Facebook page<\/a>. They will board a bus Thursday afternoon and head back to Texas.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/Buddhist monks who are participating in the Walk for Peace, hold a peace gathering and concluding ceremony at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Day 109, Feb. 11, 2026. (Sarah L. Voisin for Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

Monks return to Fort Worth on Valentines Day<\/p>\n

The monks are expected to arrive at the Fort Worth Water Gardens at 8 a.m. on Feb. 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The group will participate in a homecoming walk from the gardens back to the temple in the city\u2019s Historic Stop Six neighborhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Around 10:30 a.m., the temple will offer lunch to the monks and those in attendance. The monks will gather for final reflections at 1 p.m. Saturday.\u00a0
Details on the route will be posted on the Walk for Peace Facebook<\/a> and Live Map<\/a>, officials said.<\/p>\n

If you go<\/p>\n

What: Walk for Peace homecoming walk\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where: Fort Worth Water Gardens, 1502 Commerce St.<\/p>\n

Time: 8 a.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Date: Feb. 14<\/p>\n

The monk\u2019s Fort Worth walk on Feb. 14 will conclude at Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, located at 4717 E. Rosedale St.<\/p>\n

The monks are expected to go south on Commerce Street from the Water Gardens, go east on Vickery Boulevard and have a brief stop at Sycamore Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then, they will continue east on Vickery Boulevard and go south on South Ayers Avenue, a spokesperson for Fort Worth\u2019s Public Events Department said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Buddhists, Walk for Peace fans acknowledge impact<\/p>\n

Bhikkhu Bodhi, a prominent American Buddhist monk from New York City, told the crowd before the Lincoln Memorial that the Walk for Peace is \u201cone of the most important events to take place\u201d in the U.S. in the 21st century.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to me that this Walk for Peace has brought out the greatest quality of the American character,\u201d Bodhi said. \u201cAll people are created equal,\u201d he continued, referencing Abraham Lincoln\u2019s Gettysburg Address.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Casey Brand, 53, and her husband brought her mother to the ceremony for her mother\u2019s birthday. Seeing the monks was on her mom\u2019s bucket list. Brand is an interior designer who lived in Houston for 20 years and recently moved to Santa Barbara.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think people would ever put monks and Texas together,\u201d Brand said. \u201cThere was some serious pride in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was this moment between genuine peace and then a little bit of anticipation,\u201d Brand said. \u201cThe whole reason they’re doing this is because there’s a little unease in our nation. As soon as \u2026 they were getting closer, everything just sort of went away.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family came to the nation\u2019s capital only for the monks. They fly out tomorrow morning.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/Buddhist monks who are participating in the “Walk for Peace” hold a peace gathering and concluding ceremony at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Day 109, Feb. 11, 2026. (Sarah L. Voisin for Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n

Alysa Horton is a reporter for the Cronkite News, produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication <\/a>at Arizona State University<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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