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<\/p>\nReturning to their east Fort Worth temple, the Buddhist monks who walked cross-country for peace were welcomed with rose petals, traditional lion dances and chants by hundreds of well-wishers who followed their 2,300-mile journey.<\/p>\n
Four months ago, 19 Buddhist monks trekked quietly out of their Historic Stop Six temple with one goal in mind: to walk for peace.<\/p>\n
Many knew nothing about the monks \u2014 or their loyal pup Aloka \u2014 in those early days. But over 110 days, the expedition to Washington on foot to promote national healing captivated millions.<\/p>\n
They faced peril along the way. One monk\u2019s leg was amputated after a car collision. Aloka had to have surgery following an injury. And below-freezing temperatures lingered over the last weeks of their walk.<\/p>\n
Now, on Valentine’s Day, the monks are home.<\/p>\n
Hundreds lined Ramey Avenue as their bus pulled into the Historic Stop Six neighborhood, many carrying flowers and waving signs with messages of peace. Cheers erupted as they emerged \u2014 many calling out to Aloka\u2014 and walked through the crowd at Eastover Park.<\/p>\n
The monks stood side-by-side as Bhikkhu Pannakara, the temple\u2019s vice president leading the group, briefly addressed those gathered before beginning their walk to the temple.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for coming. It\u2019s a very warm welcome for us,\u201d said Pannakara, who also goes by Rev. Nguyen.<\/p>\n
As the group made its way to the center, many shouted, \u201cThank you!\u201d as the monks passed. Some handed them flowers.<\/p>\n
Arriving at the temple just before the rain began, Pannakara bowed in reverence at the feet of his teacher, the Venerable Ratanaguna. The abbott of the temple, Ratanaguna did not walk on the journey but helped guide the monks along the way with his presence, according to the group\u2019s Facebook page.<\/p>\n
After the monks gathered inside the temple Saturday morning, they sat in front of the Buddha shrine as Ratanaguna took to the podium to express his thanks to law enforcement, city officials and places of worship that offered the monks\u2019 food and a place to rest along the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout your support, it wouldn\u2019t be possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ratanaguna also expressed his gratitude to the veterinarians who took care of Aloka, who is recovering from surgery but was well enough to walk with the monks through Fort Worth on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Pannakara then addressed those gathered at the center.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what I did to deserve this but I love you all,\u201d Pannakara said. \u201cThis is what we need in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through humor, charisma and a heartfelt message, Pannakara shared his message as the rain began to pour.<\/p>\n
He asked the audience to join him in reciting the message he has been sharing every step of the way: \u201cToday is going to be my peaceful day.\u201d<\/p>\n
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David Moreno<\/p>\n
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Fort Worth Report<\/p>\n
Rev. Nguyen is the first monk to step off the bus in front of Eastover Park.<\/p>\n
People began gathering along the trekkers\u2019 Fort Worth route before sunrise, some passed out stickers commemorating the monks and their pup.<\/p>\n
Fort Worth resident Lena Luangraj, 58, arrived at the park with eight friends from work who share her Buddhist faith. The group carried bouquets of flowers to hand to the monks during their walk home.<\/p>\n
Luangraj has followed the monks\u2019 walk since it started in Fort Worth. She said she wasn\u2019t surprised to see them gain viral fame, but she\u2019s hopeful their message of peace helps heal \u201csuffering\u201d across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t have peace in your heart, you won\u2019t have peace in your world,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The monks\u2019 Walk for Peace captivated the nation because \u201ceverybody eventually wants peace,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The monks arrived in Washington, D.C.<\/a>, early on Feb. 10 with thousands of people packing an American University arena and then gathering outside the Washington National Cathedral<\/a> to catch a glimpse of them.<\/p>\n A similar turnout followed the monks to Capitol Hill<\/a> on Wednesday for their peace ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial.<\/p>\n People began lining up along the park Ramey Avenue before sunrise awaiting their arrival.<\/p>\n By 8 a.m., dozens were celebrating in the park as some passed out stickers commemorating the monks and Aloka.<\/p>\n Police escorted the monks on their roughly mile-long walk to the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center.<\/p>\n Visitors from across the country came to Fort Worth for their homecoming.<\/p>\n Thy-Thy Carlton, 50, and daughter McKenzie, 12, came from the Houston suburb of Conroe to pass out flowers and Walk for Peace-themed stickers.<\/p>\n They didn\u2019t know about the monks\u2019 walk until the group left Houston in November, Carlton said, so they wanted to see them come home. Their walk taught McKenzie to \u201cfocus on the good,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cBe positive, and do one act of kindness every day,\u201d Carlton added.<\/p>\n Volunteers spent the morning readying the center for the day\u2019s festivities, running in and out of the temple to prepare food or rehearse their greetings ahead of the arrival.<\/p>\n Some attendees shared a cup of chai or took pictures at one of the photo booths decorated for Lunar New Year in anticipation of the monks\u2019 return.<\/p>\n Sitting outside the entrance of the temple at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning was Karen Cal Wright, 73, from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Wright, who lives with a disability, decided to wait for the monks\u2019 arrival at the temple while her partner walked with them from Eastover Park. The couple volunteered to provide food for Saturday\u2019s festivities.<\/p>\n In Wright\u2019s lap was a basket with small bags of chocolates to give out along with a Valentine\u2019s Day message like \u201cbe strong\u201d and \u201cpeople matter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I want to do is act for the life of people and the world around me,\u201d Wright said. \u201cI thought this was a good action to take.\u201d<\/p>\n David Moreno<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report<\/p>\n Hundreds gather as the Fort Worth monks step off their bus at Eastover Park on Feb. 14.<\/p>\n The Walk for Peace\u2019s origins in east Fort Worth<\/p>\n The monks announced their Walk for Peace initiative at an Oct. 19 press conference<\/a> at the temple. At the time, attendees mainly included the temple\u2019s youth association, members of Texas\u2019 Nepalese Buddhist Association and a few local and state officials.<\/p>\n The trekkers took the first steps<\/a> of their journey Oct. 26. Stop Six residents paused outside their homes to watch the group walk by. Some cars stopped alongside the monks so occupants could take a photo or video.<\/p>\n The number of people captivated by the monks grew exponentially as the Walk for Peace initiative amassed 2.8 million followers<\/a> on Facebook and over 1.3 million followers on TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n Aloka became a popular pup with over 1 million following his Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Social media posts from across the country have shown hundreds or thousands of supporters standing or kneeling along roads waiting for the monks to pass, often holding flowers or signs with words of encouragement. Many who showed up to greet them then followed along behind them for a portion of the walk.<\/p>\n Children and adults offered the monks gifts, such as flowers, fruit or even lip balm as they walked through the bitter winter cold.<\/p>\n The monks bestowed blessing cords<\/a> to some they encountered along the way. Local law enforcement recognized their efforts by presenting badges<\/a> to Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara.<\/p>\n The Walk for Peace is not a parade, protest or ceremony of faith, Pannakara said before the group left Fort Worth. It is \u201ca journey to bring blessings to countless lives in a world filled with uncertainty and restlessness.\u201d<\/p>\n Early into the journey, a traffic collision<\/a> outside Houston in November injured some of the walkers and resulted in a leg amputation<\/a> for one monk.<\/p>\n The weather was often unkind. They recently braved snow and ice<\/a> in the Carolinas and Virginia, following a massive winter storm in late January that hit<\/a> Texas and many states on the eastern side of the country.<\/p>\n Aloka, 4, underwent surgery<\/a> for an injury to one of his legs in January. Today, the tan and white pooch is seen in social media videos walking, resting in a vehicle or sharing a moment with one of the monks.<\/p>\n The Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center has been in Fort Worth for more than 26 years. The temple serves a predominantly Vietnamese-American community that follows the Buddhist faith.<\/p>\n The center is the future site of the $200 million Dhammacetiya Project, which is 14-acres that will feature 840 stupas, or shrines, each engraved with sacred scriptures representing the Buddha\u2019s wisdom and compassion. The project was announced in 2022, and the temple kicked off the expansion<\/a> in May.<\/p>\n Buddhist monks dedicate their lives to practicing and sharing Buddha\u2019s teachings through meditation, study and service. Following Buddha\u2019s example, monks often undertake walking pilgrimages that can last for months.<\/p>\n Earline Robinson, 65, lives in east Fort Worth and is familiar with the monks from their weekly walks through her neighborhood. She doesn\u2019t use social media and had no idea the trekkers had earned celebrity status, she said.<\/p>\n Learning why South Edgewood Terrace was full of cars and well-wishers Saturday morning, she smiled broadly and said, \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n Standing on her front porch, she held flowers from a passerby and called out \u201chello\u201d and \u201cpeace\u201d as the final few people trickled by her lifelong home.<\/p>\n \u201cIt lets you know that people still care about people,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cThey\u2019re not worried about politics or religion, they just care about human beings like all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a developing story and will be updated.<\/p>\n Maria Crane is a multimedia journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at maria.crane@fortworthreport.org<\/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 Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Christine Vo is an audience fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at christine@fortworthreport.org or @trinhvchristine<\/a>.<\/p>\n ![\"Hundreds](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771098731_684_.jpeg\"\/)
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