On Dec. 25, 2025, roughly two dozen Buddhist monks passed through Auburn and Opelika on their 2,300-mile peace walk across the United States. Hundreds of community members welcomed the monks into town on Christmas Day.
According to the monks, they are traveling in hopes of spreading messages of compassion, calling their journey a “walk for peace” or peace walk. The walk for peace has gained a swift but large following throughout Alabama.
The monks have been documenting their journey since they left Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, the Buddhist temple and meditation center, in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 26, 2025. This marked the beginning of their trip, as they have traversed across 10 states.
The walk is expected to last until February, spanning around 120 days. It will conclude at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The monks are also accompanied by their rescue dog named Aloka. According to an article, the monks first met Aloka in India after he followed them on a 112-day peace walk. Since then, the group has brought him to the states to begin another peace walk across the United States.
The group is not always alone, sometimes seen with strangers walking beside them and carrying their belongings in support or groups of volunteers preparing meals and aid kits awaiting their arrival in different spots. Auburn and Opelika were no exceptions.
Foundry Opelika Church housed the group on Dec. 25, while community members volunteered and prayed with the monks throughout the day and into the night.
On Dec. 26, the group began their trek from Opelika to Cusseta, Alabama, where they were greeted with a large variety of home cooked food, curious eyes and wide smiles from over 100 onlookers. Supporters are able to keep track of the monks through a live map found on their social media.
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