02/26/2026
Dear Sangha,
We are not alone. This month, 19 Buddhist monks and a dog named Aloka completed their 3-month, 2300-mile walk from Fort Worth, TX to Washington DC to raise awareness of inner peace and mindfulness across America and the world. Braving the elements, some barefoot, they engaged in a deep metta practice through silence, chanting, devotional practice, and community gatherings. Thousands upon thousands of people came out to meet them, make offerings, ask for prayers, and walk with them. The sheer number of people that stretched their hearts and their bodies to be in their presence seems to have exceeded even the monks’ expectations. The yearning for peace, solidarity, and inspiration, was palpable in so many of the photos and videos shared. There truly is suffering everywhere. And there are tender hearts.
While the monks were walking, we too were practicing. The monks encouraged us to look inside of ourselves first and foremost for inner peace. In our half-day retreat on February 14 (love day) and in our first and third Tuesday gatherings, we explored the brahma viharas, or heart practices, taught by the Buddha to help us awaken our hearts so that they can encompass all situations and all beings. We do this as a practice of unburdening, so that we can meet the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows of this world from a place of freedom, the best and truest version of ourselves.
Photos from .usa
