'We just need something positive' - Monks' peace walk across US draws large crowds
Category: News & Politics
Via: krishna • 9 months ago • 38 commentsBy: NonStop Local Tri-CitiesYakima
. This is Part IV in a series of NT articles & links re: "Spirituality"
I. Arthur Findlay College ("A Hogwarts for Adults")
II, "Yogaville": Integral Yoga's Satchidananda Ashram
IiI. New Tool (#Veronica)
IV. Buddhists Monks Walk for Peace
V. Daily Tarot GirL: Reading For Week of 2/9/26
VI. Walking the Camino de Santiago
VII. All About Mercury Retrograde
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Buddhist monks walking from Texas to Washington to promote peace have become a surprise popular hit as they near the US capital -- attracting crowds of thousands who line the route or join in for a few miles.
At a time of strife and political tension in the United States, the monks offer a change of tone on their 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) odyssey across eight states through freezing temperatures and along ice-covered roads.
On Tuesday, north of Virginia's capital Richmond, Louella Glessner stood on a mound of plowed snow, flowers in hand, hoping the robed monks and their mission might somehow begin to heal America's toxic divisions.
"I am a Christian, but this whole concept, I think it's great," Glessner, a 62-year trust administrator, told AFP ahead of the monks' arrival at a Buddhist temple where people gathered on the roadside and in the pagoda grounds.
"It's what the country needs. We need to have peace and we need to find commonality between all people," she said.
Since launching their ambitious trek 101 days ago from a Buddhist center in Fort Worth, Texas, the group of about 20 monks have spread a message of unity, compassion, mindfulness, healing and peace.
It has resonated in unexpectedly dramatic fashion, with thousands of people turning up to share in the experience. Last month, 20,000 well-wishers greeted them in Columbia, South Carolina.
The mission's Facebook page tops 2.5 million followers and its videos have garnered over 100 million views.
The group's peace dog Aloka, a former stray from India that has accompanied the monks on the trip, has also become a celebrity in its own right.
The monks, who often stay overnight at churches or university campuses, hail from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
On Tuesday in Glen Allen, onlookers kneeled and offered fruit, police officers shook the monks' hands, and the monks presented people with blessing threads and other gifts.
Children shyly offered flowers or waved as the group walked past.
Leading the procession has been Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Vietnamese monk whose saffron sash is adorned with sheriff badges from the many counties that have hosted them and secured the roads.
- 'In the moment' -
Despite the bitter cold, and the fractious state of US politics during the first year of Donald Trump's presidency, the monks are accomplishing something few others have: bringing people together.
Two weeks ago in North Carolina, 10,000 people packed a baseball stadium to hear Bhikku Pannakara speak.
"It's been crowded like this for the last couple of states," he told those in attendance, urging listeners to avoid "chasing materialism" and to abandon thoughts of greed, anger and hatred.
North of Richmond, Sarah Peyton and her two young sons stood quietly contemplating the monks who walked briskly past.
"Right now I think we just need something positive," the 38-year-old Black woman and Virginia native told AFP moments later in a hushed voice.
"It doesn't matter where you're from, you can come stand here and just witness a peaceful experience.
"There's nobody dragging anybody out of cars, nobody's yelling, nobody's angry. Everybody is just here in the moment."
The walk has not been without anguish. One monk was struck by a vehicle in a November traffic accident, and his leg had to be amputated. He reportedly reunited with the group in Georgia.
"Our walking itself cannot create peace," the monks wrote in an early blog post.
"But when someone encounters us... when our message touches something deep within them, when it awakens the peace that has always lived quietly in their own heart -- something sacred begins to unfold."
The monks are expected to arrive in the capital on February 10 and visit the Washington National Cathedral before holding a meditation retreat the following day.
Will the "Walk for Peace" change much? Perhaps it could help Americans to think with more compassion and humility, Glessner suggested.
"If it takes 20 monks walking from Texas to DC," she'd be thrilled, she said. "People want to try something."
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Buddhist monks walking from Texas to Washington to promote peace have become a surprise popular hit as they near the US capital -- attracting crowds of thousands who line the route
At a time of strife and political tension in the United States, the monks offer a change of tone on their 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) odyssey across eight states through freezing temperatures and along ice-covered roads.
It is no surprise to me that Buddhists can bring about peace where they are. I've experienced it, because my wife is a Buddhist.
Some people occasionally say that they are for peace-- but they certainly don't live their lives that way.
However I've known a few Buddhists in the US who actually do!
I have an uncle whose marriage broke up and he remained single for quite a while. Then he started dating a new woman and married her. People were surprised that though she was American and born into a non-Buddhist family, she started actually became a practicing Buddhist later in life.
And..she really does embody those principles!
She has a small statue of Kuan Yin in her house
Kuan Yin (Guanyin) is the revered Mahayana Buddhist Bodhisattva of Compassion and Mercy, known as "She Who Hears the Cries of the World". Originating from the male figure Avalokiteshvara, she is primarily depicted in East Asia as a female deity offering comfort, healing, and protection. She is a popular figure in Buddhism, Taoism, and folk religion.
More about Taoism:
One of the main ideas of Taoism is the belief in balancing forces of yin and yang. These ideas represent matching pairs -- light and dark, hot and cold, action and inaction -- which work together toward a universal whole. Yin and yang show that everything in the universe is connected and that nothing makes sense by itself.
Taoism became well-known in the eighth century C.E. as the religion of the Tang dynasty. In the following centuries, it existed alongside Buddhism and Confucianism (another philosophical religion)
By the way, that is NOT a photo of my wife. I posted a few images of Buddhist monks who I encountered in China to decorate my comments. LOL
No surprise.
So do we. We have a small shrine in our home dedicated to her, with her statue. On special Buddhist days my wife lights incense and prays there. We have a peaceful home. My grandmother's candlesticks are also there to put a bit of variety into the shrine.
Note my avatar. Taoism and YIn-Yang In one word - HARMONY.
By the way, that is NOT a photo of my wife. I posted a few images of Buddhist monks who I encountered in China to decorate my comments. LOL
I remember the pictures you had posted of you and your wife in your traditional wedding dress. And she doesn't look anything like the guy in the picture (comment 1,1)!
"I am a Christian, but this whole concept, I think it's great," Glessner, a 62-year trust administrator, told AFP ahead of the monks' arrival at a Buddhist temple where people gathered on the roadside and in the pagoda grounds.
"It's what the country needs. We need to have peace and we need to find commonality between all people," she said.
Poet, Author, Folksinger Leonard Cohen spent 5 years in an Ashram seeking a healing of his troubled mind, but perhaps he was not meant to find that healing in order to continue with his creative composing.
I spent a few days in an Ashram (Yogaville #Satchidananda Ashram in Buckingham Virginia) and found it to be a worthwhile experience. In fact I later returned for their 1 month LYT program . . . and then transferred to their three months LYT program!
I learned a lot-- it was a very valuable experience.
A bit of history: H.H.Gurudev Swami Satchidananda was invited to address the gathering at Woodstock:
No doubt.
On many levels.
I was in the LYT programme ("Living Yoga Training". ) We learned what they called "The Yoga Philosopy.".Which were many spiritual principles (mainly derived from ancient Hindu teachings).
But the other part of the learning was meeting people who came there for brief periods (for example a weekend course) to those like myself who stayed for a longer period.
At meal time I often sat at a table where there were people who had just flown in...people from various parts of the world!
(So I learned a lot!)
That is an experience that my familly and I had at Club Med in Eleuthera, Bahamas.
i've been to two Club Meds-- what wonderful experiences!
And I agree-- one of the highlights was sitting down to a meal with other guests-- people from all over the world!
I think one of the things that made mealtimes so special was the informality of it. (People didn't dress up to show off expensive clothes or to impress anyone).
I don't know if its true, but a while back I heard there was new management and it not as great as it used to be.
I don't know if its true, but a while back I heard there was new management and it not as great as it used to be.
That comment was about the entire Club Med organization.
One of the ones I went to was on Paradise Island. I just did a search and came up with this:
The former Club Med Paradise Island in the Bahamas, once a renowned, vibrant resort located on the estate of Huntington Hartford and known for its 20 clay courts, was sold and is no longer operational. The site has since been developed into other properties. Today, Club Med offers alternative all-inclusive options in the Bahamas, such as the 89-acre Club Med Columbus on San Salvador Island.
It has resonated in unexpectedly dramatic fashion, with thousands of people turning up to share in the experience. Last month, 20,000 well-wishers greeted them in Columbia, South Carolina.
The mission's Facebook page tops 2.5 million followers and its videos have garnered over 100 million views.
The group's peace dog Aloka, a former stray from India that has accompanied the monks on the trip, has also become a celebrity in its own right.
This was shown on TV about two weeks ago. The amount of people they've been attracting is amazing. It's a great story!
I'm surprised I've not seen it on the TV news here, but perhaps that's because there were no Chinese monks in the group walking.
I had heard about it back then. I expected that they wouldn't get such a positive reaction from people-- I was quite surprised.
The views of the Chinese government toward various religions has changed from time to time. (But that's a bit off topic so that enough for now).
I don't think Buddhism has been much of a problem for the government's philosophy.
Apparently what the monks have been accomplishing is having some effect on those who are witnessing their march. It is not just America that needs healing, it is the whole world.
Yes. People who study these things know that a major shift in consciousness by a number of people in an area can have a major impact upon many of the other people in the area.
The first meditation course I took was TM ("Transcendental Meditation"). It suddenly became popular in the U.S. because the Beatles got involved with it.
February 1968, the Beatles travelled to Rishikesh, India, to study Transcendental Meditation (TM) at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, seeking spiritual guidance after renouncing drugs. Led by George Harrison, the retreat was highly productive for songwriting, directly influencing many tracks on The White Album
One of the things TM is known for is the belief that if the consciousness of a certain "critical mass" (a certain number of people) in an area shifts their conscious ness, the consciousness of the entire area changes.
In Toronto I attended a lecture by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. What I remember most about him was his laughter, and being at the time somewhat chemically prepared to appreciate his lecture, I laughed along with him. Although a couple of my friends adopted TM, I never did.
In Toronto I attended a lecture by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
What I remember most about him was his laughter, and being at the time somewhat chemically prepared to appreciate his lecture, I laughed along with him. Although a couple of my friends adopted TM, I never did.
I did it long ago, but I wasn't ready for it so I didn't stick with it.
I know people who have been meditating for years-- its definitely changed their lives for the better!
Over the years I've met various gurus. One thing they had in common was they laughed a lot-- and many got other people to laugh!
Well, it can be infectious.
#Shaktipat : In some traditional approaches there is the belief that merely being in the presence of a powerful guru can raise a seeker's "vibration" . . . a step towards enlightenment . . .
"If a drop of water in the ocean realizes its nature, then it also knows the entire vast ocean."
That quote sounds familiar but I can't quite place it. What is the source... who said it ?
LINK -> Shaktipat – Swami Sri Sahajananda Tirtha Online Ashram