Walk for Peace

A hopeful sight amidst the chaos and cruelty

Last week, just one day after posting a somewhat grim missive, something good happened that shifted my mood. First of all, the temperatures rose above freezing, reaching the highest temperature since January 23. The sun shone brightly for the better part of the day. What a treat it was to be out and about without being bundled up to my eyeballs and not having to face bracing winds!

And second, the 19 Buddhist monks who set off on foot from Fort Worth, Texas on October 26 arrived in Washington with their message of peace, love, and compassion. Their schedule included a stop on the west front of the Washington National Cathedral in the early afternoon, and with the weather being so inviting, I thought it would be nice to make the two mile walk over there just to check it out. When we reached the traffic circle at American University (about half way there), police were already blocking off streets and a small crowd was gathering, some bearing flowers and signs of support. It turned out to be a prime spot for viewing the group.

I had read that some of the group were making the 2,300 mile trek barefoot. But everyone seemed to be sporting sensible sneakers and thick socks. I did notice that press reports from the next day, when the group traveled to the Capitol and then the Lincoln Memorial, featured the leader sans shoes.

The monk in the wheelchair, Phra Ajarnh Maha Dam Phommasan, was injured in a car accident during the early days of the walk. His leg had to be amputated and yet he chose to rejoin the group when possible.

As is the case for every major march in DC, commercially minded folks had t shirts and buttons available for purchase.

After the group passed by, the crowd followed behind, trailing the monks for a mile down Massachusetts Avenue and onto Macomb Street to the cathedral’s front door where a crowd of several thousand people had gathered. It was a bit of a circus with police vehicles at every intersection rerouting traffic and dozens of officers on bicycles. Some evangelical guy with a megaphone was preaching eternal damnation for anyone with views different from his own. It wasn’t really in the spirit of the day.

The church bells sounded and the crowd went silent. The dean of the cathedral, Randall Marshall Hollerith, and Bishop Mariann Budde (who many remember for her remarks at the interfaith prayer service held in connection with President Trump’s inauguration) welcomed the monks and then turned the mic over to their leader, the Venerable Bhikkhu Paññakāra. His remarks focused on the importance of mindfulness in promoting both inner and external peace, inviting us to make a daily affirmation by writing down “Today will be my peaceful day.” After about 40 minutes, the monks were invited into the church for a discussion with local interfaith leaders. The walk continued later down Embassy Row but by then, I was already on my way back home.

Was it the most compelling and uplifting event I have ever attended? Probably not. But it was a lovely break from the cacophony of hate and bad news. And that was enough to reset my mood.

You can experience the event by watching the video posted on the cathedral’s YouTube channel with remarks beginning at 5:15. This video includes both the public remarks outside and the longer limited attendance service inside.