Thought For The Day – Thursday 12th February 2026
Loving-Kindness
Photograph above by Evelyn Hockstein, Reuters.
An inspirational group of Buddhist monks, and Aloka, a rescue dog from India, have arrived in Washington, the capital city of the United States of America, after their 2,300-mile “Walk for Peace”.
This spiritual journey lasted 108 days. The monks walked across the United States of America in deepest winter, through cold and storms.
Throughout their journey, the monks were lovingly, warmly, and wonderfully received and supported, both in person and on-line.
Their humble, silent, and peaceful walk conveyed a profound message. The monks aimed to raise “awareness of peace, loving-kindness, and compassion”.
Some of the monks have walked barefoot, or in socks, during the journey, or parts of it, to stay very much rooted to the ground.
Their leader, the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, said: “My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace.”
In Washington, upon the arrival of the monks, some members of the public bore beautiful roses as a symbol of their support. The monks graced “The Abraham Lincoln Memorial”, where there is a monument dedicated to President Lincoln. This was also the historic site of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech of the 28th of August 1963. The arrival of the monks at this very significant place is pictured above.
Reverend Dr. King’s son, Martin Luther King III, commented that the walk of the Buddhist monks was: “A powerful reminder that peace is practiced step by step. In a divided time, this is what it looks like to stand up for the best of who we are. Love demands endurance. Peace is strength.”
People of different faiths, and atheists and agnostics, showed their support for the monks.
But, as we noted in a previous daily message, https://tbshs.org/thought-for-the-day-wednesday-22nd-january-2026-walk-for-peace/, there were severe challenges for the monks on the journey beyond the journey itself. Two monks were injured on a highway after being hit by a truck, with Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan having to have his leg amputated. But, as a sign and symbol of his, and the monks’ resilience, Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan addressed crowds from his wheelchair as the monks completed their journey of loving-kindness.
B.B.C. video: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cdjm3x8ggzzo
