An abandoned dog has joined a mission of peace across the world and, despite some mishaps, has stayed with it every paw of the way.

During their opening 112-day peace walk in India, a group of Buddhist monks found an abandoned dog—or perhaps the dog found them.

The canine, believed to be an Indian Pariah breed, was given the name Aloka, and soon became a loyal companion, following the group of monks as they marched across India to spread messages of peace and unity.

Their four-legged friend encountered his own hardships along that arduous journey. Aloka was hit by a car, and he also fell ill for an extended period of time. The monks loaded him up in a truck, offering him an escape from all the walking.

But Aloka didn’t want to be away from his new companions. He jumped out and rejoined the mission.

“He followed us the whole time. He’s a true hero,” one of the monks said in a Tik Tok video, remembering all the obstacles Aloka overcame. “He wanted to walk. That inspires a lot.”

Now, Aloka and the monks who live in the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana in Fort Worth, Texas have a new mission. In October, nineteen of the Buddhist monks and their loyal companion set out from Fort Worth on a 2,300-mile walk toward Washington, D.C. with a goal of promoting unity and compassion.

“When I heard about this 2,300-mile walk, I was amazed,” Texas Representative Nicole Collier told the Star-Telegram. “It really touches the hearts and minds of people. We live in a time when the noise often drowns out understanding, where division can feel louder than unity—but this is what the community and interfaith solidarity looks like.”

The journey is expected to cover 10 states in 110 days before ending in the nation’s capital in February. By late December, the group had reached Atlanta. A live tracker on Facebook provides updates on their progress and the group has also been posting frequently to social media. (Don’t worry, Aloka the Peace Dog has his own Instagram as well).

Strangers have provided a warm welcome all along the way. A Dairy Queen store in Texas gave the monks ice cream and made sure Aloka got some too. Doctors in Alabama provided free checkups. Crowds have gathered across the Sun Belt to meet the monks and share meals and well wishes as the convoy moves north toward the capital.

“It’s a journey filled with both known and unforeseen challenges.” says the official Walk for Peace Instagram page. “Yet, with hearts anchored in calmness and minds set firmly on their purpose, the monks move forward—step by step—embodying peace, resilience, and unwavering determination on their sacred path toward the White House.”

And the lovable, loyal, four-legged friend remains their pawsome sidekick.

“Aloka is a very good boy helping to carry the message of peace and harmony” — and watching over them all the while.

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Buddhist monks’ 108-day Walk for Peace ends in Washington DC

February 11, 2026, by Brandon Drenon, the BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g75wer084o

A band of Buddhist monks who have spent four months walking – sometimes barefoot or through the snow – on a 2,000-mile march from Texas to Washington DC completed their journey on Tuesday.

The group’s arduous so-called Walk of Peace has gone viral, capturing the attention of millions of Americans at a time of heightened political division in the US.

Along the way, the troupe has shared a message of mindfulness, with its leader, the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, saying: “My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace.”

Their journey began on 26 October 2025 at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

After arriving in the US Capital, the monks visited the Washington National Cathedral where they attended an interfaith service. Later in the week, they will make stops at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial and the Peace Monument, which stands on the US Capitol grounds.

The group also reportedly plans to appeal to lawmakers to declare Buddha’s birthday – called Vesak – a national holiday – but their expedition has gained traction beyond this policy request.

“Their long journey and gentle witness invite us all to deepen our commitment to compassion,” said Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who will help host the monks at an interfaith reception, according to the Associated Press.

The 19 travelling monks are from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the globe.

The final day of their single-file trek across the country began on Tuesday morning in Arlington, Virginia, roughly five miles (9.1km) outside the US capitol.

A livestream on the group’s Facebook account shows them walking past piles of snow, as the first days of above-freezing temperatures return after weeks of record cold across much of the eastern United States. They are cheered on by rows of onlookers in the video.

“May you be safe and warm. Thank you for your walk of peace. We desperately need this in our world now,” one user wrote.

For the last 108 days – a sacred number in Buddhism representing spiritual completion – the group has walked this same single-file line step by step. But the trip has not been without incident.

In November, an escort vehicle that accompanied the monks as they walked alongside a highway in Houston, Texas was hit by a truck, injuring two of the monks. One of them had his leg amputated.

Their return to Texas is likely to be quicker – and easier – as they are expected to commute back via bus, arriving in Fort Worth on Saturday.

All of us, mindful of our thoughts, changes our world . . .
Mind and Heart Conscious

Monks Arrival After 15 Weeks of Walking
Fills DC Streets With Peace and Compassion

By Andy Corbley, GoodNewsNetwork, February, 13th, 2026

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/monks-arrival-after-15-weeks-of-walking-transforms-dc-into-realm-of-peace-and-compass

It was a day that some locals said was unlike any other they had ever seen when the party of Buddhist monks arrived barefoot on the steps of the National Cathedral, as snow still covered the ground.

“This is the moment I will remember for the rest of my life,” said the leader of the band of monks, Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara. “And I hope you do the same.”

For months, the nation has been captivated as some 19 senior monks, known as Bhikkhus, left the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and walked 2,300 miles to the nation’s capital for the sake of peace.

These 19 men came from monasteries around the Theravada Buddhist world to partake in a long-practiced tradition to spread peace by walking long distances.

The word “Vipassana” refers to a practice of meditational beathing taught by the Buddha, one which Ven. Pannakara taught at Dharma talks given along their 15-week journey.

For a country that is often espoused to be a Christian nation, the saffron-sight of the monks walking silently in bare feet along the roads captivated the city and country, and drawn millions of followers to the Walk for Peace social media pages. 

As they snaked their way down Wisconsin Avenue, thousands cheered, but thousands more understood enough to explain that it was more correct to remain quiet, or to say “Sadhu!” which means “wisely done,” in Pali, the language that the Buddha spoke.

The first public stop in DC was American University’s Bender Arena, where 3,500 people watched in silence as the monks entered to speak.

Later, their journey culminated in front of the National Cathedral where Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde hosted an interfaith gathering to welcome their arrival.

Wednesday’s gathering on the Lincoln Memorial – credit, Walk for Peace via Facebook

There, Ven. Pannakara, himself rather soft-spoken, invited the thousands of onlookers to share the moment in withdrawn silence and breathing, while the cold air passed through bare tree branches, and the bells rang out overhead. To each, the Bhikkhu said, recite this mantra:

“Today will be my peaceful day.”

After resting at a fire department, which had been their lot since the start of their journey, Wednesday saw them pass in front of Capitol Hill, before their final public act—an enormous gathering on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

“In the 40 years I have lived in Washington I have NEVER experienced such beautiful, respectful and loving series of public events,” commented on resident, Nicole Krakora, in a Facebook post following the event. “Beautiful silence.”

Many noted the similarities to Martin Luther King’s speech on the same steps.

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Arun Kumar’s FaceBook Post

 New York, NY, United States.

World is witnessing the historical journey of the walk for peace ❤

A Quiet Tribute Carried Mile After Mile

As the monks walk in silence, one detail gently draws the eye. A simple cloth panel, carefully carried, covered with badges and insignias. Each one was not collected. Each one was given.

These badges were offered by firefighters, police officers, sheriffs, emergency responders, and public servants encountered along the road. Men and women who spend their lives running toward danger paused, removed symbols of their duty, and placed them into the monks’ hands as a sign of respect, gratitude, and shared humanity.

No speeches were made. No promises were asked. Just a silent exchange between those who protect with uniforms and those who protect with compassion.

That cloth has become a moving memorial of trust. A reminder that beneath titles and roles, there is the same wish to serve, to protect life, and to reduce suffering. Every step forward carries not only the monks’ prayers, but the weight of these gestures, these stories, these quiet acknowledgments of unity.

This is what the Walk for Peace holds. Not slogans. Not arguments. But symbols freely given, carried gently, and honored with every step.

May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace. 🙏