I drove two and a half hours to see the monks walking for peace. Five minutes with them was the gift of a lifetime. The monks are part of a 2,300-mile pilgrimage from a Buddhist temple in Fort Worth, Texas, across nine states to Washington DC. Dressed in vibrant orange robes, they walk about 20 miles daily, eating one meal a day and practising loving-kindness – a form of mindfulness that can be thought of as non-violent resistance.
Their journey is a slow-moving meditation meant to embody peace, rather than argue for it. So far, they have faced extreme challenges. After a driver crashed into the group in Texas, one of the monks had to undergo a leg amputation. They have also had to contend with bitter, snowy cold that has engulfed parts of the country.
I decided to drive to High Point, North Carolina, to see them. Once there, I joined hundreds of people lining the sidewalks, waiting to witness the message of 'unity, compassion, and healing for the nation'. Later that day, thousands would fill a nearby stadium to hear them speak. A woman held up a poster with the words repeated by the monks: 'Today is our peaceful day.'
At 10.45am, the monks turned the corner and headed our way: men in silence with shaved heads and flowing robes, some barefoot, some in running shoes, all walking at a brisk pace, carrying and giving flowers along the way. Five minutes after rounding the corner, they passed us. I bowed my head and held my palms in prayer, along with construction workers, a family with three children, and older women wrapped in blankets. A police officer lowered his gaze, and I burst into tears.
