Lessons from the Monks & the Marys
They’re not carrying protest signs or chanting slogans. They’re not complaining about what is or criticizing anyone in righteous indignation.
They’re simply walking ~ day after day, mile after mile ~ from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. ~ as living transmissions of peace. Nineteen Vietnamese Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Temple have undertaken a 2,300-mile pilgrimage they call the Walk for Peace, which began in October 2025 and will complete near the US Capitol in mid-February.
Clad in saffron robes, with heads bowed and bare feet to the pavement, they move slowly through towns and along highways, offering blessings, compassion beads, and silent witness to a world struggling with division. Their companion, Aloka ~ a rescued dog with a heart-shaped mark on her forehead ~ pads beside them as a symbol of innocence and kinship. Together, they form a procession of simplicity and prayer that touches something ancient in the soul.
They don’t shout. But their presence resounds.
Wherever they go, people stop. Cry. Kneel. Join. Not because of what they’re saying, but because of what they’re being. They are a walking field of harmony.
They’re not the first to have done such a thing. There have been numerous grassroots pilgrimages over the past decades, including those led by my late friend Mary Woods and her husband David DeFebo, who engaged long, grueling treks with small groups, sometimes not having shower facilities for weeks! Brava, Mary, David, and the many other folks of all stripes who have literally walked the talk.
These devoted souls of the past and the monks of today are offering one humble form of sacred response to pervasive violence, be it raids in our cities, airstrikes in Gaza, or strife within families.
I can hear the Marys applauding this simple, heartfelt, and devoted action. This is what we need, they say, not more arguments. The Marys’ way is to move through the inner sanctuaries of those who are suffering. They attend silently at hospital beds, at immigration detention centers, in bombed villages and frightened households.
In both paths, the outer road of the monks and the inner road of the Marys, we are shown how spirituality becomes activism ~ not by taking sides in the mind, but by taking a stand in the heart.
In our difficult time of anger and division, the most radical act is to remain tender. The monks are doing this with each footstep. The Marys are doing it through the unseen currents of love. And we are being called to do it ~ in our way, in our place, in our lives.
If you’d like to learn how to turn care for the troubles of our world into practical, non-violent action, I warmly invite you to our live Oracle & Teaching call on Feb 10 through the Inner Sanctum Temple, How to Respond to ICE-Level Violence: Spiritual Guidance from the Marys & the Pleiades.
Learning how to meet the world’s pain without freezing, hardening, or floating away is part of our sacred training now. When we learn how to hold steady in the face of institutionalized cruelty ~ not with spiritual bypass, but with grounded presence ~ we become vessels of change. We fulfill our mission of service, yes. But we also evolve our soul. The Marys are reminding us: the way forward is through neither rage nor retreat, but rather through active compassion ~ walked, lived, embodied.
This is beautiful and just what i need to hear. Thank you
So glad to hear this, Jayne!
Beautifully said. This message is so important right now. Thank you for your offering and voice. Infinite love and peace,
Deborah
Your comment means so much, Deborah, thank you.
This is an Inspired Gift, and such a glorious Answer to a deep inner prayer…..
Deepest gratitude and Love, from Heart, from Soul, for addressing
this present challenge facing us….and for giving us the tools towards COMPASSION😇🥰💝🙏🏼
Thank you for your lovely response, Monica. Blessings.
Love …. thank you … active compassion … thank you!
Yes, Pamela! Thank you.
This is so beautifully written. I am very grateful to have experienced the Venerable Monks on their walk in Richmond, VA. “Touching something ancient in the soul” is a wonderful description. The peace, love and harmony they radiate is something to behold, especially at this time.
Many thanks.
Glad to hear about your exprience, too, Jill!
I love this so much. Every word written, the intention, the feeling behind them. Thank you. The Walk For Peace USA movement has been so close to my heart. Walking in Spirit from the moment I found out about this in January. My Soul so moved to take part in this pilgrimage from my Sovereign state of limitless awareness. My body at relaxed attention, in meditative states, many miles away in South Africa. I wrote about this too and what this has meant to me. You are welcome to find my creative expression on my Substack if you like – “Today is my peaceful day” by Lor in her Light. Somehow, through the flame of will, I managed to stay awake up to and throughout the live broadcast of the Venerable Monks closing loving kindness mediation, held in Washington DC on 11 February at 16:30 EST. Which was roughly between 12:30 AM to 2:30 AM at my timezone, SAST. It was exceptional. Mentally focused and strong in majority silence.
Not sure if the link works but here it is…
https://open.substack.com/pub/lorinlight/p/today-is-my-peaceful-day?r=1rya7n&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thank you for sharing your lovely article with us, Lorin. Blessings of Peace…