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In a time when it feels like we are constantly divided by politics and digital walls, it can be hard to find a common thread that brings us together. But a quiet group of Buddhist monks moved through our area, offering a visual reminder that community is still possible.
These monks are in the middle of a 2,300-mile pilgrimage from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., walking for peace. They aren’t carrying signs or shouting for a specific political agenda. Instead, they are practicing what is known as a Dhutanga Journey, a traditional spiritual pilgrimage focused on spreading compassion and national healing through simple presence.
Their dedication to this message of peace was demonstrated following a tragedy in Texas involving a monk from the Wat Lao Buddha Khanti temple in Snellville, Phra Ajarnh Maha Dam Phommasan. After an accident that resulted in the amputation of his leg, he expressed no bitterness and viewed his personal sacrifice as a way to further the message of harmony.
That sentiment has resonated throughout their journey. As the monks traverse ten states over 120 days, they walk as a living invitation to awaken peace within each person they encounter. In towns across the South, people from all backgrounds have gathered to provide meals and support, while law enforcement and neighbors have worked together to ensure safe passage through their communities.
In Peachtree City, over a hundred people came out to City Hall. Mayor Kim Learnard and State Rep. Josh Bonner greeted the monks and presented them with a commemorative pin and coin. The monks were accompanied by a rescue dog named Aloka, whose name means light in Sanskrit. Originally a stray in India, he has since been adopted into their community, becoming a symbol of the idea that even the smallest presence can contribute to a larger cause.
As the monks continue their trek toward the U.S. Capitol, their visit leaves behind something more valuable than a photo opportunity. In a country increasingly sorting itself into categories of “us” and “them,” they have shown that the most powerful response is not a louder voice but with a different action. Their presence has inspired communities to bring together people who see the world differently, to offer meals without regard to politics or religion, and to recognize that everyone around us is navigating their own difficult path.
Peace is not something handed down from others or delivered through policy. It is built on the ground, one step at a time, through the small acts of collaboration and kindness we show to the people right in front of us. Community does not require total agreement. It requires the deliberate, unglamorous work of showing up for others when it would be easier to stay home.
The monks have extended an invitation by showing us how to cut through the noise of division and organize around something larger than our disagreements. The real question is whether we will accept it now that they are gone.
