Buddhist monk who led 15-week peace walk to D.C. tells CBS News peace "always begins from within"
CBSN
The Buddhist monk who led a "Walk for Peace" from Texas to the nation's capital said he believes peace can be achieved even in a world filled with conflict, citing the overwhelming displays of public support for his walk as a source of hope for future change. In:
The Buddhist monk who led a "Walk for Peace" from Texas to the nation's capital said he believes peace can be achieved even in a world filled with conflict, citing the overwhelming displays of public support for his walk as a source of hope for future change.
"Peace always begins from with ourself. It's not the world peace out there," the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara said in an exclusive interview with CBS News on Wednesday. "No one can change this world, but together, all people and all the venerable monks are walking together on this journey. ... We can make a difference."
Pannakara, who serves as vice president of the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, embarked on a mission to spread that message of mindfulness, inner peace and unity on Oct. 26, 2025, with the temple as its starting point.
Joined by a group of 19 Buddhist monks from the Fort Worth area as well as temples in Georgia, New York, Utah, plus others abroad from Thailand and Vietnam, the 15-week procession would ultimately carry them across 2,300 miles of the southern United States.
The venerable — joined by Aloka, the 5-year-old "peace dog" — sat down with CBS News at George Washington University Wellness Center, where the monks spent the night. They were set to go on a shorter walk on Wednesday to the Lincoln Memorial, after which the group of monks was scheduled to return to Texas by bus.
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