Feb 10, 2026 - News

Celebrity monks end their 108-day walk in D.C.

Anna Spiegel

A large group of Buddhist monks in orange robes, some holding flowers, wearing hats and sunglasses, standing closely together during an outdoor event. — Arriving at the National Cathedral after a 2,300-mile "Walk for Peace." Photo: Drew Angerer / AFP via Getty Images

It was a long walk.

The Buddhist monks crossed ten states. Covered 2,300 miles. Logged 108 days. Many started barefoot, their soles grounded in the present. Some switched to boots in freezing snow.

Nineteen monks and their "peace dog" Aloka — one foot in front of the other to take a stand for unity, mindfulness and compassion.

Why it matters: D.C. marks the end of the "Walk for Peace" — for the monks, an eternal pilgrimage.

Police officers in bright yellow jackets on bicycles escort a line of monks in brown robes walking on a snowy road beside a river and wooded hill under a cloudy sky. — The monks entered D.C. via Chain Bridge after dawn on Tuesday. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

They crossed Chain Bridge after sunrise. Snaked up Arizona Avenue.

The orange and saffron procession marched down Wisconsin Avenue. One monk in a wheelchair, rejoining the journey. His leg had been amputated after being struck by a car. Fellows pushed him along.

And like in countless towns along the journey, masses showed up — skipping school, work, toting kids and pets.

Thirty-five hundred people at American University's arena. Estimates of thousands at the National Cathedral.

Group of Buddhist monks in red and orange robes walking outdoors in winter, one monk smiling and holding a yellow rose, accompanied by a police officer on a bicycle wearing bright yellow jacket. — Many carried flowers gifted by people along the way. Photo: Drew Angerer / AFP via Getty Images

Former federal employees.

Mothers. Grandparents.

Immigrants. A man from Sri Lanka, in the U.S. for 40 years, waved a Buddhist flag. An advocate nearby clutched a sign: "May peace defrost ICE."

A monk who came in from Western Maryland to be an eyewitness to the effort told me he's been part of similar walks over the decades, going back to 1978.

But the crowds — "nothing like this. These are crazy times."

A woman in a crowd holds a bright orange sign reading "Blessed are the peacemakers". People are dressed in winter clothes, including a woman wearing a yellow fur hat and dark sunglasses. — The crowd at the National Cathedral, where people flashed signs of support. Photo: Drew Angerer / AFP via Getty Images

Two people standing outdoors in winter clothing, one in a blue coat and gray hat, the other in a gray coat and scarf, both with hands pressed together in a prayer-like gesture, snow on the ground. — Tim Bikle from Maryland (center) went on his first of many peace walks in 1978. Photo: Anna Spiegel/Axios

A local nurse who'd been watching on social media, and gone to greet them in Stafford, then Woodbridge, then Mt. Vernon, before D.C. Her mother is fighting cancer. "They talk about letting go — it's part of life."

Many clutched white carnations. Two women handed them out freely — more than 800 flowers, plus some tears.

They told me an immigrant woman hired them to do it, and paid for the blossoms: "There's no nonprofit behind it. It's just in the spirit of peace and unity."

Two smiling women in winter clothes holding white flowers stand on a snow-covered path outside a large stone building with a crowd gathered nearby. — Christina Johnson (left) and Alison Swietek handed out free flowers on behalf of a woman who hired them on Task Rabbit "for the sake of peace." Photo: Anna Spiegel/Axios

In the words of one: "I like it because there's no talk about religion, there's no politics."

Wednesday, a peace gathering at the Lincoln Memorial. A loving-kindness meditation to close the evening.

Large diverse group including Buddhist monks in orange and maroon robes and others gathering outdoors, some using phones to take pictures, monk speaking at clear podium. — Monks flanked by interfaith leaders on the steps of the National Cathedral. Center at the podium: the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara. Photo: Drew Angerer / AFP via Getty Images

But first, the cathedral. A moment of silence. Bells. Deep breathing. Chanting of a daily affirmation, "Today is going to be my peaceful day."

"This is the moment I will remember for the rest of my life," said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara. "And I hope you do the same."

Large crowd gathered in front of a grand Gothic cathedral with twin towers under a partly cloudy blue sky during an outdoor event. — Only some of the crowd. Photo: Drew Angerer / AFP via Getty Images

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Celebrity monks end their 108-day walk in D.C.

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