ATLANTA (AP) — A group of Buddhist monks is persevering in their walking trek across the U.S. to promote peace, even after two of its members were injured when a truck hit their escort vehicle.
After starting their walk in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 26, the group of about two dozen monks has made it to Georgia as they continue on a path to Washington, D.C., highlighting Buddhism’s long tradition of activism for peace.
The group planned to walk its latest segment through Georgia on Tuesday from the town of Morrow to Decatur, on the eastern edge of Atlanta. Marking day 66 of the walk, the group invited the public to a Peace Gathering in Decatur Tuesday afternoon.
The monks, along with their loyal dog Aloka, are traveling through 10 states en route to Washington, D.C. In the coming days, they plan to pass through or close to Athens, Georgia; the North Carolina cities of Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh; and Richmond, Virginia, on their way to the nation’s capital city.
The group has amassed a huge audience on social media, with more than 400,000 followers on Facebook. Aloka, who is named after a Sanskrit word meaning enlightenment, has its own hashtag, #AlokathePeaceDog.
The trek has not been without danger. Last month outside Houston, while walking on the shoulder of a highway near Dayton, Texas, the monks were struck by a truck that crashed into their escort vehicle, which had hazard lights flashing.
One of the injured monks sustained substantial leg injuries and was transported by helicopter to a Houston hospital for extensive surgery, while the other monk, with less severe injuries, was taken to a suburban Houston hospital.
While the path was fraught with challenges, the group’s resolve to spread a message of peace remains steadfast. Their journey is marked by a belief that they are not walking alone, but alongside everyone whose heart has opened to peace.
