Beautiful Soul,

This week in class, we reflected on the incredible journey of 19 Theravada Buddhist monks who walked from Texas to Washington, D.C.

They began on October 26, 2025, leaving from the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, led by Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara.

Over 2,300 miles.
Through heat. Through cold. Through uncertainty.

Not as protest.
Not for recognition.
But as prayer.

Along the way, a truck crashed into them. Two monks were seriously injured. One later lost his leg as a result.

And yet — he remains in good spirits.

They kept walking.

A rescue dog named Aloka — the “Peace Dog” — padded beside them, step for step, mile after mile.

They arrived in Washington, D.C. on February 10, 2026.

One hundred eight days.

A sacred number in Buddhism.

And through it all, their message was simple: peace begins within.

It reminded me of these words:

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
— Lao Tzu

Transformation does not happen all at once.
It happens breath by breath.
Choice by choice.
Step by steady step.

The monks did not rush to Washington.
They walked with devotion.

And we do not rush toward some perfected version of ourselves.
We practice our way home.

Ooooph.

I am no expert.
I do not have this all figured out.

I just know I am deeply inspired by this act of peace.

And I also know — it is easier said than done.

Walking peacefully.
Choosing compassion.
Staying steady when things feel unsteady.

That’s real life.

Which is exactly why it matters that we stick together.
Why community matters.
Why we hold one another up when someone feels tired.

None of us are meant to walk alone.

Maybe your “walk” right now looks like healing.
Maybe it looks like grief.
Maybe it looks like rebuilding.
Maybe it looks like simply getting through the day with kindness intact.

It all counts.

Every time you return to your breath — that is the work.
Every time you choose patience — that is the practice.
Every time you show up for yourself — that is devotion in motion.

You do not need to cross a country.

You only need this moment.

This inhale.
This exhale.

Keep walking, dear ones.

With steady steps and open hearts.

Big love,

Jami

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