The ongoing months-long walk for peace by Buddhist monks from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. is one of the most inspiring events to occur in the United States in years.<\/p>\n
With all the hate, division and violence seemingly on full display in this nation, the monks\u2019 journey is a profound reminder that the values of peace, love and kindness can heal not only America but the entire world. So it really shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise to see the unbelievable scenes of thousands of awestruck people lining the streets to greet the holy monks as they walk barefoot through their cities.<\/p>\n
The truth is, deep down, we all yearn for a more peaceful world. And intuitively, we know that the way we\u2019re living has set us down a path of chaos and destruction. As I tuned in online to hear the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara (the lead monk of the 20-monk walking procession) speak to a large crowd in Columbia, South Carolina, I was moved to tears by two central points that he made:<\/p>\n
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- World peace first begins through finding peace within ourselves<\/li>\n
- Through living mindfully, we\u2019ll naturally become living embodiments of peace and loving-kindness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Can finding inner peace lead to outer peace? <\/h2>\n
\nIn regard to Pannakara\u2019s first point, I can recall many years ago teaching a college course I created called the \u201cpolitics of peace.\u201d During one of our weekly seminars, I vividly remember one student\u2019s frustrated response to a reading I\u2019d assigned them by the legendary Lakota chief Black Elk. Like Pannakara, Black Elk believed that world peace can only come about if we first find that peace within ourselves. <\/p>\n
The student, who was a social justice activist and protester, couldn\u2019t fathom how inner-peace-inducing practices like prayer, meditation and chanting could possibly translate to world peace. Her dominant paradigm centred around external confrontation with unpeaceful actors in power, such as the government and corporate elites, through direct action.<\/p>\n
I encouraged this student to critically assess the assumptions of her own paradigm by asking her this one question: Fundamentally, what was it about Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. (two of the greatest social activists in the past century) that made them such effective leaders for their respective causes of national independence and racial equality?<\/p>\n
After a long silence, I finally answered the question. I pointed out that both of their movements were powered by the vast reservoirs of peace found within both men. By all accounts, Gandhi and King were profoundly peaceful men who drank from cups of the spiritual nectar of their own faiths (Gandhi deeply modelled his life on the Hindu teachings of Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita<\/em>, and King as a Christian reverend drew his inspiration from the teachings of Lord Jesus in the Bible). <\/p>\n
I then emphasized a point made by my own guru, Baba Ram Dass. And that point was that one can passionately attend a pro-peace demonstration but unknowingly spread fear and division due to unpeaceful feelings inside. <\/p>\n
Following that, I asked the student if that hypothetical demonstrator would wind up causing more harm than good through their actions. She never did reply. But the answer is obvious: the universe responds to our inner vibrations. If we feel chaotic inside, we\u2019ll project chaos onto the world. But if we genuinely feel loving-kindness towards all beings within our hearts, we\u2019ll shine the light of peace upon the world.<\/p>\n
In Pannakara\u2019s words: \u201cIf we are peaceful on the inside, than we will be peaceful on the outside.\u201d This universal spiritual law equally applies to our political and religious leaders, our captains of industry, and of course, ourselves! <\/p>\n
Mindful living is a crucial gateway<\/h2>\n
\n\n![\"walking](\"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto\/www.themindfulword.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/walking-peace-buddhist-monks.jpg\" "\\"THE")