And now some of the same monks
who trekked 2,300 miles across
a good chunk of the United States

are walking through Sri Lanka
with their simple message of peace,
offering blessings to hundreds

who line roadways:
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.

May you be well.
May you be free from suffering
and the causes of suffering.

They set out on foot each morning
despite—or perhaps because of—
the cruelties of the world,

remind us that gentleness thrives, too,
that peace and kindness resides within
so many who have strewn huge

banana leaves on the ground, to cool
hot pavement with water and petals,
to offer flowers, provide food,

a place to sleep, kind hands
to tend what’s hurting, who act
as escorts and welcome with

such open hearts strangers
in their midst who ask for nothing,
like the gentle monks who

leave love in their wake, each
step taken in the name of peace,
so that those who bow

and those who walk are one,
not others at all,
who are us.

•••

You can follow the Walk for Peace Buddhist monks on their
April 2026 journey through Sri Lanka here.