Some journeys produce more than miles. They produce words.
The Walk for Peace that ended in February 2026 was not the first time these monks walked across a land with nothing but robes, discipline, and intention. In 2022, a group of Theravada monks – many of the same monks who later walked across America – completed a long peace pilgrimage across India. That earlier walk shaped everything that followed.
After that journey, Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara wrote a book about the experience. It is called “The Footsteps of a Buddhist Monk.“
I was fortunate enough to read it. The book is honest, personal, and deeply moving. It is written not as a public figure reflecting on a success, but as a practitioner reflecting on what walking for months across a country does to the mind and body. The discipline. The doubt. The quiet transformation that comes step by step.
The book was originally written in Vietnamese, and only a very small number of copies were printed in English. From what I understand, an English edition is expected to be printed more widely this summer. When it becomes available, I will share the news here. It is a book worth waiting for.
Walk for Peace: A 2,300-Mile Buddhist Journey Across America.
The 2022 walk in India planted the seeds. The 2025-2026 Walk for Peace across America brought those seeds into full bloom – 2,300 miles from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C., witnessed by millions.
During those 112 days, I gathered my own reflections into a book called “Walk for Peace: A 2,300-Mile Buddhist Journey Across America.” It is not a report or a documentary. It is a quiet companion – written to preserve the moments, the teachings, and the spirit of what unfolded on the road. From the first morning at the temple in Fort Worth, through the accident that tested the monks, to the blessing from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to the homecoming that closed the circle. This book was written for anyone who followed the journey and wants to hold onto it a little longer – and for anyone discovering it now who wants to understand what happened and why it mattered.
Aloka: The Dog Who Walked for Peace
One story from the walk stayed with me more than any other – and it became its own book. “Aloka: The Dog Who Walked for Peace” tells the full story of the stray dog who began following the monks on the streets of India in 2022 and never stopped. From Kolkata to Washington, D.C., Aloka walked thousands of miles beside them. He was injured, had surgery, recovered, and returned. His story is not just about a dog. It is about loyalty, resilience, and the quiet companionship that needs no words.
Both books are available now on Amazon in eBook and paperback.
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