Buddhist monks from Fort Worth, Texas, cross the Manchester Bridge Feb. 2 on their way to Richmond City Hall. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Despite frigid temperatures, thousands of people lined the streets as monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, walked from Fire Station 17 on Semmes Avenue to City Hall.
Holding flowers and signs with thankful messages, people leaned over the shoulders of their neighbors, hoping to capture a glimpse of the monks as they passed. After taking pictures and watching the group go by, onlookers hopped over icy sidewalks to join the journey.
“I think what’s moving for people is the sense of a spiritual effort at helping society and the world,” says Erik Braun, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia. “This is at a moment when a lot of people are feeling like there isn’t a premium put on decency, care, respect or compassion.”
The 2-mile walk to City Hall was just a sliver of the monks’ 2,300-mile pilgrimage from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. The monks seemed to galvanize the city, drawing 10,000 or more people of all ages by the time the group crossed the Manchester Bridge. With babies settled in strollers and dogs dressed in sweaters, people flocked to show their support for the movement that encouraged mindfulness, peace and human connection.
Once they reached City Hall, Gov. Abigail Spanberger addressed the growing crowd from the front of the building.
“We see [inspiration] in the belief and commitment of the venerable monks who have been walking for 100 days to make clear to the people of the United States and the world that when you believe in something, you can bring people together in common cause,” Spanberger said.
In her first proclamation as governor, Spanberger declared Feb. 2 “Walk for Peace Day” across the commonwealth.
“As we want to see chance and progress and community built up across Virginia,” Spanberger said, “I can think of no better first proclamation than one that recognizes the strength and the valor of these venerable monks.”
