A group of Buddhist monks traveling from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. has been winning over the hearts of thousands across the country. And after they spent New Year’s Eve in Atlanta, it’s safe to say they’ve won over the hearts of Black folks, too!
Suggested Reading
Over 20 monks accepted the challenge to travel on foot across multiple states in what’s known as their Walk for Peace. They’ve also been sharing their journey on social media, which has moved many. Folks have gathered to give donations, receive prayer and meet the Buddhists along their journey… but no one could’ve predicted just how much the city of Atlanta showed out for the travelers.
The city showed the monks exactly what southern hospitality is, providing an excess in donations, including food and water and supportive crowds along their journey. According to Hogansville, Ga. police, over 500 people waited to greet the monks as they arrived at their campsite, CBS reported. Organizers even had to tell folks to keep their goods after they reached an overwhelming amount of donations in such a short amount of time.
The stop in Georgia marked nearly 65 days since the monks began their journey. As they travel, they’re gaining even more support. By the time they reached Atlanta, the Walk for Peace had already become a viral sensation. But Atlanta’s southern hospitality isn’t the only reason so many people in the city showed up and out for the monks.
Traditional monks are deeply in tune with their spirituality and that of the entire world. So the Walk for Peace is just as much a demonstration as it is an acknowledgment of the lack of peace around the world, which is clearly bothering the monks internally, WSB-TV reported. In a city like Atlanta – often at the center of important political and social movements like the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter protests – it can’t be shocking that so many residents feel a connection to their cause.
Venerable Pannakara, the spiritual leader of Buddhist monks based in Texas, told CBS News they’re walking “for peace, loving kindness, and compassion to all people.” He continued explaining that the goal of the journey is to encourage local communities to “cultivate peace within themselves” in order to spark peace across the globe, the outlet reported.
In Atlanta, a city known for its racial diversity but not religious diversity, residents are taking inspiration from the monks, who typically don’t have a large visible presence in the South. The monks’ current journey represents the Bible belt city’s first real encounter with a large group of monks, and folks are expectedly excited.
The monks shared their appreciation for all the support they’ve received so far in Georgia. “We have been welcomed by small gatherings of a few gentle souls, and by crowds of thousands whose voices rose like a wave—recently, magnificently, unforgettably,” the official Walk for Peace Instagram wrote. “And we have come to understand something beautiful: there is no single way to express love, no prescribed form for peace to take when it moves through a human heart seeking connection.”
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.