{"id":154379,"date":"2026-01-28T18:48:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T01:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=154379"},"modified":"2026-01-28T18:48:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T01:48:26","slug":"inaugurate-a-global-buddhist-peace-prize-and-ensure-that-the-first-recipient-s-are-the-19-monks-on-the-walk-for-peace-today-in-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/01\/28\/inaugurate-a-global-buddhist-peace-prize-and-ensure-that-the-first-recipient-s-are-the-19-monks-on-the-walk-for-peace-today-in-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"Inaugurate a Global Buddhist Peace Prize and ensure that the first recipient (s) are the 19 monks on the Walk for Peace today in USA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><strong>Concept:\u00a0 Senaka Weeraratna <\/strong><strong>Content and information: AI Overview<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/share.google\/aimode\/4WRah16MdvmJYoZZv\">https:\/\/share.google\/aimode\/4WRah16MdvmJYoZZv<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Walk for Peace - The Stitching of the Buddha\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uNQ8P2HYdwQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Concept:&nbsp; Senaka Weeraratna<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Content and information: AI Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Proposal for adoption by the Global Buddhist community<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In the spirit of global harmony and non-violenc<\/strong>e, the<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Global Buddhist Peace Prize<\/strong> is hereby symbolically inaugurated. This honor recognizes those who embody the core tenets of the Dharma\u2014loving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity\u2014through tangible, peaceful action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inaugural recipients are the <strong>19 Buddhist monks<\/strong> currently completing their <strong>2,300-mile &#8220;Walk for Peace&#8221;<\/strong> across the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>Citation of Honor: The 19 Monks of the Walk for Peace<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Journey:<\/strong> Since <strong>October 26, 2025<\/strong>, these 19 monks (primarily from the <strong>Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center<\/strong> in Fort Worth, Texas) have been walking across 10 states toward <strong>Washington, D.C.<\/strong>. The monks are drawn\u00a0mainly from Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan. They are led by Ven. Pannakara, a Theravada Buddhist monk of Vietnamese origin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Message of Unity:<\/strong> Their mission, known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/walkforpeaceusa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Walk for Peace USA<\/a>, aims to raise awareness of <strong>loving-kindness and compassion<\/strong> while fostering national healing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Resilience &amp; Forgiveness:<\/strong> The group notably demonstrated the power of Buddhist practice by <strong>forgiving a driver<\/strong> after a traffic accident near Houston that resulted in one monk losing a foot\u2014an act that has inspired millions worldwide.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Impact:<\/strong> Their pilgrimage, accompanied by <strong>Aloka the Peace Dog<\/strong>, has garnered a massive social media following and brought together people of all faiths, with thousands gathering to greet them in cities like <strong>Raleigh, North Carolina<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aloka&#8217;s story resonates with specific Buddhist principles:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Metta (Loving-Kindness):<\/strong> Aloka&#8217;s name itself is derived from the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aloka_(dog)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pali word for &#8220;light&#8221; or &#8220;enlightenment&#8221;<\/a>. He represents <em>Metta<\/em> by offering <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/activated-thinker\/walk-for-peace-buddhist-monks-and-aloka-the-peace-dog-walking-across-america-2e7b045ad7af\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">unconditional friendship and comfort<\/a> to everyone he encounters, regardless of their background.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ahimsa (Non-Violence):<\/strong> By walking peacefully without a leash or traditional training, Aloka serves as a living example of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NicAsiaBank\/posts\/walking-the-path-of-peace-aloka-the-peace-dog-with-buddhist-monks-is-spreading-m\/1313524097478289\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">non-violence<\/a>. He responds to the calm environment of the monks rather than to forced commands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mindfulness and Presence:<\/strong> Observers note that Aloka embodies the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QB3wk82w09k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Middle Path<\/a> by remaining fully present in the moment\u2014walking when the monks walk and resting when they rest\u2014without seeking a specific destination or reward.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Interconnectedness of All Beings:<\/strong> His inclusion in the pilgrimage emphasizes the Buddhist view that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndtv.com\/feature\/meet-aloka-an-indian-street-dog-marching-alongside-buddhist-monks-for-walk-of-peace-10469375\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">compassion extends to all sentient beings<\/a>, erasing the distinction between human and animal in the pursuit of world peace.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Resilience and Karma:<\/strong> Originally a destitute street dog, Aloka&#8217;s transformation into a &#8220;world-renowned symbol of peace&#8221; is seen by some as evidence that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/556211644491608\/posts\/25642591878760238\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">any being can develop noble qualities<\/a> if given the right guidance and love.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Aloka is currently traveling with approximately 19 monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center toward Washington, D.C., with the journey expected to conclude in mid-February 2026.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This proposed prize i.e.,<strong> &#8216;The Global Buddhist Peace Prize&#8217;<\/strong> celebrates their unwavering commitment to <strong>Dharma in motion<\/strong>, proving that &#8220;peace is attainable if we strive for it collectively&#8221; and furthermore it highlights inclusivity by bringing animals &#8216; (e.g. Aloka) into the fold in the quest for PEACE. This is true Pluralism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: AI Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Concept:\u00a0 Senaka Weeraratna Content and information: AI Overview https:\/\/share.google\/aimode\/4WRah16MdvmJYoZZv Concept:&nbsp; Senaka Weeraratna Content and information: AI Overview A Proposal for adoption by the Global Buddhist community In the spirit of global harmony and non-violence, the The Global Buddhist Peace Prize is hereby symbolically inaugurated. This honor recognizes those who embody the core tenets of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-senaka-weeraratna"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154379"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154380,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154379\/revisions\/154380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}