BY MICHELLE KEY
PUBLISHER
OPELIKA — The Walk for Peace, organized by approximately 24 Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, began Oct. 26. After walking for 61 days, the group arrived in Opelika a little after 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 25.
The Foundry in Opelika hosted the monks for the night, providing shelter, food and gifts.
“Tonight is a special night to host our guests, as it is Christmas Day — a time when we celebrate Jesus as the Prince of Peace — and to welcome this walk for peace into our town, our city, right here in Opelika. It truly means the world to us,” said Opelika City Council member Todd Rauch.
Rauch said the evening reflected careful planning and strong teamwork across the community.
“We’ve planned ahead, and this is truly a testament to the teamwork we have here,” he said. “Earlier this afternoon, I spoke with Mayor Eddie Smith, who was unable to be here tonight but he sends his regards and his sincere thanks to everyone for their care, attention and willingness to step forward to ensure our guests have everything they need — from food and water to comfort and support — as they continue their journey.”
Rauch said the city’s efforts extended beyond the evening’s gathering, with a focus on supporting the group throughout the next leg of their journey.
“We also want to help make the rest of their journey, from here to Washington, D.C., as comfortable as possible. Here in Opelika, with the hospitality of the South, we are giving them what they need to continue forward on their journey, walking for peace on behalf of all of us.”
Rauch concluded his remarks by formally welcoming the group.
“So, without further ado, we welcome our guests,” he said. “Thank you for your stewardship to our country, around the world and for the future of everyone. On behalf of the mayor of Opelika and the Opelika City Council, I am honored to present you with this Opelika pin.”
Rauch also presented the monks with a city of Opelika challenge coin.
Bikkhu Pannakara spoke on behalf of the group, expressing their gratitude for the warm reception.
“Thank you very much,” he said. “We pay our respects to you and to the mayor, and this is very meaningful for us.”
He began by thanking those who made the overnight stay possible.
“First of all, I would like to pay respect to the pastor here who allowed us to stay overnight,” he said. “We truly appreciate that. We are also grateful to our law enforcement team and the chief who have been escorting us throughout the day and helping make our journey easier for all of us to be here tonight.”
The spokesman then reflected on the significance of the evening.
“Good evening, everyone. Is this your first time celebrating Christmas with a Buddhist monk?” he asked the crowd. “This is also our first time celebrating Christmas in a church with you all. This is very lovely and, as I said earlier, overwhelming. We never expected this.”
He went on to describe the physical toll of the journey.
“Some of our monks have not been well,” he said. “They have been walking with injuries, especially to their feet. When you see only 15 monks walking instead of 19, it means some of our monks are hurting badly and cannot continue. When that happens, officers have to slow down and wait for them, and we do not want to be a burden. That is why some must ride in the RV while the rest of us walk as fast as we can.”
As the journey has continued, rest has become increasingly rare, he said.
“In the past, we had time to rest during our walks,” he said. “Now, when we stop, we often cannot even sit down before people arrive to greet us. We are grateful, but it means we have very little time to rest. Lunch is the same — we eat quickly, share time with the growing crowds, then wrap up and continue walking to the next destination.”
He also acknowledged the patience and support of those who had waited for their arrival in Opelika.
“When we arrived here tonight, we know many of you had already been waiting for more than two hours, and you were still here,” he said. “Thank you so much for that.”
Despite the challenges, he emphasized the encouragement the monks receive from communities along the way.
“This road has many ups and downs, but we are not complaining,” he said. “Today was different because of all of you. At every corner, people greeted us. Even though it is very hot and the walk is long, your presence gives us strength. That is why we have walked for 61 days to get here.”
The evening concluded with the monks leading those assembled in a blessing delivered in their native language. Bikkhu Pannakara then shared a final message of love with the crowd.
“Today is Christmas Day, it’s a special day for all of us here,” he said. “We should do something special for ourselves by forgiving everyone who have hurt or injured us, and asking them to forgive us as we are, and then we also forgive ourselves. To create a new us on this day of Christmas, we don’t want to have any enemies in our life. If we don’t have friends to pray [with,] to hang around [with], we should live alone, with no enemies. Love alone is not enough. We have to have kindness. Love and kindness is opposite with hatred and anger. In order for us to forgive everyone, we have to have love and kindness. In order for us to live happily and peacefully with everyone, we have to have love and kindness.”
