Day 90 of the "Walk for Peace" brought the Venerable Buddhist monks to Jordan Lake State Park in Apex, North Carolina. (Photo Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline)
With a massive winter storm just hours away, North Carolinians found warmth and hope Friday in a message of peace from a procession of Buddhist monks.
Thousands of people lined their route as they approached the Triangle area in chilly rain.
This was Day 90 of a 2,300 mile journey from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to encourage loving kindness and compassion.
The walk is led by Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, who urged the audience of more than a thousand gathered at Jordan Lake to concentrate on the present moment, breathing in and out.
“That is mindfulness,” he said. “Do not multitask anymore. Do one thing at a time.”
Renee McHugh of Apex acknowledged it was easy to feel overwhelmed in today’s deeply partisan country. She said this message resonated.
“We’re so plugged into what’s going on in the world that we hear everything now,” said McHugh. “Back in the day, you could kind of buffer it, and you can’t anymore. So when something good like this happens, I need to go see that.”
Frauke Rona-Bowler was born in Germany, but has called North Carolina home for 30 years. Like McHugh, she was hungry for hope.
“I started following them online a little bit, and it’s the only thing of positivity that I see when I’m online, so I wanted to be part of it. It was important to be here today.” Rona-Bowler said.
Jim Curtis drove 50 miles from Southern Pines to hear the monks, and said he wasn’t disappointed.
“I had such a sad feeling about the way things are, and I see a group of individuals trying to make us think better, and I was inspired,” said Curtis.
Curtis said it was encouraging to see so many people committed to peace.
“It is wonderful when you think sometimes, you’re the only one,” he said. “And then I see all kinds of people around me, various colors, various genders, young and old.”
Pannakara told the audience that in all lives there will be moments of suffering, greed, hatred, and anger, but the key is to slow down and quiet the “monkey mind” — the restless, wandering thoughts many people have.
For those still feeling anxious, he offered a simple daily task.
“Every day when you wake up, get a piece of paper out, write out the statement, ‘Today is going to be my peaceful day,'” Pannakara said.
“Write it down, read it over and over,” he told listeners. “Tell the universe that today is our peaceful day, my peaceful day, so that no one can mess it up except ourselves. And please, don’t mess it up.”
As a small token to represent inner peace and a blessing, the monks offered the people gathered to hear them in Apex woven peace bracelets at the end of the program — a wearable reminder to maintain a calm, positive mindset.
The Venerable Buddhist monks and their dog Aloka, who continues to recover following surgery in South Carolina, will continue their Walk for Peace through North Carolina this weekend. A support team is ready to make adjustments in the schedule if the weather becomes too dangerous.
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