I still follow on their website on FB....Walk for Peace. I don't know if you saw the actual footage of their homecoming to their temple, but it was incredibly moving. I couldn't help but cry.

They have made such an impact on so many people and Venerable monk Pannakara's wish and his reason for walking is to awaken loving kindness, mindfulness and peace in this world.

There are plans for future meditation meetings and of course, in addition to his first book, he is planning on writing another to chronicle the Walk for Peace from Texas to DC.

They were truly inspiring, regardless of the paths they walked. I missed Aloka as well - he really does have the sweetest, most gentle eyes.

Even though I don't watch them now, their presence and goodness is still with me.

The version of kheer I had was just simple white rice mixed with condensed milk, and was mildly sweet to the taste. It’s also a perfect food for recovery from an illness.

The event didn't get much coverage in my area. Or if it did, I missed it.

@palisades that is a more or less instant version. The creaminess achieved by the hours of stirring the rice and milk , a slow condensing of the milk, with the sugar added late to prevent any browning is sublime. Since I was starting with 20 gallons of milk it was a LONG night.

this is pretty much what I do but no saffron or fruits .

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/rice-kheer-recipe-chawal-ki-kheer/

i loved reading the posts that popped up about them on Facebook. Didnt like it one bit that they had to face protestors here in SC. Adore Aloka :)

Trailrunner, nothing became creamier as you stirred for many hours to get there so they were indeed impressed! What fruits would you add, raisins, Medjool dates?

eta: dried fruits! (from your link)

Yes, I miss the monks and their story. Very much.

I do miss them also. I've gotta admit, it was Aloka who initially caught my eye, and then I just ran with it.

The monks were a center of sanity, compassion, love in the midst of a maelstrom.

There was little to no coverage of this event, which is something I was both grateful and irritated for. I was deeply concerned, every single day, for their safety. That they were able to complete their mission without an act of violence towards them was thrilling.

The story behind Aloka is so heartwarming. He certainly chose his own destiny, didn’t he? It is as if he understood the mission and knew he had a role to perform.

I read about the monks’ walk on cbs news. Local tv news covered their journey frequently as they traversed across the state then headed northward. Security was important as their resting locations at night were not disclosed.

Their Facebook pages are still active. The official ones have the blue checkmark.

Walk for Peace and Aloka the peace dog.

@palisades their resting places were disclosed almost every night as were their lunch stops and their exact route was mapped each day. They held a talk at both lunch and evening ( they do not eat after 12 noon). There were a couple times they said no visitors at an evening stop due to parking constraints. There were significant numbers of local police and sheriff depts with them almost every step of the way after they had been on the road for awhile. The shawl that was worn by their leader had all the pins that the various organizations gave as they passed through. The police and sheriff offices were notable for their incredible support and caring.

The only significant injury was the car that hit their RV , driven by the support team, and one monks‘ leg was so badly injured that it was amputated a few weeks after the initial accident. There were other slighter injuries from that accident but no other mishaps the entire trip. The injured monk was present in DC in his wheelchair.

All this is fully documented in the reels. 🙏

For anyone interested you can scroll back on their reels which are in order by date and hear all the talks etc.

( trailrunner)

their resting places were disclosed almost every night as were their lunch stops and their exact route was mapped each day.

Thanks Trailrunner for the clarification. Our local news source wasn’t accurate in saying not disclosed because of security concerns.

they do not eat after 12 noon

These monks follow the practice of alms round once a day when the Buddha walked the earth. Less is more.

Because of the nature of their walk and huge energy expenditure they had large breakfasts and lunches provided by volunteers in each community they stopped in. Churches were a big source as well as many other groups. Throughout the day you could see offerings of fruit and snack bars by folks standing along the way.

We did a Forest Dhamma Retreat and indeed we were expected to also go on the alms walk . Whatever is offered is what you have to eat.

At the Vipassana retreats you get a very generous breakfast very early and lunch but then only tea in the evening. It is essentially the fasting that many already do. It is interesting how upset some people get about food if they ” can’t ” have it .

I find that it is very freeing to not think about food and eating.

Very nice practice at the retreat, as both giving and (sometimes not) receiving alms during a round give great opportunities to learn and to grow

I imagine there was more coverage on the east coast simply because of proximity and anticipation. My own anticipation was several weeks; the actual event brief.

I so loved waiting among a group of people different from me in that they were not the ’older white liberal women’ who are the subject of much disdain just now. So many kinds of people tuned into and were moved by a quiet, beautiful act.

It was quite well covered over here.

BBC News - Buddhist monks' 108-day Walk for Peace ends in Washington DC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g75wer084o

Thank you for the link, floral.