Decatur gives peace-promoting Buddhist monks ‘rock star’ treatment
Bitter cold and a biting wind did not discourage thousands from flocking to Decatur on Tuesday evening to get a glimpse of emissaries for peace.
Bundled in blankets and jackets, many gatherers said they were happy to wait hours to see a group of Buddhist monks whose march has caught the country’s attention.
“Many of you have been here for seven, eight or nine hours,” state Rep. Ruwa Romman, D-Duluth, told the crowd. “I asked many of you, ‘Why are you here?’ And a lot of you said because you feel deeply troubled and want a moment of community.”
Nearly 20 Buddhist monks and a rescue dog named Aloka visited Decatur on Tuesday evening while trekking from Texas to Washington, D.C., on what they call a “Walk for Peace.” The pilgrimage, which began Oct. 26, has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on social media and influenced crowds to witness their 2,300-mile journey.
“It doesn’t matter what background we are, what faith we believe, what skin color we have or what language we speak,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist temple leader from Fort Worth, Texas, who leads the group. “We all have the same blood color of red.”
The monks have spent days walking through metro Atlanta, with roughly 1,000 miles to go on a winding path that will take them through a number of metro areas until their final destination. The troop spent much of Tuesday in DeKalb County, eating lunch in south Atlanta’s Panthersville neighborhood and arriving in Decatur about two hours later than projected.
The monks, however, received a warm welcome from residents who engulfed the Beacon Hill Municipal Complex outside of Decatur Square. Residents held aloft signs that read “DeKalb united for peace” and “Peace for immigrants.”
“This rock star kind of reception is something they are not used to,” said Long Si Dong, who acts as Walk for Peace’s spokesperson. In response, the crowd often waved at the monks to show support rather than loud clapping.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., was the first politician to address the gatherers, applauding the monks for taking their faith into action in a way that has enraptured much of the country amid divisive times.
“We could certainly use a lot more kindness,” said Warnock, who is also senior pastor at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. “And they’ve taught us how to walk humbly. Literally walk humbly.”
Walk for Peace is a nonpartisan effort, which the group’s Facebook page said is to “raise awareness of peace, loving kindness and compassion across America and the world.” Tuesday’s event was in one of the bluest parts of Georgia in the Democratic stronghold of DeKalb.
Other speakers included U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, DeKalb CEO Lorrain Cochran-Johnson and Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett.
On Monday, Georgia Republicans in redder districts of Coweta and Fayette counties equally welcomed the monks with open arms.
The group hasn’t faced that friendly reception everywhere, leading to a few spurts of violence along their path.
In November, while walking outside of Houston, the monks’ escort vehicle was hit by a truck, pushing the escort into two of the monks. Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan, one of the monks who is the abbot of a Buddhist temple in Snellville, had a leg amputated as a result of the incident, according to a GoFundMe that is raising money for medical bills.
Pannakara added that some people have shouted or thrown things at the group as they walked along highways or through towns.
“Even though there are so many haters, so many people who hated us, shout at us and curse at us, we react with, ‘May you be well, happy and peaceful,’” Pannakara said. “If we can all do this together, our country will be at peace. Our world will be at peace.”
The group will continue their northward trajectory Wednesday by walking through Gwinnett County, including a stop and public gathering in Phommasan’ home of Snellville.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
