'Walk for Peace' brings a quiet moment of connection to thousands in Henrico

As a group of 19 Buddhist monks made their way through Henrico County on Tuesday, people in groups of hundreds began to line the icy roadways in what many would call a “once-in-a-lifetime” historic moment.

The monks, who began their 2,300-mile “Walk for Peace” in Fort Worth, Texas this past October, trekked a 20-mile route through the snow-covered roads of Henrico, standing out amongst the gray overcast in their traditional saffron and orange layered robes. Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the quiet procession, and even amongst the large crowds, only whispers could be heard as the monks slowly worked north towards their final destination: Washington, D.C.

The monks exchanged few words with the spectators, just the occasional prayer or “thank you” as many people offered them flowers or small gifts. But several people were even moved to tears as the monks passed by them, experiencing an unspoken connection and feeling of understanding. 

“I’m just overwhelmed. I can’t even talk. They just overwhelmed my heart,” said Yolanda Copeland, who works at a nearby daycare. “We need peace in this world. This world is so divided.”

Copeland brought a group of about a dozen children from the Blessing For You II Childcare Center, all holding flowers to greet the monks as they walked northbound on Brook Road. As the monks crossed over the Mountain Road around noon, the crowds began to grow until nearly a thousand people had gathered on the side of the road near the Campus of Virginia Randolph, where the monks went inside to speak to county officials.

'We're lucky to have them'

The group of monks, led by 44-year-old Bhikkhu Pannakara and accompanied by their canine companion “Aloka,” practice at the Hương Đạo Vipassanā Bhāvanā Center, a Vietnamese-American Buddhist temple in Fort Worth. Over their months-long trek across the American South, the group has garnered a cult following from Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

Hung Nguyen, a longtime member of Henrico’s Vien Giac Buddhist temple, helped host the monks at the temple for their afternoon prayer on Tuesday. He and other members also opened up the temple for the hundreds of spectators along Mountain Road, offering them a free meal and a place to sit and rest in the warmth.

“There’s a lot of Buddhist people here today, but also a lot of non-Buddhists, which is great,” said Nguyen. “It’s for everybody. It’s a rare event and we’re lucky to have them stop by.”

Henrico County has a sizable Buddhist population, with about 1,000 people showing up to the temple’s main holiday events, said Nguyen. But the Walk for Peace drew a diverse crowd of Henrico residents, many families with small children, who waited for hours in the chilly weather for just a brief interaction with the monks.

For many residents, the walk brought a moment of respite from the recent violence occurring in Minnesota and other parts of the county involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

“There’s so much every morning, every day. Is killing necessary? It’s a relief to be here,” said Henrico resident Ralph White. “Everybody seems to be coming together. It just shows you that you’re not the only one to feel that way.”

“I think our country is at a really critical point and in a very dark place,” said Lynn McAteer. “And acting with compassion and humility is what we should be doing. So I get really emotional.”

Kenneth Bartow, a Chesterfield resident who works in Henrico, joined the spectators spontaneously after learning about the walk, and even volunteered with members of the Vien Giac temple to give out food to people waiting for the monks. He noticed that lead monk Bhikkhu Pannakara wore a sash with dozens of police badges from different counties the group had walked through, and that stuck out to Bartow.

“I believe there’s something to really think about, for a monk who’s walking in peace, to have all police department badges down his shoulder,” he said. “That is something to really admire, because there is this notion that police officers want peace as much as the civilians.”

Henrico Police and public safety officials escorted the monks throughout their eight-mile journey within the county's borders, between Azalea Avenue and Magnolia Ridge, where the Hanover County Sheriff's Office took over those duties.

The county incurred no extra cost to perform the escort duties, according to Henrico Police Capt. Matthew Pecka.

"Since schools were closed, we were able to utilize all on-duty resources within our specialty unit as well as our bicycle unit, meaning overtime was not a factor," he said. "Our collaboration with law enforcement professionals in the metro region ensured that public safety was paramount. We've been closely monitoring the journey from Texas to our region, which allowed us to provide abundant personnel to ensure the safety of those who came out to show their support."

After departing from Virginia Randolph, the monks briefly stopped their walk on Mountain Road to bless a child who sat on the side of a road in his wheelchair. The monks offered the child a peace bracelet and chanted a brief prayer as his father and many onlookers stood by in silence.

The day became unforgettable for many Henrico families, some of whom had been following the Walk for Peace since day one, and some who made an impromptu visit to witness a unique moment in the county.

“I just felt such gratitude that we’re not alone,” said April, who brought her nine-year-old son and other family and friends to greet the monks. “There’s people really dedicating themselves to trying to get the word out to not fight with the political divide that everybody’s experiencing now. I felt grateful. And I told them, ‘thank you,’ as they were walking by.”

Citizen Community Vitality reporter Dina Weinstein contributed to this article.

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s government and education reporter. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.