Why are people in South Carolina coming to see Buddhist monks on Walk for Peace?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Monks walk from Texas to Washington, D.C.; midway through 2,300-mile trek
- Crowds gather in Saluda and other towns; monks offer talks, meals and bracelets
- Walk leader Pannakara ties trip to disaster relief and alleviating suffering
Crowds of people from near and far lined the streets of downtown Saluda on Thursday to welcome the Walk for Peace, some out of curiosity, others in search of a deeply personal experience in the presence of two dozen Buddhist monks.
The monks are making their way across South Carolina as part of a months-long walk across the country from their home temple in Texas all the way to Washington, D.C. Traveling on foot, the monks are expected to arrive in Columbia by Saturday.
Like in other stops along the way, the caravan attracted hundreds of onlookers at the monks’ previously announced stopping point on the lawn of the Saluda County Courthouse. The monks collected flowers from well-wishers as they walked down Church Street escorted by local law enforcement at 11:30 a.m., hours after they left a country church in Edgefield County 13 miles away.
They settled down in a taped-off area under a shady tree with the walk’s mascot Aloka the Peace Dog and ate a vegetarian meal which had been prepared by an advance team, which was also shared with any hungry members of the public. Then the crowd listened to a talk from the Venerable Pannakara, the leader of the walk who addressed the assembled crowd through a crackling sound system.
The Walk for Peace has attracted national attention, partly through an active social media presence by the monks themselves documenting the trip. But the monk said he was inspired to make the trek because of his work doing international disaster relief, and seeing suffering and depression up close. His Buddhist practice is dedicated to alleviating that kind of suffering.
“Am I going to stay in this temple and serve the community here, or should I take this walk and share the message with the entire world,” Pannakara said.
Marge Uhen drove up from Florida to connect with the walk as it made its way across South Carolina, saying the phenomenon had left her with a sense of peace in uncertain times.
“You see what’s going on, it’s scary,” Uhen said, referencing the shooting the day before of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent. “The world is falling apart. This gives me hope. I see them and a peaceful feeling fills me up.”
Julie Cline was inspired to come down from Clemson because of her memories of the Buddhists she met on a trip to Sri Lanka.
“I have never met kinder people than Buddhist people,” Cline said. “I want to learn more about the philosophy and show my support for the Buddhist community.... People are looking for true love and kindness.”
Protestors meet Buddhist monks in Saluda, SC
Not everyone was welcoming to the contingent. A man who declined to give his full name was protesting the monks’ visit with a personal speaker system and a sign warning of the dangers of hell, over the occasional shouts and heckles of the rest of the crowd.
“If you are a friend of these men, then unfortunately you are an enemy of God,” he said.
The monks had no interaction with the protester during their visit to Saluda, but Cline said she had seen the monks encounter similar protesters at other stops.
“They hear them out, then they smile and bow,” she said.
Why are Midland residents are traveling to visit the walking monks?
Paige Watson was driven to greet the monks from Columbia by memories of her grandmother, who was born in Thailand.
“This is a part of my culture,” she said. “My main expectation is to show my baby cousin what this experience is like and ask them questions. I’d love to greet them in their native tongue and pray with them.”
Saluda County officials made contact with the monks’ advance person the day before their arrival and coordinated locations for them to stop, said Emergency Management Director Josh Morton. Sheriff’s deputies met the monk as they crossed into the county and would stay with them overnight during their stay at Nazareth Methodist Church further down U.S. 378.
Speaking to the crowd, Pannakara encouraged a practice of mindfulness on the present moment as an antidote to worries and pain, and even led the crowd through some breathing techniques.
“When you’re mindful, it’s not as easy to be triggered,” he said, his bare feet on the courthouse steps wrapped in tape. “On the Walk for Peace, I take every step in mindfulness. I’ve had illness like anybody else. My health is not as good. But the mind is different. You can train it to be strong or weak.”
After the talk, Pannakara accepted a sheriff’s badge from the county and added it to similar badges from other stops on the walk to his robe. The monks then distributed peace bracelets to the crowd and posed for pictures.
Kelly Arrington of Batesburg greeted Pannakara with tears in her eyes. She lost her son to suicide and has been dealing with her grief through mindfulness and yoga.
“I had to decide if I was going to be bitter and angry, or if I was going to be grateful for the 25 years I had with him,” Arrington said. “I agree young people are not equipped to deal with this world, and I just hope that hearing this will save someone else’s son.”
The monks are about halfway through their 2,300-mile journey, which started Oct. 26 and is expected to take 120 days to reach its final destination. The monks are expected to pass through Lexington County on Friday and reach Columbia on Saturday. Their movements can be tracked on a live online map updated daily.
This story was originally published January 8, 2026 at 3:55 PM.
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