These are recent Asian echoes of a singular American seed: the 108-day Walk for Peace across the United States earlier this year. And for the Buddhist world, they are blossoming into powerful vehicles for cultural and religious exchange.


The American Spark

The story begins in Texas. In early 2026, the Most Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra, a Theravada monk residing at the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center, led a historic peace march from Texas to Washington, D.C. That grueling journey was a public cry for non-violence, bringing Buddhist contemplative practice to the sidewalks of American highways.



That walk did not end in Washington. Its karmic current crossed the Indian Ocean.

Venerable Paññākāra, carrying the lessons of that American odyssey, arrived in Sri Lanka, an island still healing from the scars of civil war and ethnic tension. From April 21 to 28, 2026, he led the “Ehipassiko Peace Walk” - named after the Buddha’s famous invitation to “come and see” for oneself.


Sri Lanka, the Island of Peace Bows to the Bodhi

The Sri Lankan walk was not merely a march; it was a seven-day Buddhist pilgrimage fused with peace activism. Beginning in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, the monks first gathered before the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi - the oldest living human-planted tree in the world, a sapling of the very Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.



In a deeply symbolic ceremony, a sacred Bodhi sapling was ceremonially handed over, and relics from the Nilagiri Cetiya were carried aloft. That evening, the As Disa Pooja (a blessing for all directions) was held at the Ruwanweliseya stupa, sending waves of metta (loving-kindness) to the four corners.

But this was not a solely Buddhist affair. Local lay communities - Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim - lined the route from Anuradhapura to Colombo. In rest stops, the monks offered mindfulness sessions open to all. Hindu neighbours brought offerings of fruit, and Catholic nuns were seen walking alongside the procession in a silent act of solidarity.



“The American walk taught us that peace is a verb,” Venerable Paññākāra told this reporter in Colombo. “But in Sri Lanka, we added ‘Ehipassiko’ - ‘Come and see.’ We want people of all faiths not to believe, but to witness peace in action. That is the true cultural exchange.”


Taiwan: Fo Guang Shan’s Living Bridge to Taoism

Simultaneously, in Taiwan, the majestic Fo Guang Shan - often described as the "Vatican of Chinese Buddhism" - launched its own spectacular iteration of the Walk for Peace. Spelled out across the island, 108 young monastics traversed the country as a core part of their spiritual cultivation.



What makes the Taiwanese walk uniquely historic is its radical boundary-crossing. In a beautiful display of inter-religious harmony, these Buddhist monastics were warmly welcomed, housed, and cheered on by numerous Taoist temples throughout Taiwan. This organic cultural exchange broke down ancient sectarian walls, proving that peace transcends doctrine.

Fo Guang Shan’s walk also highlights its immense global footprint. Boasting over 300 centers worldwide and 2,000 monastics, the order relies heavily on uniquely diverse talents, including 280 Malaysian-born monastics who serve as global emissaries due to their multilingual fluency.



As these 108 young monastics walked through Taiwan, they carried a vision that looks outward; Fo Guang Shan is currently utilizing its vast educational network - which includes five universities and a newly established Buddhist college in Indonesia (2024) - to prioritize reviving Buddhism in places like Indonesia and Pakistan, while sponsoring monastics from war-torn Myanmar and Vietnam to study in Taiwan.


Indonesia: Thudong Becomes a Bridge

If Sri Lanka’s walk was a pilgrimage of heritage, Indonesia’s is a reclamation of harmony. On May 8, 2026, the Indonesia Walk for Peace 2026 - formerly known as Thudong (the ascetic practice of long-distance walking) - set off from Bali toward Borobudur Temple in Central Java.



The opening ceremony in Bali was subdued but deeply meaningful. People of all ages came together to chant Paritta (protective verses)—described by the co-organizing Young Buddhist Association as “a prayer and shared commitment to peace.”

This year’s Thudong is particularly ambitious. Two separate processions are planned: the first from Bali to Borobudur (starting May 8), and a second from Sima Jepara Temple to Sewu Temple (starting May 20), culminating around the peak of Waisak 2026 (Vesak Day).

But what makes Indonesia’s walk extraordinary is its interfaith DNA. In a nation with the world’s largest Muslim population, Buddhist monks walking thousands of kilometers could provoke misunderstanding. Instead, it has become a festival of gotong royong (mutual cooperation).

“It is our great hope that this trip can continue to build peace, strengthen brotherhood, and maintain harmony between Buddhists and brothers and sisters across faiths, as has been built in the previous three editions,” a spokesperson for the Young Buddhist Association said.

Indeed, local masjid (mosques) along the Bali-Java route have offered the monks water and rest under their trees. Hindu banjar (community halls) in Bali prepared vegetarian meals. In return, the monks have conducted open meditation sessions, and even invited imams to speak at evening gatherings about shared Abrahamic and Dharmic values of compassion.


A Reciprocal Current of Exchange

All three walks share a quiet revolution. They are not exporting American-style protest; rather, they have indigenized the American peace walk model. The US march was about political awareness. The Sri Lankan, Taiwanese and Indonesian walks are about spiritual-cultural diplomacy.

In Sri Lanka, the walk has revived ancient pilgrimage circuits long neglected, encouraging Sinhalese Buddhists to re-engage with Tamil-majority northern provinces. The groundbreaking aspect of the Taiwan walk is the profound inter-faith exchange happening on the ground. Numerous Taoist temples warmly welcomed, hosted, and supported the 108 young Buddhist monastics journey across the island.

In Indonesia, the Thudong has become a platform for Buddhist-Muslim dialogue at a time when communal tensions elsewhere make headlines.

As the sun sets over the Indonesian archipelago, the monks from Bali continue their slow, deliberate march - each footstep a metta vibration. While the other walks focus heavily on historical routes and ancient ascetic traditions, the Taiwan walk stands out as a dynamic, youthful, and politically transcendent bridge between different faiths and global cultures. And in Sri Lanka, the relics and Bodhi sapling carried to Colombo now rest in a temporary shrine, visited daily by schoolchildren of all faiths who come to “see for themselves.”

The American walk lit a torch. In Asia, that torch has become a lantern - illuminating not just a path, but a shared human possibility.