Sri Lankan Church Supports Buddhist-Led Peace Walk

The “Walk for Peace in Sri Lanka,” a global initiative led by Vietnamese Buddhist monk Venerable Pannakara and a group of nuns, accompanied by a dog named “Aloka,” took place across the country from April 22 to 28.

Also referred to as the “Ehipassiko Peace Walk,” the march carried the theme “Come and See.” It was led by Most Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, a monk from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Texas, USA. The walk emphasized four pillars, peace, compassion, nonviolence, and mindfulness—and aimed to promote peace and interfaith dialogue.

Christian clergy and laypeople joined at various points along the route.

In Kandy, the group was officially welcomed by the Theological College of Lanka, representing several mainline Christian churches.

On the final day, students from St. Paul’s Girls’ School in Waragoda, Kelaniya, along with Rev. Sr. Riyana and members of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation, expressed their support for the participants.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake attended the closing ceremony, where Most Venerable Pannakara framed his message around the idea that peace begins within the individual. “We all have an internal world,” he said, describing the body and mind as “a single territory” where “there are boundaries, conflicts, and also peace.” He questioned how lasting peace could be expected externally “if we cannot enter our internal world with wisdom.”

He urged listeners to examine their own habits of thought and awareness, asking, “Have I met my own thoughts with mindfulness? Have I accepted the good and discarded the bad from my life?” He also pointed to the importance of attentive listening and restraint, adding, “Have I listened to what is inside and outside with wisdom? Have I maintained patience and kindness within me?”

Pannakara linked personal discipline to broader social outcomes, noting that “if every individual maintains internal peace, the family becomes peaceful… the nation becomes peaceful, and the whole world follows.” He emphasized that “peace is not something built from the outside; it is built from within.”

He also referred to the presence of Aloka, the dog that accompanied the group, as a reminder of compassion beyond human boundaries. “Aloka does not have a language of words, yet his presence conveyed a clear message,” he said, adding that the experience showed how “compassion and loving-kindness should extend to all living beings.” He observed that “a society’s humanity is reflected in how it treats animals,” and noted the care shown by people along the route.

Concluding, he called for the continuation of the values highlighted during the walk: “Let this not end with the walk. Let it continue,” he said, urging people to recognize animals as “sentient beings with feelings” and to sustain compassion in everyday life.