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Over the twenty‑some years I’ve been blogging, I’ve never written back‑to‑back posts on the same topic. So drum roll, please — I’m doing it now. I can’t help it. The Walk for Peace fills up my Facebook feed every day and I can’t get enough of it: the dawn‑to‑dusk quiet walks, the nightly talks by the lead monk, Venerable Pannakaro Bhikkhu (who, surprisingly, once worked in the IT world), and the video clips from another monk back at the monastery who shares soft spoken lessons on finding inner peace. And the dog. Who could not fall in love with aloka?
But it’s the music inspired by the walk that finally got me — cracked me open like a hammer to a coconut — and made me cry. Tears of hopefulness. Tears of happiness.
The hauntingly beautiful music that accompanies many of the videos is so well‑produced that cynical me initially thought it must have been created before the walk began, like part of a well‑choreographed production. But a deep dive into two dozen or so of these original songs proved they were all written and produced after the walk started. Knowing that makes me feel like we’re entering a “We Are the World” moment all over again. I don’t know how else to explain it except to say it makes me feel connected to a cause outside myself, my family, my community — even my country.
Is this what it feels like when humanity remembers itself? Remembers the caring country we had before Trump slammed a wrecking ball to so many of the norms we took for granted until he came into power?
Even though our national news hasn’t yet caught up with the Walk for Peace (and shame on them), the online community around it is enormous. The Facebook page I follow about the Walk (there are many) is up to 395,200 followers now and the official page for The Walk for Peace has 2.7 million followers. Artists from around the world have contributed songs — many of them professional musicians. The song that has become the walk’s official theme, Walk for Peace by Snehashis Priya Barua, opens with a call to walk together with hope, to let anger fade, and to let compassion lead. It’s simple, sincere and disarming in the best way.
One of my favorite Walk for Peace song is about Aloka, the rescue dog who has been walking the 2,300‑mile pilgrimage with the monks. The song Aloka’s Road tells his story — a stray with no name and no home who began following the monks during one of their long walks in India. Other strays had joined them before, but Aloka didn’t wander off like the rest. When it was time for the monks to return to the U.S., they couldn’t leave him behind. So the monks back in Texas started cooking for a fundraiser to pay for his plane ticket and quarantine time in New York. The song captures the loyalty and bond between man and beast that all of us dog parents can relate to.
From there, I fell down a rabbit hole looking for all the music created in response to the monks’ Walk. What surprised me wasn’t just the sheer number of songs but the reverence and quality of them — the way strangers from around the world translated the walk’s message of compassion into uplifting melodies. It's the reason why I love the Walk's music so much. None of these songs were written with commercial intent. Many are posted without credit to the writers or singers. They were written because people’s hearts were spilling over with inspiration.
When it comes to spreading a movement, nothing resonates like music. One of my favorite Walk for Peace songs talks about walking with loving‑kindness, it speaks of carrying hope and healing through every mile — and you can see that Hope and desire to heal on the faces of the huge crowds that gather wherever the monks walk or pause to rest.
If you want to go down your own rabbit hole, here’s a partial list of the songs created for this historic Walk for Peace:
Walk for Peace — A song by Snehashis Priya Barua. It focuses on the physical walk, the message of peace, and the courage of the monks. It's considered to be the Walk's theme song.
by djphong (Siriphong P.) This one is atmospheric, almost like a soundtrack for the monks’ footsteps.
Some of the many songs without tiles or artists named.
The following songs were inspired by Aloka, also known as the Peace Dog: These are joyful and they show how the movement has touched people emotionally.
Aloka's Road One of my favorites. Lines I love is, "Peace doesn't ask who you are, it only asks if you will take the next step" and this line: "I walk where kindness comes in unexpected and kind ways."
Another one of my favorites, a country-western that's well produced and very professional. I feel like I should know the artist singing this. "One step at a time that's how he goes, he doesn't judge the world just sees it pass with kindness in his eyes and faith in his hand. Aloka walks the mindful way."
Aloka Small Feet, Big Peace by Gravya Music Polsg
Some of the Lyrics: "Where Aloka walks hope appears not loud, not proud, but deeply true. A reminder that we were born to love and peace is something we can do."
The links to the songs I've shared here are just scratching the surface of those available online. Their sheer numbers clearly says something special is going on in America. Maybe this walk is only a seed, but seeds have a way of finding soil. We may be a long way from harmony, yet I can’t help feeling that peace is quietly walking its way back into our hearts and nation. ©
See you next Wednesday.
The monks had an interfaith ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral yesterday. Today at the Lincoln Memorial there is an event starting at 1:30 to 4:00. 10,000 people are expected in person, and who knows how many others will be watching.
Thanks for the links. I've heard about the Walk for Peace on FB (and that's it -- no national news). But I've admired these monks (especially considering the weather conditions.) I will be glad to listen to the music.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I just don't understand why the national news doesn't mention it. Jasper says it's because the local news covers the 'feel good, human interest stuff' and the national news does the disasters and political news. But when so many thousand of people have gone out of their way to interact with these monks and followed them online, you'd think it would deserve more than it's getting.
DeleteSome of those monks have never seen snow and they've had a lot of bad weather on this walk but they keep on walking. Nearly all of them have gotten sick from time to time. Even the dog.
If I lived near where they walk I would be there. I find the whole journey a heart touching event especially in the turbulent times we are living in. I very much doubt the leader of our country will acknowledge them as they march for peace and we are far from a peaceful nation. Thanks for sharing the songs as they are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMe too, I would have like to be a a crowd where people are carving peace. I'll second the idea that the president won't acknowledge them in a positive way. If anything, he'll post something negative on his social media post in the middle of the night.
DeleteI love this music and there is so much more of it out there. I don't remember a world event that has generated this much spontaneous music, at least since WWII and even that was spread out over several years, not months.