By Trisha Donnelly

Last year, English monk Ven. Tenzin Josh, who is studying at the Dialectical School in Dharamsala, India, became friendly with a Vietnamese monk living in Dharamsala. The monk, like Josh, is very much into living a pure monk’s life as in the Buddha’s time. Apparently His Holiness was very impressed with the Vietnamese monk and during an interview that Josh translated His Holiness suggested they should do a peace walk, starting in Bodhgaya, during the January teachings. His Holiness said he would do an alms round with them inside the stupa grounds, share lunch and then lead them on the peace walk for a short way. Then they should go to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, etc., walking for peace.

His Holiness said the walk shouldn’t be political but they should make other sangha aware that Tibetan monks and nuns have no freedom to practice in Tibet and are actually tortured and imprisoned. And they should do the whole walk barefoot and carrying only their alms bowls. Josh has led a few alms walks around the Kangra valley and through the streets of Delhi at various times in the past few years.

His Holiness called Josh several times to discuss how the peace walk should be done. His Holiness had many ideas and was very encouraging. A few monks and nuns of other traditions joined them, including two young Tibetan monks sponsored by the Tibetan government, who would travel as far as Madras, plus one or two lay people.

A film crew turned up from the San Francisco-based organization Inner Peace World Peace to film the event. At 7 a.m. on January 28, the Mahabodhi Stupa grounds were cleared and His Holiness led Trulshik Rinpoche, Shechen Rinpoche and about 34 monks and nuns into the grounds. About 26 lay people, representing as many different countries as possible, were ready with their offerings of food and were allowed to follow His Holiness as he led the sangha into the shrine room for prayers and then under the bodhi tree for meditation. The lay people then placed themselves around the outer circumambulation path and His Holiness led the sangha and accepted alms from the lay people. The Vietnamese monk offered an alms bowl to His Holiness.

It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. It was still early morning and the stupa grounds were very quiet. His Holiness came first to receive the alms followed by a line of silent, barefoot monks and nuns holding out their alms bowls. I put the food very mindfully in each of the bowls, hardly looking up and was surprised when the line finished. It was so harmonious and peaceful and my immediate thought as the last one filed past was “I would love to do this every day for the rest of my life.” It’s quite different from serving sangha at a table.

The monks and nuns carried their alms bowls full of food to the teaching tent, where His Holiness bestowed the long-life empowerment and we offered the long-life puja. When the puja finished, His Holiness shared lunch with the monks and nuns inside the teaching palace and then led them a short way on the peace walk. They were led by six sangha carrying a huge Buddhist flag and a banner proclaiming the peace walk.

By now they should be in Sri Lanka. The various participants in the peace walk will continue, each as long as he can. Ven. Josh will return to Dharamsala to continue his studies in April. I feel immense gratitude towards Josh and the Vietnamese monk for offering us such a unique and precious opportunity.