On Saturday, February 14, 2026, over 750 people gathered in the heart of downtown Los Angeles for a silent Walk for Peace hosted by Sangha House LA and Deer Park Monastery.
The walk was offered in deep gratitude and solidarity with the Theravāda Buddhist monks of Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, who had just completed an extraordinary 2,300+ mile walking pilgrimage across the United States, arriving in Washington, D.C. on February 10th. Their months-long journey—marked by simplicity, resilience, and unwavering devotion—had quietly touched countless hearts along the way.
Inspired by their dedication and moved by their embodiment of peace, the Los Angeles sangha stepped forward to walk in that same spirit.
“A silent, contemplative walk is perfect medicine for these times,” says Garrett Allen, one of the core organizers. “Like many others, we had been watching in awe as the monks’ continued their pilgrimage from Texas, and we started to wonder if we could find a way to participate, and honor that journey, from our home on the West Coast.”
Deer Park Dharma Teacher Sister Dang Nghiem gave instruction in walking meditation before the walk in Pershing Square. At the conclusion of the walk, in the cozy, shady oasis of Vista Hermosa Park, Venerable Lotus, an MDiv student at University of the West, gave a powerful metta meditation.
“On a day that celebrates love, we walked for peace. The Walk for Peace came about from a dinner conversation at our home at the Sangha House and it has been powerful to see something come together in this way, grassroots organizing. As the famous saying goes: We are the ones we’ve been waiting for” said Casiana Shipley, Sangha House co-founder and Walk for Peace co-organizer.
The peaceful solidarity was not limited to Los Angeles. On the same day, a small group of Plum Village practitioners joined in a Walk for Peace in Honolulu, O'ahu.
Those who walked that morning carried something home with them: a felt sense of what it means to move together in silence, in dignity, in shared humanity.
In a time when division often feels louder than unity, this Walk for Peace offered a living testament that another way is possible.
And it began with a single mindful step.
A Message of Gratitude from Sangha House LA:
We first want to say a huge thank you!
Last Saturday reminded us of the beauty of community and coming together.
The initial vision of Walk for Peace LA arrived over an ordinary dinner at Sangha House LA. Between the initial vision and the day of the walk, we were honored to collaborate with many others similarly inspired by the Theravāda Buddhist monks’ 2,300+ pilgrimage to DC.
These collaborators include University of the West and many lay Plum Village practitioners, including many from Compassionate Heart Sangha. We also want to express special gratitude for the monastic groups that were present Saturday, including
- Venerable Walpola Piyananda and Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Viharaya
- Monastic students from University of the West
- International Buddhist Meditation Center
- The Dhammakaya International Meditation Center (in Azusa)
- Venerable Thich Minh Hai and Vietnamese Buddhist Temple
- Along with others!
It was beautiful to see the extended sangha in LA come together. We are glad to have the opportunity to practice as a community, and we hope to be a part of similar initiatives in the future. Feel free to reach out with any ideas!
For Sangha House LA, we are an intentional community and sangha in the Plum Village tradition. We host a weekly meditation gathering Wednesdays, 7-9 PM. If you’d like to keep up with what we’re doing, follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our newsletter.
