00:00Two dozen Buddhist monks on a 2,300-mile walk for peace arrived in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
00:08The monks are on a walk across nine states with the aim of raising, quote,
00:12awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world.
00:16As they walk through northwest D.C., crowds cheer them on from sidewalks
00:22before they were welcomed by hundreds of well-wishers to Washington National Cathedral.
00:27Here's Bikku Panyakara, the spiritual leader of the Walk for Peace.
00:31Let peace bloom and flourish among all of us throughout this nation and the world
00:41so that this world can become the better place for all beings to live.
00:50I'm very grateful that all churches opened the door to host us,
00:55to give us food, to give us a place to live, to stay overnight.
01:00And we are here in this beautiful church, in this very holy place.
01:06Accompanied by Aloka, a rescue dog from India,
01:09the Walk for Peace began in Texas more than three months ago.
01:12They braved frigid winter temperatures, sometimes with bare feet,
01:16and continued during a powerful winter storm.
01:19The Walk has garnered support from millions of people on social media
01:22and drawn crowds waiting for hours to see the monks.
01:26I have watched them for the last two months.
01:29I think probably two months ago I became aware of them.
01:33And with everything going on in our nation right now,
01:35they have provided my spiritual home.
01:43They've given me hope.
01:44Their journey comes at a time of growing tensions in the U.S.,
01:48driven by President Donald Trump's tough immigration policy.
01:52The monks will spend Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington
01:54and end their journey in nearby Annapolis, Maryland on Thursday.
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