🌟 A beautiful gathering in Meridian, Mississippi 🌟
In a room filled with community members, Mayor Percy Bland III issued a proclamation honoring the Saṅgha and the Walk for Peace.
A local pastor offered heartfelt prayers🙏 and the monks chanted blessings that filled the room with calm and reverence. 🕊️
Mayor Percy Bland III’s welcome, alongside the Christian prayer offered by Reverend Katie Sor before the Buddhist monks performed their chanting and blessing ritual, creates an incredibly moving image. (Thanks, commenter @tinhanh on YouTube.)
🙏 Venerable Pannakara expressed sincere gratitude to the mayor, the pastor, the police personnel 👮♂️
and the community leaders for their warm support. He shared the mission of Walk for Peace, emphasizing that peace begins within and radiates outward. He noted that this was the biggest welcome the Saṅgha has received in 50 days and over 800 miles of walking from Fort Worth, Texas. 🚶🟧 He also spoke lovingly about Aloka, their cheerful “peace dog” 🐾.
🎁 Community members offered gifts to the Saṅgha with deep respect and kindness.
🧡 The gathering concluded with the offering of blessing strings, a sacred Buddhist wrist-tying tradition representing peace, protection, mindfulness, and compassion.
🙏🕊️ A gentle reminder to live kindly, stay mindful, and carry the monks’ goodwill with us.
#TykheoTueNhan #BaoThapTangKinhThanhDien #Buocchanhanhgia
#WalkForPeace #W4P #Walk4Peace #Dhammacetiya