Day 14 – Loving-Kindness in Every Footstep

As peace has been gently sown over 225 miles in the past 13 days, the seeds of loving-kindness have begun to bloom along the long path forward. Local residents waited along roadsides, welcoming the Sangha with open hearts, offering water, food, and warm words of compassion. Children surrounded the gentle spiritual dog, Aloka – petting him, laughing, and sharing their innocent love, a quiet reminder of the universal language of kindness.

The journey of the Sangha continued through stretches of highway and quiet neighborhood roads, across open fields where the sky and earth seemed to hold space for them. Before dawn, they rose to chant in the cold. They walked long hours under the sun. After dusk, they chanted once again. With only a few hours of rest each night, they repeated the same sacred rhythm – day after day. Their bodies grew weary, yet their minds remained steady, lifted by patience, endurance, and unwavering loving-kindness.

Two hundred twenty-five miles now bear their peaceful footprints, though about 1800 miles still lie ahead – more ground to walk, more hearts to touch, more peace to awaken.

On this 14th day, November 8, the monks departed Paige Community Center, walking mindfully toward Giddings. After 10 miles, they paused to share a simple meal and connect with local residents, who gathered around, took photos with the Sangha and sweet Aloka, sharing moments of joy and human connection.

When the next leg of the day called them forward, the monks again aligned as one Sangha and continued another 14 miles. As dusk spread its quiet over Texas, they arrived in Ledbetter – wearied in body, yet radiant in spirit, carrying a calm, loving energy that lifted everyone they met.

Reflection – The Radiance of Loving-Kindness

Loving-kindness lives not in ease, but in the courage to continue when the body is tired. It is not spoken loudly, but felt quietly – through presence, patience, and peaceful resolve. The Sangha teaches us that true strength is gentle, persistent, and selfless. Their peaceful energy does not demand attention, yet it transforms every space they enter.
To walk with loving-kindness is to soften without surrendering, to endure without hardening, to give without expecting, and to love without condition.
Peace is not carried in words –
It is carried in the light of a calm heart,
The kindness of tired hands that continue forward,
And the silent compassion that holds the world gently.

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