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Peace Walk (Walking in Peace for Peace)
January 27, 2007 in Washington, D.C.

A pan-Buddhist delegation of many friends in practice came together to participate in this important event, which took place in the streets of Washington D.C. Our group included folks from all over the Unites States, including the District, California, Illinois, New England, New York, Oregon, Pensylvania, and Texas.

We gathered on the Mall beside the Museum of the American Indian, as each person shared their heart's intention for the day, speaking to the question, "Why am I walking?" Our plan was to maintain this heart's intention, responding freely to the freshness of each moment, this having been january's peace practice. We wanted to do so in order to touch peace in each step, offering and inviting a sharing of this intention, rooted in inner silence, with everyone we were to meet along the way.

There was a very enlivened rally happening nearby, making it difficult to hear one another's voices, so we offered gestures to communicate these intentions. One woman pointed to a poster her children made with their handprints, as she said, "to touch peace." She touched her heart, then placed her open palms on the ground. Many echoed her intention with the same gesture.

After sharing intentions, our young folks led the way, holding prayer flags they had made, and the playful walking staff of Jizo Bodhisattva, whose qualities are said to be: unflagging optimism, no fear, and great love.

We joined the assembling groups towards the end of the line. Members of the Nichiren sangha kept us focussed with their drums and refrain from the Lotus Sutra, chanted in Japanese. When the groups in front of us began to move, we followed them, maintaining outer silence. Then, we transitioned into singing a melodic refrain, which originated in the large walk in New York City in 2006, adapted from the Order of InterBeing's song:

I have arrived.
I am home.

with new lyrics:

I am ready.
I am willing.
I am offering my heart.

As we repeated these simple phrases, we began to bond in this shared intention to walk with inner silence and speak (in this case, sing) from the heart.

Throughout the walk, we shifted from outer silence to mindful walking/conversation to singing and then returning to silence. This pattern offered a lighthearted energy to fill and unite us. We signalled outer silence with the ringing of a bell three times.

We veered off to close our time together, beside the Conservatory in a lovely garden, with bright sunlight warking us. There, we celebrated our journey that day, of sharing an intention to transform karma with our peaceful steps. We joined in song once more, singing:

Love is in my heart.
Trust is in my heart.
Peace is in my heart.

We closed the circle with a brief dedication, offering the merits of practice to all beings and the Earth. As we slowly transitioned to go our separate ways, many hugs and smiles were shared. One woman shared the impression that we had been on a retreat, and a healing one at that.