LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Chien Le first met the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara in 2005, a few years before Pannakara became a novice monk at the Texas Buddhist temple where he is now the deputy abbot.
What struck Le then, and amazes him still, is Pannakara鈥檚 iron-clad determination.
鈥淲hen he decides to do something, he goes all the way,鈥� said Le, secretary of the temple 鈥� the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth. 鈥淗e鈥檚 never been afraid of obstacles. He always finds a way through them.鈥�
That indomitable will was in full display during the that Pannakara led earlier this year with an international group of monks and his rescue dog, Aloka, who has become a mascot for the movement. The 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) journey started in Fort Worth on Oct. 26 and .
An ascetic walks into the spotlight
Pannakara鈥檚 discourses on mindfulness and kindness in churchyards, town squares and drew large, diverse crowds. Millions worldwide followed along online.
Within weeks, the Walk for Peace had propelled this obscure monk into the spotlight as a leading voice for inner peace and unity in an increasingly divided nation. His popularity continues to soar, with some drawing comparisons with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the late Thich Nhat Hanh, a revered Zen master and peace activist who shared Pannakara鈥檚 Vietnamese roots.
Pannakara, who traveled to Southern California last weekend with Aloka for several speaking engagements, said he doesn鈥檛 care for all the attention.
鈥淭here is no fame for monks,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 made a vow to walk to raise awareness of peace, loving kindness and compassion. That鈥檚 what it鈥檚 about.鈥�
As part of his Theravada Buddhist practice, he follows 鈥淰inaya鈥� 鈥� a strict code of monastic rules. That means no social media accounts, personal possessions or handling money, and the practice of celibacy and modesty.
He doesn’t eat after noon and, according to Le, sleeps sitting up, which is not mandatory for Theravada monks, but adopted by some as an ascetic practice to deepen mindfulness.
The pivot from engineer to monk
Pannakara was born in Dak Lak, Vietnam, in 1981, the youngest of 10 children. He says his family was Buddhist in 鈥渘ame only.鈥� He immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 and graduated with a degree in information technology from the University of Texas at Arlington. He said his first exposure to was in the U.S. through temple summer camps and youth leadership.
Pannakara stepped away from his engineering career to become a novice monk and became fully ordained in 2010 by his teacher, the Most Venerable Ratanaguna, who he has often cited as his source of inspiration. There was not one life-changing event that prompted his decision, he said, but the cumulative effect of seeing his loved ones suffer and people trying to step on each other to move up.
鈥淭o me everything just seemed fake,鈥� he said.
Le recalls that Pannakara鈥檚 parents were inconsolable.
鈥淓ven on the day he was ordained, his mother came, and she cried a lot,鈥� he said, adding that they eventually accepted it.
Le said Pannakara was a quick learner, completing several projects on their campus including landscaping, a new kitchen, homes for the monastics and a memorial hall for deceased members.
At his teacher鈥檚 direction, Pannakara traveled to Myanmar between 2018 and 2020 to study and practice Vipassana meditation, an ancient technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. When COVID hit, he returned to Fort Worth and organized food drives, said Amanda Phan, a temple member.
鈥�(Pannakara) is a rare human being,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e is an embodiment of kindness, compassion, wisdom 鈥� a bodhisattva 鈥� a being whose purpose is to relieve others from their suffering.鈥�
Transformative journey tracing the Buddha’s steps
In late 2022, Pannakara joined about 100 monks in a 2,100-mile (3,380-kilometer), 112-day pilgrimage tracing the footsteps of the Buddha 鈥� from his birthplace in Lumbini, Nepal, to Bodh Gaya where he attained enlightenment; Sarnath, the site of the first sermon; and Kushinagar, where he died. The monks emulated Buddha’s journey 鈥� walking barefoot, eating one meal a day, and sleeping under the stars.
鈥淚 had learned the Buddha鈥檚 teachings from the Tipitaka (Buddhist canon),鈥� Pannakara said. 鈥淏ut with this walk, I experienced it.鈥�
He also learned about himself 鈥� about his strength to bear adversity and pain.
鈥淚 learned that we can do much more than we think we鈥檙e capable of,鈥� he said.
That journey also brought Aloka into his life. Aloka means light in Pali.
鈥淓ven when he faced challenges and almost died he walked with us,鈥� Pannakara said of his dog.
It was on a previous trip to Bodh Gaya 鈥� under the Bodhi tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment 鈥� that Pannakara said he had a vision to build stone stupas to preserve the sacred teachings for generations to come. Seven years later, he told Ratanaguna about his desire. With his teacher鈥檚 blessing, the plan for the $200-million Dhammacetiya project was born 鈥� 840 stupas bearing Buddha鈥檚 teachings in 10 languages, built to last 4,000 years.
Pannakara knelt before an assembly of monastics and visitors during the temple鈥檚 2022 International Vesak Ceremony and vowed that if he is unable to complete the project in this lifetime, he would 鈥渂e reborn to continue this project until its completion.鈥� This project and the peace walks 鈥� which he plans to do more of 鈥� together uphold his vow to promote peace and preserve the Buddha鈥檚 teachings, he said.
Ajahn Nisabho, a Seattle-based Theravada Buddhist monk, said he was moved by Pannakara’s authenticity and commitment.
鈥淭he story of his quilted robe that he stitched it together from pieces of cloth he picked up during the walk in India 鈥� he was honoring that past and that ethos,鈥� Nisabho said. 鈥淎s a fellow monk, it was inspiring for me to see floods of people walking behind him during the peace walk.鈥�
A conscious decision to steer clear of politics
The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, a senior Theravada monk who spoke at the conclusion of the Walk for Peace in Washington, said Pannakara was wise to remain silent on politics during his walk. But Bodhi, 81, hopes he does speak up on critical social issues like poverty, hunger, housing and the climate.
鈥淚 just hope that as (Pannakara) becomes more established and gets accustomed to publicity, he鈥檒l consider taking a stand on these issues that have deep moral and spiritual significance,鈥� he said.
Nisabho believes Pannakara made the right decision to steer clear of politics and activism. He said there are not many spaces today that are able to welcome the kind of diversity the peace walk attracted 鈥� with the exception of Dolly Parton 鈥渨ho brings truckers and drag queens together.鈥�
鈥淭he vision of a monastic is the one chance someone has, to be inspired toward awakening and find an escape from suffering,鈥� Nisabho said. 鈥淚f you bring politics into that, you cause damage by alienating half the country.鈥�
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