Amanda Furgason first became familiar with Buddhism when she was around 12 or 13, after becoming disillusioned with her experiences in the Southern Baptist church.
So when she learned a group of Buddhist monks who are walking to promote peace would be making their way through the Atlanta area, she knew she had to witness their journey.
Furgason made the drive from DeKalb County to Fayetteville on Monday — after driving to Sharpsburg on Sunday — to witness the monks, who are on a 2,600-mile walk from Texas to Washington, D.C.
“It was an instantaneous, emotional experience,” she said Monday. “I experienced this level of peace and mindfulness and gratitude, and I was hoping I’d be able to take just a little bit of that away with me. I ended up taking a lot more.”
About 20 monks have spent the past two months walking to “raise awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world,” according to the group’s Facebook page.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
In Sharpsburg, Furgason said she participated in a prayer led by the monks that began with instructing participants to close their eyes and visualize the faces of their parents. Furgason said she had an immediate emotional reaction to the prayer. She said she’s had a somewhat strained relationship with her mother, who is terminally ill.
“It was healing,” she said. “I called my mother this morning and told her, ‘Thank you for giving me life.’”
The walk is passing through the Atlanta metro area Monday and Tuesday, with planned stops in Morrow on Monday and Decatur on Tuesday.
The “Walk for Peace” drew thousands of people to the streets to witness the monks Monday morning as they made their way from Peachtree City to Fayetteville, where they stopped for lunch before heading to Morrow for a “peace sharing talk.”
Well-wishers lined state Highway 51 West for a chance to greet the travelers and gift them food and water, or treats for Aloka, a dog that joined the monks during a walk in India. Buddhist monks are not allowed to ask for assistance but can accept necessities as gifts.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
State Rep. Josh Bonner, R-Fayetteville, was among the public officials in Peachtree City early Monday to welcome the monks as they walked through town.
“It’s such a fascinating thing to have come to our community,” Bonner said. “They’re just humble folks trying to bring awareness to peace, and everybody can get on board with that.”
The group of monks are passing through the Atlanta metro area during a 2,300-mile walk that began on Oct. 26 in Fort Worth, Texas, and is planned to end in Washington, D.C., in February.
— Staff photographer Arvin Temkar contributed to this report.
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