Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., sits with his dog, Aloka, before an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, bottom center, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., hands out postcards and signs autographs for attendees at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, walk to Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., pets his dog, Aloka, while waiting for an event to start in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A woman bows as she greets Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led the 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, at an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An attendee holds a framed painting depicting Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, during an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., poses for a portrait in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., receives flowers from well-wishers during an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk who led a Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and his dog, Aloka, are greeted by well-wishers during an event at Wat Thai of Los Angeles in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Earlier this year, the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, a Buddhist monk from Texas, led a Walk for Peace with an international group of monks and his rescue dog, Aloka. The 2,300-mile journey started in Fort Worth and ended in Washington, D.C. Pannakara’s discourses on mindfulness and message of nurturing inner peace drew large crowds. Millions from around the world followed online. His popularity continues to grow, with some comparing him to the Dalai Lama and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Pannakara says he doesn’t care for the attention. He is focused on doing more peace walks and completing a $200-million initiative to enshrine the Buddha's teachings in stone shrines on the Fort Worth temple's campus.
