For weeks the images of golden robed Buddhists monks on a Walk for Peace riveted our country. By the end of their 2300 mile walk from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington DC that took 108-day trek that took 108 days, they had over 5.8 million followers on social media and large throngs attending the nightly talks they offered, with over 10,000 witnessing them in several venues. To put those numbers in perspective, Wikipedia estimates Donald Trump’s Truth Social account has 6.3 million active members per month and in November 2024, as his campaign fo President wound down, the average attendance for his rallies was 5,600. In short, the general public’s interest in the Walk for Peace matched that of the President’s daily posts.

The number of social media followers and rally attendees is the only similarity between Donald Trump and the 19 monastics. Donald Trump’s Easter morning threat to bomb power plants and bridges in Iran is a stark contrast to the mission of the monks’ daily message of mindfulness, peace, compassion, and non-violence. Donald Trump’s desire to instill fear, is the antithesis of the monks’ desire to instill hope. Where Donald Trump seeks personal wealth, power and obedience the monks seek inner peace, co-existence, and mutual understanding. Where Donald Trump sees the bounty of the earth as a source of revenue, the monks view earth as a source of harmony and beauty. Where Donald Trump sees empathy and compassion as “weak and woke” impediments to his striving for power and wealth, the monks view them as essential elements for attaining the peace and love they strive for.  

The monastics generated a large following as they walked because their message resonated. In their talks with small groups at the beginning of their journey and large stadiums near the end of their trip, they emphasized that happiness could be realized by focusing more on our shared commonalities and less on our differences. They encouraged those who attended their talks to spend less time on their cell phones and in front of screens and more time in face-to-face conversations and in nature; less time ruminating on regrets and planning for the future and more time enjoying the present moment. The 19 monks who travelled mindfully and peacefully across the country brought millions of people a degree of serenity during the tumultuous months when ICE raids, Gaza, and the Epstein files were cycling through our doom scrolls.

This week, those in the Upper Valley who found themselves drawn to the Walk for Peace will have an another opportunity to experience the uplifting and positive energy of group of monastics. From April 13 through April 19 a group of ten Buddhist monks and nuns who practice in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh will offer guided meditations, walks and exercises, and talks on mindfulness as part of a weeklong residency, which has events open to the public on each of the weekdays. During their time in Hanover, they plan to share practical ways to incorporate the mindfulness into everyday life and, in the words of the Mindful Dartmouth webpage, “offer a sanctuary for your curiosity and growth”. 

Their residency at Dartmouth will conclude with a week-end retreat that will include guided meditations, talks, and contemplative practices that can help participants sustain their peace of mind after the final bell sounds.

Thich Nhat Hanh, in addition to being a peace activist who advocated that monks and nuns engage in the world outside their sheltered monastery, was a poet. His poem, The Good News, written in 1992 is especially relevant in today’s world:

The good news
they do not print.
The good news
we do print.
We have a special edition every moment
that we need you to read.
The good news is that you are alive
and the linden tree is still there
standing firm in the harsh winter.
The good news is that you have wonderful eyes
to touch the blue sky.
The good news is that
your child is there before you,
and your arms are available.
Hugging is possible.

They print only what is wrong.
Look at each of our special editions.
We always offer the things that are not wrong.
We want you to benefit from them
and help protect them.
The dandelion is there by the sidewalk,
smiling its wondrous smile,
singing the song of eternity.
Lo! You have ears capable of hearing it.
Bow your head.
Listen to her.
Leave behind your world of sorrow
and preoccupation
and get free.
The latest good news
is that you can do it.

After the week we have just experienced, some good news will be as welcome as the sound of peepers and the budding of the trees.