May 31, 2026

At a time when public life around the world is increasingly shaped by division, speed, and polarisation, a quiet act of walking across the United States has prompted wider reflection on peace, community, and social cohesion. In “Peace in Motion: A Buddhist Journey for Social Cohesion in a Divided World” (RSIS Commentary, 20 April 2026), Foo Hai Associate Professor of Buddhist Studies Jack Meng-Tat Chia (NUS History) examines the significance of the “Walk for Peace” and its broader implications for contemporary society.

The commentary reflects on a 3,700 km Buddhist peace pilgrimage undertaken by monastics in the United States between October 2025 and February 2026. Organised by monks from the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Texas and joined by monastics from other temples, the 108-day journey brought Buddhist practices of walking, discipline, and contemplation into public civic space.

Rather than framing the pilgrimage simply as an endurance feat or religious spectacle, Chia situates it within a longer Buddhist tradition of walking as spiritual cultivation and moral practice. Drawing connections to historical pilgrimages such as Xuanzang’s journey from China to India and the “Three Steps, One Bow” pilgrimage in the United States during the 1970s, he argues that the Walk for Peace transformed roads and public landscapes into spaces of encounter and reflection.

The commentary also considers why the pilgrimage resonated so strongly in the contemporary American context. Chia highlights how the walk made Asian American Buddhist life publicly visible, offered a slower and more contemplative presence amid heightened political tension, and fostered direct human connection through everyday acts of generosity and care. In a social environment often shaped by digital fragmentation and adversarial discourse, the monks’ steady pace and embodied practice introduced what Chia describes as a different moral rhythm into civic life.

Importantly, the essay turns to Singapore, asking what lessons such initiatives might hold for a multi-religious society committed to maintaining harmony and social trust. While recognising the importance of institutional frameworks for interreligious dialogue, Chia suggests that shared practices, such as community walks, service projects, and grassroots collaboration, can cultivate mutual recognition in ways that formal structures alone may not. The commentary speaks closely to ongoing conversations about Buddhism, peacebuilding, and the role of lived community engagement in sustaining social cohesion.

Appearing during the Vesak season, the commentary is also a timely reminder of how Buddhist ideas of compassion, restraint, and shared humanity continue to offer meaningful resources for thinking about public life in an increasingly fractured world.

Read the commentary here.