Reflect

Nineteen Buddhist monks captivated Americans at the start of 2026. Through snow and cold, they made a 2,300-mile trek on foot from Texas to Washington, D.C. While talking about finding peace, Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra said, “It’s your duty, to find it and unlock it. You’re the only one who can do this…” We often hear messages about changing the world, but these messages are illusions. They distract us from what we can do. While the world has enormous challenges requiring help, so do your community, neighbors, and you. We can easily feel despair and powerlessness if we set our goals — like changing the world — too big to act on. But we can make a meaningful difference if we choose to wake up and say, as Paññākāra reminded onlookers, “Today is going to be my peaceful day.” Change begins locally, so local that it is within you.