Old Monks

  There are countless Tamil literary works that have withstood the ravages of time. Many individuals, for various reasons, have visited this land where Tamil is spoken. Notable among these visitors are the Telugus, Jains, and Buddhists who arrived from the northern regions of Tamil Nadu, as well as travelers from Italy and China (including Marco Polo, Xuanzang, Faxian, and Yijing). Of these groups, the Jains arrived in the Pandya Kingdom and settled there after a famine struck the regions where they originally resided. Recognizing their intellectual eminence, the Pandya King invited them to his royal court and extended his patronage to them. Living as the King's guests,they led a simple, ascetic life. During their stay in the Pandya Kingdom, they dedicated themselves to mastering the Tamil language.   Eventually, the famine in their native land subsided. Consequently, they approached the King, informed him of their intention to return to their hometowns, and sought h...

  The 2025-2026 Walk for Peace is a 2,300-mile, 120-day pilgrimage by Buddhist monks from A g r o up of monks , l e d by Bhikkhu Paññakāra, is wal k i ng from Texas to Wa s h i ngto n , D.C. w i th a m i s s ion to pro mo te p e ac e , lov i ng-kind n ess , and compassion . T he i r jo urn e y focu ses on in spir i n g un it y and h o p e in a di vid e d wo r l d rat her t h a n s e r ving as a n ac t of pr o t e s t. Th e re a r e sever a l k e y mot i v atio n s be h ind this W a lk for Peace: Encouraging Inner Peace and Kin d n ess : T he mo n ks ai m to r e m in d in divid u als of the imp orta n c e o f n urtur i ng p e a ce an d co mp a ss io n wi t hi n th e m sel ve s . B y d o i n g s o , t hese valu es c a n extend to fa m i lie s a n d c o mmun i t i e s , cr e atin g a r ipp l e e f f e c t of posi ti v i ty . Pr a ctici n g "Tudo n g " : Th i s wa l k i s d ee ply ro ote d in t h e Theravada tradition of tudong, a...