The Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, deputy abbot of the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, gained widespread recognition following a meditative Walk for Peace earlier this year. The 2,300-mile journey began in Fort Worth in late October and concluded in Washington, D.C. in mid-February, drawing an international group of monks and Pannakara’s rescue dog, Aloka. His discourses on mindfulness, kindness, and compassion delivered at various locations along the route attracted large and diverse crowds, with millions following the walk online.
Pannakara’s rapid rise to prominence has led some to compare him to the Dalai Lama, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and the late Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who shared his Vietnamese heritage. However, Pannakara stated he does not seek attention, emphasizing that his purpose was to raise awareness about peace, loving kindness, and compassion. As a Theravada Buddhist monk, he follows strict monastic practices including abstaining from social media, personal possessions, handling money, and maintaining celibacy and modesty.
Pannakara was born in Vietnam in 1981 and immigrated to the United States in 1997, initially pursuing a degree in information technology. He was ordained as a full monk in 2010 after stepping away from an engineering career. Between 2018 and 2020, he studied Vipassana meditation in Myanmar at his teacher’s direction. The Walk for Peace followed an earlier 2,100-mile pilgrimage in late 2022 that traced the Buddha’s life path through Nepal and India, which Pannakara credited with deepening his understanding of Buddhist teachings and his own inner strength.
Pannakara is also pursuing an ambitious long-term project: the Dhammacetiya, a $200-million initiative to construct 840 stone stupas bearing Buddhist teachings in 10 languages, designed to endure for 4,000 years. He has vowed to complete this preservation effort in this lifetime or, according to his belief, be reborn to continue it. Regarding the Walk for Peace, some observers hope Pannakara will address social issues such as poverty and climate change, while others argue his decision to remain apolitical was wise, allowing the walk to maintain unity across diverse groups without alienating segments of the population.
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