FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. — Massive crowds in two counties lined the streets to see more than a dozen Buddhist monks who are on a 2,300-mile journey for peace. The monks stopped for lunch and spoke to the crowd about the importance of living a peaceful life.
Some who gathered in Fayette County said they had to see the monks for spiritual reasons. “Almost like a second coming of Jesus,” Legary Parkman of McDonough said to Channel 2s Tom Jones.
Others came because these monks and their walk for peace campaign have become so popular. The monks are all over social media.
“They are rock stars. They are doing something that no celebrity in the history of celebritydom has accomplished,” Yajaira Lugo of Douglasville said.
Jones saw hundreds of people gathered in Fayette County where the monks stopped for lunch. The monks spoke to the crowd about their mission to spread peace all over the world. They asked each person to wake up with one thought in mind: “Today is going to be my peaceful day.”
The monks are on a 2,300-mile journey from Texas to Washington DC. It was in Texas where police say a car hit one of the monks from the metro area, causing him to lose a leg.
Jones was at the airport when Phra Ajarnh Maha Dam Phomassan returned home. He said losing a leg was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
“I think it’s a good positive think happened. Yeah. Because when the accident happened a lot of people know about Walk for Peace,” he said.
Jones talked to so many people who admire the monk’s commitment and perseverance. “They walk with sandals. Shoes,” one man said.
But most of all they admire the monks for caring enough to change the world. And bring people of all backgrounds together like we saw in Fayette.
“It’s nice to see this many people gather in the name of peace,” said Greg Stillions of Fayette County.
The monks will be headed to Decatur and Gwinnett County in Snellville where they are expected to stop at the temple of the monk who was injured.
The monks are spending the night at Morrow in Clayton County Monday.
They hope to reach the White House Feb. 16. That’s where they plan to hold a peace rally.
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