01/06/2026
🙏 Every long journey has a beginning, and every mindful step on the Walk for Peace carries the quiet blessing of the teachers who paved the way.
This photograph, taken on May 29, 2026, at the Houston Buddhist Vihara in Houston, TX, captures a beautiful and deeply moving reunion between Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra and his Kammavācācariya Ācariya, Venerable Nanda. Venerable Nanda is the revered teacher who guided his ordination ceremony exactly 16 years ago on the Vesak Full Moon Day, which this year falls on May 31, 2026. In the Theravāda tradition, the Kammavācācariya is the elder monk who formally recites the ordination proceedings on behalf of the Saṅgha—the monastic community of venerable monks.
While the Walk for Peace now crosses oceans and touches many nations, Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra always looks back with deep gratitude to those who nurtured and shaped his monastic life. Without the dedication of his teachers and the unbroken lineage of the Saṅgha, this path of peace would not exist today.
We are profoundly grateful to Venerable Nanda for his sacred role at the very beginning of this journey. We are equally grateful to Most Venerable Ratanaguṇa—the primary teacher and spiritual guide of Venerable Bhikkhu Paññākāra—whose wisdom, oversight, and unwavering support have guided and sustained this path of peace, making it possible for all of us to walk together on this journey.
To Venerable Nanda, Most Venerable Ratanaguṇa, and the entire Saṅgha — we bow with the deepest respect and gratitude. May the Triple Gem bless you all with peace, excellent health, and enduring strength. May your lamps of wisdom continue to shine brightly, inspiring generations of practitioners to walk this path of peace, mindfulness, compassion, and harmony.
May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace. 🙏✨
