Islanders share impressions of encounters with Buddhist monks

Story and Photos by Alice Gerard

Senior Contributing Writer

The Walk for World Peace ended Sunday, with the walkers’ planting trees at Wat Prodketchettharam of America, a Buddhist temple located at 2660 Bedell Road. Immediately after the tree planting, the walkers participated in a celebration of the temple’s fifth anniversary on Grand Island.

The walkers, who began their journey March 31 in Key West, Florida, arrived at their destination, Niagara Falls, on Saturday. One of the walkers’ stops took them to the Native American Cultural Center (the Turtle), where they performed a blessing outside of the building. In addition, they joined a group doing a round dance outside the Turtle.

Jordan Smith, a member of the Mohawk Nation, who lives on the Tuscarora Reserve, just north of Niagara Falls, explained the dance: “Today, we wanted to share one of our dances, a round dance, about the circle of life, about connections we all have with everything around us: time, water, other people. Honor the balance and harmony that we need in the world.”

One of the monks, Kamron Yaemyeun, who completed the journey from Key West to Niagara Falls, said, “I walk for peace. I sweat out each drop for world peace. For world peace, we endure our wounds.”

Buddhist monks with Jordan Smith, a member of the Mohawk Nation, at the Turtle on June 27.

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On Facebook and via email, I asked Islanders how they felt about their interactions with the monks.

•Cayla Conn said she went to the Buddhist temple in Wheatfield for lunch on Friday and was able to spend time interacting with the monks.

“Being there with them gave me a real sense of calmness,” Conn said. “Which is highly unusual for me, to be honest. They were incredibly welcoming and friendly. Seemed genuinely happy to interact with everyone and anyone. I spoke to several of them, and they just radiate this peaceful energy. It was almost bizarre to me because I’m just so not used to that.

“It spread through the room. You could just feel it. Everyone genuinely seemed to feed off their calm and open energy. They really emphasized the importance of taking care of each other – family, friends, neighbors, strangers – but also how important it is to take care of our own inner selves. Our own inner peace. One of them said ‘inner peace for world peace.’ ”

•“It was such an honor to meet them!” Kathy Fetzer said.

•“I saw them yesterday on Grand Island Boulevard,” Elinor Morris Hubert said.

•“I saw them as I was driving down Stony Point,” arie said. “They smiled and waved at me!”

•Dayna Murchison said, “I had such an incredible walk down Bedell Road with them. Super engaging, the never-ending smiles, and I was elated. Thanking them for what they were doing and stand for and having them grab my hands and bow was an exchange I will never forget.”

•Heather Landroche said meeting the monks was a positive experience both for her and her family.

“They stopped in our driveway, were more than happy to take pics with us and for themselves. They introduced themselves, telling us their names and asking ours. It was an uplifting experience and I’m so glad my kiddos got to experience it!”

 •“As a psychologist, I understand the power of positive reinforcement,” David Pratt said. “We should honor these passionate people for their commitment to peace. Their dedication, compassion and generosity were immediately apparent to me upon meeting with them (Sunday) morning. Let’s reinforce the peacemakers among us with our praise and support.”

• “I actually made a heartwarming video about them and it was such a blessing of having them here on Grand Island!” Cynthia Carr said.

• “We have a monastery right here in Grand Island!” Antonella Di Giulio said. “I would encourage anybody interested in visiting it. They are always very welcoming and actually eager to interact with the community.”

•Roger Cook, speaking on behalf of the Riverside-Salem Environmental Chapel on West River Road, said, “All of us at Riverside-Salem were honored for the invitation to plant a tree at the Grand Island Thai Buddhist temple commemorating their fifth anniversary. Their Thai and Buddhist culture has been a real blessing to us. Our spirituality has been deepened through walking mediation in their lovely mediation garden. We were especially honored to meet and share time last Sunday with the 30 Buddhist peace walkers who walked from Key West, Florida, to Niagara Falls over these past few months. All our faith traditions call for 'peace on earth’ and 'peace with the earth' – we are grateful for our friends at the local temple and for the peace walkers for leading the way.”

“It was an honor for me to meet the Buddhist peace walkers at the local Grand Island temple. My personal spiritual journey and the quest for peace on earth and peace with the earth has been deepened by walking and talking with these spiritual leaders. I have learned from their example that ‘peace within’ is essential for truly loving my enemy that I, as a Christian, was taught to do. But in these times of war and planetary destruction, it all seems pretty hopeless. The monks’ walk from Key West to Niagara Falls was a journey of meditation; they have inspired me to in some small way to follow their example to find peace within.”