Born Jeffrey Block (Dec. 10, 1944), now known as Bhikkhu Bodhi [a], is an American Theravada Buddhist scholar-monk, a major inspiration for Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal, educated in California, ordained in Sri Lanka, and now teaching in New York and New Jersey.
Long ago at BPS, Bhikkhu Bodhi authorized our Dharma editor to promote his mail order Buddhist course called The Buddha's Teaching: As It Is, a ten-cassette set he recorded in the basement of the Washington Buddhist Vihara with glossary and notes. To reach a wider audience, we took it online with millions of views, our dhamma-dana.
Block was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1944 to Jewish parents. He grew up in Borough Park, where he attended elementary school P.S. 160 [4] and graduated from New Utrecht High School [5]. He then worked as a door-to-door salesman selling paintbrushes [6].
In 1966, he obtained a B.A. in philosophy from Brooklyn College, where he first encountered Buddhism in books at the bookstore [6]. In 1972, he obtained a doctoral degree (PhD) in philosophy from Claremont Graduate University [7, 8] in Southern California before deciding to move to Asia to ordain as a monk. More
Q:Why did it take exactly 108 days?A: The number 108 (a full mala or rosary) is considered sacred by the Dharmic religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. According to Sri Lankan Theravada scholar-monk Bhante G(abbot of the Bhāvanā Society in West Virginia), 108 is reached by multiplying the senses of smell, touch, taste, hearing, sight, and consciousness by whether they are painful, pleasant, or neutral, then again by whether they are internally generated or externally occurring, and again by whether they are in the past, present, or future. Finally, we get 108 feelings: (6×3×2×3 = 108). So the number 108 represents all the possible sensory states one could experience. More
Venerable Buddhist monks touch hearts during Walk for Peace in Virginia en route to DC
(ABC 7 News - WJLA) Feb. 6, 2026: “If you’re not at peace, where are we?" said Caroline County resident Sue Iszczenko while she and her daughter Kayla waited for the venerable Buddhist monks to walk past them on their route from Texas to Washington, D.C., promoting inner and world peace.
Hi, I'm Aloka the Peace Dog
In a time defined by [Trump] turmoil, with a nation fractured, hundreds came from far and wide, gathering roadside in rural Caroline County to witness 20 Buddhist monks [and a dog named Aloka] journey a portion of 2,300 arduous miles – from Texas to D.C. – advocating for harmony in a world gone haywire. More: wjla.com/news/local/venerable...
So sweet — when Buddhist monks walking for peace make everyone smile
(AmeriScope) Feb. 5, 2026: Some moments don’t need to be explained.
We see them — and we smile spontaneously.
This video captures one of those moments.
It is so sweet in its simplicity that Americans naturally slow down and feel lighter, even if for just a moment.
Nothing here is planned. Nothing is performed. The sweetness comes from small, human interactions — the kind that happen when kind people are present and open.
A smile appears unexpectedly.
Gestures are genuine.
Someone pauses, not because they have to but because they want to.
These moments change the world little by little because inner peace expresses as world peace.
They change the moment.
As part of the Walk for Peace, scenes like this appear along the road — not loud or dramatic, just quietly heartwarming. People notice without trying. They react without thinking. And suddenly, the space is warmer.
This movement isn’t about distance, destination, or purpose.
It’s about feeling.
It’s about how sweetness shows up when no one is trying to impress or persuade.
What is the way to such "sweetness"? The Buddha taught four sublime meditations called the Four Supreme Abidings:
loving-kindness (metta)
compassion (compassion)
joy in the joy of others (mudita)
unbiased looking on (upekkha)
It happens when people are simply themselves.
In a world that often feels rushed and heavy, moments like this land differently. They do not demand attention. They invite a smile.
Sometimes that’s enough.
This is a reminder that kindness doesn’t always look serious.
Sometimes, it just looks sweet.
What was the last small moment that made you smile without expecting it? #PeaceWalk #AlokaDog #Texas #WashingtonDC #SweetMoments #EverydayJoy #LittleThingsMatter #FeelGoodVideo #WarmMoments #LifeAsItIs
Is "global warming" real? Who dares to say that it is not? The mainstream media shoves that message down our throat whether we like it or not. University researchers are enticed to find those results and punished when they find anything else. And no one seems to be counting the artificial manipulation of the weather with chemtrails, H.A.A.R.P., and other secret means. Humans are warming it, but it is a concerted effort to warm it and say in an alarmist way that that warming is galloping out of control now. We ignore our eyes. We ourselves do not review the data. When the meteorologist who founded the Weather Channel (weather.com) looked at the data, he did NOT find much of a rise. And he asked his colleagues about. There has been about a 1 degree rise in our lifetimes. Where are all the other headlines coming from and why? They will make us believe and demand that they intervene. We will not only give up our rights, we will demand they be taken away. There may be a mini ice age on the way, but we'll never hear about that above the din of alarmism and artificial youth movements kickstarted to promote an agenda. Natural global warming being brought on by consumer activity? Unlikely. Being brought on by corporate officials and their masters? Obviously.
(AmeriScope) Love travels quietly across the country and into Virginia
Walking in noble silence, carrying nothing but robes and alms bowls, depending entirely on strangers for food and shelter, these Theravāda monks (bhikkhus) are practicing a 2,600-year-old tradition on modern American highways.
As of January 2026, they're passing through the Carolinas, approaching their destination at the U.S. Capitol on February 13th, 2026.
This is not a protest, not a march, but an ancient Buddhist practice brought into the modern world.
DISCOVER
Why Buddhist monks are walking 2,300 miles in silence while the world keeps fighting
How this pilgrimage traces back to the historical Buddha’s original way of life
The ancient sane ascetic practices (dhutaṅgas) these monks follow (one meal per day, sleeping outdoors, walking barefoot)
How Aloka, their rescue dog, became a viral symbol when he needed surgery in Charlotte, NC
The deeper meaning of dāna (sharing, non-clinging, letting go, generosity) in a divided society
Why this walk matters now as U.S. war, political tension, and global unrest escalate
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🙏 First time here? Buddha’s Wisdom explores timeless Buddhist teachings and their relevance to modern life but in this case makes an exception for an extraordinary current event. This is happening now.
This story is easy to do because the men at Wisdom Quarterly are dog people, who love dogs and fish and only recently warmed up to the wonder of cats. Who would have guessed that a dog can be a monk's best friend?
According to the monks, Aloka began following them during their walk and despite facing hardships – including being hit by a car and falling seriously ill during the journey – it (he) repeatedly rejoined the peace procession.
Aloka's prominence grew when it joined a larger American initiative called the "Walk for Peace." This event began on October 26, 2025, when a group of approximately 19 Theravada Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, set out on a roughly 2,300‑mile walk from Texas to Washington, D.C.
You love dogs? - I love ALL living beings.
Aloka has walked alongside the Buddhist monks, sometimes on foot and other times riding in a support vehicle when needed [3].
It has a distinctive heart‑shaped marking on its forehead and has amassed a large following on social media platforms [5]. More
Map of the monks' spiritual journey (yatra) from Fort Worth, TX, to Washington, DC
(The Week) Meet Aloka, the dog who is accompanying 19 American Theravada Buddhist monks from Southeast Asia on a 37,000 km peace walk to spread peace and kindness throughout the USA
As a literal mark of skillful karma performed in the past, one is reborn (due to some heavier unskillful karma) in the Animal Realm below the human plane of existence but with beauty and marks on the fur, skin, or feathers. Behold the perfectly formed white heart on Aloka's third eye/forehead.
Aloka literally means "light" and is sometimes used as a synonym for "white"
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