Monks on Pilgrimage: Journey Towards World Peace Continues Through New York’s Southern Tier

A group of nearly a dozen Buddhist monks from different parts of the world are on a journey to raise awareness about achieving world peace. They have been walking about 30 miles a day since March 31, traveling from Key West, Florida to Niagara Falls. On Monday, they continued their leg of the journey by taking Route 5 and Route 20 in the Southern Tier, heading towards Grand Island and Terrapin Point.

Their 2,000-mile journey has taken them through several states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania and now New York. The monks rely on the kindness of neighbors to help them with clothing, blankets and food as they travel light.

Adam Gorski, a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team in 2022, has been following the monks’ journey. He shared that on Monday the group stopped at Native Pride Travel Plaza where they were presented with a Seneca Nation flag and offered refreshments. The monks plan to continue their journey throughout the week and intend to conclude their pilgrimage on Saturday at the observation deck at Terrapin Point. Updates on their journey and location can be found on their Facebook page.