Dear Friends,
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, with Ed Fallon and Kathy Byrnes
(01:26) The allure of the Buddhist monks who walked 2,300 miles for peace – LISTEN
(20:40) Trump’s threat to nationalize the 2026 general election is serious – LISTEN
(37:37) NEWS REVIEW: – LISTEN
— Feds kill critical climate reg
— Trump cancels bridge paid for by Canada
— Irishman with work permit and no criminal record gets ICEd
— Latino voters may be souring on Trump
— Decision to buy tons of Argentinian beef is bad for US farmers
— $10 million AI Super Bowl ad backfires on Amazon-owned Ring
— Corteva discontinues production of deadly herbicide
(53:25) Clark Gable was the inspiration for Bugs Bunny – LISTEN
When it comes to peace, we desperately need more people — especially American-flavored people — pushing for an end to the nuclear arms race, an end to regime-change wars, and the urgency of diplomacy over armed conflict.
That said, most of us also need more peace in our lives. Yet working to avert the many horrors of war while nurturing the inner peace necessary to remain happy, healthy, and productive is a real challenge.
There are all kinds of ways to instill inner peace. Meditation. Music (some, not all). A walk in the forest (which I guess fancy-folk now call forest-bathing). Sunsets and moonrises.
For me, this morning’s ticket to inner peace involved taking a few moments to admire the beautiful, fresh-fallen snow covering our garden beds.
I suspect most of us don’t realize how desperately we crave inner peace. That’s one reason the Buddhist monks who recently walked 2,300 miles drew literally millions of followers, admirers, and fellow walkers.
On this week’s program, Kathy and I discuss the monks’ walk and the unprecedented public reception.
I’ll share these words from the walk’s founder, Bhikkhu Pannakara:
“Some people may doubt that our walk can bring peace to the world — and we understand that doubt completely. But everything that has ever mattered began with something impossibly small. A single seed. A first mindful breath. A quiet decision to take one step, then another.
“Our walking itself cannot create peace. But when someone encounters us — whether by the roadside, online, or through a friend — when our message touches something deep within them, when it awakens the peace that has always lived quietly in their own heart — something sacred begins to unfold.
“That person carries something forward they didn’t have before, or perhaps something they had forgotten was there. They become more mindful in their daily life — more present with each breath, more aware of each moment. They speak a little more gently to their child. They listen more patiently to their partner. They extend kindness to a stranger who needed it desperately.
“And that stranger, touched by unexpected compassion, carries it forward to someone else. And it continues — ripple by ripple, heart by heart, moment by moment — spreading outward in ways none of us will ever fully witness, creating more peace in the world than we could possibly measure.
“This is our contribution — not to force peace upon the world, but to help nurture it, one awakened heart at a time. Not the Walk for Peace alone can do this, but all of us together — everyone who has been walking with us in spirit, everyone who feels something stir within them when they encounter this journey, everyone who decides that cultivating peace within themselves matters.
“One step becomes two. Two become a thousand. A thousand become countless. And slowly, gently, persistently — not through grand gestures but through ten thousand small acts of love — we can help make the world more peaceful.
“This is our hope. This is our offering. This is why we walk. May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace.”
And because humor is the second cousin of peace (I made that up, but I kinda like it), I’ll leave you with this image:
That’s Clark Gable on the left and Bugs Bunny on the right. True story (which Kathy and I also discuss this week). Gable was the inspiration behind Bugs. Who knew.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action.
Ed Fallon
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