Self-Realization Fellowship Blog

Three Self-Realization Fellowship nuns participated alongside other monastics and clergy from various traditions in interfaith events in Washington, D.C., on February 10. These events were part of the concluding day of the “Walk for Peace” conducted by Buddhist monks from the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The monks were completing their 108-day, 2,300-mile journey that began in Texas in late October, and which had drawn international attention in the news and across social media, with many sharing their appreciation for the monks’ highlighting the importance of meditation and inner peace.

Sister Brahmani, Sister Shankari, and Brahmacharini Ann, who reside in the SRF Greenfield Ashram Center in Front Royal, Virginia, were invited with other monastics to join for the final five miles of the walk, which ended at the Washington National Cathedral. The SRF nuns also attended several other events with faith leaders representing the world’s religions, including an outdoor gathering at the National Cathedral, a special ceremony inside the cathedral, and an interfaith meal at the National United Methodist Church. 

The nuns’ participation continued SRF’s longstanding tradition of engaging in interfaith efforts aimed at promoting harmony among the world’s various religions and fostering peace, compassion, and unity in our world at large.

Reflecting on the experiences of the day, Sister Brahmani said: “Our guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, has stated that the feeling of peace is the first proof of the existence of God. So an interfaith walk to draw attention to this quality of peace, which anyone can cultivate within themselves, seemed like a beautiful way to help spread the message of personal responsibility for peace to a broad audience, whose thoughts and lives contribute to mass consciousness and thus affect the level of peace in the world.

“The reactions of the public to this walk for peace were deeply moving. The depth of sincerity and of gratitude, the longing for something good, the expressions of hope, and the thirst for a deeper understanding that we encountered from the public were beyond our expectations. We understand that many who witnessed this event pledged themselves to be more peaceful in their daily lives. So the ripple effect from this walk feels like a bright light gently spreading through the hearts of thousands.”