Of late, a series of reels
have been appearing on my social media feed. A group of twenty-four Buddhist
monks and their dog, Aloka, are walking nearly 2,300 miles across the United
States of America – a journey labelled as ‘Walk for Peace’ – every step is taken
with purpose to remind people of peace and compassion. What intrigued me was Aloka
… originally a stray pariah dog from my own city!
Aloka joined the Vietnamese-American Buddhist monks in 2022 when they were walking in a 112-day peace walk across India. The monks belong to the Vietnamese Buddhist tradition, affiliated with the Huong Dao Temple in Fort Worth (Texas). The dog began following the monks from near the airport in Kolkata. However, he was not the first dog to follow them, but it seems, he is the only one who has stuck with them. “Many dogs follow us when we walk, but they usually drop out … Only him … Aloka kept coming back,” said Bhikkhu Pannakara in an interview by The Times of India. The monks named him ‘Aloka’ … for in Sanskrit, ‘Alok / Aloka’, means light, enlightenment and divine illumination. Aloka walked for more than 100 days with the monks, covering 3,000 kilometers across India, along highways and village pathways, crossing mountains, rivers, persevering in extreme weather conditions despite injury and illness. After the peace walk in India was over, the monks decided to take Aloka with them as he deserved better and … “If he were left behind in Bodh Gaya, he would become a stray dog again.”
Incidentally, Bodh Gaya in Bihar (India) is the most sacred pilgrimage site in Buddhism, as this is the place where Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree to become the Buddha.
The story of Aloka reminded me of the legend of King Yudhisthira and the mythical dog in the final two books of the Indian epic, The Mahabharata – ‘Mahaprasthanika Parva’ and ‘Svargarohana Parva’ – which describe the final journey of the Pandavas toward the Himalayas and King Yudhishthira’s ascension to Heaven. After their victory in the Kurukshetra War, the Pandavas reigned in Hastinapur for thirty-six years, before they renounced their kingdom, appointed Parikshit (grandson of Arjuna) as king, and set out on their journey to the Himalayas/ Heaven. They came across an old, emaciated stray dog at the edge of a forest that started following them. They travelled treacherous terrains and faced numerous challenges on their way. One by one, five Pandava brothers and their wife Draupadi fell, and only the eldest, Yudhisthira, and the dog reached the gates of Heaven. Soon, the King of the Gods (Indra) appeared and invited Yudhisthira to Heaven. Indra assured him that the souls of his brothers and Draupadi were already in heaven – Yudhisthira would go to heaven as an immortal being, like the Gods themselves. When Yudhisthira requested the King of the Gods to allow the dog into Heaven, Indra refused. Guided by his compassion and sense of moral duty, Yudhisthira refused to abandon his devoted follower to starvation and suffering in the mountains. He rejected Heaven instead. On hearing his resolve, the dog revealed himself as Dharma, the God of Righteousness, and praised Yudhisthira as the greatest of kings who deserved the highest heaven.
The mythic dog of The Mahabharata was likely
an Indian pariah which had appeared
as a divine test of Yudhishthira’s steadfast commitment to dharma (righteousness).
Henceforth, the dog became a divine being and the story became a reminder that virtue
lies in treating all living beings with compassion even in the face of
adversity. The peace walk of the Buddhist
monks is organised by the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Centre … as a spiritual
outreach in an increasingly violent and intolerant world. The monks are expected to complete their peace
walk of 120 days, in Washington, DC, in February, 2026, with Aloka in tow. Hence,
Aloka is seen walking with the group of monks and has even developed a
significant following on social media.
The much-despised Indian
pariah is one of the oldest and most resilient breeds, which has existed in the
Indian sub-continent for centuries. At just four years of age, Aloka has
already walked thousands of miles – he does not walk for rewards, he walks because
his chosen loved ones walk. The heart-shaped mark on his head is a reminder
that peace begins in the heart. In a social media post, the monks wrote about
Aloka, “He is a constant presence, a true disciple of the path, and a living
reminder that all beings walk toward peace.”
Aloka does not preach. He walks peace … and silently
reminds people all over the world that some of the most loyal companions walk
on four legs and ask for little in return. Hopefully, the story of Aloka will help
to change people’s perception of these gentle souls … and reinforce the ‘good’ that
is present in all of us.