Peace Pilgrim: Seven Things to Know

Some time ago, I purchased a small paperback at my local library’s annual sale. It sat on my bookshelf for years. The book is called, Peace Pilgrim – Her Life and Work in Her Own Words. I must have picked it up because the front cover shows a white-haired woman approaching by foot on a long road, and as one who completed a solo cross-country trip by car, I’ve often had the urge to walk across the United States.

Over the years, I’d often come across the Peace Pilgrim paperback on my bookshelf, and I knew someday, I’d actually pick it up and read it. Recently, I decided it was time, and within its pages, I discovered a goldmine of inspiration from a woman who gave up everything to trek across the continent multiple times, spreading a message of peace. Here are seven things to know about the woman who made a pilgrimage that lasted nearly 30 years.

1. Peace Pilgrim began walking in January 1953 during the Korean War. She wanted to spread a message of peace and “rouse people from apathy and make them think.” She also felt that if enough people realized inner peace, there would be no more war.
2. She took her last bit of money to buy material and stencils for a tunic, which bore her new name and mission. This tunic held all her earthy possessions, which included a comb, a toothbrush, a pencil, and three peace petitions on which she gathered signatures.
3. Peace Pilgrim’s petitions were: A plea for immediate peace in Korea, a plea for the creation of a governmental peace department, and a plea to the United Nations and world leaders for worldwide disarmament and reconstruction.
4. She knew there would be hardships along the way and resolved to walk until she was given shelter and fast until she was given food. She vowed never to ask for these things.
5. Peace Pilgrim was a vegetarian. She said that she would not kill an animal herself, and she would not expect someone to kill an animal for her. “I think most pacifists—in fact most modern human beings—would not eat flesh if they had to kill the creatures themselves.”
6. She stopped quantifying her journey when she reached 25,000 miles in 1964. She felt that measuring miles and following maps detracted from sharing her message of peace with as many people as possible.
7. When Peace Pilgrim started her journey, she refused to accept rides. As the years went by, she became more well-known, she accepted frequent speaking engagements and it became necessary to ride by car from venue to venue.

In 1981, Peace Pilgrim accepted a ride from one speaking engagement to another, and the car she was riding in was hit head-on by another. She died almost instantly. Peace Pilgrim was 72 years old.

After Peace Pilgrim’s death, five of her friends compiled her writings into the book I purchased at the library. It outlines her philosophies not only on peace, but on how to live a life of service. Although much of her writing takes on a spiritual message, she did not belong to any formalized religion and rather considered herself a seeker of truth.

Peace Pilgrim’s friends realized that to charge money for a book would be at odds with her core values and decided to offer it for free. They receive enough in donations to publish and fulfill every request. Although you can purchase the book on Amazon, you can also order copies and other materials for free directly from Friends of Peace Pilgrim.

“THIS IS THE WAY OF PEACE:

OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD,

FALSEHOOD WITH TRUTH, 

AND HATRED WITH LOVE.”

–PEACE PILGRIM

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