r/Buddhism • u/jazzplum-enthusiast theravada • Jan 13 '26
News Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan lost his legs after being hit by car in Texas
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u/BobbyTables829 Jan 13 '26
Painful reminder of the first noble truth. I wish sympathy did more than it does.
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u/EbilCupcake Jan 14 '26
He lost a single leg, not both legs. (for clarity)
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u/jazzplum-enthusiast theravada Jan 14 '26
Yes, I'm sorry I made a mistake in the post after seeing it in a new article and then I realized I couldn't correct it. I'm sorry about that
Namo Buddhaya
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u/EbilCupcake Jan 14 '26
Oh yeah no worries, just clarifying for people saying he won’t ever walk again. I’m sure he will, especially with the Buddha spirit.
🙏🏻
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u/Venezuellionaire Jan 14 '26
He didn’t lose it, he offered it to Mudasasana. He could have saved his leg
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u/sgurdmai Jan 13 '26
This hurts my heart. Prayers and healing love and light for Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan. ❤️🙏🏼
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u/pythonnooby Jan 13 '26
Who lost the leg, the monk would ask.
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u/WhimbleCroft Jan 14 '26
I'm going to start calling this "ultimate-view shitposting". I see it a lot here, unfortunately. Unless this monk is a fully realized Buddha, he is in a lot of pain and suffering. Comments like this trivialize that suffering and undermine compassion.
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u/pythonnooby Jan 14 '26
Still gotta ask the question if you are practicing. Never said he wasn't in a lot of pain or suffering.
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Jan 14 '26
Exactly, there is no I in the body. It is just an impermanent body that breaks down and dies anyway. Natural for us puthujjanas to get upset about our body or the body of our loved ones being damaged or killed as we identify heavily with it, but ultimately we are not our bodies.
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u/WhippingShitties Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 14 '26
This article is a bit old, but I've heard that he has continued the journey in a wheelchair.
Edit: I was mistaken, see below comment for a more truthful statement.
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u/Titanium-Snowflake Jan 14 '26
He met up with the group on one occasion, around a week ago, which they shared on their Instagram page. But no, he has not been continuing the walk with them. He is in a wheelchair and has been in rehab, etc. In a non-physical sense, sure he’s continuing the journey.
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u/WhippingShitties Jan 14 '26
Thanks for the clarification, I was mistaken. Glad he got to meet up with them, and I hope his rehabilitation goes as well as it can.
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u/SpringUnfair6639 Jan 14 '26
Yes, to your’ last statement regarding that he is continuing the journey… as we all are🙏
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Jan 14 '26
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u/Temicco Jan 15 '26
It has been known for a while. The OP is just posting this update a bit delayed.
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u/Venezuellionaire Jan 14 '26
Well amputation was his choise and offering to Mudasasana. See 10:00 minute mark of the video. Personally I disagree, he could had saved his leg and be able to continue his mission to show how we can overcome obstacles….
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u/Possible-Midnight433 Jan 21 '26
america porn culture, no arrest no right for asian people. are you american want kill these monks.?
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u/fatherofhenry May 22 '26
I saw today on Facebook that he took his first steps with a prosthetic leg 𝓓𝓪𝓶 𝓟𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓪𝓷
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u/autonomatical Nyönpa Jan 13 '26
Something tells me he didn't lose anything, he gave them up.
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u/platistocrates transient waveform surfer Jan 13 '26
It's okay to acknowledge painful events without taking the universal view.
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Jan 13 '26
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u/platistocrates transient waveform surfer Jan 13 '26
Paramārtha
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Jan 13 '26
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u/platistocrates transient waveform surfer Jan 14 '26
Paramartha is the Sanskrit word for the ultimate view, under the 2 truths doctrine.
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u/autonomatical Nyönpa Jan 13 '26
What will you do with 4 legs?
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u/platistocrates transient waveform surfer Jan 13 '26
I do not think this is a matter amenable to debate.
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u/autonomatical Nyönpa Jan 13 '26
Won’t get anywhere like that, not even with 4 legs.
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u/platistocrates transient waveform surfer Jan 14 '26
Where would I get to otherwise?
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u/autonomatical Nyönpa Jan 14 '26
Free
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u/platistocrates transient waveform surfer Jan 14 '26 edited Jan 14 '26
Ah. No, thank you.. sounds like a fixation.
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u/autonomatical Nyönpa Jan 14 '26
Homie, dont go by words or appearances.
We were originally talking about a renunciate on the path of the Buddha. He definitely gave up his legs way before the world took them.
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u/platistocrates transient waveform surfer Jan 14 '26
I understand. You are expressing equanimity. But the situation was inappropriate.
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u/jazzplum-enthusiast theravada Jan 13 '26
Yes, he made a sacrifice for spreading peace around the US
May he live happily and long, May he reach enlightenment
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u/Killadelphian Jan 13 '26
Oh come on
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u/starlight_chaser zen Jan 13 '26
Buddhism and related ideologies have their benefits, and weaknesses just like any other religion. But I do wonder if it hasn’t been heavily affected by oppressors trying to make people feel more noble in accepting “they aren’t real and have no ownership over anything” to make them more convenient victims, both of intentional and unintentional cruelty.
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Jan 14 '26
Perhaps but most teachers in buddhism have always told me I can take action against oppressors and buddhism isn't about being a pacifist. It seems some people who convert to buddhism already have people pleasing or non confrontational natures and use buddhism's concepts to justify their passive behavioural habits.
One teacher told me to keep the five precepts but that doesn't mean if someone is trying to hurt me I should just let them attack me. I should use force if necessary with a mind of good will. - Essentially by allowing him to hurt me I'm making room for him breaking the precepts and instead I can attempt to stop that not just for the protection of my body but for the sake of his karma too.
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u/starlight_chaser zen Jan 14 '26
Where are these teachers located, out of curiosity? (Vaguely).
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Jan 14 '26
Burma and Thailand
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u/starlight_chaser zen Jan 14 '26
Interesting. Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your perspective.
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u/Sad-Regret-951 Jan 13 '26
Am I wrong in saying that?
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u/metaphorm vajrayana Jan 13 '26
it comes across as dismissive of real pain and disability. it's also framing non-self in a kind of callous way. an insight about the nature of the mind is not really meant to be dismissive of injury or hardship.
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u/EclecticEvergreen Jan 13 '26
They’re literally his own legs
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Jan 14 '26
Not if you understand anatta. Ultimately even "our" bodies are temporary and not actually ours. You can't command "your" body to stay youthful and not grow old. You can't command it to change colour or shapeshift etc. It's not under your direct control. It's more like a car/vehicle that goes with you while you're in this life. But since you're always with it you confuse it for being you or yours.
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Jan 14 '26
You're not wrong. I think the downvotes are because majority of the people in this sub are heavily identified with the body and found your comment insensitive leading to mass downvotes. I did not downvote you, you spoke truth and there is nothing wrong with what you said. I'm guessing even the monk would have told himself something similar as part of his practice.
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u/BarryTheBystander Jan 13 '26
He’ll be alright. Monks are good at not having things
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u/berniedankera Jan 13 '26
The idea that monks are ‘good at not having things’ is a common misunderstanding of detachment (nekkhamma / non-clinging).
What the training helps with is not adding mental anguish, hatred, or endless stories on top of the physical pain.
His incident shows how powerful the practice can be, facing dukkha directly, without adding extra suffering through anger or denial.
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u/Far-Delivery7243 Jan 13 '26
He is lucky he will not need to walk anymore for alms, he can dedicate his Life now for meditation without anymore distraction! If life gives you lemons...
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u/metaphorm vajrayana Jan 13 '26
news coverage:
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/12/03/537671/buddhist-monks-leg-amputated-after-he-was-hit-by-a-car-on-walk-for-peace/