Buddhist monk Bhante Dam Phommasan has taken his first steps on a new prosthetic leg just four months after a traffic collision cut short his 3,700-kilometer “Walk for Peace” across the United States.
In November last year, Bhante Dam and several other monks undertook a pilgrimage across several US states, from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, DC, to promote mindfulness, compassion, and peace. The walk was interrupted for Bhante Dam when he was struck by one of the pilgrimage’s support vehicles in Dayton, Texas, after it had been hit by a truck.
Because of the severity of his injuries, doctors were forced to amputate Bhante Dam’s left leg below the knee. Bhante Dam began walking on his new prosthetic—crafted for him by Mercer University’s Mercer On Mission program—on 18 March.
Bhante Dam said he remained conscious after the accident, employing Buddhist meditation techniques to remain calm. Specifically, he used a technique known as “pain meditation,” which involves focusing on the breath and observing one’s surroundings. Bhante Dam stated that he was aware of what people around him were doing during this time and that the severity of his injuries did not break his focus.
After receiving his prosthetic, Bhante Dam expressed gratitude through a translator: “I cannot walk without a prosthetic leg. When you made the prosthetic leg for me, you give me a lot of opportunities, a lot of dreams for me to walk again, to work to do everything the best in the world.” (The Den)
During the Walk for Peace, Brandon Tran, an alumnus of Mercer who served as a medical assistant for the pilgrims, connected Bhante Dam with the university’s prosthetics program, which has assisted more than 24,000 patients with prosthetic limbs since 2009.
Fitting Bhante Dam with a custom-made prosthetic took place in Mercer University’s motion-analysis laboratory. Students and faculty members were present to observe the fitting and learn via hands-on demonstration.
Dr. Craig McMahan, university minister and leader of the Mercer On Mission program, stated when asked about the fitting process: “We’re excited to help.” (Mercer Cluster)
The Mercer On Mission program was launched in June 2007, when 38 students and six faculty members handed out mosquito nets in Kenya, Guatemala, and Brazil. The program was created by Dr. McMahan in 2006 after he was asked by former Mercer president William D. Underwood to take the university’s call to service outside of Bibb County, Georgia.
After receiving the prosthetic leg, Bhante Dam spoke with students and faculty members about the Buddhist teachings, encouraging them to practice mindfulness by focusing on the present moment during difficult experiences. He explained how this could prevent stress from overwhelming the mind: “So many of us are worried about next week’s assignment or the exam . . . and we miss the moment.” (The Den)
Bhante Dam began his journey as a monastic in Laos at the age of nine. He later moved to Thailand, where he continued his studies. The monk said that he hoped to continue his mission of sharing a message of compassion and peace in spite of the accident, and that he would return to Mercer later this year to lead a meditation workshop.
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Buddhist monk Bhante Dam Phommasan takes first steps with MOM prosthetic leg (The Mercer Cluster)
Mercer On Mission team fits monk injured in peace walk with prosthetic leg (The Den)
About (Mercer On Mission)
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