Blogger’s Note: My PhD is in “Spiritual Metaphysics”. Yes – I am supposedly an expert in the assessment of religious teaching and practice – even though I do not subscribe to any theistic teaching. Having said that, although India is under-developed today – thousands of years ago it was the epicentre of all human intellectual and spiritual thought. There is even an Islamic shrine said to contain the remains of Jesus Christ in what is today Pakistan (formerly India). Of course, just in case this shrine is real, the Christian Church does not want anything to do with it – as physical remains tend to prove Jesus did not float up into the sky. In other words, such evidence is bad for business in much the same way Oxfam opposing Israeli genocide in Gaza is bad for its profits.

I would identify with Chinese Buddhism – but only because Marx and Engels spoke highly of it (Marx even said he once practiced meditation to relieve stress). As the Buddha opposed Hindu theism – his teaching is more of a material spiritual approach – whilst simultaneously “rejecting” all aspects of “greed”. This means that genuine Buddhism is anti-capitalist. I believe the (married) priest who plunged to his death as recorded in this article – worships Shiva (the Hindu god of death and destruction). I am told that the ritual he was performing was supposed to “lighten” his step so that he could walk down the mountain-side – as if walking down steps. Apparently, one of his ancestors also died in just the same manner – as the priesthood is passed on from father to son.

Appa Pappayya (you can see the video here) is supposed to have successfully performed this ritual many times in his life. I believe that genuine religion, as a psychological-material method of balance and adaptation, has its place within a Socialist society as a private matter. Capitalism is the new god for the West – which has been forcibly inflicted on all other (non-White) peoples via colonialism and imperialism. The irony is that Scientific Socialism can only emerge from a developed capitalism (which necessarily involves the destruction of all older forms of human society) – and this explains why China has taken the path it has. Poverty cannot be re-distributed – only immense amounts of wealth – as the UK did in 1948. As Shiva takes a great solace in death – many Hindus think this failure of the “lightness” ritual (Puja) is in fact a “success” – as it grants Shiva yet another sun-beam! Make of that what you will – whilst you munch on a pot noodle. ACW (22.12.2025)

A religious feat turns fatal for Gampamallayya Swamy Temple priest

He hit several rock edges while tumbling down and this was recorded in a video.

August 21, 2021 

The purohit of Gampamallayya Swamy Temple in Anandaraopeta village of Singanamala Mandal of the district, known for his daredevilry, died on Saturday morning when slipped from top of the temple.

The temple priest Appa Pappayya, 49, climbs near-vertical rock cliff on oil-soaked edges several times every year as part of a ritual to appease Lord Gampamallayya and perform the puja in the temple on top of the hillock.

He is survived by two sons and ironically his grandfather too died in a similar fashion, while performing the ritual, said Singanamala Sub-Inspector of Police N. Vamsikrishna.

On Saturday, however, he was performing the ritual on top of the hillock and trying to climb down the slope, when he slipped into the valley and had a fall of close to 100ft resulting in instantaneous death.

He hit several rock edges while tumbling down and this was recorded in a video