Tag: bible

Buddha & St Benedict United!

UK: Buddha & St Benedict Entwined – a Retrospect! (10.9.2026)

Now, whilst in Hereford I befriended an Irishman (my family are part Irish) named “Brian Gray” – who was training to be a Catholic Priest. He was fascinated by Buddhism and liked to “spar” with me in gloved-boxing matches (I was a nasty bit of work in my late teens – as I discovered my natural physical strength). He introduced me to a “Father Thomas” the Abbot of the Catholic Hereford Cathedral. He wanted me to go to the Vatican to meet the Pope – and to join the Catholic faith – but of course, this was not my path. I am not attuned to entering these paths that discriminate against non-members for not being members. Also, at that point I was learning about how the Vatican supported fascism before, during, and after WWII. So you can see my predicament. Although I had friendly interactions on the personal level, there were certain political realities that had to be acknowledged and balanced. Anyway, the upshot of all this was that I was introduced to the study of the Rule of St Benedict followed by the monastics of the Catholic Church (and given the ring you can see here – although I am unaware of its significance).

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UN: Israeli War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity are Ongoing!

UN Report: Israel Forcibly Displaced 33,000 Palestinians from 3 West Bank Refugee Camps! (6.9.2026)

The report warned that the large-scale, prolonged and systematic displacement of more than 33,000 Palestinians from the three camps raises serious concerns over the commission of the crime against humanity of forcible transfer. It said the use of airstrikes, armoured bulldozers and controlled demolitions to render entire camps uninhabitable, while forcing residents to leave and preventing their return in the absence of imperative military necessity, is prohibited under international law and appears to amount to collective punishment, raising concerns over ethnic cleansing. 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the manner in which the offensive was carried out indicated that its aim was to remove as many Palestinians as possible and make way for further illegal Israeli colonies, describing this as a flagrant violation of international law.

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UK: “Soul” & “Psyche” (ψυχή) Are Not “Interchangeable” When Discussing Greek Philosophical Texts! (29.8.2026)

The term Tyndale translates as “soul” in English is the Greek term “psychas” (ψυχὰς) – is the “plural” the more familiar “psyche” (ψυχῇ) – which translates as “breath of life”, “to blow” and “to animate” (in Latin, the Greek term “psyche” is presented by the term “anima”). This probably represents the Hebrew term “Neshama” (נשמה) – meaning “breath”, “spirit”, or “essence” (inner self). The early Christians were radical Jews seeking to distinguish their thinking and practice from mainstream Judaism. The Gnostic Christians were content to use Greek philosophical terms and parallel many Greek paths of inner self-cultivation. Later, with the rise of the Catholic Church (empowered by the Roman State), the Gnostic Churches were suppressed and their scriptures outlawed. Catholic theologians, although continuing to use Greek terms (translated into Latin) – radically departed from the original philosophical meaning of those terms (the teaching and practice of Greek philosophy was banned). This process of moving away in meaning is particularly evident when it is understood that the Greek written form of “psyche” (ψυχῇ) has been replaced in translation by the Germanic (Pagan) term “soul”.

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Gustave Doré: illustration of the Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew, illustration by Gustave Doré, 1856.

UK: Kartosphilus (Greek) – Cartaphilus (Latin) – Gate-Keeper of Pontius Pilate! (19.8.2026)

The name “Joseph” means “he will add” or “God will increase”. It comes from the Hebrew Book of Genesis and is used in the Greek New Testament to refer to the husband of Mary – the Mother who Immaculately Conceives Jesus Christ (Joshua Ben Joseph). Within the development of the English language, “J” only becomes the 26th letter of the alphabet during the 17th century – often replacing “i” in spellings. As for “Y” – it would appear that Christian missionaries brought this to England during the 7th century – but it was slow to catch-on. For instance, the Hebrew “Yosif” was rendered “Joseph” in English (with an “i”) but was never spelt “Yoseph”. Many centuries later, the “Y” would be completely bypassed and the name would be presented as “Joseph” – where it remains today. 

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The Term "Martyr" Originally Meant to "Bear Objective Witness" - Not Die for an Ethereal Belief!

UK: Examining & Deconstructing the Greek Term “Martyr”! (29.6.2026)

In modern usage – there is the disturbing trend of an individual being blown into non-functioning pieces being described as a “Martyr” – or performing the function of a “Martyr” (this is a term claimed by political systems regardless of hue – and all three religions of the Abrahamic persuasion). I understand that it is a human-habit to try make it seem that a pointless death possessed some type of ethereal meaning – but does it really? Dying for a noble cause is certainly acceptable – but the cause – whatever that may be (as noble causes tend to be a relative matter) – does not in any way alter the demeaning process of hot pieces of metal being forcibly penetrated through the body. Surely, it would be a far more noble cause to “remove” the ignorance from human society – and the human-mind – that causes all forms of oppressive death, be it through weaponry, abuse, torture, injury, illness, or starvation. Why not permanently change the basis of the situation – rather than passively give-in to – and normalise the oppression? In that sense, the original Chinese-language concept of 烈士 (Lie Shi)  is much more preferable. 

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The Re-Arranged Family Shrine - 2026

UK: The Family Shrine Re-Arranged for the Passing of My Father! (18.6.2026)

Even if no member of a Chinese family has not trained in a formal spiritual order – incense will be regularly lit, and fresh flowers and fruit will be added every so many days. Of course, some shrines are kept-up at a greater degree than others – but this does not matter in the end. A family shrine is a door-way between one plane and another. It is a two-way structure that permits a solemn respect to traverse from the material realm into the immaterial realm – and allows a positive spiritual reality to emanate from the immaterial plane to the material realm. Today, I talked to my deceased father – and I did this via a photograph that my mother took and printed-out for me probably around 2010. The photograph was taken in the front garden of our old home at 2 Torbay Road, Torquay Road, Torquay, Devon (the shyster landlord took over a hundred thousand pounds in rent between 2002-2018 before applying a no-fault eviction because we requested a repair be made). As this was 16-years ago – my father would have been around 68-years old at the time. I suppose my father was at the peak of his power as an elderly person! Tomorrow we will collectively lit incense. It is the next stage of respectful mourning.

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