faith – SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR)

Rev David Whyte (left) with South London Patriots activist and convicted fraudster Billy Cooper (second from left)

UK: Black Bloc Fascists Operate in My Area – Protected by the Church! (27.9.2026)

27/09/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

What God thought of the onslaught of far-right intimidation and bullying against the volunteer heroes of the RNLI, whose sole mission is to rescue people in danger of drowning at sea – an absolute good – that Tommo’s Portsmouth protests unleashed remains open to question.

After 90 minutes, Armstrong and the guests on Tough Talk had agreed the “gospel is right wing”, the Crusaders going to war to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim rule was a good thing, and echoed the far-right’s graphic and obsessive fever dream about the rape of their children or grandchildren. Then they prayed.

“We thank you, Lord, for the healing power, for protection, and for your blessings in Jesus’ name…for Danny Tommo and the guys.”

Another regular congregant along with Tommo and Jason Armstrong, is fellow South London Patriots stalwart, Billy Cooper, who not long ago was pictured having completed a bible course at the church.

UK: Email – What Do I Think About the Balathal Skeleton? (22.9.2026)

22/09/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

Although 700 BCE is touted around the internet – the remains could be as late as the 4th century CE (well within the date for Yoga). The site is not Indian – the skeleton is Indian. My own view is that if this is a holy man – we are probably talking about the disciples of the Buddha who dwelled at the base of trees – a “root-dweller” no-less. Of course, this is just speculation on my part and I am running with the “meditating in isolation” angle. There is absolutely no evidence for the “holy man” interpretation except for the conveniently positioned hands and fingers (the academic authors of the second paper go out of their way to insert an elaborate Hindu origin for this). This seems unprofessional to me. There is no surrounding (qualifying) evidence for the holy man hypothesis. What should usually happen is that a note would be added that draws the reader’s attention to the fact that these remains, when viewed in a certain light, possess a passing similarity to certain well-known religious postures found within the practices of a number of religious and spiritual paths. Whatever the case, more evidence is needed and none has been forthcoming (these are not “new” digs).

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

10/09/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

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).

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

29/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

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”.

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)

19/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

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.

St Paul's Commemorative Coin - 15.6.2026

UK: Climbing the Dome – Surviving the 528-Steps of St Paul’s Cathedral! (16.8.2026)

16/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

In fact – although one of the centres of the Church of England (CofE) – there seems to be an element of “Sadomasochism” to it all. As if those Church Authorities watching enjoy the spectacle of the fee-paying faithful (yes – you have to “pay” to voluntarily submit yourself to this madness) – or non-faithful (as the case may be) – inflicting pain upon themselves (a form of self-flagellation). It is the design of this building possesses a nasty side in its design. Who knows – when the Cathedral is closed the Church Fathers might draw pleasure by climbing the steps themselves. Of course, like all things “CofE” – the entire place, although of historical and archaeological importance, is subject to capitalist free market forces. The over-priced gift shop reduces Christianity to fluffy toys and cut book-marks – all over-priced – of course. I suspect that if you actually asked a question about religion – nobody working in there could answer it. Still, history is history, and other than the excessive steps – the history entwined in the stone-work of the building was good for the children to enjoy. At the entry point – the clerk shouted that there was no photography – but then said we could photograph anything we wanted to. So, we never quite worked-out what the rule was – and recorded everything we could see. Finally, when we got to what we thought was the top – it turned out there was actually over another hundred steps to go! In the video I say we had climbed the 528 steps – but I think there was around another 140 to go!

1 2 3 … 11 »