freedom – SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR)

Portrait of William of Ockham by Peter Paul Rubens 1617

UK: William of Ockham (1287-1347-49?) – Origin of “Occam’s Razor”! (22.8.2026)

22/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

The Church and the State would have us believe that out of this quagmire of human ignorance and darkness – rays of light emerged. I can say that William of Ockham did write copious numbers of texts on all kinds of academic and theological topics, including politics, biographies, and philosophy. Part of the delay in the examination of his work by the Vatican in the 1320s was caused by its sheer volume. And it would seem that after his “Excommunication” – the nature of his work became ever-more defiant and questioning of Church authority. I think his conflict with the Church solidified his method of the efficient use of knowledge as a means of critiquing Church dogma and theology. Indeed, William appears to become nearly “Protestant” in his argument with Avignon. He may not have coined the term “Occam’s Razor” (why would a humble monk do such a strange thing?) – but he certainly earned the right to be considered a strong candidate for its modern inception due to the nature of the hostility he had to contend with. Although I am always suspicious of bourgeois sources (due to their a priori anti-Socialist position) – I believe we can trust the two I have included below. As always – think for yourself.

UK: Emails – Looking for “Inner” Moksha! (22.8.2026)

22/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

Younger people today, perhaps due to the instant gratification the internet entails, seem to lack the ability to be diplomatic and to ration perception. This leads to violence and aggression between groups due to differences in perception. The interior differences spill-out into the material world – and violence ensues. The stone passage in the temple prevents any unnecessary lateral movement of the body – but the individual should also limit the inner movement of the mind. Then it does not matter whether the body “moves” through the gap or not. Remember, Western sentiment does not operate in this temple. Even if the body “dies” – a mind free of the cycle of birth, life, and death – is a mind (and spiritual-being) free of all suffering. Losing the body in this context is viewed as a win-win for the liberated individual. A disembodied spiritual being is now free to roam in any dimension (and epoch of time) whilst being no longer limited to this plane of existence. What, then, is the issue? Well, it seems that a trapped-body results in a confused and frightened mind – which fastens the individual ever-tighter to the cycle of birth. life, and death. Once the Indian Fire Brigade extracts the compressed being from the birth-canal – an enhanced suffering unfolds!

A Tamil Nadu temple has come under spotlight for its narrow 'Moksha passage'. (Photo: X)

India: “Moksha Passage” of Tamil Nadu Temple Claims Life – Another Escapes! (22.8.2028)

22/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

For the Hindu – who worships a pantheon of gods – this process also involves painful and/or selfless acts (similar to the self-flagellation found within Medieval Christianity). Whilst a Buddhist, for a time, might feel pain whilst deliberately “not doing something” they are used to doing (like an addict giving-up the desired object) – the Hindu will quite often willingly “invite” pain and suffering into their mind and body as a means to “purify” the senses, remove the obscuring karma, and clearly perceive the deity in question. At the temple below, this process involves squeezing through a narrow stone passage. This indicates that “Dharma” (the spiritual path of self-purification) – is both “narrow” and “restrictive” – which is true. However, the path of Dharma tends to indicate that behaviour during everyday life is controlled and restricted as regards “choices”. This stone passage seems to be a metaphor in concrete terms – teaching the adherent that everyday freedom must be “restricted” (the stone tunnel) – if ultimate freedom is to be achieved – (emerging from the narrow tunnel). Ironically, the adherent often imerges from the tunnel just as deluded as when they went in. Herein lies why the Buddha propagated the message he did.

An order note left by a customer supporting the shop on Aug. 20, 2026. (Photo: China News Service/Zhang Jun)

China: Breakfast Shop Owner’s Gesture to Child with Cancer – Sparks Wave of Giving! (22.8.2026)

22/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

Wang, 33, had opened the breakfast shop less than a month earlier. He said he wanted to help after thinking about the financial and emotional pressure on families caring for children undergoing chemotherapy. The cash gift was roughly equal to the profit from 25 of his low-priced egg pancakes.

After the story spread online, Wang’s revenue doubled the next day and customer traffic nearly tripled. Some patrons asked that meals be given to delivery riders or sanitation workers instead. Wang later shut down some delivery channels to manage demand, refused donations and pledged to return anonymous transfers, saying he would use part of his profits to support workers in his community.

Members of the Filton 25. Madeleine Norman, Hannah Davidson, Teuta Hoxha, Ola Alexandra Herbich, Ian Sanders, William Plastow and Yulia Brigadirova.

UK: Jury Refuses to Convict Seven Palestine Action Activists Over Elbit Factory Raid! (21.8.2026)

21/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

The defendants were accused of assisting or encouraging an action at Elbit Systems’ Filton site in August 2024, during which activists allegedly destroyed equipment, including quadcopter drones.

The court heard none of the defendants were at Elbit during raid but were alleged to have helped to plan it, including by compiling an equipment list, reconnaissance, purchasing tools and weapons used by others, and co-ordinating the break-in and its filming.

Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest weapons company and has faced repeated protests and direct action from Palestine Action over its links to the Israeli military and the war in Gaza.

The Filton 25 are a group of 25 pro-Palestine activists, mainly associated with Palestine Action, who were arrested and prosecuted in connection with an action targeting Elbit Systems‘ weapons facility in Filton, near Bristol.

Four other Filton 25 defendants — Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Charlotte Head and Fatema Zainab Rajwani — were sentenced under terrorism legislation following convictions for criminal damage just days before the latest trial began.

US: Childhood Trauma Affects Brain Pathways Linked to “Adult Anhedonia”! (21.8.2026)

21/08/2026 Adrian (釋大道)

Experiencing trauma in childhood can lead to a lack of motivation and less pleasure from rewards-or anhedonia-later in life. In humans, childhood trauma is linked to changes in the activity of reward-related brain pathways stemming from an area called the hippocampus. Preclinical work in animals suggests that hippocampal changes may contribute to anhedonia. But do hippocampal changes linked to childhood trauma make people more vulnerable to developing anhedonia? New in JNeurosci, a research team led by Kathleen O’Brien at Temple University and Vishnu Murty at the University of Oregon sought to answer this question.

1 2 3 … 503 »