London’s Peace Monk Chants, Drums and Walks to Urge an End to War
For 40 years, the Rev. Gyoro Nagase has overseen a temple to peace in a popular park in Battersea, his ever-present drum by his side.
By Silvana Paternostro
The Buddhist monk who lives alone in a storage-room-turned-temple behind London’s Peace Pagoda was doing dishes on a recent summer evening.
“There he is,” said Vilma Ramsay, a habitual visitor to the park where the pagoda stands, pointing at a small window through which the bald monk could be seen scrubbing away. “I’ve seen him go from young to old.”...
“Never in my life did I think I would end up living as a politician in a park,” the monk said the next day as he sipped tea from his favorite cup...
But he had no regrets about his dedication to the cause. “Chanting for world peace,” he said, biting into the fruit, “is the best way to live.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/world/europe/london-peace-monk-battersea.html