Whether you agree with the right of women to abort their unborn children, or not, the news that a US doctor has been convicted of killing three babies after their delivery, is shocking and thought provoking in the extreme. Dr Kermit Gosnell performed thousands of abortions over a career spanning three decades, with officials saying that his medical practice earned him about $1.8m a year.
Cause no harm to any sentient being, is the principle at the heart of Buddhist practice, so the act of abortion flies in the face of Buddhist beliefs at the most base level. Having said that, Nichiren Buddhism has no rules, so the decision by anyone, to kill another being, is left in their own hands, albeit that the responsibility for their action must be taken.
Each abortion decision is surrounded by a unique set of circumstances. Maybe the unborn child has been diagnosed with a life-altering illness, maybe the mother is in danger if she continues the pregnancy, the list is infinite. But whatever the situation, the responsibility of termination lies with all those concerned.
The horrific details of this case are fuelling the abortion debate, and will no doubt cause the argument to make the act of abortion illegal to be more strongly heard. Whatever the outcome, it is important that we all recognise that whilst each individual has the right to decide the course of their lives, that as individuals, we have an ultimate responsibility for every thought, word and deed.
Hearing and reading about the attacks on Muslins, by Buddhists, in Burma is rather troubling. As a practising Buddhist I keep getting asked why this is happening. ‘Buddhists are peaceful people aren’t they?’ is a common question, and I find myself having to try to defend the entire faith. There is a misconception that Buddhists exist is some kind of parallel universe, unaffected by the goings on in the real world … wrong.
After her own accident left her unable to walk, Sophie Morgan wants to know why traffic collisions are the single biggest killer of young people – and how that can be stopped. With exclusive access and insight into a number of high profile cases from the moment of the crash through to resolution in the courts, she meets people who, like her, have seen their lives changed forever in a single instant – whether they were injured or they were driving the car. 
With more reports emanating from Myanmar, Burma, regarding the violence between Buddhist and Muslin groups, it is difficult to see how any good can come from actions fuelled by anger or hatred.
The funeral of Margaret Hilda Thatcher was performed with dignity and a degree of humour, befitting such a huge political figure. I was pleased that, although there were occasional expressions of dissent from the crowds lining the funeral route, there was no apparent protest. 
With the shock and sadness upon hearing the news of the bombings in Boston still sinking in, I have again been forced to think about why people could ever consider the injuring and killing of others as a rational form of protest or demonstration?
On the day that saw the passing of Margaret Thatcher, it might be a good point to remind ourselves to make the most of our time.
March the thirteenth always stirs up the saddest of memories for me and my family. It is exactly twenty one years ago today, that I lost the second most important lady in my life, my paternal grandmother. Just to make it even worse, if that were at all possible, ironically, March the thirteenth 1992 was a Friday, probably the worst Friday the thirteenth ever.
Sadly, my aunt passed away yesterday. I say sadly, but actually that is only for those of us who remain. For her it is but another phase of the Wheel of Life. 
Reading reports of the 
The Search For Enlightenment 
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