Stop Killing Whales!!!

01 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , , , ,

Stop Killing Whales!!!Who amongst us, having watched footage of the Japanese whaling fleet hunting and slaughtering whales in the Southern Ocean, would not, in an instant, trade places with Sea Shepherd‘s captain, Paul Watson, or one of his crew?

In 1946, the International Whaling Convention (IWC) was established to oversee the management of the whaling industry worldwide. It was established in response to the rapid decline in the population of whales from whaling. In 1986, the IWC instituted an indefinite ban on commercial whaling. This ban is still in effect, with certain exceptions. To their shame, countries such as Japan and Norway are not honouring the ban.

Japanese Whalling Vessel Yushin Maru

The Japanese whaling fleet’s aim was to kill up to 950 whales this year ‘for scientific purposes’ and they now appear to have gained legal backing from a US court who have branded Watson and his volunteer crew as pirates.

The Sea Shepherd appears to have been able to limit the number of whales taken this year to less than 100, the lowest figure in a decade, and are claiming a victory, but for how long? Whilst the tactics employed by both sides often appear dangerous and potentially life-threatening, the Japanese legal backing by the US could spell further problems for the conservationists.

The good news is that the Australian government is a pending case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which considers  the Japanese whaling to be illegal. In its written submission to the court, the government argues that “the whaling carried out by Japan is commercial, not scientific, and does not fall within the exception”.

Now this is not the first time I have written about this topic. Last time it raised all manner of controversy around the killing of sentient creatures and Buddhist beliefs. I’m sure it will do the same this time around, but if it gets the message out there, I for one, am happy about it. The killing of all whales, for whatever purpose, must stop.

The Nagging Voice

20 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Nam Myoho Renge KyoBright and early this morning I joined the Global Daimoku Wave For Japan. Over 800 people attended the Facebook event and chanted for respite for the earthquake and tsunami disaster victims in Japan.

The event involved nothing more complicated than sitting facing the Gohonzon and chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo from 8:00 till 9:00 am. Apart from being concerned that I might disturb the neighbours if I gave it too much welly, it was a very invigorating and satisfying hour. Naturally, we all pray that the fortunes of Japan and the Japanese people improve very quickly and dramatically.

There were two things that were noteworthy however, and the first was that my Dark Passenger was in full attendance too.

Some people know their inner voice as My Evil Friend, I call mine my Dark Passenger, but we all have one. It’s that part of our subconscious that comes into our consciousness whether we want it to, or not, and derails our train of thought.

Today, mine was quiet until about ten minutes after I started chanting. Then he suggested that because there were hundreds of us taking part, that my involvement wouldn’t be missed. After all, I had chanted for ten minutes. I pressed on. The he decided that we needed a cup of coffee, that it wouldn’t matter that I stopped for the few minutes it would take to make one. I pressed on. He kept coming up with all sorts of thoughts, about all manner of topics, I pressed on.

It’s the first time that my Dark Passenger has been around while I chant, but that’s not really surprising. It is generally accepted that the more we want something, or the more important a task is, the greater the resistance we experience. So although my DP was mildly annoying, his presence simply reinforced just how important the event was.

The other thing that happened, was that between about forty and fifty five minutes, I went into some sort of trance. I know that I wasn’t sleeping, but the time just disappeared, not flew by or sped up, it simply disappeared. I don’t think that has ever happened to me before, ever. So if you have any idea about this, or if it happens to you all the time, please share it with us, in a comment.

So, as always with Buddhist Practice, you get out of it, what you put in. The only thing is, that it’s not always quite what you were expecting.

A Feeling Of Helplessness, Resolved

16 Mar 2011 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Chant For JapanI can’t be alone in feeling that I would like to be of some practical help to the poor people of Japan. Whether it is because it is the birthplace of Nichiren Daishonin, that makes the feeling more acute, I’m not sure. But the increasing worries over the atomic power stations, rising numbers of dead and even a deterioration in the weather with northerly winds and snow, every day seems to bring more tales of woe.

Within living history, the Japanese have been our enemies. My parents generation had very strong feelings about the atrocities against prisoners in WWII and those feelings took a long time to subside.

But it is impossible to have anything but sympathy for the citizens of Japan when we see and hear all the news reports coming out of the Pacific. It seems almost impossible to imagine what the people affected by first the earthquake and the tsunami that followed and now the rising radiation levels and increasing danger of a nuclear meltdown.

I have no medical skills or engineering experience in the nuclear industry, so what could I offer other than sympathy and support? Well I can chant and pray for respite for the victims of the disasters, in the full knowledge that my energies will help the situation, half a world away.

I urge all my Buddhist friends to send Diamoku to the people of Japan, though I am sure that you are already doing so. I would love to offer my help in a more practical way, but chanting allows me to feel that I am making a difference.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

One Last Thing

11 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Make That CallWe’ve all been shocked by the devastation caused by the earthquake in Japan this morning. The sheer scale of the destruction caused by the most powerful quake in a hundred years shows us just how powerful nature can be, and how fragile our existence on this Earth really is.

It may strike you as a rather strange thought, but something kept playing on my mind all day. I wonder how many of the people who have lost loved ones in the disaster took the time to tell their partner, child, friend or neighbour, that they loved them this morning.

They will never get that chance again, and may forever wish that they had taken those few precious seconds to express their feelings.

We all take life, and the immediate future for granted. Sometimes days, weeks, months or even years go by, without us taking time to make contact with someone for whom we care, but our lives are just too busy or complicated for us to make that call, write that email or even take that trip to reconnect.

Impermanence is key to Buddhist philosophy, nothing is forever. So before it is too late, before the chance has slipped from your grasp, make that contact and tell the person just how much you care. When you leave the house in the morning, or part company with any other person, let the last thing you say to them, be full of Wisdom, Courage and Compassion, not something you might regret saying for the rest of your life.