I am a big fan of Captain Paul Watson and the guys at Sea Shepherd. His actions against the Japanese whaling fleet have saved hundreds, if not thousands of whales in Antarctica. Each time I watch the program, I feel I should be there doing my bit. It’s too easy to sit on the sofa cheering Paul and the crew on as they battle with the Japanese whaling fleet.
Being a practicing Nichiren Buddhist and a member of the SGI, I have been concerned about the possible conflict of interests, the SGI being initially a Japanese organisation. So while I had the ear of Ricky Baynes on Saturday, I took the opportunity to ask where the SGI stood on whaling.
Of course, in hindsight, I should have known the answer. The SGI, as an organisation, has no stance on whaling. How could it, Nichiren Buddhism has no rules, no do’s or don’ts, and with all aspects of life, it is the individual who decides their own stance.
That’s how it should be. Each person is free to make their own mind up, to balance the pros and cons and come to a decision. I know where I stand, I hate to see these beautiful creatures being hunted and killed in such a barbaric fashion.
The whalers, and they aren’t all Japanese, mitigate their actions by saying that they are doing it in the name of science. But we all know that is rubbish. Why do they need to kill over a thousand whales a year? What benefit is there to scientific research? What will they hunt when the whales are gone?
Well that’s my viewpoint, and I’m happy to tell the world where I stand. If you feel the same, you might want to help Paul and the Sea Shepherds by donating or by buying something from their shop.
The SGI is a gathering of ordinary people. We struggle to ensure that people are not despised or exploited by those more powerful. To help all people become strong and wise, we are developing a network of peace and culture and putting great emphasis on education.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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