Dolphin Killing in Denmark!!
I received an email recently from a special friend and I would like to share with everyone. This email reminded me about post on Kechara.com, A King of the Oceans Brought To Its Knees, Incredible!
Dear Rinpoche,
This would interest your greatly and hurt your greatly too as it does me. Maybe the little we do in our lives towards these harmless creatures would help bring awareness to those who simply have lost their way.
Much respect and love,
Friend
Hypocrisy of the West in its foulest form. Media is full on reports of
Japanese whaling crime. What the Danish did here is more atrocious, more
abominable, more abhorable. Yet, nothing has been reported in any media of
this heinous crime against helpless creatures. Pass this on. SHAME ON
DENMARK!!!!
Please keep this mail going around the world….
Please send this on, this is serious cruelty.
Denmark is a big shame.
The sea is stained in red and it is not because of the climate effects of
nature. It’s because of the cruelty of the human beings (civilised human)
who kill hundreds of the famous and intelligent Calderon dolphins.
This happens every year in Faroe Island in Denmark . In this slaughter the
main participants are young teens.
WHY?
A celebration, to show that they are adults and mature!
In this big celebration, nothing is missing for the fun. Everyone is
participating in one way or the other, killing or looking at the cruelty
supporting like a spectator
Is it necessary to mention that the dolphin Calderon, like all the other
species of dolphins, it’s near extinction and they get near men to play and
interact.
In a way of PURE friendship
They don’t die instantly; they are cut 1, 2 or 3 times with thick hooks. And
at that time the dolphins produce a grim cry like that of a new born child.
But he suffers and there’s no compassion while this magnificent creature
slowly dies in its own blood.
Its enough!
We will send this mail until this email goes around the world that many more
people will know about this shameful Dannish acts.
Take care of the world, it is your home!
(These pictures and captions extracted from friend’s email)
DO NOT EAT MEAT AT ALL!!!!
FORWARD THIS POST TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW AS A SIGN AGAINST THIS CRUELTY.
____________________________________________________________
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM LIAISON SHARON SAW. THANK YOU SO MUCH SHARON:
It’s also crazy that National Geographic Traveler has voted the Faroe Islands the best islands destination in the world in a survey of 111 island communities.
The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. It has its own parliament and own flag. The current prime minister of Denmark is Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Please write to him to protest.
Please send a politely worded letter to the Faroese government and (copy it to the Danish Foreign Ministry) to express your concerns about this hunt. The addresses are provided below. Please make the time to mail a letter, or send a fax, as it has more impact than an email.
Office of the Faroese Government
Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen
Prime Minister
Tinganes
Post Box 64
Torshavn
FR 110
Faroe Islands
Tel. +298 306000
Fax +298 306015
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
PER STIG MØLLER
2, Asiatisk Plads
DK-1448 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel. +45 33 92 00 00
Fax +45 32 54 05 33
E-mail um@um.dk
For more info, read the below:
Whales are sensitive, social animals with highly developed nervous systems. They have a profound capacity to suffer distress, terror and pain. Each year, the Faroese kill pilot whales and other small cetaceans.
Islanders in motorboats first drive the whales into a bay. The chase may be lengthy. The exhausted, terrified and confused whales are eventually driven into the shallows. Here the bloodbath begins. The islanders repeatedly hammer 2.2 kg metal gaffs into the living flesh of each whale until the hooks hold. A 15 cm knife is then used to slash through the blubber and flesh to the spinal column. Next the main blood vessels are severed. The blood-stained bay is soon filled with horribly mutilated and dying whales.
The Faroese celebrate the butchery of their victims in a carnival atmosphere of entertainment. Indoctrinated from an early age, children are often given a day off school to watch the fun. They run down to the bay and clamber over the carcasses of slaughtered whales.
Every year around 2,000 whales are driven ashore and cruelly slaughtered in the Faroe Islands, mid-way between the Shetland Islands and Iceland. For centuries the Faroe Islanders have hunted pilot whales, driving entire schools into killing bays, where they are speared or gaffed from boats, dragged ashore and butchered with knives. Although the Islands are a protectorate of Denmark, they have their own Government and regulations governing the pilot whale hunt or “grind” as it is known.
Aside from the fact that the number of North Atlantic long-finned pilot whales is unknown and they are listed as ‘strictly protected’ by the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, this is an act of barbarism and pointlessness. By slaughtering 100 whales at a time, the Faroese are wiping out entire pods and family groups. They are removing building blocks from the gene pool of the species and damaging the web of life in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.
The drive hunt is a practice abandoned elsewhere many decades ago, and now outlawed by other European states. The inhabitants of the Faroe Islands have no subsistence need for whale meat, and much of the flesh is left to rot and be dumped; it cannot be exported, as it is polluted with heavy metals and other toxins and therefore cannot meet EU heath standards for human food.
According to Faroese legislation it is also permitted to hunt certain species of small cetaceans other than pilot whales. These include: Bottlenose dolphin; Atlantic white-beaked dolphin; Atlantic white-sided dolphin; and Harbour porpoise (There are also specific regulations for the hunting of harbour porpoise. Harbour porpoises are killed with shotguns).
Forward this post to everyone you know as a sign AGAINST this cruelty. PLEASE create awareness at least by forwarding. Please also write in to their Government. Take action for animals.
At first you see the “red sea” and you realize that it’s mass murder, then you see that there are people watching and you realize that it’s entertainment, then you see the corpses being cleaned and you realize that it’s a business.
It’s like a horror film, except that it’s not make-belief.
Plainly disgusting. Absolutely cruel.
If people were shocked (to the core) when they heard real accounts of families witnessing the massacre of their family members right before their eyes, it’s the same in this case. Calderon’s (like all dolphins) are known to travel together as a family. They all saw each other being hacked to death and they all heard the cries of each other. What’s worse is, no one survived.
This is really the epitome of human barbaric behaviour. There can be zero justification for this kind of killing. Do boys become men by this Neanderthal behaviour? Do men really feel macho when they kill helpless animals? I’m sorry but i find this thoroughly disgusting. Denmark is said to be the happiest nation in the world, but how can that be if a pocket of its people act like that to murder these intelligent beings.
It’s also crazy that National Geographic Traveler has voted the Faroe Islands the best islands destination in the world in a survey of 111 island communities.
The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. It has its own parliament and own flag. The current prime minister of Denmark is Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Please write to him to protest.
Please send a politely worded letter to the Faroese government and (copy it to the Danish Foreign Ministry) to express your concerns about this hunt. The addresses are provided below. Please make the time to mail a letter, or send a fax, as it has more impact than an email.
Office of the Faroese Government
Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen
Prime Minister
Tinganes
Post Box 64
Torshavn
FR 110
Faroe Islands
Tel. +298 306000
Fax +298 306015
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
PER STIG MØLLER
2, Asiatisk Plads
DK-1448 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel. +45 33 92 00 00
Fax +45 32 54 05 33
E-mail um@um.dk
For more info, read the below:
Whales are sensitive, social animals with highly developed nervous systems. They have a profound capacity to suffer distress, terror and pain. Each year, the Faroese kill pilot whales and other small cetaceans.
Islanders in motorboats first drive the whales into a bay. The chase may be lengthy. The exhausted, terrified and confused whales are eventually driven into the shallows. Here the bloodbath begins. The islanders repeatedly hammer 2.2 kg metal gaffs into the living flesh of each whale until the hooks hold. A 15 cm knife is then used to slash through the blubber and flesh to the spinal column. Next the main blood vessels are severed. The blood-stained bay is soon filled with horribly mutilated and dying whales.
The Faroese celebrate the butchery of their victims in a carnival atmosphere of entertainment. Indoctrinated from an early age, children are often given a day off school to watch the fun. They run down to the bay and clamber over the carcasses of slaughtered whales.
Every year around 2,000 whales are driven ashore and cruelly slaughtered in the Faroe Islands, mid-way between the Shetland Islands and Iceland. For centuries the Faroe Islanders have hunted pilot whales, driving entire schools into killing bays, where they are speared or gaffed from boats, dragged ashore and butchered with knives. Although the Islands are a protectorate of Denmark, they have their own Government and regulations governing the pilot whale hunt or “grind” as it is known.
Aside from the fact that the number of North Atlantic long-finned pilot whales is unknown and they are listed as ‘strictly protected’ by the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, this is an act of barbarism and pointlessness. By slaughtering 100 whales at a time, the Faroese are wiping out entire pods and family groups. They are removing building blocks from the gene pool of the species and damaging the web of life in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.
The drive hunt is a practice abandoned elsewhere many decades ago, and now outlawed by other European states. The inhabitants of the Faroe Islands have no subsistence need for whale meat, and much of the flesh is left to rot and be dumped; it cannot be exported, as it is polluted with heavy metals and other toxins and therefore cannot meet EU heath standards for human food.
According to Faroese legislation it is also permitted to hunt certain species of small cetaceans other than pilot whales. These include: Bottlenose dolphin; Atlantic white-beaked dolphin; Atlantic white-sided dolphin; and Harbour porpoise (There are also specific regulations for the hunting of harbour porpoise. Harbour porpoises are killed with shotguns).
Just a few points:
First, the Faroe Islands is a Home Rule area under the Danish Crown, it is not Denmark per se. The Pilot Whale killings are actually not particularly popular in Denmark.
Secondly, I think the Pilot Whale killings need to be put into perspective. The description above is NOT correct. The Pilot Whale is not near extinction. The Pilot Whale population in the North Atlantic is estimated at 100,000 and on the Faroe Islands only between 0-500 are killed yearly – pollution is likely a more serious threat. The killing of Pilot Whales is a tradition that stems back to when the islands were first inhabited about a 1000 years ago. And it is not just for fun. All the meat is being eaten and divided between the local community – you can’t buy the meat in the shop. In some ways the Faroes are a bit like Tibet, in the sense that the population at least until very recently were depending on meat (and on the Faroes also fish) to survive. Also, the killings are actually regulated, and methods are in place to minimise the pain for the animal.
It does indeed look ugly and shocking, but at least those animals has had a free life – unlike the millions of other animals slaughtered every day for human consumption.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not defending the killings of Pilot Whales; personally I’d prefer if it was banned. I am just suggesting that there are things going on daily, but hidden, that are much, much worse.
Best wishes,
Anders
Is this just for ‘fun’ or do they eat them?
This is going on in every slaughter house and butchers shop in the world. The difference is its behind closed doors and out of sight.
Any meat was once part of a sentient being, i have seen inside slaughter houses, they are no place for a life to end surrounded by the fear and suffering of their fellow animals, apart from them becoming dead, what effects does this enviroment have on their rebirth. We are taught that our state of mind at death is a major influence on our rebirth. Imagine hanging upside down by your feet heading towards a bandsaw, thats where you burger came from.
I’ve read this few months ago already, but every time when I read this news, I feel very, very sad, I just don’t understand why these people can be so cold blooded, don’t they have any feeling when they kill these harmless dolphins?
With the sea painted with red colour, it clearly show that people are degenerating, the selfishness in each and everyone’s heart are blossoming, they kill just for their PURE SELFISHNESS, how barbaric action it is. And there are people standing there watching, enjoying the killing show, they don’t feel anything?
IMAGINE: if you were to be there and saw your family members being killed, how will you feel? If you were to be there and knowing that you will be killed, no escape, die with lots of suffering, how will you feel?
Human pray to life long, free from obstacle and sickness, so do the animals, please respect them as human’s best friend, they deserve to live, just like us, human.
I am mortified by these pictures! And to make it worse, like Jean Mei said, it is NOT make-belief! When I first was scrolling down articles, I was merely just looking and then the red pool of blood caught my attention! Oh my Buddha, I could not believe what I was seeing. This is beyond barbaric. How would they feel if those hooks were slashed through their bodies? On their families too?
Yes I agree with Sharon. We should all take the time and write to the Government. These barbarians must know that people know and will not let them get away with these murders.
Anders, as you say you would personally prefer for it to be banned, I now ask you to take action and make a stand for it to be banned. You cannot do it alone, get more people in. Get your friends onto this blog and check out this article.
I cannot even begin to imagine the tremendous black karma all those people have collected! Including the spectators. Om Mani Pe Meh Hum!
I can’t remember the last time I saw such poignant imagery. It’s the redness of the sea that first caught my eye, and with the close ups, well, it’s completely indescribable. And there is no purpose to this – just mindless, barbaric killing simply for the sake of sport and tradition; it’s hardly the kind of thing you’d expect to see in such a developed country.
The saying, “A picture speaks more than a thousand words” is extremely apt in this case – why on Earth would anyone kill anything in such cold blood? Usually, I always try to understand the person’s point of view when they do something horrid (e.g. is there a reason why this person is violent/why did this person abuse this person – is there an underlying cause?), but the mind draws a blank; there is no explanation for an act like this.
I can only hope the poor mammals being tortured and brutually murdered will find a pleasant lot for themselves in their next life and so on…though, I’m not sure the same can be said for the participants of this insane act.
The blood bath of slaughtered dolphins is a sight to be cringed at. The massacre of these innocent creatures is atrocious to say the least and what makes it worse is that many of the participants are teenagers and all involved even celebrate this occasion of slaughter as if it was some sort of entertainment. How sick can it get? How can any human being be so heartless as not to feel the cruelty of such acts? How can we expect to achieve world peace when the instinct of violence to other beings is still strong? This pervasive ignorance of the law of cause and effect epitomizes the concept of the land of the barbarian described by the ancient Tibetan Buddhist.
Oh my god, how scary it is!!!!!! The red sea, the people who killed without feeling, thousand of dolphins lay in the beach……really make feel want vomiting out. Can you imagine the suffering of dolphins that people caused?
Why people killed dolphins? Because the market demand. Why have these huge market demands? Because we want to eat them. The cause of killing dolphin is because we want to eat them. If we stop to eat them, that no more market demand, if no more market demands then people will be stop killing dolphin.
Let’s us go to vegetarian to prevent killing. While we go to vegetarian, dolphin will not killed by people. Go, go, go, go, go, let’s us go to vegetarian!!!!!!!!!!
No No No…..this is thoroughly disgusting…is this the humam behavior, red sea painted by dolphins blood,people stand and enjoy watching the show. This kind of barbaric action much stop n needs to be banned!!! I just don’t understand why these people can be so cold blooded, don’t they have any feelings when they kill these harmless dolphins? Don’t they feel anything? I can not believe what I am seeing. This is enough….Please STOP killing!
This makes me feel very upset and disturbed. The dolphins can’t defend themselves as they can’t express their feelings through words…isn’t their crying enough? I’ll say it again…please stop killing!
I too have come across this story on the net before and watched on youtube also. Its up there with the dog and cat fur trade in China, the live monkey brains restaurant where you bash the skull open of the live monkey while it screams, or the battery chicken farms where chickens get boiled alive to remove the feathers. You can smell the terror in the animals, feel the helplessness of their last minutes, the suffering of the animals, and the future sufferings of the killer.
Its a job / entertainment for the killer who doesn’t know the full extent of their actions. Numb from soo much killing there is no feeling anymore, just where to place the best incision. When death comes, I don’t want to be them.
They slaughter behavior of over 100 of whales/dolphins and turned the sea into RED SEA? How sad and cannot imagine this is the cruelty of human behavior.
If not mistaken, through facts and information .The tradition of killing the dolphins yearly is real, they do this yearly like a kind of festival or celebration.
The pictures been posted worldwide through the internet for years and seem no action been taken towards this cruelty act.
I think they eat the ones they kill and they consider it basically the same as fishing.
Totally agreed with Albert, this shown that at this modern age, people are degenerating, full of selfishness & ego for not cultivating kindness and compassion toward animals.
John,
wow, that was a powerful comment and extremely moving. I am so struck by what you have said about how this is no different from what goes on in any butcher’s shop. Certainly a strong reminder that everyone of has can have a part to play in cutting down the demand for meat.
People shirk away from articles like this and refuse to see the photos or view the videos. Then they go off for lunch – a nice chicken sandwich or a steak, thinking that the animal they are eating and the slaughtered body in the pictures are disassociated and not at all the same thing.
IT IS THE SAME THING. The chickens in your fast food platter may not be as big, and the pool of blood not as overwhelming as these dolphins, but the pain, fear and torture they experience all those moments leading up to their death is exactly the same.
WHY DO WE INSIST ON EATING SOMEONE ELSE’S PAIN?
I agree with John Colquhoun. This imagery is barbaric and it provokes all manner of disgust from us. But why doesn’t it comes when we have meat on our dinnerplate. Such savagery is happening every single day in our local slaughterhouse. The immense negative karma from killing is shared with all those that eat the meat of these helpless animals.
Hence Rinpoche is right, if we are provoked by the imagery, we should stop this senseless negativity and stop eating meat. What’s worse than to see the reason to stop eating meat but we ignore the logic and reasoning and continue on our old ways. We may choose to ignore the imagery but karma can never be ignored. It is inevitable and hence many do take rebirth as animals that fill modernday slaughterhouses. I wonder what did they do to create the cause to be there in their previous lives to desire such a abrupt demise.
And we say that we are a highly civilized society, highly evolved? The pictures paint a thousand horrors. They are completely barbaric and senseless. How would killing innocent beings become the rites of passage to one’s growth or maturity? Shouldn’t maturity and inner growth display more acts of social and civic responsibility, a higher awareness of environment and life on earth?
It is terrifying to read that these Danish people can actually call this fun and tag it as a celebration. They can even encourage their young to support this kind of appalling activity, and give them a day off from school? It scares me to learn that all the education in Denmark leads their people to this. Is it any wonder then how the human heart becomes colder and the mind becomes even more numb? The dolphins were not the only ones which died that day. Along with their very un-necessary death, humanity’s soul was buried under the sea of red. We have evolved into a disrespectful society – disrespectful of life and creatures of the earth. We do not even care about the environment. It is so foolish to think that this act will not have any lasting impact on the earth’s ecological systems. How utterly sad and irrational we have become!
When I was first exposed to Tibetan Buddhism I rejected the horrific depictions of the hell realms, and thought “well, the rest of this Dharma is so helpful, I don’t need to worry about these archaic views about hell realms.” Later, I opened up a bit more and came to see that attempting to contemplate the immense suffering of beings in its entirety is important to finding my own humanity and my ability to really practice the Dharma. Still, I find this can become kind of a mind game if I’m not careful… until I’m reminded by pictures like these that the most intense suffering and the root of that suffering are to be found right here and now. That’s a hell realm right there, as plain as day. Why do we practice the Dharma if not to bring suffering like this to an end? This is the reason we practice Dharma. This is what makes us look deeper for our own complicity in the creation of such suffering and start to give up those habits of thought as much as we are able.
It took me a while looking at these pictures and reading the comments not to be entirely overwhelmed, paralyzed by grief and horror. I am grateful for the comments, which helped me not get so absorbed in my own emotions over this. And also for the addresses to write to. I hope we can all find compassion for the people doing the killing as well as the beautiful creatures being killed. This viciousness and dullness is the cause of great suffering for all involved.
It is sad to see/hear of killing of any sorts. It is really difficult to rationalise such killings and the purpose (however purposeful) for which it is undertaken. And as I understand the numbers killed each year has reduced because of health risk on consumption, and I do hope that this practice, will eventually stop if the islanders can rely on a different industry such as tourism as a source of income. A group of people in the UK had petitioned their government to apply pressure on the Faroe Islands and Danish Government to stop the brutal and cruel slaughter of pilot whales in 2008 and expressed their concerns directly and within the International Whaling Commission. I am not sure if this has been effective but nevertheless, we must register our protest. Killing is killing – and is never an act to be sanctioned.
WHY ???
We , human constantly remind ourselves not to be cruel after all the atrocities committed in wars. Does this lesson to be kind not apply to the animal world? Do animals not have feelings? Are we more superior than animals ? If we are , does that give us the right to kill? If it does , are we not the same as animals in the animal world , where the weak are devoured by the strong ones?
I wonder why Buddhas don’t give up on beings like us.
Dear Buddha, I regret for all the wrong actions committed in my countless past lives. I have no right to criticize the Danes because I had done the same thing before. Let me practice the 4 powers and work on myself first.
A very disturbing scene to see a sea of blood. It shocks all my senses!!! Dolphins are associated as very friendly beings to humans, they don’t attack or harm any one of us. To have such merciless killing festival with so many on-lookers around makes me think what kind of a world we are living in.
Do they kill for fun? Then STOP IT, cos there are more fun things to do in life.
Do they kill as a sport? Then STOP IT, cos there are more interesting sports guys.
Do they kill as a tradition? Then STOP IT, cos we don’t live back in the those days anymore.
Do they kill to show machoism? Then STOP IT, cos you ain’t macho at all doing this.
Look at the killers’ eyes in the pictures, many of them are strong young men. Very sad and disturbing. I can’t imagine how their mothers, wives or girlfriends feel to see what their sons, husbands or boyfriends were doing to the dolphins. If I were them, I would run away from the killer fast!!!!
And yes, we must write to the Faroese Government and copy to the Danish Foreign Ministry. The killing was done but we must fight to prevent the next round of merciless killing! Thank Sharon for getting all the infomation on addresses.
Horrid!!!
All this for the sake of human consumption. How did we end up being the lowest of the low? Those people watching on are so cold and with no emotional feelings, they do not even wink an eye at the whole scene! This is a clear sign of degeneration in our time.
Yes we must create loads of awareness, and the causes to BAN this slaughtering of blood! It is pure injustice and cruelty. I cannot imagine the causes those people there have created for their next life? Would they be in born as the future Dolphin to be hunted and experience the pain they gave to the Dolphins now?
This is one of the many reasons I have committed to not eat meat, and be a vegetarian. At least I am one less person demanding for dead corpse.
I can’t believe this is still going on these days. This is a festival for them and yet this has not been highlighted in any of the media??? Absolute cruelty! They were speared while and then chased to the shore of shallow water and ripped off their abdomine by inhumane citizens of Faroe Island and worse is that most of them are youth! You got to kill to show you are adult now? School holiday for kids just to get to the shore to witness this mass killing of harmless animals? Oh dear, how disgusting!
Don’t forget that there are many more other sufferings of animals similar to this happening in our own backyard!
I’ve found videos of this disgusting act of cruelty, see here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AF40A1W8JI&feature=related
(this video shows the dead whales being paraded along the port after the massacare)
Mr Anders explanation offer some mitigating points to the obvious criminality committed as depicted in the photos. However, it is too weak.
Comparing the environmental or circumstantial reasons for killing dolphines for meals to the Tibetans’ meat eating situation is ridiculous.While Tibetans eat for survival and without much choice, Denmark is an advanced country where food is not scarce and people n their govt have the economic and techno power to have any choice of food they want.
The real issue is about respect for all life and their right to live. Would we like hooks being hammered into our brains including our children’s and friends’ ?
If we have capacity to cause suffering for animals , its a sure sign we have capacity to harm each others. Creating awareness of all forms of animal abuse like above and lending voice to it is one way to develop compassion.Being vegetarian is also a real step to reduce suffering of animals.Important thing is to do it now.
Dear Rinpoche
Last night I was at the Setrap puja and maybe because of the purification I started to cough badly and had to rush out while doing my mantras to vomit. When I came home after the Puja I had a tremendous headache and had to go to bed. It was so bad that All I could do was call on Setrap to help me, to make me feel better, to make the pain go away….and mind you this is only a headache!!
Then this morning I started to read your blog and your article about the dolphins and I was so overwhelmed ! All the people who commented on your blog has said it all about the cruelty,the madness of it all. I was thinking about it on a personal perspective(yes, it is always about me,as it is the best way to relate!)and was feeling how the dolphins must feel…the pain of being hacked to death….the pain of seeing your family hacked to death…to see your kids being slaughtered. As a mother that would be a pain beyond compare.
Then I thought of my headache last night, how bad it hurt and it was only a headache and yet it was so unbearable, compared to being butchered!
I just don’t know how these people can stand to watch this growing, spreading pool of blood.I just don’t know….
Yes there will always be arguments on both sides why the killing must go on and why it must stop. We can argue till the cows come home..till eternity and there will never be an answer.
Whenever I complain about anyone, my son nicholas will say to me, “mummy don’t try to transform others, you transform yourself” and I guess I better do that. Start with myself. Eat less meat,and maybe one day no meat.
The problem is when we go to the Supermarket we see these nicely packaged piece of meat so we don’t feel the horror of the killing to bring the meat to our table. The “beauty” of these graphic pictures is it will stay in our mind and hopefully remind us the killing must stop and may if the demand stops.
Ignorance is not blissful, as much as many would like to believe that it is. The images and video of this blood bath have been circulating in cyber-limbo for quite a while, and once in a while; it surfaces to remind us the kind of world we live in and it is not at all a very nice place to be in. Regardless of how many numbers of a certain species there are left in the world, whether they are deemed as ‘pest’ to the environment (or situation)… no one has the right to take the gift of life of another. Let evolution do its job! There are just too many unnecessary killing in the world… let’s all do our bit. Can’t stop the killing physically? Then do the next best thing – spread the facts and share the knowledge against it.
OH MY! I am horrified. These pictures portray immense suffering,pain, sorrow and helplessness. What is worst is that this event is a yearly event to reflect the coming of “manhood”. How can anyone of a sane mind possibly find this barbaric act as a reflection to celebrate the coming of manhood when the animals that they are killing are not able to help themselves in any way. This does not depict any capabilities of machoism, manhood, or heroism of the Danes. It only shows that humans are selfish beings, walking around as if they rule the place, and all that matters is me, myself and I. What is worst is that a crowd gathered to witness the slaughtering – to them it is almost like entertainment, something so normal that they do not flinch at the thought of animal cruetly. Sad isn’t it? And the Media has not even publicized it.
This act of cruelty is way beyond shameful.
Senseless killing to prove man hood is a culture created by man through ignorance for decades and it become a habituation. It all arises from one ego to prove manhood. We should help educate them instead of criticizing them. It is in their culture, to them it is something to celebrate like how we celebrate our festivities. People celebrate festivities around the world by having sumptuous meals, having roast piglets,roast lambs and etc. In the end of the day it is still killing the animal to celebrate. So what is the difference when criticizing people for killing whales/dolphins for fun while we have a bash at home celebrating with roast pork and roast lamb?
It’s not just the hell realm right here, but it’s being created by human beings who are not driven by instinct (unlike a snake’s instinct to just kill, kill, kill), with mental faculties intact and capable of making decisions. We’re creating the hell for other beings.
I like what you said about “our own complicity in the creation of such suffering”. Because WE are the cause, we can end the suffering right here, right now for these animals. That sense of responsibility is empowering.
It makes you wonder why in this day and age, people still engage in such acts in the name of tradition or custom. Surely it’s a greater sign of a man if you stand up against such a harmful tradition, and choose not to do it.
I hate coming across articles like this. Everything disturbing about it turns me away. Probably one of the reasons not to act on situations like this is that it’s always easier to turn away and ignore what’s happening around us.
But we must face facts, these horrible things are happening and no matter how much we hope someone else does something about it, it will not stop as EVERY one needs to do something about it. No matter how small, a positive action or reaction against such violence will help the cause to stop cruelty, hatred, violence and such sick ‘fun’. Thanks to Sharon for giving us an avenue to start and I bet we can come up with more ways to go against violence & cruelty in general
This is just so disgusting! these people are babaric and they should be spending a very long time in the hells for killing the whales in such a cruel way! No living being deserves to be parted from their life, and certainly not for sport! The meat is not even eaten and it is not even for consumption! most of it is left to rot! the whales are killed only for amusement!
Does it take like a huge earthquake or a huge tsunami to make those people learn that there is no benefit in killing other beings? especially in such numbers! these people are worse than animals as the most animals will kill for fun is only 1-2, not an entire family or group. Come to think of it, our farm rared chickens and cows also die in a similar manner…perhaps it time to stop eating meat altogether…
Woo…this is bad…..very bad. When looking at the photos I just can’t really differentiate the killing between animals and humans. As Rinpoche mentioned they don’t die instantly but they are cut 1,2 or 3 times. And they cry in pain!!!! But these people still able to continue torturing them????!!!
Somehow I always remind myself that if we human killing animals are alright then we should not complain if the animal/beast kills the people. We have heard about crocodile/python swallow the kids/adult and these village peoples are screaming about these animals are cold blooded, animal/beast instinct, kill for food and da..da…da….
See here what is the different between this so called human which having a brain to think (which normally how generally we differentiate human & animals) whose killing the dolphins brutally and the animals whose killed for food??? This is regardless of whether the population of the dolphin is greater or not. We human population is growing too, are we supposed to be…..
My believe, these animals are living beings and they are animals due to their act from their previous lives. If we so called ourselves as human being with civilization thought we should show our care, love and compassion to all the animals too. We are not the only being living in this world. We share our care & love for others will make our life happier and meaningful.
This is truly disgusting and aghast to see this!!! What an ugly horrible sight … a sea of blood with many slaughterers prancing, poaching, slaughtering the dolphins. Dolphins are known to be friendliest creatures in the sea and yet people are killing them! In addition, it is a yearly affair??? A carnival for all to enjoy????!!! Absolutely inhuman crime and barbaric in nature. Gosh….truly unbelievable for such actions from young to old whether they were directly or indirectly killing them. Even watching the whole affair is a crime to do so. Could not imagine what the karma will be for them. Such ignorance on the law of cause of effect. Please please STOP killing dolphins.
Shameful! Shameful! Shameful!
Looking at images like these make it shameful to be a part of the human race. What could be on the minds of these barbarians when engaging in such acts?! Looking at the bloodbath already makes my skin crawl, how do these “civilized” men of the West (who thought they had the responsibility to bring civilization to the East) soak themselves through and through with the blood of another being that was cruelly slaughtered?
I am in such shock that my mind cannot stop asking questions. One big question is: what has humanity come to? In Tsem Rinpoche’s blog http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/03/animals-help-us-to-be-better-humans.html, I read that if we become OK with harming animals, this coldness to life will start to expand to humans we do not know and eventually people we know. Some of this effect is already visible as we hear news of school killings, rape cases, child abuse etc. The frightening thing is: the degeneration is very fast.
There is something we can do to slow down if not, stop the degeneration of the human race: write a letter and fax it as Sharon prompt. Forward this blog link to friends. Put it on Facebook. Do this to not only preserve the dolphins and animal rights but also human dignity.
* Sometime, animals display greater compassion and humanity than humans. Please check out this video for an inspiration of how even “beasts” have the ability to practice compassion http://www.kechara.com/?p=243
These are some of the most disturbing pictures I have seen. I agree that there is no difference between what happens at slaughter houses and the mass cull of dolphins. They are essentially all sentient beings that have as much of a right to live as human beings.
Too often we are desensitized as our meat already comes prekilled wrapped in nice plastic containers.
That these are such graphic pictures I hope people stop to think of what they are doing and hopefully spurs us into action.
I myself have much to learn and am working on cutting down the amount of meat I eat in order to be vegetarian one day. We cant change others if wedont first change ourselves.
I pray that the dolphins here will have good rebirths and do not udergo the suffering they have experienced this life.
Thank you for sharing this with us rinpoche. It truly is thought provoking and brings perspective to our lives.
Thank you for sharing, Rinpoche. And thank you Sharon for the information and the addresses. I’ll share this information with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWW-Malaysia)of which I’m a sponsor and ask them what their headquarters are doing about this. I have never seen such cruelty before. The Japanese and their whaling is nothing compared to this. At least the fishermen are doing it as a livelihood. But this is for pure fun because it is a tradition. In Malaysia, we should be vigilant and highlight cruelty to animals and at the same time promote wildlife conservation and the preservation of our rainforests.
I do not support this inappropriate animal slaughter. I do not think people should eat whale meat as they suffer more when they are harpooned compared to other animals. I try my best to be vegetarian once in a while when I watch animal slaughter related videos and pictures. They remind me of how helpless they are and they have no form of protection against the cruelty caused to them by mankind. With all the people standing and watching, this is actually more for entertainment than for eating. So the meat is basically mostly a big waste as not many eat them and the ‘red sea’ shows that this is totally cruelly mass murder. The gentle giants of the oceans collapses because of man and it all relates to us as we are the consumers and entertainment seekers but this is not entertainment, not for the whales!
My mind went blank for a moment when I saw the dolphins in the sea of blood, followed by goose-pimples. Words cannot describe how cruel mankind can be and yet get satisfaction out of killing these sweet-natured doplhins. These dolphins have feelings – imagine how they suffer when they see their family being dragged away and killed in front of their eyes in such a cruel manner?
Imagine including in your diary ‘Killing Dophins at Feroe Island’ as an event of the year? Are there no other activities that can be enjoyed by one in a more fulfilling way? PLEASE STOP IT!
Its already sad enough that so many live stocks are being killed and served on our table as meals but DOLPHINS? They are so cute, adorable and friendly by nature and yet they are still being killed for fun and served as food. Even sharks are hauled up, have their fins cut and thrown back into the sea. I remembered someone telling me that fishes dont suffer/ dont feel anything when they are being killed. HELLO? Can I put your head in the water and expect you to breath underneath the water? Arent they living and breathing like us? It is already bad enough for people to eat dogs, whales, rabbits and other (exotic) animals. Look at all the cruelty at http://www.kechara.com/animal-sanctuary/news/animals-also-have-the-right-to-freedom-of-suffering/.
Looking at pictures of any killing is always gruesome and heart wrenching. But we do not give a second thought to those animals being slaughtered daily as food. We buy meat after process and sliced up into chunky pieces for sale at markets and we pick the choicest and freshest.
We love out dogs and cats to death yet we feed them meat of other animals, in prepared pet’s food or cooked in our kitchen. We say we love our pets and hell hath no fury when our pets are injured or mistreated by others but we ourselves eat meat of other animals.
Around the world millions of animals are being slaughtered daily for human consumption for fancy restaurants and fast food chains. Animal testing done by pharmaceutical companies, angling as a hobby, hunting wild animals as a sport, killing animals for their pelt etc would also amount to uncountable deaths of animals.
It is very good to protest against all these but we should also start at home by abstaining from meat and educating our children against consuming meat because of loss of lives. Our children are the next generation.
Then we have humans who kill other humans for……..
SAMSARA.
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! IS this HOW they bring their children up? Killing defenceless fellow sentient beings to celebrate coming of age? They say children are the building block of any nation, what kind of building blocks are in the making when a nation equates fun and entertainment to cruelty to the highest degree? Killing animals for their meat is band enough, I just can’t understand what kind of logic is this mass killing, just what go on in these people’s mine when the whales are suffering right in front of their very eyes? How can this EVER happen? I concur with Judy, there is NO WORD that can adequately describe how WRONG this is.
Thank you Sharon for your information, I will spread the words around my circle of friends and contacts by sending them the link to Rinpoche’s blog.
It’s a barbaric and shameful act of inhumanity. It’s so sad to see that people derive fun and entertainment out of killing the whales & dolphins.
How can they bear to see an ocean of blood?? How can it be fun watching animals being tortured & killed?
These are a sick bunch of people living in Faroe.
Why on earth would these people engage in such cruel activity?
Animals deserve a chance to live too and they are a part of nature.
It shows that these people are ignorant with no compassion at all.
We should spread the word around and make these sick people stop the mass killing of the helpless whales & dolphins.
I really dont understand why people are doing this… This is the most upsetting thing I have heard about in such a long time. These innocent, friendly creatures weren’t doing anything to harm the humans living there. Whether it is a tradition or not, these actions NEED TO STOP. There is no reason for this. I honestly want to write a letter to this government and forward this to other people I know and have them do the same thing. I pray for the people who are committing these atrocities and for those beings that are suffering from them. May the humans come out of their ignorance and may the animals take good rebirth into a place where people are understanding and compassionate.
To kill any being without any remorse takes some kind of de-sensitizing of one’s emotions, that as you keep beating this creature to death, as the creature writhes in pain, you carry on like you are in a bloodlust. Is that the description of a Human being? Imagining doing this act give me the creeps, I think I rather not have any meat at all. I think one must also have a kind hate for living beings to be able to kill so senselessly.
So if we habituate to kill beings, we have this seed in us, all it take is that if someone a human can provoke us to see them as insignificant as a pilot whale or dolphin we will act out this instance of killing on a human being with no remorse. For people to watch and rejoice in the killing very bad also. Maybe we should boycott Danish goods.
I am horrified looking at the pictures but it occured to me that the participants to the killing and the on-lookers did not appear particularly disturbed. They do not look particularly barbaric and cruel with horns sticking out from their foreheads. In fact, they look very much like us…Malaysians…human beings, totally unaware of what we do often and how our actions cause sufferings to not only animal, but also people. After the recent talk by Rinpoche, i dare not point fingers and i cannot say the Danes are cruel people…i am reminded sadly that WE ARE ALL stuck in a cruel and often senseless world…(Samsara?) and the only remedy is not to blame but to make sure the message, the Dharma spreads…and quickly.
I was no better until i came across Kechara and experienced the dharma.
I wish there is more we can all do for Kechara Animal Liberation and i pray we acquire more wisdom from Rinpoche’s teachings and i pray that what we each have learned from Rinpoche and the experience of our own transformation will spread quickly throughout the country, the region and the world.
Eeeeer……Uuurgh…..Horrifying and Disguisting! This is really barbaric. They treat this as sport and some sort of celebration. Teenagers leading in the participation of the killing. Starting them young, yeah? They would become cold, hostile and violent individuals. If any of them ever become a world leader in future, can there be world peace or the world will be their battlefields and would rejoice at the sea of blood?
I feel their pain and sufferings in every part of me . Lets write to the Faroese Government to protest and change Faroese legislation to protect these animals. Lets get as many people as possible to do this. This is our only hope to help these poor creature.
It was very sad to see the sea full with blood, it was very terrible even i see it from the pictures but the people there were standing and watching without any of sad feeling, only fun . How degenerate of people mind, killing become for fun, there are no regret and the worst things is proud to participate.
How they can kill many of dolphines wihtout someone tell them they are doing very bad things???
How they can do such this things in the country that they call themself ‘civilizes’ ???
Animals not born to become our food, their have their own life, they feel pain, hungry etc same as human.. how we dare to kill them????
Stop kill dolphines, you don’t have right to killl them.. Be kind to other..
Isn’t that just the scariest thing: that these people have become so numb to the killing that they don’t see any of the pain and suffering anymore. How frightening to think that our human minds are capable of being so cold.
How scary karma is too – that we can create the causes to be in a situation where just create more and more negativity for ourselves without even realising what we are doing to ourselves and others. It is like being reborn as a snake where you kill and kill and kill your whole life as a means of survival.
It’s especially sad that humans have so much more ability and capacity to think than a mere snake but in the end, so many humans end up just acting like animals… It’s even worse than animals too because humans have the ability to know better but their selfishness and evil intent overwhelms them and blinds them to reason.
My heart weeps every time I see any form of cruelty to animals. Sickens me to think that humans can be that heartless, more so for sport. Please can we all write in a letter, forward for signatories and petition them to STOP!
We need to realize the nature of our existence (as humans or animals) is suffering. Every effect has its cause. Hence every suffering has its cause.
These photos clearly show us suffering is everywhere at all levels. We saw the suffering of the killed pilot dolphins. We can also see the future sufferings of all those involved directly or indirectly in the process of this killing – be it the killers or the spectators. Knowing that the action of killing is wrong and we don’t do something to stop it is also wrong! We must stop these negativities before they become impossible to purify.
Ignorant humans kill animals for whatever reasons may be. Ignorant humans create more and more negative karma to the point where eventually they end up as the victims (like the abovementioned dolphins) of their own actions! This is effect similar to its cause.
STOP KILLING!
We must break this negative habituation of killing through creating awareness of the consequences of the action of killing. This calls for a deeper understanding of the Law of Cause and Effect as taught by Lord Buddha.
Below is a verse to contemplate and meditate on.
Verse number 3 of the Twenty-Seven Verses on Mind Training Composed by Lama Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) says that:
“If shadows of negativity are not dispelled immediately, these strange insubstantial absences of light gain immense potency with every new action, until even those who understand the dangers of negation will not have enough power to choose the way of Clear Light. Even those who study philosophy and speak eloquently are unable to release themselves from illusory darkness.”
It is so sad to know that the people engaging in this barbaric act will continue to do so year after year, as it is part of their culture/habituation. Mass killing such as this carrying out in the public is like an endorsement to tell the kids that killing is ok. Imprints can be planted subtly! Those participating in it were once a kid and due to the imprints they are now causing such much pain and sufferings to the other living beings, and unknowing create huge amount of negative karma which will ripen one day and cause harm to themselves.
It is so important to be closed to virtuous people and be influenced by positive actions in one’s life, so that one does not derive enjoyment from harmful acts to others.
That is: if you did not believe in hell, just look at the pictures above.
It is:
1. hell for the dolphins as it happens,
2. and it is causes for hell for the killers.
When one overcomes his essential incline not to harm others and engages in killing activities of this kind, it creates an habituation.
As a result, one either becomes numb or even worse, one enjoys the feeling of kiling.
When, on top of that, it is supported by the community, by the parents, grand-parents and governement, negative habitution to kill just runs loose… It becomes a big party!
We would think we should be glad that we did not grow up within such environement, yet we should think again, are we doing similar things too?
What is the reality behind foie gras, behind fried chicken, behind a beefsteak, or even behind a leather jacket, or some cosmetic products etc…
We know the truth, and we think it’s okay because it was done by others, it was done anyway, its is “already done”.
Yes, it’s true, we were not the one slitting the throat of the cow, it was somebody else, paid to do so.
Paid by whom?
I am in complete agreement with Martin. The posting above is indeed horrific, it is indeed barbaric, it is indeed cruel, it is indeed senseless, etc etc etc… However, we are NO angels ourselves. All of us living and breathing humans (apart from those who return willingly to help others like us of course!) are in some way directly or indirectly INVOLVED!
That is the sad truth and what are we doing about it? We sit in the comfort of our homes, offices or hotel rooms (in my case) and write eloquently and with conviction against the perpetrators and then go about our daily lives. Such is our samsaric world! Such is why the bad flourishes when the good does NOTHING!
Am not standing on my soap box preaching! Far from this. Am humbly emoting my thoughts on this posting and where I for one would like to change sincerely. How can I from a logical standpoint even begin to point my finger at someone when I myself am no different. I may not be the one weilding the hook and killing the shrieking beings above but I did eat meat before and for that I contributed equally to the suffering of many many beings.
Dining on my “sumptuous” foie gras, lamb chops, or roast chicken throughout my meat eating days was and is in itsef SHAMEFUL and CRUEL! I pray in being “almost” vegetarian since taking refuge with Tsem Rinpoche, I may create some good merits to purify my previous actions. And gosh, that is just from this lifetime!!! I cannot even begin to comprehend what negative karma from my previous lives. To add, by “almost” I mean I slipped on two occasions where:
1. I ate some grilled shrimp at a friend’s party a couple of months back.
2. I ate some duck confit in a restaurant in Brussels last week.
In both these instances I ate/chose meat because I did not want to portray a “holier than thou” attitude (in my mind) and not want to freak friends out. How wrong I was… in both these instance, it was NOT enjoyable as it tasted almost foul and I had no enjoyment from it whatsoever! And to justify to myself that I am doing it so I do not “freak” friends out is soooooo stupid looking back at it.
Anyway, the reason why I pointed this out was to show that we as humans are fallable and that we CAN change and we SHOULD change for the good of all sentient beings. And what better way then start with OURSELVES FIRST and take this one simple step of being a vegetarian and stick to it! At least try!!! Wouldnt the world be a much better place if we ALL were? No ore senseless killing, etc!
This I wish with all my heart
One of the ways we can express our distress over this and similar animal abuse is to start by not harming…and it’s by STOP eating them. STOP STOP STOP eating them. Animals all have feelings, they feel fear just the same as us. Guess what, we have been reborn countless times as animals as well. Ok, let’s not even go there as it may be too challenging a fact to accept. What’s the difference between our pet dog and friend chicken? I find many cultures instead, chop off the heads of animals so the meat is served as fillet to disguise itself that it was ones an animal! How deluded and insane we are.
Looks like civilization is a proof that it is not about a reduction in harmful actions, it’s not about humanity, it’s not about higher consciousness. Yet, every nation is striving towards being a developed nation and becoming more civilized.
It’s only about self gratification, self indulgence and getting better at justifying how our killing is a good deed, that there’s nothing wrong in it. Sad! How have we come to this in the 21st century where people walk on moon, where we can clone human beings, but we have yet to stop…if not reduce harming our environment, and other beings. May we truly realise the harm caused will boomerang back at us! So let’s start releasing good instead for it to return to us.
People say animals are barbaric and they are not intellectual. Looking at these pictures, they make me think otherwise.
How could we call ourselves human beings, born with the faculties to be able to think and learn to improve ourselves do such horrific action!!
These pictures show me that some of us human are really the worst of the worse! How on earth can one consider this ‘killing spree’ festival to be an act of enjoyment and entertainment? Is this a correct way to teach our future generation that it is ok to kill? What seeds are we planting in their mind stream?
Wake up! Every living being on this earth deserves a chance to live and be happy. Animals are already ‘trapped’ being reborn in the animal realm and these people are pushing them to the worse places by invoking fear in them at the moment of their death. By doing this, we are creating more negative karma for us to be reborn in the lower realms, most likely without ever a chance to redeem ourselves!
It is really heart wrenching to hear the cries of these unfortunate animals being killed by civilized human being! Talk about karma, I wonder what negative karma does these dolphins / whales has that ripen to this act of cruelty!!!!
Dear Rinpoche, I am Wai Yi. I have read about the dolphins. The killing of dolphins are so cruel. I felt sad for them. I don’t think its fun to harm them because next time if we become animal, people will harm us too. So please save the sea animals. Please pray for the animals. I am only 7 years old now but when I grow up, I want to take care of animals. Now I will chant Medicine Buddha Mantra for the dolphins and other sea animals. I wish those animals who being killed will not suffer. Thank you.
What I can’t fathom is how anyone could breed such wanton destruction in the name of a sport. To want to inflict such suffering upon another being that has done nothing to harm you, for no “valid” excuse such as self-defense, coercion, insanity, pure carelessness, vocation or survival, points to a tainted, evil and poisoned mind that derives glee out of sadism. How does one even dare to hold that harpoon and pull that trigger without even a shudder just to see and hear such a massive animal squirm, trash, and die in slow agony before one’s eyes at one’s hand without even a tinge of guilt, apprehension or regret?
The effects of such action is so very obvious: you swim in the sea of blood that was bloodied by your hand, you hear the haunting cries of one you have tortured and left to die, the air you breathe is pervaded by the smell of agonizing death, you can’t hide and pretend you caused no pain as the ravaged body of your bounty so much bigger than yours is there for all to see, a grim reminder of what you have done, but your conscience is so dead that it does not torment your mind or make your stomach retch. Multiply that effect many times over for all your compatriots-in-crime and it is nothing short of barbaric, and we are talking about a supposedly first world, highly educated and highly “civilized” society. What religion in the world teaches that you can do all this and get away with it?
I feel sorry not just for the massacred but for the slayer who has been blinded by his own ignorance. Both are but victims of their own karma. Do they know that premeditating a murder (of any life), committing it and then rejoicing over it without regret completes the karma of the negative action of killing, and as far as Buddhism explains, the result is birth in the three lower realms, specifically the hell realm?
What can we do about it? We can petition, we can resolve not to eat meat, we can even go there and try to save the dolphins, but what impact can we have? What we can do is limited in our current capacity because we are in the same boat (samsara), but if we are freed from this cycle of suffering ourselves, then only do we have the capacity to help all suffering beings in a more ultimate way. May that aspiration to attain that state develop, remain strong and grow in me until it is realised.
Hi, there are a lot of inaccurate information on the internet. Found this link in the answers.Yahoo.com.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090715205816AAbVQwZ
The best answer came from a contributor who claimed that the Danes and Danish government are not involved nor are they in any position to stop them. There must be a deeper reason why the Danish government cannot stop them but I just don’t know what. Also, according to the link the tradition is real but the poor creatures are whales and not dolphins.
I don’t condone this tradition but all I can say is that I pray the dolphins will move on to a better life in their next reincarnation and that I pray for the human beings responsible for keeping this tradition alive will be lucky enough to be able to have the chance to attain some compassion and some wisdom before the end of their lives.
The Most depraved and diabolical thing I’ve heard of, and in this day and age. Sometimes I think
human rebirth is the lower of the realms!
Whenever i go grocery shopping with my non-vegan friends… If they wanted to buy a can of sardine, i would always suggest one that has a ‘dolphin friendly’ pledge.
It saddens me to read about this mass killing of dolphins… These beautiful creatures are famous for saving humans stranded at sea.
Although i can understand killing for food to a certain extent… i can never understand the need of killing for sport, nor can i support such an idea. Besides the dolphin killing; bullfighting, deer hunting etc. have never made sense to me, as i can never bring myself to think ‘Killing is fun’.
I just hope people that kill for sport will gain the wisdom and compassion, to realize it is not humane to carry out such activities.
THIS IS ABSURD AND RIDICULOUS! where is the justice? even if it is to kill, this is definitely NOT the way! what is the Denmark government doing? According to the link saying that it is nothing to do with Danes, Faroe Island is so near to them, they should at least DO SOMETHING!
Dolphins are men’s best friends in the sea…. is that what they get from being compassionate to human beings and get butchered in return.
I serious had never see a sea of blood before and this is really not a sight I would like to see.
I really hope more and more animal right activists will stand up against this horror of butchering such gentle and harmless creatures.
The description of how they kill them is even more inhumane. Bless those poor souls butchered by the inhumane society. Imagine if they see their children or families being torn apart by wild beasts in front of their eyes, how will they feel?
Thank you Mr Anders and also kiji for clarifying some of the inconsistencies that may have been contained within the original forwarded email. The details may be incorrect but it doesnt really matter which country or what animal it is.
The most important point here is that helpless animals are being killed for no good reason, and in such a unnecessary brutal way. There is already so much butchery going on slaughter-houses, abattoirs, in restaurants (oh yes, the lobsters, mussels, and other crustaceans count too. The next time you order a pot of mussels, just think of how many lives you’re personally responsible for ending).
Commercial animal slaughter claims to do it in the most humane but I disagree. There can never be a humane way for killing. If it is, why arent executions of deathrow criminals performed that way?
Bottom line is, please stop all these cruelty to our fellow creatures who inhabit this earth. Your tastebuds are not important enough to justify the death of another creature.
it is very sad to witness such cruelty in this time and day. This is a demonstration of how primitive the human mind can still be. The method used by these murderers is in no way humane and I think that people, especially children should not be exposed to this savage behaviour. This action of killing will definitely increase hostility of one’s mind. I hope that the law to protect wild life will be enforced and these people and the murdering of the whales would be brought to justice. People need to start understanding the value of life and begin to understand that every living creature on this planet plays a part in the eco system. Perhaps to survive, we need to live hand in hand.
Wee Liang
IT IS DISGUSTING TO SEE THOSE PICTURES OF DOLPHINS BEING KILLED! I am very sorry for them. THESE HUMAN BEINGS ARE REALLY CRUEL!
For those who are involved, PLEASE PLEASE STOP KILLING THEM! CALDERON DOLPHINS ARE SO ADORABLE, THEY FILL WITH FEELINGS TOO!
SINCE, IS JUST A CELEBRATION TO SHOW PEOPLE, THAT YOU ARE MATURE AND ADULTS, THEN PLEASE DO SOMETHING GOOD, WHICH IS MEANINGFUL AND UNFORGETTABLE! PLEASE CONSIDER AND SAFE THEIR LIVES! IT IS SAD TO KNOW.
I WISH, THE GOVERNMENT OF FAROESE, PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SERIOUS ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT BRINGS DOWN YOUR COUNTRY AND IT IS SHAMEFUL! THANKS
Angel
Let’s not begin with how this is even relevant to Tsemtulku. It seems as if any “injustice” which is not part of our culture is immediately deemed a barbaric and inhumane act. It is evident from the info written in this blog post was merely extracted from some stupid chain e-mail without any further consideration about all aspects about the whale killings. Gruesome? Definitely. Disturbing? Sure. Wrong? Debatable. If there is a reason why this has been part of the culture for 1000 years, why the hell hasn’t the blog writer identified it?
I personally enjoy ending the lives of those delicious mussels. God, you’re deluded
The first thing that I saw in the picture was a sea of red. At first I did not know what it was. Then I realize it was red blood that the Dolphins was sleeping on the beach in Denmark. That made me think deeper. There must be a reason why so many innocent whales was killed. They were killed not for food. This is celebration in Denmark every year where everyone participants are in their teens. The people enjoy watching the Dolphins being cut up part by part with thick hooks and hear them sufferings thru small cries they make during the slaughter. I am sure people in most part of the world will detest this type of actions. Be they be any religion. This is cruelty with no compassion.
The most common reason for this massacre is that these whales are in direct competition with humans for schools of fish. Humans eat other animals for food, hence became accustomed to it. We continue eating meat of animals because to most human, it gives sensory pleasure to taste and we are being told by doctors and in regular health magazines that different types of meat has lots of essential nutrients. Why do we human do this to other animals and label them as only animals.. then aren’t we monsters to slaughter, hunt, conduct experiments and eat these animals?
Every time we opt to not to eat meat, we are indirectly saving lives. Eating less meat helps solve cruelty and the ecology as meat production contributes significantly to global warming as it releases carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane to the environment. Demand creates supply. Let’s not support these industries. Eating more fruits and vegetables is definitely better for our long term health. We have a choice. Let our choice be a compassionate one guided by love and kindness and which in turn would bring happiness to oneself and others.
Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. – Thomas Alva Edison
I believe any form of killings is wrong. Some people will say it is actually not so bad as potrayed by this article. It is to curb over populations and traditions and what-not. Cultural traditions can be changed overtime if it’s for the betterment of mankind. Why not? Over poulations,.. i’m sure nature wil have a way to control them. We have no rights to make the call on behalf of all beings. Whether the above article is a propaganda or not. It is morally wrong no matter how you see it.
We are nobody but another beings in this planet. We are just a speck of dust in this planet,.. a tiny-micro-0.00000000000001 life forms in the universe. We need to start to co-exist more harmoniously. More understanding towards each other. With this in mind, i’m sure we will live in a more peaceful and happier life.
The least we can do,.. GO VEGETARIAN!
Dear Pamela : You say dolphins are cute, can we not also say the same thing about the chickens, ducks, pigs, etc that end up on our dining table? Yet they are slaughtered daily due to market demand. If we understand economics – then if there is no demand, there will be no supply. So, let’s cut back on our meat-y dishes so that at least we help reduce the number of lives that are taken daily. We must remember that whales or any other animals or insects or anything that lives are beings; the only difference is that they are unable to talk. Those poor dolphins are hacked to death all because of an age-old tradition that boys come of age. In this modern world? If only those poor dolphins could take, what a tale they would tell.
Still on the subject of merciless killing of dolphins, I’d like to share with you to watch The Cove which won the 2010 Oscar for Best Documentary. Here’s the brief intro:
The Cove is a 2009 American documentary film that describes the annual killing of dolphins in a National Park at Taiji, Wakayama, in Japan from an anti–dolphin-hunting campaigner’s point of view. The film highlights that the number of dolphins killed in the Taiji dolphin hunting drive is several times greater than the number of whales killed in the Antarctic, and reports that 23,000 dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan every year in the country’s whaling industry. The migrating dolphins are herded into a hidden cove where they are netted and killed by means of spears and knives over the side of small fishing boats. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cove_(film)
It was learnt that the residents of the fishing village made famous in the movie alleged that the film was innacurate and intolerant of other cultures. Please watch the documentary and make your stand against this cruel act on the dolphins.
DOLPHIN KILLING IN DENMARK
The photographs on the killings are truly sickening ! The poor dolphins – they are such harmless and adorable creatures .
But the bloody scene would be similar too if it was a mass killing of chubby pigs or cuddly lambs or clucking chicks ! The amount of blood spill to satisfy the human satisfaction for hunger and entertainment is tremendous ! Why in the world did the human race start to eat animals in the beginning ???
I would really prefer to read more heroic stories like “The Whale” – contributed by Shirley . It warms the heart to know that there is still Compassion out there in the Wild !
Very sad! Senseless, killings to portray maturity?? What are they thinking?? If only they stop for a moment and think, imagine themselves in the situation of those poor defenseless Dolphins. Imagine their family, friends and relatives, rounded up together, panicking and afraid.
And when they’re cornered, a group of merciless, happy, laughing “matured”, young man with sharp hooks comes slashing and digging away into the flesh of their love ones. Seeing, one by one of their love ones drowning in a pool of blood helpless and slowly dying. What a horrible scene! If only they can think this way and “feel”, for the Dolphins they’ve killed for the sake of FUN and to portray their MANliness!! Those poor creatures died for nothing! Nothing at all!
I have a friend whom I advised to go vegetarian once a week argued that, “We can cut up and eat these animals because we are superior and stronger. The weak are food for the mighty”. I answered him, “What makes you think you have the right to put another being’s meat in your mouth? You may think you are superior now. The lamb you eat, when it was alive before being served to you, it used to have family and friends. Imagine your friend being taken away and chopped up then served on a dinner plate. How would you feel? You might come back as a lamb one day yourself, and will you still feel as superior?” I left him to ponder…..
With much love and respect,
Joe Ang
It’s so sad and gross to see the killing of innocent dolphins openly in a developed country like Denmark ! Haven’t these people got any mercy for animals at all ? Their cruelty and barbaric act by killing these innocent creatures are so disgusted. Dolphins are such lovable animals that can be trained to be man’s best friend.
From the open killing of the dolphins, one can also imagine how the closed door killings being carried out in the abattoir. Thousands of animals are being slaughtered in order to supply to consumer market for consumption, so if you think killing and eating meat can create bad karma become vegetarian then.
All the teachers I know and have learnt from has never taught morally wrong ideas or actions that harm others. Not even my Home Science teacher whom I hated as she would pinch me if I didn’t get it right. Her intention was to make sure we learnt the correct way even though her methods may not have been acceptable. This is the first time that I come across a culture that teaches their young in a short time such intense negative actions across all the senses of sight, sound, feelings, actions. Comparing the butchering house to this open senseless killing doesn’t make the actions less repulsive. Whether the species of the mammals being selected is on or not on the extinction list does not warrant teaching our young to kill.
“A celebration, to show that they are adults and mature!”
What a stupid thinking? I don’t think this is a good way to show ONE that they are adults and mature. What do they think if a hammer 2.2 kg metal gaffs or a 15 cm knife slash through your body” How painful is it? I never ever brave to think of this feeling. Although they are animal but they deserve same love and care as human. They are not here for us to abuse. I really feel very pain for these dolphins that done by these unkind people. Through their action, they are accumulated a lot of bad karma.
Please watch this video, see how cute all these marina animals.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=393366927887&ref=share
The first site that I came across when googling Faroe was headed the ‘Visit Faroe Islands – the most appealing destination’. Imagine going there for your holidays, walking along the beach and you turn round the corner, and come face to face with this ‘RED SEA’ Oops sorry wrong Red Sea!
The islanders had defended the actions stating that it is a tradition that goes back to the 16th century to help them survive the harsh winters. Yes 16th century!! But ironically the meat is no longer considered fit for consumption due to the high level of mercury. Isn’t it about time the Faroese re-considered the practice in the same way the Spaniards should do with bull fighting. There is no justification in killing for pleasure!
I which to contribute with some information from “Human Society International” containing suggestions about how/what to do: http://www.hsus.org/hsi/oceans/whales/pro_whaling_nations/faroe_islands_whale_hunt.html
In the end of the link Human Society International encourage to take action by giving this advice:
“YOU CAN HELP!
There is currently a coalition of NGO’s working hard on a solution. If you would like to take action against the hunt, you can write to the Faroese government and tourist board and explain your concerns and why you think it should be stopped, mentioning the reasons above. Be advised that angry letters are counterproductive, so please stay conscious of that when writing your letter.” (adresses and e-mailadress are found in the link)
I also whish to add a BEAUTIFUL VIDEO about what Dolphins can teach us = what we can learn from Dolphins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6IKHCUXWM8 with a link included about the Dolphin hunt in Japan many know about.
As I have no control of my rebirth, I might be reborn and find myself to be in such situation that I am either the dolphines being slaughtered or the person doing the killings due to frutioning of my previous negative karma. Either way I would end up creating more negative karma and dwelled further and further into samsara due to my ignorant mind and my non-virtue actions.
May i not take this life for granted and make the most meaningful use of it by practising what Rinpoche has preached and by performing all the daily sadhanas that Rinpoche has requested us to do, be it on gradual basis.
I think, we should all stop and consider where the information is coming from first. Pictures say a thousand words, but they don’t say everything. Although I don’t approve of senseless killings, there are many factors to weigh in when animals are killed for food. Sad to say, we can’t all be vegetarians, and we can’t all be perfect yet.
If the people in the Faroe Island are killing these pilot whales, we should first ask why they’re doing it before judging their actions. The pictures are horrendous, but it doesn’t explain their motivations. Surely, it can’t all be for fun.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/w/whale-killing-denmark.htm
and here,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3104494.stm
Here are some more information to consider:
http://www.wdcs.org/stop/killing_trade/story_details.php?select=496
http://www.hsus.org/hsi/oceans/whales/pro_whaling_nations/faroe_islands_whale_hunt.html
“You Yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve Your love and affection.” – Buddha quotes
Humbly with Metta
Hey, I’m from the Faroe Islands, so I should know the facts… We don’t kill these animals because it’s fun and the killings don’t make a teenager a man. This is just rubbish, which the activist try to convince people that it’s bad to kill whales. And I’ve never heard a whale “cry” once it dies.
Let me tell you, what happens when we kill the whales. First someone sees them and contacts the elected whaling officials and the district sheriff and tells them about the whales. They then get the message round the country as fast as possible to get as much boats to the whales as possible. The whales will then be chased to the nearest beach where they will be killed. We use stones tied in a rope which we throw behind them so they get to the right destination. When we reach there, we take a knife cutting their spinal cord so they get unconcious and die withing seconds because they don’t get any blood to the brain. If the whales are on too deep water we’ll haul them to lower water with a steel hook which we place in the blowhole. Then we eat the meat. The meat is shared with anyone who participated. Maybe the whales suffer from stress in 20 minutes, but that’s far better than suffer from stress all their lives just as the cattle, chickens, pigs, etc. do. They live in cages so small that they can’t even stand. The main thing is, that the Faroe Islands has developed yet more painless things to not harm the whales because of the media attention. We would be in real trouble if we just killed them brutally. But in the slaughter houses, no one can see what happens in there, so the farmers do whatever they’d like with the animals without anyone knowing. So please reconsider where the meat comes from when you go in the store the next time. That’s a better purpose than try to attack a nation which already kills the whales in the most humane way as possible.
Animals have no control over their lives and to the terrible tortures and ordeals of incredible sufferings that humans inflict on them.
As part of our KH spiritual practice programme, Rinpoche has encouraged his students to care for animals and contemplate on the terrible sufferings they experienced. As a classic example, even Tsem Ladrang has built a very large and beautiful aviary to house birds. This is to advocate as part of a learning process on animal needs and developing care for other unfortunate beings, including animals, i.e weekly feeding of turtles and fish at TTDI Park and Metropolitan Park at Kepong. Monthly animal liberation programme activities to promote compassion towards all living beings were also carried our jointly between Kechara Care and Kechara Animal Sanctuary.
Last but no least, Rinpoche has always advocates students to refrain from eating meat, be vegetarian, thus abandoning killing and to encourage animal liberation, a Buddha compassion nature!!
Uncle Eddie
(Aug. 10, 2010)
[...] 2010年7月8日 星期四 上午4:45 1 条评论 以下文章摘自尊贵的詹杜固仁波切的部落格。在丹麦，每年都会以捕杀海豚来庆祝当地少年的成年礼活动。 [...]
Hi Tsem Tulku Rinpoche
I am against the killings of Dolphins and Whales. I have received emails from people who has pen down their names from all over the world in protest of this disgusting act committed by species we called human beings. In all of those emails, there are no indication as to who or which organisation that we can direct the names to, who is able to stop this horrible act. When I google to find out, I came across your site. Do you have an email address that I can forward all the names to or shall I forward it to you. If so, please send me your email address. Thank you.
[...] http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/07/dolphin-killing-in-denmark… [...]
SPEECHLESS WITH HUMAN “DDDEEENNNMMMAAARRRKKK” ANIMAL.
i don’t like to spoke to den mark, i shame on us to tell the name of den mark.