Common Ground

Andrew Ritz — Sun, 18 May 2008 16:40:23 +0000

Saint Origen tells us that Buddhists and Druids co-existed in pre-Christian Britain (see ref 1). If this was the case then it is likely that the two religions have something in common. Certainly Druids believed in rebirth. They were peacemakers rather than warmongerers and prefered debate to dogma (see refs 2 and 3).

The Baltic Druids were probably of a similar orientation and like their peers in Britain possessed an Earth-Based Spirituality. Holy forests with an abundance of oak trees were sites of worship and rituals. Female priets were common. A part of one of these holy forests, the ancient Prussian Sanctuary of Romuva, was the centre of their faith and is represented by a holy oak with an eternal flame.

ref 1: Mackenzie, Donald A. (1928), Buddhism in pre-Christian Britain, pub Blackie and Son Ltd, Glasgow

ref 2: Buddhists and Druids in pre-Christian Britain and Ireland

ref 3: Celtic Spirituality – Buddhists, Christians and Druids in ancient Britain and Ireland

Buddhism and Druidism

Common Ground