The Path To Celtic Buddhism

[TheDruid-3X3]

Awens to All:

Last February, I learned of a Book written by a Reverend Monk of Celtic Buddhism who writes under the Pen Name of 'Dru' and I ordered the Book from Amazon.

When I received the Book, I notified the Author I had received it and was about to read it and write a Review of it.

He replied asking if I could write only a Positive Review or nothing at all.

My Response was to leave the Book in its Amazon Wrapper and proceeded to write my 2018 Samhain 3X3 Triad of Wisdom on the Positive & Negative Effects of Peer Pressure which I then kept put away until the morning of October 31st when I finally E-Published it.

Now that I have E-Published my 3X3 Triad Poem on Peer Pressure (sending 'Dru' a copy of it), I finally unwrapped my Copy of 'The Path To Celtic Buddhism' and am now reading and writing my Honest Opinion Review of it without regards to Peer Pressure on how I should write the Review.

First thing I noted that 'Dru' does not include a Table of Contents.  but does have something From The Author and a Foreword then an Introduction.

So I am starting off by checking the Foreword and Introduction out.

3X3

[quilp]

Message received, over and out... 

[TheDruid-3X3]

Awens to All:

The Foreword is an recap of the History of how Celtic Buddhism was founded in the early 1970s and in the Introduction, it states that it is something to help bring back the Ancient Celtic Culture of the Druids and how the Ancient Celtic had to have Warrior Druids to fend off the Perils of the Life that existed in those times and how it pays Respect to the Cycles of Nature.

 

3X3

[John Wright]

4 minutes ago, TheDruid-3X3 said:

Awens to All:

The Foreword is an recap of the History of how Celtic Buddhism was founded in the early 1970s and in the Introduction, it states that it is something to help bring back the Ancient Celtic Culture of the Druids and how the Ancient Celtic had to have Warrior Druids to fend off the Perils of the Life that existed in those times and how it pays Respect to the Cycles of Nature.

 

3X3

You do realise “ancient Celtic culture “ is all Victorian schmalzy made up pretend, with no basis in historical reality?

[TheDruid-3X3]

10 minutes ago, John Wright said:

You do realise “ancient Celtic culture “ is all Victorian schmalzy made up pretend, with no basis in historical reality?

That sort of thing is addressed in the Book "The Essential Guide To Druidism" by Isaac Bonewits.

A lot of it is based on Ancient Oghum Writing Translations, Stories handed down through the Generations and Archaeological Findings.  But quite a bit is based on Victorian made up bits as you point out.

I would highly recommend getting a copy of the Essential Guide by Isaac Bonewits so that you will come to know what exactly is going on.

 

3X3 

[quilp]

Crazy name, crazy guy... 

[TheDruid-3X3]

But Christians have Oppressed Jews, Muslims, Buddhist and Especially Pagans as well as each other (30 Years War).

Only in the last 100 Years or so have they knocked it off to some extent unlike the Muslims who are as Ruthless in their Oppressions as they ever were.

 

3X3

[John Wright]

1 hour ago, TheDruid-3X3 said:

But Christians have Oppressed Jews, Muslims, Buddhist and Especially Pagans as well as each other (30 Years War).

Only in the last 100 Years or so have they knocked it off to some extent unlike the Muslims who are as Ruthless in their Oppressions as they ever were.

 

3X3

That’s just a ruling elites thing, and there are still some pretty nasty Christians determined to oppress anyone who doesn’t comply with narrow bigoted views in your neck of the woods.

i repeat, Druidism, as you seem to follow, is a purely Victorian romantic construct with no historic legitimacy.

[TheDruid-3X3]

It is not Purely based on Victorian Romantic Constructs.  A lot of it is based on Archaeological Fact.

 

3X3 

[Albert Tatlock]

[TheDruid-3X3]

Awens to All:

The First Chapter is called 'Dana' which usually refers to some sort of Donation or Service given to a Buddhist Temple but the Chapter does not go into Dana, it actually describes Dru's Childhood in Ireland and how he grew up without a Good Relationship with his Father that prompted him to rebel and become a Punk Rocker.  He tells of how he heard on the Radio while Lodging with a Friend some of the Philosophies of Buddhism and how that resonated with him and he decided to reject the Punker lifestyle and went into becoming Buddhist.\

In the final part of the Chapter, he goes into how Buddhism taught him that there is actually nothing in Life that requires Forgiveness and to let all go about their own ways without Hindrance.

That reminded me of the Dalai Lama's opinion on Forgiveness and that seeking out Revenge does not Right the Wrong unless the Wrong Doer themselves correct the Wrong.

But unfortunately, there are too many People who can not perceive themselves as being Wrong and will never correct themselves.  They are usually known as Sociopaths and giving them an Inch will result in them grabbing for a Mile.

I found this Chapter mostly going over Dru's Personal Early Life and then going into some Philosophies on Forgiveness that I found accurate but seldom Practiced.

3X3 

[TheDruid-3X3]

Awens to All:

The next Chapter is called 'Stillness' and starts off by pointing out that Stillness is all that one needs and enjoy while Meditating.  So long as one has Stillness while Meditation, then that is all one needs to enjoy Meditating.

Then the Chapter goes on to describe that even though one can be Meditative, it is still difficult to Control the Bullish Negative Emotions in Life and points out that the Negative Emotions of Life do have its necessities even going over how he had to deal with a Brother Monk in a Monastery with whom he seemed not to be able to get along with.

3X3

[TheDruid-3X3]

Awens to All:

The next Chapter is called 'Spiritual Friend' and goes into Dru's Relationship with a Celtic Buddhist Abbot named Basil and how he was his Mentor who gave him some Guidance and how the Relationship worked and how it relates to other's Search and Findings of Spiritual Friends.  There is even a part that describes how Basil had to pack up and leave and they lost touch for a while which was upsetting to Dru.  But Dru States that one can go on without their Spiritual Mentor.

Then he describes how one can find a Spiritual Friend and how they influence ones Lives and reminded me how I have such a Relationship with a Japanese Buddhist Monk and how he has given me Advice and has Influenced me.

Dru then points out that Celtic Spiritual Friends are Referred to as being People that are Wise and not Egotistical and allow their Students to address them as Equals and not Subordinates.  I have such a Relationship with the Japanese Monk that I have been in Correspondence with since 2008.

A Celtic Spiritual Friend is referred to in Celtic Circles as being an ' Anam Cara' and they are someone who is a Teacher, Companion and Spiritual Guide.  There are others with whom I have such a Relationship as well as the Japanese Monk I know of.

This Chapter was very good at showing how one can Find and Recognize a Spiritual Friend and the Chapter did give some Good Advise for a Difficult Situation that I am presently dealing with right now.

3X3

[TheDruid-3X3]

Awens to All:

Tis the Morning After Winter Solstice and I thought I would have a look at the Next Chapter of Dru's Book which is Titled: 'Imagination'.

From the Title, I thought this would be a Meditation Guide Chapter but turned out to tell of how even from someone Trusted and from within a Buddhist Monastery in which all are supposed to be Mindful, Peaceful and Happy can come sudden Disappointment and how he dealt with the Disappointment of suddenly being put out of his Dutch Monastery and sent to some sort of Sanitarium Retreat for Mentally Ill Devotees of the Buddha.

This shows that even within the Temples of Buddhism can come one of those Inevitable Problems, Difficulties and Failures of Life that is mentioned in the Chant of Loving Kindness.

3X3  

[TheDruid-3X3]

In the next Chapter called 'Crazy Wisdom', it is finally revealed that they Monastery that 'Dru' has up until this point has been a Christian Monastery of the Cistercian Order and not a Buddhistic Temple and that it was on Easter Sunday in 2010 that he realized that there was something missing from and out of order from his having spent 20 Years (20 Years!!!) in this Monastery and therefore Departed.

The way he writes about his realization of how this Monastery was not turning out to be reminded me of the type of  Realization that Mark Townsend did when he left the Anglican Church becoming a Druid and going on to write his Book "The Path of the Blue Raven".

It seems to me that Mark Townsend and 'Dru' should get together as they would make a Good Team in helping each other promote each other's Spiritual Philosophies.

3X3