Ramsund and Gök
rune stones, Sweden

Two rune stones located on Lake Mälaren near Stockholm have elaborate rune inscriptions with similar rune carvings and images. A warrior will cut the roots of the tree of life with a sword of wisdom, a giant represents ignorance about attachment to rebirth in the sensual world. Serpents warn of the dangers of birth, ageing and death. Birds of Odin, Huginn and Muninn (thought / concentration and memory / investigation of past lives), represent investigation with the “eye of the mind” – the concentrated sixth sense. The process of concentration is related to the meditation system originally taught by the Buddha in India, represented by the horse (Ramsund) and camel Gök) that “eats” the branches of the tree of life to illustrate the removal of defilements with the purpose to end the cycle of rebirth. The camel, also found on Pict stones, is evidence of the visit of a teacher during continuous contact with Asia long after the southern learning centres of Greece no longer functioned.