Are Buddhists Pagans?

Writing the first column for 'This Pagan Life' made me start thinking about what constitutes a 'Pagan'. A belief in a goddess/god who embodies all? Some Pagans have a pantheon of God aspects, some don't. Perhaps it is more along the lines of a belief in us all being a part of God, and the universe.

So, what about Buddhists? Are they Pagans? I asked Victoria Whitehand, a sculptor who discovered another calling as a Buddhist teacher. She told me, "Since I'm Buddhist rather than Jewish, Christian or Muslim, you could consider me to be pagan, yes. Interesting concept, since Buddhism honors all religions, and is not exactly a "religion".

What exactly does Victoria mean by that? Her path to Buddhism was through her art, which utilized deities and myths from all over the world, from a variety of religious sources...except the big three Patriarchal religions. But she did point out that there is a difference between Buddhism and other Pagan belief systems...

"Buddhism differs from Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Pagan religions in that it posits no powers external to mind. The meditational deities in Tibetan Buddhism are thought of as manifestations of particular aspects of enlightened awareness, not existing outside of mind. Demons and obstructors are likewise energies found within the mind. 'Looking at objects, the mind, devoid of objects, is seen; looking at mind, its nature, devoid of mind, is empty. Though it is empty, it may manifest anything, without ceasing.' from the 3rd Karmapa's Aspiration to Mahamudra Prayer."Well, I'm not a Neo-Pagan for nothing. The Buddhist way seems a little too 'accepting' of circumstance for me, and requires too much non-interference and 'downtime'. But as I said in my first column, I don't see everyone following the same path. And although Victoria felt panic at first about embracing Buddhism, she soon came to realize that this was what she had been waiting for.