European sacred symbols

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Both Baltic and Finnic symbols have what looks like a Dharma Wheel, the eight points of which signify the Noble Eightfold Path. Both regions have ancient Scythian roots. Scythian power was based on the war chariot, which in ancient times was sophisticated technology requiring many trained humans and horses. There is strong evidence the Buddha was Scythian¹. His moniker Shakyamuni means ‘sage of the Scythians’. There is also evidence that Laozi², the founder of Daoism in China, was either a disciple of Shakyamuni/ Gautama (Lao Dan) Buddha or a member of a group of Scythian philosophers who had great impact on the ancient world. ABN

1. Historian Christopher Beckwith argues in The Scythian Empire that Laozi (Lao Tzu) was a Scythian philosopher, identified as Gautama or Lao-Tan, who taught in early China. 
    Beckwith posits that Laozi was an immigrant outsider who, like Zoroaster and the Buddha, founded Daoism by introducing Scythian philosophy to Chinese society. 
   Beckwith’s interpretation includes several key claims:
   Scythian Origin: Laozi bore a Scythian name and was part of a group of Scythian-linked thinkers who spread across Eurasia between 600 and 400 BCE.
   Philosophical Content: Laozi’s teachings on logic, epistemology, and ethics were inspired by Early Buddhism and focused on resolving conflicting antilogies rather than mystical or political theory. 
   Rejection of Tradition: Like other Axial Age figures, Laozi criticized and rejected the traditional beliefs of his adoptive culture, establishing a new philosophical framework centered on equanimity and the relativity of absolute assertions. 
   Cultural Impact: Beckwith suggests that the Scythian influence, embodied by figures like Laozi, was instrumental in creating the first powerful states and philosophical traditions in China, Persia, and India.  ↩︎
2. The Chinese characters for the names associated with the philosopher are:
   Laozi: 老子
   Literally translates to “Old Master” or “Old Child.”
   老 (Lǎo) means “old.”
   子 (Zǐ) means “master,” “child,” or “philosopher.” 
   Lao Tan (also spelled Lao Dan): 老聃
   This is the personal name often attributed to Laozi in early texts like the Zhuangzi.
   老 (Lǎo) means “old.”
   聃 (Dān/Tán) refers to having long ears or a drooping earlobe, a feature traditionally associated with wisdom and longevity in Chinese physiognomy. 
   Historical records, such as Sima Qian’s Shiji, also mention his surname as Li (李) and his given name as Er (耳, meaning “ear”) or Dan (聃). 
    Thus, he is sometimes referred to as Li Er (李耳) or Li Dan (李聃).  ↩︎