Across families
Shaivism and Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism
Different families with 10 axes in close agreement — the sort of pairing a quiz weighting only the divine axes would never surface. Mean distance across all seventeen axes: 0.13 (0 would be identical).
Shiva as both the absolute and the immediate reality of consciousness, approached through recognition, yoga and temple practice. Spans ascetic and tantric extremes, so D3 sits mid-scale with a wide dispersion for good reason.
Mahayana aims plus tantric means: an elaborate deity practice, a guru whose authority is central, and a use of the body and the passions as the path rather than as obstacles. The most ritually dense form of Buddhism here.
Where they agree
B2 Reading of sacred text
Both sit at between literal and binding and metaphorical, or no text at all — a gap of 0.02.
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate good
Both sit at leaning achieved by effort or insight — a gap of 0.02.
B1 Source of truth
Both sit at between revealed and fixed and reason and direct experience — a gap of 0.03.
A4 Locus
Both sit at fully present within it — a gap of 0.03.
C2 Shape of time
Both sit at cyclical return — a gap of 0.05.
C3 The human condition
Both sit at leaning ignorant but fundamentally sound and ignorant but fundamentally sound respectively — a gap of 0.06.
D2 Centrality of ritual
Both sit at essential and prescribed — a gap of 0.07.
E2 Origin of the cosmos
Both sit at beginningless or natural — a gap of 0.07.
E4 Standing of nature
Both sit at leaning animate and itself sacred — a gap of 0.08.
E1 Exclusivity
Both sit at between one true path and many valid paths — a gap of 0.10.
Where they part company
A3 Plurality
Shaivism: between strictly one and many powers and spirits. Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism: leaning many powers and spirits. A gap of 0.42 on an axis running from “strictly one” to “many powers and spirits”.
C1 Survival of the self
Shaivism: continues in some form. Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism: between ends at death and continues in some form. A gap of 0.40 on an axis running from “ends at death” to “continues in some form”.
All seventeen axes
| Axis | Shaivism | Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine reality | a divine reality certainly exists | leaning a divine reality certainly exists | 0.22 |
| A2 Personhood | leaning a personal being one can address | between impersonal principle or order and a personal being one can address | 0.17 |
| A3 Plurality | between strictly one and many powers and spirits | leaning many powers and spirits | 0.42 |
| A4 Locus | fully present within it | fully present within it | 0.03 |
| B1 Source of truth | between revealed and fixed and reason and direct experience | between revealed and fixed and reason and direct experience | 0.03 |
| B2 Reading of sacred text | between literal and binding and metaphorical, or no text at all | between literal and binding and metaphorical, or no text at all | 0.02 |
| B3 Institutional authority | leaning clergy and tradition decide | clergy and tradition decide | 0.14 |
| C1 Survival of the self | continues in some form | between ends at death and continues in some form | 0.40 |
| C2 Shape of time | cyclical return | cyclical return | 0.05 |
| C3 The human condition | leaning ignorant but fundamentally sound | ignorant but fundamentally sound | 0.06 |
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate good | leaning achieved by effort or insight | leaning achieved by effort or insight | 0.02 |
| D2 Centrality of ritual | essential and prescribed | essential and prescribed | 0.07 |
| D3 The body | between to be disciplined and to be celebrated | between to be disciplined and to be celebrated | 0.13 |
| E1 Exclusivity | between one true path and many valid paths | between one true path and many valid paths | 0.10 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmos | beginningless or natural | beginningless or natural | 0.07 |
| E3 Locus of belonging | between a people, inherited and an individual choice | between a people, inherited and an individual choice | 0.20 |
| E4 Standing of nature | leaning animate and itself sacred | leaning animate and itself sacred | 0.08 |
Positions for Shaivism rest principally on Shaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts; for Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism, on Tibetan tantric commentarial literature and Lamrim texts. Per-cell sources are listed on each tradition’s own page.
The questionnaire places your answers on these same axes and ranks all 65 traditions by how closely they match. Take it.