Hinduism · branch

Gaudiya Vaishnavism

Krishna as the supreme personal God, approached through devotion, chanting and a strict guru lineage. The most personalist theism in the Hindu family and, on the authority axes, among the most centralised traditions in the matrix.

What makes it unusual

The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.

C2 Shape of timecyclical returnFurther toward "cyclical return" than most traditions in the matrix.
E1 Exclusivityone true pathFurther toward "one true path" than most traditions in the matrix.
B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixedFurther toward "revealed and fixed" than most traditions in the matrix.
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodleaning given as graceFurther toward "given as grace" than most traditions in the matrix.

All seventeen positions

Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.

The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.

position
tolerated variation

A · The divine

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists	a divine reality certainly existsBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	1.00	0.02
A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address	a personal being one can addressBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.98	0.03
A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits	leaning strictly oneBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.35	0.14
A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it	leaning fully present within itBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.68	0.13

B · Knowledge and authority

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience	revealed and fixedBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.10	0.08
B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all	literal and bindingBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.12	0.10
B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides	clergy and tradition decideBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.08	0.07

C · Self and destiny

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form	continues in some formBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.98	0.03
C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return	cyclical returnBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.88	0.08
C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound	between fallen and in need of rescue and ignorant but fundamentally soundBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.58	0.14

D · Practice

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight	leaning given as graceBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.18	0.12
D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent	essential and prescribedBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.15	0.10
D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated	leaning to be disciplinedBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.20	0.12

E · World and others

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths	one true pathBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.12	0.10
E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural	leaning beginningless or naturalBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.82	0.10
E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice	leaning an individual choiceBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.72	0.13
E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred	between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredBhagavata Purana, Caitanya Caritamrta and Prabhupada’s commentaries	0.58	0.14

Compared with

Where do you sit?

The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.