Hinduism · branch
Shaivism
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.
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.
- E2 Origin of the cosmosbeginningless or naturalFurther toward "beginningless or natural" than most traditions in the matrix.
- D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribedFurther toward "essential and prescribed" than most traditions in the matrix.
- B3 Institutional authorityleaning clergy and tradition decideFurther toward "clergy and tradition decide" 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 existsShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 1.00 | 0.03 |
| A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address | leaning a personal being one can addressShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.75 | 0.15 |
| A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits | between strictly one and many powers and spiritsShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.38 | 0.16 |
| A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it | fully present within itShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.85 | 0.10 |
B · Knowledge and authority
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience | between revealed and fixed and reason and direct experienceShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.58 | 0.16 |
| B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all | between literal and binding and metaphorical, or no text at allShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.42 | 0.16 |
| B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides | leaning clergy and tradition decideShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.22 | 0.14 |
C · Self and destiny
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form | continues in some formShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.88 | 0.10 |
| C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return | cyclical returnShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.90 | 0.07 |
| C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound | leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.82 | 0.10 |
D · Practice
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight | leaning achieved by effort or insightShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.70 | 0.15 |
| D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent | essential and prescribedShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.12 | 0.10 |
| D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated | between to be disciplined and to be celebratedShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.45 | 0.18 |
E · World and others
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths | between one true path and many valid pathsShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.58 | 0.16 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural | beginningless or naturalShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.85 | 0.10 |
| E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice | between a people, inherited and an individual choiceShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.38 | 0.18 |
| E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred | leaning animate and itself sacredShaiva Agamas, Tirumantiram and Kashmir Shaiva Pratyabhijna texts | 0.78 | 0.12 |
Further reading
- Utpaladeva, Isvarapratyabhijnakarika — Recognition philosophy; the A4 and B1 values come from this line.
- Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism, ch. 7 — The range of Shaiva schools, which is what the wide sigmas encode.
Compared with
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.