Indic · macro

Sikhism

One formless creator present in everything, remembered in daily practice and served through honest work and shared food. Rejects both caste and asceticism: the householder’s life, lived attentively, is the path.

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 timeleaning cyclical returnFurther toward "cyclical return" 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.
A3 Pluralitystrictly oneFurther toward "strictly one" than most traditions in the matrix.
B2 Reading of sacred textleaning literal and bindingFurther toward "literal and binding" 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 existsGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	1.00	0.02
A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address	leaning a personal being one can addressGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.68	0.15
A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits	strictly oneGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.02	0.03
A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it	fully present within itGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.85	0.10

B · Knowledge and authority

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience	leaning revealed and fixedGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.35	0.15
B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all	leaning literal and bindingGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.25	0.13
B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides	leaning clergy and tradition decideGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.25	0.14

C · Self and destiny

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form	continues in some formGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.92	0.07
C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return	leaning cyclical returnGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.78	0.14
C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound	leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.72	0.13

D · Practice

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight	leaning given as graceGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.30	0.15
D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent	leaning essential and prescribedGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.35	0.15
D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated	between to be disciplined and to be celebratedGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.48	0.16

E · World and others

Axis	Position	Value	±σ
E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths	leaning many valid pathsGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.72	0.13
E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural	between an intentional act and beginningless or naturalGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.55	0.20
E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice	between a people, inherited and an individual choiceGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.55	0.18
E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred	between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredGuru Granth Sahib and the Rehat Maryada	0.60	0.15

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.