Hinduism · branch
Vishishtadvaita Vedanta
Non-dual, but qualified: souls and world are real and are the body of a personal God. Surrender rather than knowledge is the operative move, which puts D1 on the grace side of a family that mostly sits on the effort side.
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.
- D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodleaning given as graceFurther toward "given as grace" 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 existsRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 1.00 | 0.02 |
| A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address | a personal being one can addressRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.85 | 0.10 |
| A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits | leaning strictly oneRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.30 | 0.14 |
| A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it | leaning fully present within itRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.78 | 0.12 |
B · Knowledge and authority
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience | leaning revealed and fixedRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.28 | 0.13 |
| B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all | leaning literal and bindingRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.25 | 0.12 |
| B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides | leaning clergy and tradition decideRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.18 | 0.12 |
C · Self and destiny
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form | continues in some formRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.92 | 0.06 |
| C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return | cyclical returnRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.90 | 0.07 |
| C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound | leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.70 | 0.13 |
D · Practice
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight | leaning given as graceRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.25 | 0.14 |
| D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent | leaning essential and prescribedRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.20 | 0.12 |
| D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated | leaning to be disciplinedRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.28 | 0.14 |
E · World and others
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths | between one true path and many valid pathsRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.55 | 0.16 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural | beginningless or naturalRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.88 | 0.08 |
| E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice | leaning a people, inheritedRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.35 | 0.17 |
| E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred | between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredRamanuja’s Sribhasya and the Divya Prabandham | 0.62 | 0.14 |
Further reading
- Ramanuja, Vedarthasangraha — The qualified non-dualist position argued against Shankara directly.
- Carman, The Theology of Ramanuja — Prapatti and the grace/effort balance at D1.
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.