The tributaries — traditions born from the same ground
धर्म परम्परा
Also written: buddhism jainism sikhism hinduism · dharmic religions · indian religions relationship · offshoots of hinduism · sanatana dharma and buddhism
Several complete traditions arose from the same soil, share much of the same vocabulary, and then diverge on specific points. Calling them tributaries is not a claim of ownership — it is a statement about a shared watershed. Each is a full tradition in its own right, and each is presented here on its own terms.
| Tradition | Shares | Departs on |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhism | Karma, rebirth, liberation, meditation, ahiṁsā, the ascetic ideal | Rejects the permanent self (anātman) and the Veda's authority |
| Jainism | Karma, rebirth, liberation, asceticism, the eternal soul | Rejects the Veda; karma as subtle matter; absolute ahiṁsā; anekāntavāda |
| Sikhism | One reality, karma, rebirth, the guru, nām-simran, seva | Rejects image worship, ritual, birth-hierarchy and renunciation; scripture is the living Guru |
| Nātha and Siddha | Fully within the Śaiva stream | Departs from Vedic ritual toward the body as the sole instrument |
| Bhakti sants | Within the tradition, and often its sharpest internal critics | Reject ritual monopoly and birth-hierarchy from inside |
| Modern reform | Within the tradition | Return to Veda or to Vedānta over accumulated custom |
Buddhism
The four truths, the eightfold path, anātman and dependent origination — and the debate that reshaped Indian philosophy on both sides.
Jainism
The eternal soul, karma as matter, absolute non-violence, and the many-sidedness of truth.
Sikhism
Ik Onkar, the ten Gurus, the Guru Granth Sahib as living scripture, langar and seva.
Nātha sampradāya
Gorakhnātha, the eighty-four Siddhas, and the haṭha yoga tradition that gave the world its āsanas.
The bhakti sants
Kabīr, Ravidās, Mīrā, Tukārām, Nāmdev, Basavaṇṇa — reform from within, in the language of the people.
Modern movements
Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Theosophy and the twentieth-century teachers.
In this section
Buddhism
The Buddha's teaching, the four noble truths and the eightfold path, anātman and dependent origination, the schools, and its long argument with the orthodox darśanas.
Jainism
The twenty-four Tīrthaṅkaras, the eternal soul and karma as matter, the five vows, anekāntavāda, and the most uncompromising ahiṁsā of any tradition.
Sikhism
Guru Nānak and the ten Gurus, Ik Onkar, the Guru Granth Sahib as living scripture, the three pillars of practice, langar and the Khālsā.
The Nātha sampradāya and haṭha yoga
Matsyendranātha and Gorakhnātha, the nine Nāthas and eighty-four Siddhas, the body as the vehicle of liberation, and the texts that produced modern yoga.
The bhakti movement and the sants
A thousand years of reform from inside: the Ālvārs and Nāyanmārs, Basavaṇṇa, Kabīr, Ravidās, Mīrā, Nāmdev, Tukārām, Caitanya, Śaṅkaradeva and Narsinh Mehta.
Modern movements and teachers
Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, and the teachers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who reformulated the tradition for a changed world.
Buddhism
The Buddha's teaching, the four noble truths and the eightfold path, anātman and dependent origination, the sc…
Jainism
The twenty-four Tīrthaṅkaras, the eternal soul and karma as matter, the five vows, anekāntavāda, and the most …
Sikhism
Guru Nānak and the ten Gurus, Ik Onkar, the Guru Granth Sahib as living scripture, the three pillars of practi…
The Nātha sampradāya and haṭha yoga
Matsyendranātha and Gorakhnātha, the nine Nāthas and eighty-four Siddhas, the body as the vehicle of liberatio…
The bhakti movement and the sants
A thousand years of reform from inside: the Ālvārs and Nāyanmārs, Basavaṇṇa, Kabīr, Ravidās, Mīrā, Nāmdev, Tuk…
Modern movements and teachers
Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, and the teachers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who …
Last revised 2026-08-16. Corrections are welcome — see how this site is written.