Socionics and the Hindu Gods
I played around with this idea a few years ago when I was looking back into Hinduism. I originally tried to align each type with a deity (there are more than enough to go around), but it became too overwhelming.
Background
Hinduism is not a monolithic entity, but an umbrella term used to refer to a collection of loosely-related worship traditions. Originally, religion on the Indian subcontinent consisted of animism no different from that which evolved among early human populations. This original form of nature worship filtered its way into the Vedas, in which the gods were representations of natural forces: Agni (God of Fire), Indra (God of Rain), and Varuna (God of the Sky). These earlier deities were eventually superceded by a more modern pantheon. Modern Hindu religious sects are divided into three or four lineages (depending on how you're delineating), which have roughly the same relationship with each other as the three Abrahamic religions: Shaktism (worship of Shakti), Vaishnaism (worship of Vishnu), Shaivism (worship of Shiva), and Smartaism (worship of all deities without distinction); they can also be divided into the triumvirate: Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Maintainer), and Shiva (the Destroyer).
Alpha: Adi Parashakti -- The Divine Mother
- Notable Avatars: Parvati
- Male Consorts: Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma
Of the four main deities here, Adi Parashakti is probably the oldest asside from Shiva and most closely related to the early animist tribal religions. Also like Shiva, she has counterparts in almost every theistic pantheon throughout the world. She represents the eternal womb -- the source from which life emerges. She represents creative potential, generativity, and motherhood (and
), though she is more principle than form. Shaktism, the school with which she is most associated, is the worship of Shakti: the energy underlying all of life.
Beta: Shiva -- The Destroyer
Shiva is the darkest of the Hindu triumvirate. He is portrayed as somewhat of a broody, aescetic, loner mountain man/warrior, retreating for solace into the Himilayas to meditate (). He is the lord of the animal realm, death, time, and the bringer of all ends and destruction (
). He is prone to temper tantrums (cutting off the head of his own son, Ganesh, in a fit of anger) and his mythology is pretty dramatic (
), especially his relationships with his female counterparts, Parvati and Kali. He is considered the masculine counterpart to Adi Parashakti.
Gamma: Buddha -- The Dissenter
So, Buddha isn't a Hindu God, but is the figure I feel most represents the spirit of Gamma. I have previously written about Buddha here as probably-ego. I am leaning toward ILI for him. His philosophy is practical, logical, austere, and makes morality an issue of pragmatism. He also was likely no
Delta: Vishnu -- The God of Life
- Notable Avatars: Krishna, Rama, Dashtavatara (animal avatars), (some Hindus maintain Buddha was an avatar of Vishnu, but this is merely a retroactive attempt to bring Buddhism "into the fold" of Vedic religion)
- Female Consorts: Lakshmi
Of the present-day Hindu pantheom, Vishnu has the largest following, owing to the popularity of the Bhagavad Gita in which his avatar Krishna extolls the virtues of living a life of devotion and duty and the Ramayana, in which his avatar Rama vanquishes the demon Ravana to save his wife Sita. Vishnu is probably the most down-to-earth of the dieties listed here because earth is his realm and humankind is his object of stewardship. He is content to maintain the status quo, keeping everything in equilibrium and balance.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by InvisibleJim
