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The Sahajiya Cult, which can be traced back to 10th and 11th centuries, is usually associated with:
Explanation
The Sahajiya cult, emerging around the 10th and 11th centuries, is primarily associated with Buddhism, specifically the Tantric Buddhist traditions of Bengal and Orissa. It originated as a religious doctrine during the Pala dynasty, evolving from Vajrayana Buddhism. The term 'Sahaja' refers to the 'innate' or 'simple' path to spiritual realization, emphasizing personal experience and the belief that the human body embodies the universe. While a later 'Vaishnava-Sahajiya' movement developed within the Bhakti tradition, the historical roots of the cult in the 10th-11th centuries are firmly Buddhist. This early Buddhist Sahajiya tradition focused on internal eternity and unconventional practices to understand the nature of living beings, eventually influencing other regional movements like the Bauls of Bengal.