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Vira-saivism
[CH. known as the control of the six cakras), which would in their own way be regarded as the six stages or stations of the process of the control of the vāyus, the sat-sthalast. It is thus seen that according to the description given in Prabhu-linga-lilā of the doctrine of șat-sthala, the process of sat-sthala is to be regarded as an upward journey through a hierarchy of stations, by which alone the unity with Siva can be realised. The instruction of this dynamic process of yoga is a practical method of a semi-physiological process by which the ultimate identity of God and soul can be realised. In Sankara's monistic philosophy it is said that the realisation of the ultimate identity of the self with Brahman is the highest attainable goal of life. It is, however, said that such an enlightenment can be realised by proper intuition of the significance of the monistic texts such as "thou art that.” It refuses to admit any practical utility of any dynamic course of practice which is so strongly advised in the Vira-śaiva doctrine of sat-sthala as taught by Allama.
Allama had met Goraksa in one of his travels. Goraksa, who was also probably a Saiva, had by his yogic processes attained such miraculous powers that no stroke of any weapon could produce an injury on him. He made a demonstration of it to Allama. Allama in reply asked him to pass a sword through his body. But to Gorakşa's utter amazement he found that when he ran through Allama's body with his sword, no sound of impact was produced. The sword passed through Allama's body as if it were passing through vacant space. Gorakṣa wanted humbly to know the secret by which Allama could show such miraculous powers. In reply Allama said that the māyā becomes frozen, as does the body, and when the body and the māyā both become frozen, shadow forms appear as real?, and the body and the mind appear as one. When the body and the māyā are removed in the heart, then the shadow is destroyed. At this, Gorakṣa further implored Allama to initiate him into those powers. Allama touched his body and blessed him, and by that produced an internal conversion. As an effect of this, attachment vanished and with the disappearance of attachment, antipathy, egotism and other vices also disappeared. Allama further said that unless the self could realise that the association with the body was false, and the two were completely separated, one could
1 Prabhu-linga-lilā, part II, pp. 6-8 (1st edition). * Ibid. p. 25 (1st edition).
