The term Mukta means freedom. However, there are many different definitions of freedom, depending on circumstances and points of view. Freedom of expression refers to the ability to speak your mind, even if those opinions are unpopular. The Freedom Riders of the American civil rights movement struggled for freedom from racial injustice. People want freedom to pursue whatever interests they so desire. The list goes on…
However, freedom concerning Mukta has a very personal meaning, one that’s also related to the very heart of Yoga, as defined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Swami Venkatesananda’s interpretation):
yogaś citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ
Yoga happens when there is stilling (in the sense of continual and vigilant watchfulness) of the movement of thought – without expression or suppression – in the indivisible intelligence in which there is no movement (the aphorisms are underlined and the Swami weaves them into his interpretation).
Yoga happens when thought stills. Then harmony prevails. But that’s not the case for the large majority of the globe. Uncontrolled thoughts run rampant through the mind, causing no end of emotional distress and conflict. The world’s perceived through countless conditioned assumptions – everything’s seen through rose-colored glasses. This leads to the conclusion, from yoga’s perspective, about what freedom entails. Freedom, Mukta, is freedom from the mind! In silent awareness, no thoughts arise and yoga happens. That’s perpetual freedom.