Meaning of the term Kaivalya used during ancient India
Kaivalya is a term used in ancient Indian philosophy, particularly in the schools of Yoga and Samkhya, to describe a state of absolute liberation or ultimate freedom. The term “Kaivalya” comes from the Sanskrit word “Kevala,” which means “absolute” or “unqualified.”
In the context of Yoga and Samkhya, kaivalya is seen as the highest goal of human existence, the state in which the individual consciousness is completely liberated from all attachments, desires, and suffering, and experiences a state of pure consciousness and bliss.
According to these traditions, the state of kaivalya is achieved through the practice of intense spiritual disciplines, including meditation, self-reflection, and the cultivation of right knowledge and right action. By purifying the mind and freeing it from all forms of distraction and attachment, the practitioner is able to achieve a state of pure consciousness, which is the essence of kaivalya.
The state of Kaivalya is often described as a state of absolute oneness or unity with the universe. In this state, the individual self is said to dissolve into the universal consciousness, and the boundaries between the self and the world are erased.
The concept of kaivalya is central to many of the spiritual traditions of ancient India, and continues to be an important goal for many practitioners of Yoga and other forms of meditation and self-inquiry.