'Bondage' and 'Liberation' are mere linguistic terms

[Guest guest]

'Bondage' and 'Liberation' are mere linguistic

terms. They have no reality of their own.

Therefore they cannot function of their own

accord. It is necessary to accept the existence

of some basic thing of which they are the

modifications. If one enquires, 'for whom is

there bondage and Liberation?' it will be seen,

'they are for me'. If one enquires, 'who am I?',

one will see that there is no such thing as the

'I'. It will then be as clear as an amalaka

fruit in one's hand that what remains is one's

real being. As this truth will be naturally and

clearly experienced by those who leave aside

mere verbal discussions and enquire into

themselves inwardly, there is no doubt that all

realized persons uniformly see neither bondage

nor Liberation so far as the true Self is

concerned.

 

-- Ramana Maharshi