The Upanishads

Bondage and Liberation

Bondage is ignorance, liberation is knowledge.

Bondage is nothing but ignorance of one's true nature. Liberation is not gaining something new but recognizing what always was. The Self was never truly bound.

The Self was never bound - only ignorance created the appearance of bondage.

Traditional, Advaita Teachings

Liberation is recognition, not acquisition.

Various Upanishads