"Bondage" as explained in the Vedas
Mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation. When the mind clings to/attaches to objects or thoughts, it shackles one in bondage.
It is when the same mind detaches from those very objects/thoughts, one becomes free from bondage. One is liberated!
Atma is complete and infinite but due to our ignorance we humans consider ourselves to have the answers – through the mind, body, intellect. It is when we do not consider ourselves to be the Self, we find ourselves to be limited and separate from the Universe. We are all expressions of the all-pervading Brahman/Self/I AM but due to our limited thinking we make the infinite Brahman/IAM finite. We create our own separateness through our individual selves which causes bondage.
It is when we get used to living this way -- in this separateness from the Universe/I AM – then we make others the cause of our happiness, sorrow, pain, pleasure, respect and irreverence. We identify with only our mind (intellect) and our bodies as our main source of existence in the world but this cannot be considered complete in order to bring about a joyful life. This in turn causes unhappiness, stress, pain – all manifestations of this bondage.
It is when we believe that only our non-conscious self is real or when we consider our non-consciousness self as the Higher Self we have created what is known as “Identification” in the Vedas.
The only way out of this bondage is to focus on the Higher Self – Existence, Consciousness, Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda)
