Teachings of Ramana Maharshi. Arthur Osborne

Our real nature is Liberation, but we imagine that we are bound and we make strenuous efforts to get free, although all the while we are free. This is understood only when we reach that state. Then we shall be surprised to find that we were frantically striving to attain something that we always were and are.

Maharshi, Ramana. The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words . Sri Ramanasramam. Kindle Edition.