Liberation, meditation, Heart, and free will

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Questioner (Q): What is liberation?

Acharya Prashant (AP): What is bondage? There is nothing called liberation, nothing at all. It’s just that because there is bondage, hence there is liberation. In the absence of bondage, you are liberated from liberation as well.

Q: Is meditation the only way to attain liberation?

AP: What is meditation? If meditation means challenging your bondages, then yes. If meditation means doing this and that, then no.

Q: Does liberation mean that we are free from all the responsibilities?

AP: First of all, you cannot use the word ‘responsibility’ in the same breath in two different dimensions. That which we keep on doing on a daily basis, if that is what has to be called as responsibility, then liberation is no responsibility at all. And if liberation is the real responsibility, then there can be no other responsibilities. You cannot say that you are responsible for meeting your quarterly sales target and you are also responsible for your liberation. Choose the word carefully.

Q: Why is it very easy to fall into bondage?