Entrapped (Conv. and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"entrap" |"entrapment" |"entrapped" |"entrapping" |"entraps"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This attachment increases. The material attachment. The material attachment means "I am this body, and because I have got this body in a particular place, that is my country." And that is going on. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am German," "I am this," "I am that," this bodily... "This is my country. I shall sacrifice everything for my country, society." So in this way the illusion becomes increased. So under this illusion, when he dies he gets another body. That may be a superior body or inferior body according to his karma. So if he gets superior body, then that is also entanglement. Even if he goes to the heavenly planet, that is entanglement. And if he becomes cats and dogs, then his life's lost. A tree. There is every chance. So this science is not known in the world, that how the soul is transmigrating from one body to another and how he's being entrapped in different types of body. This science is unknown.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 25, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathena... Manorathena (SB 5.18.12). These rascals, they are simply speculating on the mental platform. That's all. Manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). They are entrapped by the external energy, by mental speculation. They have no value. All these scientists, philosophers, they're on the mental platform, speculating. I am certi... I say this. You say: "No, I say this." You see. Who is correct?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It doesn't matter.

Prabhupāda: No, it doesn't mat... Therefore they're all madmen. You can speak in your own way. I'll speak in my own way and another fool thinks that both of them are scientists. They do not agree. Still he's scientist. Just see. Cheaters and the cheated. Somebody's cheating and somebody's becoming cheated.

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1973, Los Angeles

<label>Text:</label>
<textarea style="overflow: hidden; display: block; height: 209px;" id="text" name="text" cols="50" rows="4">That's all. We must know how to think. Then our thinking will produce some good result. If I do not know how to think, then what is the use of my thinking? A mad man is also thinking: "I am the emperor." Does it mean that he's emperor? Sometimes, I have seen, a madman falls flat on the street. "Nobody can check me." So motor driver, they become little cautious, he's a rascal, madman. So madman's thinking, what is the value of madman's thinking? They're all mad. Piśācī paile jana mati chana hana.(?)They're a ghostly haunted person. As he's mad, similarly those who are entrapped by this material energy, they're all madmen. If I think that, "I am this coat, I am this shirt, I am this cloth," am I not mad? The body's just like shirt and coat. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Svarūpa Dāmodara: Thinking is a natural process. Prabhupāda: Eh?</textarea>

Diacritics

Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Śrīla Prabhupāda gets into car) Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only remedy. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam... (CC Adi 17.21). (break) And this advancement of material civilization means entrapping the entrapped. The living entity is already entrapped, and he is allured by farther entrapment. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava. Jaḍa-vidyā, material advancement of civilization, means expanding the influence of māyā. Why? Now anitya saṁsāra, cannot live here. You have to give up this place. But still, you are thinking to make it a permanent settlement. That is not possible. Everyone knows. He will not be allowed to stay. But still insisting, gorgeous arrangement, how we can be, how we can become immortal. The scientists bluffing, "Yes, you will become immortal. We are finding out the means." But he will die. That means he is ass. He is allured by these false words.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Body consciousness is mental speculation.

Dr. Patel: That is what I say. You must go beyond that.

Prabhupāda: Ah. This is the gross body and subtle body. So when these jñānīs, they think that they have become liberated, but they are entrapped by the subtle body. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya...

Dr. Patel: These yogis...

Prabhupāda: Then they are also, the same thing: gross material thing.

Dr. Patel: The yoga means to join yourself. Your self means not body, not even mind, but your soul, to the higher soul of, that means the God. That is real yoga. And that is as good as bhakti. Or you call it yoga, anything. Yoga and bhakti comes to same thing then.

Room Conversation with Robert Gouiran, Nuclear Physicist from European Center for Nuclear Research -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: So if you have got scientific knowledge, you scientifically explain that God is the original source. Then your knowledge is perfect. What is the purport?

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Human intellect is developed for advancement of learning in art, science, philosophy, physics, chemistry, psychology, economics, politics, etc. By culture of such knowledge the human society can attain perfection of life. This perfection of life culminates in the realization of the Supreme Being, Viṣṇu. The śruti therefore directs that those who are actually advanced in learning should aspire for the service of Lord Viṣṇu. Unfortunately persons who are enamored by the external beauty of viṣṇu-māyā do not understand that culmination of perfection or self-realization depends on Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu-māyā means sense enjoyment, which is transient and miserable. Those who are entrapped by viṣṇu-māyā utilize advancement of knowledge for sense enjoyment.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Nature, viṣṇu-māyā, nature. They are bewildered simply by seeing the nature. Then?

Satsvarūpa: Viṣṇu-māyā means sense enjoyment which is transient and miserable. Those who are entrapped by viṣṇu-māyā utilize advancement of knowledge for sense enjoyment. Śrī Nārada Muni has explained that all paraphernalia of the cosmic universe is but an emanation from the Lord out of His different energies because the Lord has set in motion, by His inconceivable energy, the actions and reactions of the created manifestation. They have come to be out of His energy, they rest on His energy, and after annihilation they merge into Him. Nothing is, therefore, different from Him, but at the same time the Lord is always different from them.

Room Conversation with Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes, the ripe age, up to the point of death one is sexually inclined. Up to the point of death. There was a minister of Agwar(?). I have told you this story? Yes. At the point of death he was looking to the young girl. That is natural. Unless one is trained up, that is natural. That is māyā's entrapping machine to keep the living entity within this material world.

Śrutakīrti: Sometimes the youth, when we offer them Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they say, "When I get older I won't be so attached to this enjoyment, so then I can take it up."

Prabhupāda: They generally think so, but that is not possible.

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Because he wanted to be trapped.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But sometimes it is also untrapped. But sometimes he is also free.

Prabhupāda: No, by nature, he is not mixed up with these material things, but he is entrapped by his free will. Just like we are staying here. We are not bound to stay here, but we have come here. Nobody has forced us to come here.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So is that philosophy, simultaneously one and different...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...that acintya-bhedābheda is also applicable in the case of...

Prabhupāda: No, soul never mixes with the matter. Now I have come here, I am not mixed up with this jungle.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: The principle should be that you should not leave remnants of food. As soon as it is used, it should not be used more. Otherwise it is not possible to give up. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). I am eating something not very superior, but if I get the chance of eating something superior, then I give up this inferior. So there is no question of making it vacant or void. To fill up the place with better thing.... So when you think of Kṛṣṇa, then you forget māyā. Otherwise you are entrapped with māyā. Why Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto? Mām eva ye prapadyante. This is wanted. As soon as you become anyābhilāṣī, then it becomes difficult. Where is that knife? Give me one amroot(?). Cut into pieces and get...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think these are from the local..., growing here.

Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, who says?

Jayapatākā: He always had some French people with him?

Prabhupāda: No, no. That... One French girl entrapped him. That woman spoiled him. He was actually practicing yoga very nice. After his release from political entanglement, actually he became a yogi, but this Frenchwoman, who became later on "Mother," she spoiled her ca..., his career. He became a bhogī then. (laughter) Instead of yogi... Otherwise, he was becoming yogi. You'll find from his photo. In the beginning, he was very lean and thin, and later on, when he died, he was very fatty. Means bhogī. (break) ...yogi bhogī, rogī. There are three.

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Prabhupāda: It is not my—everyone's. You are in ignorance; you do not know; therefore we are trying to educate you. It is yours also. It is not a personal thing. It is meant for the living entities. That you people, you do not know, that we are all living entities. There is slight description of the evolution by Darwin. But he's also not in perfect knowledge. The real fact is the..., I am not this body, you are not this body. I am living entity within this body. Just like you are within your coat and shirt. The coat and shirt you are not. Similarly, we living entities, we are within this gross and subtle body. The gross body is made of earth, water, air, fire, and the subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, and egotism. So we are within this. So nobody knows; there is no educational system, what is our real constitutional position. We are wrongly accepting this body. And that kind of acceptance is there in the animals. The dog also thinking that "I am this body." So if I am thinking like that, "I am this body," then what is the difference between the dog and me? We are educating from him that point of view, that the living entity is entrapped within this body, and according to his desire, he's changing different types of body and undergoing continually birth and death.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Here it is same thing explained, that don't be entrapped with these temporary bodily necessities of life, sense gratification. You must inquire about the Absolute Truth. In the next verse it is explained, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam (SB 1.2.11). Tattva. Tattva means truth. The truth is explained by the tattva-vit, one who knows the truth. How? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. He is explained as Brahman, as Paramātmā, or as Bhagavān. This is Vedānta-sūtra. Now one should learn what is Bhagavān, what is Brahman, what is Paramātmā. In this way one should make advancement of his spiritual consciousness. That is the purpose of Vedānta-sūtra.

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So some other living entity who is prominent in this quality, prominent that, it does not make much difference. So long he is in the material qualities, he's entrapped. So get him out of this condition and put him into the spiritual platform. That is the solution. Nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. In the material world if you think that the quantity of goodness is now big than the other modes of nature, that does not make a solution. Next moment the passion will be prominent, next moment the ignorance will be prominent. You cannot check it or fix him up in one quality. It is not possible. That is not possible. The best thing is to bring him to the unconditional stage, transcendental stage. Sa guṇān... Keep him engaged in devotional service, he is free from influence of all these qualities. That is wanted.

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: That is very simple. Spiritual understanding, that is, I was speaking... This is beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Spiritual understanding is that I am not this body. (to devotee) You move it this way. This is spiritual understanding. So long I am under this bodily concept of life, that "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Christian," "I am white," "I am black" and so on, so on, these are all bodily concept of life. So long we keep ourself on this platform, then we are on the material platform. When we understand that "I am not this body..." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Deha means this body, and dehī means the owner of the body. So unless we distinguish the owner of the body and the body, there is no spiritual knowledge. So long we identify with this body, that is material knowledge. And when we understand that "I am not this body, I am a spirit soul, I have been entrapped by this body," that is spiritual knowledge.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Hailstorm. And they became entrapped in the jungle whole night. And in the morning guru with other disciples came to search out them. And this Sudāmā Vipra and Kṛṣṇa was stranded, and they were found out, then taken back. So even Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He served the guru as menial. The guru's wife asked Him, "Bring some fuel from the jungle," and they went immediately. This is gurukula. No, I mean to say, prestigious position. "Guru has said—has to be done." This training. Then?

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It was all by chance. I was for a few days guest at his father's place in Agra. I did not know that his son is in America. So he was talking about his family. He was little sorry that his eldest son went to America to study electric engineering, and he was entrapped by an English girl, and he married and settled there and did not come back. In this way... So I took the opportunity, that "Why don't you ask your son to sponsor me?" I wanted to go to America. So I did not know how seriously he took it. But I simply told him that "Why don't you ask your son to sponsor me at least for one month. So I am thinking of going to America." Then that was talking, beginning and end, that's all. I did not know that he took it very seriously. Then after two, three months, some documents came. I was receiving my letters in a post box. So when I left Delhi I used to keep my key of post box with some nice bookseller, Atmaram, he was manager. So he opened that, he got that documents.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is purely a spiritual movement. Therefore sometimes it is little difficult to understand the activities of this movement. There are two things, material and spiritual. That is the beginning of instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa begins with this statement: that this body is not the person, the soul is the person. Asmin dehe. Within this body there is the soul. And he has explained in different ways that this body is antavanta ime dehā (BG 2.18). This body is perishable, but the soul is not perishable. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), that even after the destruction of the body the soul is not destroyed. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. The soul never takes birth, never dies. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamāne (BG 2.20). There are so many things explained, what is the soul. So without the soul, this body is useless. That everyone can understand. Therefore the importance should be given to the soul, not to the body. Kṛṣṇa says that anyone who is paṇḍita, in knowledge, he does not give any importance to the body, either living or dead. So the India's particular culture is how to elevate the soul to the highest platform of perfection. That is India's culture. The whole Vedic literature is meant for that, and Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of all Vedic literature. And the purpose is that soul is now entrapped within this material world, and the human life is the opportunity for getting oneself out of this entrapment of material existence.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- May 15, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: To approach Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing. After many, many births... We are rotating... (break) ...superintendent of this egglike aṇḍa, universe. It is all Brahmā's. And there are innumerable planets. That we can see. So we are wandering in all these places, sometimes down, sometimes up, sometimes in the middle, according to our karma, in different species of life, in different planets, in different position. So we are rotating. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Out of these innumerable living entities who are entrapped with this brahmāṇḍa and janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi... (BG 13.9)." Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Life after life, life after life, they are... That we do not know. This is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. You die, accept another body, another place, another situation, another position. This is going on. Brahmāṇḍa-bhramaṇa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "In this way, rotating, and in course of our rotation, if we are fortunate enough, then we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite. (aside:)

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to R. Prakash -- Allahabad 22 June, 1951:

Forgetfulness of that eternal relation is called maya or illusion. This illusory energy of Godhead is conducted under three modes of nature under the name of mundane goodness, passion and ignorance. The whole material world is the creation of the external illusory energy of Godhead and the living entities who forget the eternal relation with Godhead are so to say entrapped by maya to undergo a conditional life under the modes of nature.

Out of eighty four lakhs of varieties or species of life there are only four lakhs varieties of human being. Out of these varieties of human being those who can acquire the the qualities of goodness out of the three modes of nature, can also realize the proper self which is not the product of material world.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 21 March, 1967:

Brahmananda has asked me whether San Francisco Branch will pay some money for purchasing the house. But where is your house and where is the purchase? So far it is talks of Mr. Payne and company in which you innocent boys have been entrapped. I do not know how I can help in great blunder. I can only hope that Krishna will help you.

Howard wants one of the Mimeograph machine here so that copies of Back to Godhead required here may be printed here. What is the weight of the machine and what will be cost of transport charges. I think you can spare one machine for San Francisco and charge cost of it.

Letter to Himavati -- Delhi 23 September, 1967:

Yours will be the first baby born into a KC family in America, so we must be very careful for him while he is in the womb. In SB the environment of a child in the womb is described by Narada Muni as a very awful place and after nine months when the child has developed its body and consciousness to some degree the entrapped soul begs to Lord Krishna to set me free and promises that in this life he will be a devotee. At that time the baby is allowed to be born but, unfortunately during the Kali yuga as soon as the child is come out of the womb he is in 90% of the cases he is not given any facility to further its KC. However in your case Krishna has shown this soul great mercy. The Bhagavat also says that no one should become the parent unless he can deliver the child from the clutches of death. So it is your duty to make this baby KC so that he may not have to take birth again.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Montreal 19 August, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 13, 1968, and noted the contents with so happiness. I am glad to see in your letter indication that within very short time, you have been entrapped by Lord Krishna's Grace and you have expressed your transcendental feelings in such a nice way, that I cannot but admire your capacity to grasp so quickly about the whole philosophy and I must pray to Lord Krishna for your more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness, and be happy and successful even within this very life. That is my ardent desire.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 2 November, 1968:

I wrote one letter jointly addressed to Acyutananda and Jaya Govinda but they have not replied the same. I think as Bon Maharaja poisoned the mind of Hrsikesa, similarly these boys have been entrapped by Parvat. This Parvat is one of the disciples of my God-brother but he is so salient that he has not replied to my letters, but, instead of replying my letter, he has the impudency of writing to Rayarama. Rayarama may not reply this letter until I have seen it. He appears to be as venomous as Bon Maharaja. They are all envious of my activities here. As Jaya Govinda has not yet left for Bombay, there is no need of issuing indemnity letter in his favor. I do not understand why he has requested to address the indemnity letter to Parvat Maharaja. These are very doubtful things. I do not know how to deal with these boys.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 10 February, 1969:

Science begins on some definite data, just like Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravitation, and so much scientific advancement depends on such authoritative statements. So even scientific knowledge has to stand on the evidence of authority. He admits that we are all spirit soul inside the body entrapped, and he believes this body is composed of various chemicals about which we know a great deal. But unfortunately, with all this chemical combinations combined together, we can not produce a body like this; this is also a scientific fact. Just like rasgulla is a milk product everyone knows. But how to make a rasgulla from milk requires expert further knowledge. Therefore, simply to know that this body is made of chemicals is not sufficient knowledge. When one can reproduce a similar body with the known chemicals, then he is to be considered as the expert scientist.

Letter to Swami Bhaktivedanta -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969:

This relationship is eternal, therefore time is also eternal. There are two kinds of natures, the spiritual nature and the material nature. Material nature is temporary and spiritual nature is permanent; Material nature is simply temporary manifestation within the jurisdiction of spiritual nature. The living entities somehow or other being entrapped by material nature are meeting all kinds of material conditions. His birth, death, old age, and diseases are due to his contact with this material nature. The living entity is evolving different kinds of material body numbering 8,400,000 different forms. The human form is a great opportunity for the living entity to understand God, the living entity, time, nature, and different activities. The material activities are temporary, therefore if the living entities are trained to transform his activities from material to spiritual he regains his original spiritual nature. And after such achievements he is promoted to the spiritual world, which is far beyond this visible material sky.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 5 August, 1969:

So in that case, the money paid by Giriraja may be deposited in a separate bank account for this purpose. If things go on according to your calculation, this opportunity must be taken; but I am always afraid of persons like Mr. Payne. You know the incident in New York how the real estate man, Payne, entrapped us by $6,000. I think Giriraja's father is a lawyer, so he can help you in this connection, or any other lawyer friend. So if things are done very carefully, this scheme is approved by me. If they will give you immediate occupation of the house, and if there are no other tenants there, then it is all right. But if there are tenants, it will be botheration. We cannot deal with tenants, so if they are there, you may not accept it. But if the house is occupied by ourselves only, then it is all right.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Sriman Murthy -- Los Angeles 22 May, 1970:

Anyway, Krsna has saved you by causing your failure in the examination, otherwise you would have been more entrapped by the spell of this so-called "Krsna."

Krsna's further mercy upon you is exhibited that you are now living in our Temple. Our different centers are specially meant for reclaiming sincere souls to understand Krsna Consciousness, and if you are more serious about Krsna Consciousness then you should not only read our books and literatures with due care, but also if possible you should come here and live with me for some time.

Letter to Advaita -- Surat 19 December, 1970:

I am travelling extensively now throughout the country of India, so sometimes my mail does not reach me promptly or there is some chance of its being missed.

Anyway, I am so much relieved to hear from you, and I was sure that you could not actually be entrapped by Maya. I have always been confident of your steadiness in Krsna Consciousness because of your great determination in serving the mission of the Lord in such great measure these last few years by your working long hours and more with our ISKCON Press. So I think that the recent disturbances are easily to be set aright and you should go on again fully engaged in our printing work there. We have got a great lot of work to do and you should immediately pick up the press work again so that time may not be wasted with the press idle.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtanananda -- London 22 August, 1971:

Make this practice how to continue this chanting always. Gradually we are losing the duration of our life and if we don't take the opportunity of worshiping the Lord of the senses, Krishna, then we are simply wasting our time. Now we are fully conscious. Let us now chant loudly with the holy names of Radha Madhava. Being entrapped in the network of illusory maya, we are simply engaged in false duties. Therefore it is the good advice of Bhaktivinode Thakura that everyone should become mad after chanting the Mahamantra He is requesting everyone to do so.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Niranjana -- Bombay 5 January, 1972:

The four sinful activities which one must avoid if there is to be any hope for spiritual advancement are the eating of meat, fish and eggs, the use of intoxicants, illicit connection with women, and gambling. So these are the first four sins which I ask all of my students to strictly avoid committing. Practically the entire population of the world is entrapped by these four sinful activities. In our Krishna Consciousness Society we are training our students up to the standard of brahminical culture. So the great respect we are getting here in India and throughout the rest of the world is due to these restrictions. Actually our students have surpassed the category of brahmana because they are Vaisnavas which means they are transcendental to any material position, and brahmana is a material order of life, part of the Varna Ashrama system. Many times I have been told by other so-called holy men that I should not expect that foreigners will be able to avoid these sinful activities.

Letter to Karandhara, Tamala Krsna, Giriraja, Bhavananda -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1972:

This is the only settlement possible, that he returns our Rs. 2,70,000 immediately and we vacate, or immediately file criminal case. There is no other alternative. We have finished the business. He is entrapped because he has received the money. Our boys do not understand. Anything, as soon as you receive money the transaction is finished. And even it is six months passed, it is our option to rescind, not his. Charity Commissioner has delayed, that is not very serious for disqualifying us. There is no time limit mentioned for getting permission from Charity Commissioner. Still, try for the permission from Charity Commissioner as quickly as possible, then we shall go on with the terms of the original agreement, either voluntarily or we shall have to force him through the courts.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Lynne Ludwig -- Los Angeles 30 April, 1973:

Of course, I do not know the case, what are the circumstances, but kindly forgive my beloved disciples any unkindness or indiscretions on their part. After all, to give up one's life completely for serving the Lord is not so easy thing. And Maya, or the illusory material energy, she tries especially hard to try to get back and entrap those who have left her service to become Devotees. So sometimes in the neophyte stage of devotional service, in order to withstand the attack of Maya and remain strong under all conditions of temptation, young or inexperienced devotees will adopt an attitude against those things or persons possibly harmful, threatening to their tender devotional creeper. They may even over-indulge in such feelings just to protect themselves, and thus they will appear to some non-devotees, who are perhaps themselves still very enamoured by the material energy of Maya, as being negative or pessimistic.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Svarupa Damodara -- Bombay 30 September, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 16, 1975 addressed to Brahmananda Swami. The purpose of the Institute is to achieve the distinction of human life. The human being is meant for understanding his real identity. If a human being becomes entrapped with this body which may be American, Indian, brahmana, ksatriya, and so many other designations, then he remains on the platform of cats and dogs. A dog or a cat is thinking he is such and such. Similarly a human being thinks he is this and that designation, then he remains in the dog and cat category.

Letter to Aja -- Vrindaban 4 December, 1975:

Whatever knowledge they have got now is on the platform of this body, which is a lump of matter only, there is no knowledge of the soul which is entrapped within the lump of matter, and so people are suffering because of ignorance of this simple point. So try to enlighten them on this point and make them happy, that will please me and krishna, and thus you will become perfect yourself.

Page Title:	Entrapped (Conv. and Letters)
Compiler:	Labangalatika, RupaManjari
Created:	18 of Feb, 2011
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=19, Let=16
No. of Quotes:	35