Trap (Lect., Conv. & Letters)

Expressions researched:
"trap" |"trapped" |"traps"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Viṣṇujana: "The Supreme Soul is infinite and the atomic soul is infinitesimal. Therefore the infinitesimal soul being unchangeable can never become equal to the infinite soul."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is a common sense argument. How it can be? If it is equal to the infinite, how he has become finite? They cannot answer. The impersonalists cannot answer. How he has become finite? They'll simply answer, "It is māyā." Then māyā is greater than the infinite? Then māyā becomes greater than the infinite. Then that God is no more infinite because māyā covers the Supreme, so how He is infinite? He becomes finite? The common sense is that finite Brahman is covered by māyā. Not the infinite. Therefore duality. Finite and infinite living entities. Kṛṣṇa is infinite, and the ordinary living entities are finite. (sound of bells from ice cream truck) What is that? (music of ice cream truck)

Viṣṇujana: Ice cream truck.

Prabhupāda: Oh, ice cream. (laughter) You are taking ice cream? Huh?

Viṣṇujana: No. They go up and down the street.

Prabhupāda: Canvassing?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Don't take ice cream. (music continues louder in background) (laughs) This is māyā. (laughter) "Come on, come on, enjoy me. Come on, come on, enjoy me." (laughs) As soon as you enjoy, you become entrapped. That's all. Just like fishing tackle. They throw the tackle and invite the fish, "Come on, come on, enjoy me. Come on, come on, enjoy me." As soon as—Ap! (laughter) Finished. Then, (sound imitating fish) "Where you go now? Come on in my bag. Yes, I'll fry you nicely." You see? So these are all explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The fish is losing his life by eating, by tongue. He cannot check the dictation of the tongue; therefore he is losing his life. You see? Similarly the animals, deer, in the jungle, the hunter, they play very nice flute and all of them assemble to hear how he's nice, and then he keeps him in the trap, loses his life. That means hearing. Tasting, hearing. And the elephant is caught by sexual... Do you know how elephant is captured? Yes. A she-elephant is trained, goes to the male elephant, and it follows, and the male elephant is dropped into a, what is called, big pot, pit. Yes. Then he remains there for some time. Then he's shackled and he's taken away. In this way there are different examples of senses. The, what is called? That black, what is called, bhramara? English? That black big fly? (makes buzzing sound) Onnnhhh.

Madhudviṣa: Bumblebee?

Prabhupāda: It may be.

Revatīnandana: Horsefly.

Prabhupāda: It is entrapped by smelling lotus flower, within the lotus flower, and loses its life. So by different sense gratification, the different kinds of animals, they are losing their life. And we have got all our senses active. So where we are? These examples are for animal kingdom whose one sense is only active. But our all senses are active. Then what is our position? You see?

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Everyone is envious. This world is envious. They have declared that God is dead. You see. (laughs) (Bengali) There is a proverb in Bengali that one person wanted to see how many thieves are there in this village, and when he began to scrutinize, he saw that everyone is a thief. (laughter) Similarly, envious, you begin from President Johnson and go to anyone, they are all envious of God consciousness. You see? Otherwise in Los Angeles city, there are millions and trillions of people, and only a dozen people are coming here. You see? Why? They are envious. "What is this nonsense God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" You see?

So we have to disturb them. That is our duty. We have to disturb these envious persons, "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" (laughter) That is our duty, to disturb them. And that is the greatest service. Just like a man is sleeping. And somebody is coming to kill him, and other friend, "Mr. such and such, wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" So he may say, "Why you are disturbing me?" But that is the greatest service, he'll be saved. Māyā is coming to kill him, to send him to the darkest region of hell, and you are saving him, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be saved."

Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). These people, they do not know how much they are under the trap of māyā illusion. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. They are thinking that they are very happy, they are making progress, but they do not know actually the position. This is called illusion.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

There is a verse in Nṛsiṁha-Purāṇa that one Muhammadan died calling hārāma. They say hārāma. Anything against their religion is called hārāma. So he was trapped by a boar, and the boars, the pigs, they... The Muhammadans, they call it hārāma. So when he was attacked, he said, hārāma. So hārāma. But it was taken as "Hā Rāma," "O Rāma," and he was liberated. So it is so nice. Some way or other, practice "Hā Kṛṣṇa, Hā Rāma." Then your life is successful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:

Ah, parāṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. Viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ ca hā hanta hā hanta viṣa-bhakṣanato 'py asādhu (CC Madhya 11.8), that one who is very serious for going to the other side of this material world—that means spiritual world—they should be very, very careful about money and woman. May not be trapped, victimized. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was not deluded by any kinds of material profits. Evaṁ pralobhyamāno 'pi. Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁhadeva said, "Prahlāda, you take. Whatever benediction you want, you take." So he said, "Sir, I am your servant. I am not a merchant that in exchange of something I will have to give You service. No. Please do not delude me." Just see what kind of servant he is. Evaṁ pralobhyamāno 'pi varair loka-pralo... Ekāntitvād. "What is the reason?" The reason is that determination of Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, that "We shall simply serve Kṛṣṇa. We shall not accept anything but Kṛṣṇa." This is ekāntitvād. "My... I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). "I shall simply serve. I shall give everything, whatever I have got." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, manasa deha geha, yo kichu mora, arpilūn tuwā pade, nanda-kiśora. What we have got, nonsense? Everything Kṛṣṇa's. But still, He has given us something. What is that? This body, this mind. This body for sense enjoyment and the mind for speculation. So body, mind. Manasa. And a little home, a wife, some children. We can claim. That is also not actually ours. That is given by Kṛṣṇa. "You want to enjoy your senses? All right, take this."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

Dharma. Dharma means rituals. Everyone has got some faith, and faith means... Just like Hindus are going to the church, er, in temple, and the Christians are going to the church, or Muslims, they are going to the mosque, they..., with idea that "Here is God." That is, of course, beginning. It is nice. But because they are trapped in simply the rituals, they have no other, further knowledge, so that also cannot help to reach because they are trapped. Every religious faith, because the fai... Of course, that conviction must be there. But they do not try to make any further advance. They think that "Here it is ended. Everything is ended here." Therefore they cannot make any progress. (aside:) Please sit down. Don't... So they cannot also. Then svādhyāya. Svādhyāya means study, study of these Vedic literatures. Without any guidance, if you... Just like so many ladies and gentlemen, they purchase books from the market. They have heard that Bhagavad-gītā is very nice book. So svādhyāya. Svādhyāya means studying the scriptures. Studying the Vedic literatures, that is called svādhyāya. Svādhyāya. And tapaḥ. Tapaḥ means penance. Somebody is fasting. Somebody is in the solitary place in the jungle. They are meditating. So many, there are process of penances and austerities. And tyāga, and renunciation. Just like sannyāsī, renounced order of life. So (the) Lord says, "All these processes—the yoga process, the sāṅkhya process, the ritualistic process, or studying the Vedas or undergoing severe type of penance and austerities—all these processes, combined together or individually, they are not suitable for achieving Me. They are not."

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

Just a little thought will make this a little bit more clear to anyone. So there are twofold implications, namely the law proceeds from lawmaker, law enforcement proceeds from law enforcer. Man has tried so hard to establish law and order. Law and order is already there in this existence which he's now facing. I think that we don't need to consider any more on these points just now. The main point or the main information which we're considering now is that by understanding Kṛṣṇa's existence, understanding Kṛṣṇa's appearance before the perception of ourselves, that we can terminate this material existence which we now face. This life we're now conscious of through these bodies which were born... Now these bodies were very small. They develop into impressive size. The bodies will dwindle and the bodies will be gone ultimately, lost. But all these living entities here in the room will go on existing. This process of birth and death we should understand. And we should especially understand how Kṛṣṇa appears before us who are trapped by birth and death. If we understand that Kṛṣṇa's appearance is not like ours, because He's perfect and because He's appearing for our benefit, then we may be able to reach out and grab hold of the lifeline that can... (break) ...of our own suicidal bogs.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Pitā na sa syāt. (Hindi) Pitā na sa syāt na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. Pitā, father must be, he must be father who can deliver his son from the impending death. So one can avoid this repetition of birth and death only becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. So any father who gives chance to his children to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's real father. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt... na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. (break) ...there is a verse:

janame janame sab pitā-mātā pāya

kṛṣṇa-guru nāhi mile bhaja ei bhāi (?)

In every birth one can get father and mother, but to get the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, that is not possible in every birth. That is only possible in this human form. The cats and dogs, they have got their father and mother. Therefore if we become father, mother like cats and dogs, there is no need of such... Kṛṣṇa-guru nāhi mile bhaja... The father helps the children to achieve Kṛṣṇa and guru, that is real father. (break) ...they avoid that trap, they avoid association of women. But these women are not ordinary women. They are preachers. They are preachers. They are Vaiṣṇava. By their association, one becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation after Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: ...still avoid that position. (laughter) Where is the independence? Where is the independence of woman that she has to carry the weight of the pregnancy and the man is free? What is the answer to this question? Hmm? Answer Viśakha.

Viśakha: A woman is trapped by her body. She has no choice. By her body she must.

Prabhupāda: So she is already dependent on nature's law that man is free from becoming pregnant and the woman has to take the burden. Then where is the independence, equal right? Equal right means sometimes man may become pregnant, sometimes woman may become pregnant, but why only woman should become pregnant and the man goes away and she has to take care of the children, beg from government or this and that? Is that independence? Eh?

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1975, Philadelphia:

Guru dāsa: If God, Kṛṣṇa, desires the motor car to turn right, what makes the car turn left?

Prabhupāda: Not Kṛṣṇa desires. You desire. Kṛṣṇa helps you. Kṛṣṇa desires you give up all this nonsense and surrender to Him. Only He desires that. But if you don't do, you will desire so many things.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It remains a mystery to great thinkers that though the soul is pure by nature and transcendental, but somehow it is trapped in the subtle and gross body and...

Prabhupāda: Because he desired. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañchā kare. When he wants to enjoy this material world... In the spiritual world there is only one enjoyer. And in the material world everyone is a enjoyer. He is planning in his own way how to enjoy. That is material world. In the spiritual world the enj..., is Kṛṣṇa, and all others is helping in His enjoyment. But in material world everyone is thinking, "I am enjoyer," and he is planning in his own way.

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Immovable in this sense: when he is fixed up in a certain body, then he is immovable from that body. Acalo 'yam sthanuḥ, sthanuḥ. Just like we're speaking of transplanting the heart. That does not mean you move the soul. That is immovable.

Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, the pure devotee's spirit soul is not trapped by the gross and subtle bodies?

Prabhupāda: Yes, when he is liberated by devotional service. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26).

Devotee (4): Prabhupāda, when we try to explain to people that our philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is authoritative and is coming from undisturbed men, learned men, that our spiritual master is not an ordinary man, what does it mean that he is not an ordinary man?

Prabhupāda: He is not moved by the rascal scientist. (laughter) All rascals are moved by the so-called scientists.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Śrīla Prabhupāda... (laughter)

Prabhupāda: (laughing) The scientist is angry.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The soul is trapped as well as untrapped in the material body...

Prabhupāda: Because he wanted to be trapped.

Room Conversation with Devotees -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Brahmānanda: In New York City they now have one million people who are receiving welfare.

Prabhupāda: And all criminals.

Brahmānanda: Yes. All criminals, prostitutes, and hippies.

Prabhupāda: Because the government is paying for that, and they are now thinking that "What to do about crime?" This is rascaldom. You act in such a way, then repent later on.

Brahmānanda: There was one boy from Sweden, he was our devotee. And then he fell into māyā. He returned to Sweden. Now he's getting from the government fifty dollars a week. So he's using that money to buy drugs. So now he's completely trapped.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: He gets money regularly, and he can never get out of the habit.

Prabhupāda: In your country also. One keeps a girlfriend, the girl's getting welfare, and he is purchasing drugs, and then their husband goes. I have seen. Some of our students have been. I have seen them.

Satsvarūpa: That's very prominent.

Prabhupāda: And making trade. That is going on.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Just to see how the animal is jumping. (to passers-by:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya, jaya. (chuckles) Just like a fish is given freedom, even if he's caught up by the trap. It is like that.

Madhudviṣa: So Lord Caitanya had him on the line all the time.

Prabhupāda: Lord Caitanya was waiting, "Let the rascal go on speaking. How long he can speak?" (laughs)

Hari-śauri: He just waited till he dried up.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. He's foolish. He knows that he has got some limited stock; it will be finished very soon, so "Let him finish, then I shall capture." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's policy.

Madhudviṣa: But should we take that example or...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not?

Madhudviṣa: We can also listen to the Māyāvādīs and then defeat them like that?

Prabhupāda: If you are so qualified like Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Room Conversation -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: This is the trap of māyā, to keep them captivated by sex attraction. All these living entities who are in this material world, beginning from the higher planetary system down to the ants and germs and flies. This is the primary enjoyment, sex. The central attraction is sex. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). The human being, the same sex desire, they decorate it in a different way. But the central point is the same. "So all right, why? It is enjoyment, why you are forbidding?" Saintly persons say, yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. It is a pleasure of itching sensation. Itching sensation, when you itch, it is very pleasing. But bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ (SB 7.9.45). Aftereffect is very bad, suffering. Itching, if you itch more, it aggravates, sometimes causes so many other by-products and so on, so on. That is fact. But everyone knows it, that "I may enjoy sex pleasure now; the aftereffect will be very bad." Bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. But why people do it again and again? Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. Those who are kṛpaṇa-kṛpaṇa means not brāhmaṇa—those who are not trained up as a brāhmaṇa, they cannot tolerate this itching sensation. They become victimized and the aftereffect is very, very bad. So either illicit or not illicit... They know it. The modern civilization, they have adopted the means of killing. First of all, they try to stop pregnancy by contraceptive method, and still if it is not stopped, then kill. And if he's still born, then again they put up in a box and go away.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Minister, Vṛndāvana. Collect all these and send it that this is a genuine movement because it is great cultural movement. Therefore, Swami Bhaktivedanta wanted to give it to Europe who are in the darkness. So anyway, now they are feeling the action of the medicine.

Haṁsadūta: (laughs) Yeah.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) So many big, big sign boards, "Kṛṣṇa is coming." "Here is Kṛṣṇa." (sounds of pages being turned) "Here is Kṛṣṇa."

Hari-śauri: Yeah, every heading has a "Kṛṣṇa" written.

Prabhupāda: "Here is Kṛṣṇa." That I... That is our trap.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, the subject matter...

Prabhupāda: That will, that will help us in selling Kṛṣṇa Books.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jñāna, real jñāna, is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Find out. Etaj jñānam iti proktam ajñānaṁ yad ato 'nyathā. What is jñāna, that is stated. But where is jñāna? Everyone is ajñāna. General people, they're karmīs and, little more, jñānīs. But jñāna is not complete unless he knows the Supreme Lord.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Unless he has realized.

Prabhupāda: Not realized, no. Just like we are talking personally. This is...

Jagadīśa: Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam, ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucam... (BG 13.8).

Prabhupāda: Yes. So this is ācāryopāsanam. That is required. But these yogis, jñānīs, karmīs, they have no ācārya. They are self-made. Just like Dr. Russer.(?). He's self-made. So what he will do? Now he's caught up. He's in the trap. He's not a scientific man, but he presented himself as very scientific, so now he's caught up.

Yogi Amrit Desai: Right. You found it right away.

Jagadīśa: There's an index.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Go on.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Hari-śauri: Everything. All the arguments you've been giving us, now this is a good opportunity to use them all.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like the judgment was given Shylock, the Jew. When he was persistent that "I shall take one pound flesh from the chest," no, he said, "No, I cannot touch that." Then the judgment was, "Yes, you can take, only one pound. If it is one hundredth part of an ounce, it is more, then you'll be hanged. Or even it is less, you'll be hanged. Exactly one pound you have."

Hari-śauri: And only flesh. No blood.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then he was trapped. So we have to do like that. Sate sārtham samācaret.(?) If the other party is tricky, you should be also tricky. Why you should be so plain? And this is quite legal, that "This is our statement, these eighty-four books. We have got others also, but some of them are here. So, my lord, you read this statement. Let us argue." Then it will be read. They have to. They cannot say, "No, I am not going to take any..." That is illegal. Whatever I say, he has to take. Then there is argument. First of all statement. The court procedure is: I have charged you with something. Court will ask you, "What you have got to say against these charges?" So you'll submit your statement. Then both the statements, the court's duty is to study and give the judgment. This is the law. So they have charged us with something. We give our statement. "Now you study and argue, and then give your judgment." Hm? What do you think?

Satsvarūpa: We should introduce the books as much as possible.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Guru dāsa: From Ahmedabad to Abu Road about two or three hours.

Prabhupāda: By train.

Guru dāsa: Train also goes, three hours.

Prabhupāda: So how we shall utilize it?

Guru dāsa: Well, I was mostly thinking for your health, if you wanted it.

Prabhupāda: Now I am trapped. I am trapped here.

Guru dāsa: It is a tourist center, but not a big one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not much preaching there.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You go, and if you are in touch on that tree, then you cannot get out. You'll die and you'll become dead.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They eat you?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the tree.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They eat through the roots.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spider, big, big spider.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a thing called the Venus Fly Trap. It's this special plant, and if anything goes near it, it goes like that. Maybe they have big ones in Africa.

Prabhupāda: Simply eating competition. These American... It's called surfer?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: American?

Prabhupāda: What is that sport, surfer?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Surfing. You mean on the board in the water? Surfing.

Prabhupāda: So they may become fish next life.