user19778: If we are trapped in Cyclic Rebirth, we are then being held against our will..
If we are being held against our will, who or what has set this trap?
If I escape, where am I escaping to?
As with all of my questions, I am seeking a person who has experienced and truly knows the answer. Hopefully, and with respect I am not seeking mere recital of texts ☺️

user19791: Good householder, also here, wanted to become here, take birth and hold on existance. Neither did one really call him, and even if, it would be finally his decision, nor was and is/could he be forced. So nobody else in charge of being bound then oneself at first place.
Good householder will maintain himself here as long there are left merits to do so and as long he finds certain happiness. When those things run out, he breaks appart, then he will arise elsewhere, say on youtube... an animal womb, leaving with a low mindstate...
As for "Why bound":

From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. Long have you thus experienced stress, experienced pain, experienced loss, swelling the cemeteries — enough to become disenchanted with all fabrications, enough to become dispassionate, enough to be released. Anamatagga-samyutta — The unimaginable beginnings of samsara

And the only way out is just this Noble Path of practice.
If one escapes from the wheel of bound, the wheel of suffering, then such question does no more arise, having reached Unbound, [beyond measure and compare.
One, if good, would only if having reached certain level of liberation recognice one who knows and sees, having realised if by himself. So good to go for training judgement, good householder. (Link no more possible to share)
Btw, good householder, using "we" would be in most cases wrong speech, for he would hardly be able to know even himself. And who would "we" be? Yours?
[Note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange, other world-binding trafes, but a gift for release from this wheel, for whom ever able to receive]

user7628: 
As with all of my questions, I am seeking a person who has experienced and truly knows the answer. Hopefully, and with respect I am not seeking mere recital of texts ☺️

I prefer people speaking from experience. It’s one thing to learn from an ancient text, and completely different to learn from another who has come to experience the truth the text was attempting to express.

If we are trapped in Cyclic Rebirth

Edit: So I think I should preface this with my belief that this teaching has become conflated over time and has become more mystical. I think the teachings of rebirth were once very grounded in personal experience, but due to translations and people not understanding the original teaching, it transformed into an expression of multiple lives. While interesting to discuss, I’m going to pass on this traditional interpretation, and explain my understanding of the concept of rebirth from personal experience alone.
First, let’s define Cyclic Rebirth from my perspective. Rebirth is a phenomena that occurs because of the transient nature of experience. Seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling, and thinking are all impermanent by nature. One sensate experience only lasts for an almost imperceptibly short length of time before it is replaced by the next, or it ends entirely. These transitory experiences are the foundation in which we build up our belief systems about the physical world. For example, a gargantuan number of short “sight” experiences occur one after another and we jump to grand conclusions. Our logic tends to look something like “There is sight. I am seeing. I see outside. Outside I see a tree. A tree exists outside.” Due to our belief systems, we went from observing a simple experience to believing in the existence of yourself as a separate entity and objects in a material world.
This process of self identifying with some aspect of your experience is what I define as Rebirth. Every moment we are experiencing, we are involved in a process of self identification. Even though these experiences last for only a moment, we continually shift what we believe ourselves to be. For example, we look in the mirror and say “that is me”. Then you walk to the left, and still think it’s you. Walk to the right, and still think it’s you. All while walking your sight is changing as you see your body from different perspectives. But in reality, you are experiencing multiple sight experiences, none related or connected to one another, and are making arbitrary decisions that “this subsection of sight is me, but that subsection isn’t”. This process happens continuously when experience is present, and what you classify as yourself has to change in every separate experience. So what is effectively happening is, every time an experience you identify with ends you die, and when a new experience arises and the process of identification happens again, you are reborn. This process of rebirth does not end until you experience Nirvana for the first time and become enlightened.

we are then being held against our will.. If we are being held against our will, what or who has set this trap?

I would say you are only being held against your will if you desire to be free of this cycle. It is your own belief systems that keep this cycle going, so if you want to blame something, that’s a better target than any other. But if you don’t care about being free from suffering or understanding the true nature of the universe, it’s your will to stay as you are. So in that situation, rebirth as it occurs is in alignment with your will.
The trap wasn’t engineered or set up by anyone. The process of self identification happens naturally, and is necessary for us to learn how to navigate life as a human being. It isn’t the optimal way to live though, in my opinion. Once the process of rebirth stops, so does suffering. There is also an unending presence of peace accessible in all experience. Also, the process of identification is absolutely exhausting. It’s insane how tiring it is. Once it stopped, I was shocked I was previously unaware of the effort. It’s like a clenched fist you hold for a long time. After a while you don’t notice the feeling. But once you open your hand and relax you can feel the exhaustion.

If I escape, where am I escaping too?

You are gaining a perspective that takes no effort to maintain. It’s a way of viewing the world that is pervaded by peace and acceptance. It’s a perspective where you are no longer a small, fragile mortal, but something much more that is unaffected by the goings on in the physical world. It’s a beautiful place that I only describe in the hopes it will motivate others to experience it for themselves.
I would not use the word “escape”. It’s more like a life of complete imperviousness and an acceptance of all things. When Rebirth ends you aren’t escaping from a prison cell, you are realizing your assumptions were wrong and the prison cell door was never locked! Stay if you want. Or don’t! It’s your life to live as you please. Life in a cell is way more comfy if you break past your belief that you are trapped.

user13694: Who is that "we" which is trapped?
It seems to me that these questions are based on the assumption of an "I" who can be found separated from the conditions that made the perception of "I" or the constituents of beings possible. There seems to be a differenciation between the "we" and the "trap".
If the conditions are not there, no phenomena [whose arising and persistence depends on those conditions] will come to be.
As the Buddha said, there's a middle way between the extremes of existence and non-existence, namely, dependent origination.
SN 12.15

“Kaccāna, this world mostly relies on the dual notions of existence
and non-existence.
But when you truly see the origin of the world with right
understanding, you won’t have the notion of non-existence regarding
the world. And when you truly see the cessation of the world with
right understanding, you won’t have the notion of existence regarding
the world.
The world is for the most part shackled to attraction, grasping, and
insisting.
But if—when it comes to this attraction, grasping, mental fixation,
insistence, and underlying tendency—you don’t get attracted, grasp,
and commit to the notion ‘my self’, you’ll have no doubt or
uncertainty that what arises is just suffering arising, and what
ceases is just suffering ceasing. Your knowledge about this is
independent of others.
This is how right view is defined.
‘All exists’: this is one extreme.
‘All doesn’t exist’: this is the second extreme.
Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle
way:
‘Ignorance is a condition for choices. Choices are a condition for
consciousness. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.
When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices
cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. … That is how this
entire mass of suffering ceases.’”

EDIT: I think a big part of this issue arises from confusion in the use of language. From reading the question, it seems to me that two problems are present: assigning human-like features to processes and entities which are not human (for instance, when stating that "truth is playful"); and taking metaphors as explanations or descriptions of reality and its parts and processes (for instance, when stating that "suffering is a trap", maybe suggesting that "we" are inside something, which can be a reification
of the perception of identity).
I'd suggest to keep analysing your own question, trying to clarify to yourself the words you use and the implications underlying such meanings. Clarity of the use of language can dissolve problems, a lot of times.
Kind regards!

19778: <p>If we are trapped in Cyclic Rebirth, we are then being held against our will..</p>
<p>If we are being held against our will, who or what has set this trap?</p>
<p>If I escape, where am I escaping to?</p>
<p>As with all of my questions, I am seeking a person who has experienced and truly knows the answer. Hopefully, and with respect I am not seeking mere recital of texts ☺️</p>
 19791: <p>Good householder, also here, wanted to become here, take birth and hold on existance. Neither did one really call him, and even if, it would be finally his decision, nor was and is/could he be forced. So nobody else in charge of being bound then oneself at first place.
Good householder will maintain himself here as long there are left merits to do so and as long he finds certain happiness. When those things run out, he breaks appart, then he will arise elsewhere, say on youtube... an animal womb, leaving with a low mindstate...</p>
<p>As for &quot;Why bound&quot;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>From an inconceivable beginning comes <a href="https://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca2/index_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">transmigration</a>. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by <a href="https://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca2/avijja_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ignorance</a> and fettered by <a href="https://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca2/tanha_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">craving</a> are <a href="https://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca1/samsara_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">transmigrating &amp; wandering</a> on. Long have you thus experienced <a href="https://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca1/index_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">stress</a>, experienced pain, experienced loss, swelling the cemeteries — enough to become disenchanted with all fabrications, enough to become dispassionate, enough to <a href="https://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca3/index_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">be released</a>.</em> <a href="https://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/sn/index_en.html#sn15" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Anamatagga-samyutta — The unimaginable beginnings of samsara</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>And the only way out is just this Noble Path of practice.</p>
<p>If one escapes from the wheel of bound, the wheel of suffering, then such question does no more arise, having reached Unbound, [beyond measure and compare.</p>
<p>One, if good, would only if having reached certain level of liberation recognice one who knows and sees, having realised if by himself. So good to go for training judgement, good householder. (Link no more possible to share)</p>
<p>Btw, good householder, using &quot;we&quot; would be in most cases wrong speech, for he would hardly be able to know even himself. And who would &quot;we&quot; be? Yours?</p>
<p><em>[Note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange, other world-binding trafes, but a gift for release from this wheel, for whom ever able to receive]</em></p>
 7628: <blockquote>
<p>As with all of my questions, I am seeking a person who has experienced and truly knows the answer. Hopefully, and with respect I am not seeking mere recital of texts ☺️</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I prefer people speaking from experience. It’s one thing to learn from an ancient text, and completely different to learn from another who has come to experience the truth the text was attempting to express.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If we are trapped in Cyclic Rebirth</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Edit: So I think I should preface this with my belief that this teaching has become conflated over time and has become more mystical. I think the teachings of rebirth were once very grounded in personal experience, but due to translations and people not understanding the original teaching, it transformed into an expression of multiple lives. While interesting to discuss, I’m going to pass on this traditional interpretation, and explain my understanding of the concept of rebirth from personal experience alone.</p>
<p>First, let’s define Cyclic Rebirth from my perspective. Rebirth is a phenomena that occurs because of the transient nature of experience. Seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling, and thinking are all impermanent by nature. One sensate experience only lasts for an almost imperceptibly short length of time before it is replaced by the next, or it ends entirely. These transitory experiences are the foundation in which we build up our belief systems about the physical world. For example, a gargantuan number of short “sight” experiences occur one after another and we jump to grand conclusions. Our logic tends to look something like “There is sight. I am seeing. I see outside. Outside I see a tree. A tree exists outside.” Due to our belief systems, we went from observing a simple experience to believing in the existence of yourself as a separate entity and objects in a material world.</p>
<p>This process of self identifying with some aspect of your experience is what I define as Rebirth. Every moment we are experiencing, we are involved in a process of self identification. Even though these experiences last for only a moment, we continually shift what we believe ourselves to be. For example, we look in the mirror and say “that is me”. Then you walk to the left, and still think it’s you. Walk to the right, and still think it’s you. All while walking your sight is changing as you see your body from different perspectives. But in reality, you are experiencing multiple sight experiences, none related or connected to one another, and are making arbitrary decisions that “this subsection of sight is me, but that subsection isn’t”. This process happens continuously when experience is present, and what you classify as yourself has to change in every separate experience. So what is effectively happening is, every time an experience you identify with ends you die, and when a new experience arises and the process of identification happens again, you are reborn. This process of rebirth does not end until you experience Nirvana for the first time and become enlightened.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>we are then being held against our will.. If we are being held against our will, what or who has set this trap?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I would say you are only being held against your will if you desire to be free of this cycle. It is your own belief systems that keep this cycle going, so if you want to blame something, that’s a better target than any other. But if you don’t care about being free from suffering or understanding the true nature of the universe, it’s your will to stay as you are. So in that situation, rebirth as it occurs is in alignment with your will.</p>
<p>The trap wasn’t engineered or set up by anyone. The process of self identification happens naturally, and is necessary for us to learn how to navigate life as a human being. It isn’t the optimal way to live though, in my opinion. Once the process of rebirth stops, so does suffering. There is also an unending presence of peace accessible in all experience. Also, the process of identification is <strong>absolutely exhausting</strong>. It’s insane how tiring it is. Once it stopped, I was shocked I was previously unaware of the effort. It’s like a clenched fist you hold for a long time. After a while you don’t notice the feeling. But once you open your hand and relax you can feel the exhaustion.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If I escape, where am I escaping too?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You are gaining a perspective that takes no effort to maintain. It’s a way of viewing the world that is pervaded by peace and acceptance. It’s a perspective where you are no longer a small, fragile mortal, but something much more that is unaffected by the goings on in the physical world. It’s a beautiful place that I only describe in the hopes it will motivate others to experience it for themselves.</p>
<p>I would not use the word “escape”. It’s more like a life of complete imperviousness and an acceptance of all things. When Rebirth ends you aren’t escaping from a prison cell, you are realizing your assumptions were wrong and the prison cell door was never locked! Stay if you want. Or don’t! It’s your life to live as you please. Life in a cell is way more comfy if you break past your belief that you are trapped.</p>
 13694: <p>Who is that &quot;we&quot; which is trapped?</p>
<p>It seems to me that these questions are based on the assumption of an &quot;I&quot; who can be found separated from the conditions that made the perception of &quot;I&quot; or the constituents of beings possible. There seems to be a differenciation between the &quot;we&quot; and the &quot;trap&quot;.</p>
<p>If the conditions are not there, no phenomena [whose arising and persistence depends on those conditions] will come to be.</p>
<p>As the Buddha said, there's a middle way between the extremes of existence and non-existence, namely, dependent origination.</p>
<p>SN <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn12.15/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">12.15</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Kaccāna, this world mostly relies on the dual notions of existence
and non-existence.</p>
<p>But when you truly see the origin of the world with right
understanding, you won’t have the notion of non-existence regarding
the world. And when you truly see the cessation of the world with
right understanding, you won’t have the notion of existence regarding
the world.</p>
<p>The world is for the most part shackled to attraction, grasping, and
insisting.</p>
<p>But if—when it comes to this attraction, grasping, mental fixation,
insistence, and underlying tendency—you don’t get attracted, grasp,
and commit to the notion ‘my self’, you’ll have no doubt or
uncertainty that what arises is just suffering arising, and what
ceases is just suffering ceasing. Your knowledge about this is
independent of others.</p>
<p>This is how right view is defined.</p>
<p>‘All exists’: this is one extreme.</p>
<p>‘All doesn’t exist’: this is the second extreme.</p>
<p>Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle
way:</p>
<p>‘Ignorance is a condition for choices. Choices are a condition for
consciousness. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.</p>
<p>When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices
cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. … That is how this
entire mass of suffering ceases.’”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>EDIT: I think a big part of this issue arises from confusion in the use of language. From reading the question, it seems to me that two problems are present: assigning human-like features to processes and entities which are not human (for instance, when stating that &quot;truth is playful&quot;); and taking metaphors as explanations or descriptions of reality and its parts and processes (for instance, when stating that &quot;suffering is a trap&quot;, maybe suggesting that &quot;we&quot; are inside something, which can be a <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reification_(fallacy)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">reification</a>
of the perception of identity).</p>
<p>I'd suggest to keep analysing your own question, trying to clarify to yourself the words you use and the implications underlying such meanings. Clarity of the use of language can dissolve problems, a lot of times.</p>
<p>Kind regards!</p>
