The Buddha once told of ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The Buddha once told of a tar trap used by hunters in the Himalayas to catch monkeys. Intelligent monkeys keep well clear of these traps, but foolish inquisitive monkeys go up to the trap and put a paw into the tar. Immediately, a monkey who does this realises that it is stuck and thinking to free itself, grabs with the other paw. Now it is even more stuck. Thinking ‘I'll free both of my paws,’ it grabs with its foot and the foot gets stuck too. Thinking, ‘I'll free both of my paws and my foot,’ it grabs with its other foot. Now that both paws and both feet are stuck, it tries to save itself by grabbing with its mouth. Now, completely stuck, all it can do is wait for the hunter to arrive.

Some sensual pleasures are so addictive that once we form an initial attachment to them, it is almost impossible to free ourselves. Indeed, when lacking wisdom, our very struggles to escape may make the situation worse. For this reason, wise people are aware of their limitations and keep far away from such sticky tar-like experiences

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