A few weeks ago my Mom mentioned to me that she has been reading The Bhagwad Gita that is kept in our prayer cabinet at home. I asked her what she read that day and she told me something about how the tortoise goes into its shell and folds its legs but that does not mean that it cannot move when it wants. Similarly the human senses (indriyan to be more precise) can be kept in control. I did not quite get the thought. I just didn’t understand the analogy between a tortoise and human senses. I did not press further and a little later that evening we all went for a stroll to downtown Mountain View.While walking on Castro Street, Mom and I got intrigued by the big and colorful fish that were displayed at the aquarium shop on the intersection of Dana and Castro.We enjoyed the variety and their distinct names and had a joyful time inside the shop. On our way out, Mom spotted a tortoise and she reminded me of the lesson she had read in the Gita earlier that day. I questioned the message she derived out of it (again) and we moved on to another topic. I gave up on the analogy but it troubled me ever since.
Today morning as I was going through my Google plus feed I found this post. See image. And I finally understood what my Mom was trying to tell me. I totally get the analogy now. It is crystal clear!
The conspiracy of the tortoise finally resolved itself and I learnt a lovely lesson that is hard to forget. But what a persistent tortoise eh!
Shivi 