In the ancient Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 58, Krishna uses the analogy of a tortoise to illustrate the concept of sensory control and wisdom. This verse is a cornerstone in understanding the principle of the withdrawal of the senses. Let’s explore this analogy and its implications through various perspectives and sources.

Here is verse 58: 

“When, like the tortoise that withdraws its limbs from all sides, she withdraws her senses from the sense objects, then her wisdom becomes steady.”

This analogy vividly illustrates how a person with steady wisdom can control their senses, much like a tortoise retracts its limbs into its shell for protection.

In the Bhagavad Gita, the analogy of a tortoise withdrawing its limbs is used to illustrate the concept of sensory control. Just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell for protection, a wise person withdraws their senses from sense objects to maintain inner peace and focus. 

Just as tortoises are given limbs for locomotion, finding food, and mating, and a shell for self-defence, humans are endowed with sense organs to perform their duties. Our eyes, ears, and other senses help us navigate the world, gather information, and fulfill our responsibilities.

However, there are times when the distractions caused by sense objects can endanger our ability to perform our duties. This is when it becomes necessary to withdraw the senses. Gurus will clearly explain that the sense organs (eyes, ears, etc.) are parts of the body that carry sensations, but it is the mind that decides what is good or bad. Withdrawing the senses is a process of training the mind. It is not that the eyes will stop seeing or the ears will stop listening, but the mind will modulate what we see or hear. For instance, the eyes do not differentiate the money they see, but the mind helps discriminate whether the money is earned rightfully or is a bribe. Sense objects do not decide, but the intellect helps determine if a particular object should be pursued or abandoned. A person with steady wisdom knows when to use the senses and when to withdraw them completely.

Otherwise, if you let negative emotions and thoughts arise inside you without any sense of restraint, without any mindfulness of their negativity, then in a sense you are giving them free reign. They can then develop to the point where there is simply no way to counter them, leading to disaster. 

The Emily Dahl Foundation 
November 2024