[Buddha-l] Tortoise mind?

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

jkirk schreef:
>
> When one is able to withdraw his senses from their objects under any
> circumstance, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into the shell - his
> wisdom is firmly established.
>
> Bhagavad gita, 2.58.
> -------
> I suspect there are similar adages in the Pali canon to this one; or 
> are there?
> I wonder how one can accomplish withdrawing one's senses from objects.
> If one holds to the idea of the inseparableness of mind and body, 
> considering these to be aspects of one biological process, it wouldn't 
> seem possible as stated in this adage from the Gita. Would it not be 
> more helpful to observe what happens in the thought process when one's 
> senses apprehend this or that object?  Or would this claimed 
> withdrawal be an aspect of concentration instead of insight meditation?
>
> Would this practice be related to preparing for warfare (as in the 
> Mahabharata, where we find the Gita, and with Krishna advocating that 
> kshatriyas must observe their warrior dharma, etc.).
>
> The simile of the tortoise hints at maintaining a shell-like armor 
> around one's persona, usually dubbed a socially dysfunctional 
> defensive attitude by psychologists.
>
> Any observations on any of this will be appreciated.
> (No agenda here--just wondering.)
>
> Joanna
>
>
Hi Joanna,

I would say that this is purely concentration (samadhi) and it is very 
much in line with the ontological dualism of the Giita (Arjuna is 
advised to start the battle, because only the bodies of the combattants 
suffer and not the souls). This is in my view due to samkhya influence. 
Samkhya promisses moksha via separation of purusha (citta) and prak.rti 
(kevalam or isolation), so a first step would be to 'forget' the sensual 
stimuli, which then would become nonexistent, because when the mind no 
longer mixes with the sensual organs, they stop functioning.


-- 

Erik


www.xs4all.nl/~jehms
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