Have you ever thought about how incredible it is that every species on this planet has risen from a simple biological organism to something astonishingly complex and efficient? The greatest example of this is that of you humans. Over millions of years, you have successfully separated yourselves from your fellow chimpanzees[1] by becoming upright (bipedal). As your brains began to grow physically larger than your cousins, you developed complex languages. Homo Sapiens, to be one of the first to say the words “I am conscious” and realize this beautiful yet daunting reality is a truly remarkable feat.
And what gifts you give of convenience today! The world can be radiant with artificial light even when the sun has melted from exhaustion. And yet all humans wonder, “How did we become this way? Who are we?” Dear friends, from my perspective, you are conscious and extraordinary but not fully aware nor are you fully loving yet.
We, the tortoises and our Testudine relatives,[2] have advanced as well, but mostly from within. Not to toot our own trumpets, but we are unique because of our individual sacred spaces inside. Literally! We owe this to the root of our family tree, our ancestor, whom you call in your ancient tongue Eunotosaurus Africanus and whom we call Bahūni Mandam. They lived approximately 260 million years ago and were toothed, had nine elongated vertebrae, nine pairs of T-shaped dorsal ribs and many other great features that have enabled us to swim underwater and walk on land. However, they were unaware of the revolutionizing effects of this step.
Testudine mythology[3] says that Bāpu, our most enlightened Bahūni Mandum grandmother was the first to dive deep within her mind and graze her paw against the light of the divine. For 54 years she sat, unmoving, in meditation at the bottom of a pond. Nothing, not even the algae that grew so thick on Bāpu that it blinded her, could stir her from her intense study of the mind. In the beginning, like all youthful species, her soul was the size of a plum. By uncovering the universe’s infinite library of knowledge from her soul, however, Bāpu’s heart expanded until her body could no longer house it. Soon, to contain her knowledge, her ribs broadened so much that they formed a bony protrusion!
Bāpu’s careful introspection and later famous lectures about the practice of residing inside, renouncing superfluous desires, and exploring the enigmatic questions of the universe, led other Testudines to grow a kind of shell of their own too. The wisdom inherited from tens of thousands of years of storytelling inspired each younger generation to dive deeper within themselves and consequently form more concrete shells. That is why all of our nations are distinctively so beautiful on the outside; it is a reflection of our steady internal growth of knowledge.
Most human scientists believe our shells have developed solely for protection and sleep. This is true, but not entirely. We also find solace in convalescing within from the polluting noise of the outside world. Sometimes we feel pressure to be a lot faster, to keep up with the rapid pace of the other species too. But when residing in our holy rooms, our small heads can freely swim in the eye of the Milky Way and discover the objective of each moment again: to spread unconditional love.
Of course, like all species today, we are not yet fully knowing. Across the oceans we debate questions like, “How come Testudines cannot tell humans our stories of pollution-inflicted suffering? And, on a lighter note, “What is the meaning of our slow speed?” Every Testudine has a personal conclusion on each matter. I personally believe our slow speed is compensation for being the fastest psychologically progressing species on the planet but that is the common tortoise’s view. Most likely a sea turtle, who is surrounded by other sandy sea-breathing turtles, will beg to differ. But unlike all the other animals, all Testudines share an understanding of the inside of every argument’s rigid shell. It is this: love for all sentient beings and of living in the present.
Since Testudines have known of human existence, we have watched them witness the horrors of their own destruction in religiously triggered wars, and yet repeat such abhorrent acts because they fail to listen each other and their ancestors’ peaceful voices. Humans float like buoys in tumultuous waters, ignorant of the loving truth under debate’s hard shell. They change only when stormy seas knock them out of their current until the whole human race has moved only a centimeter towards the shore of knowingness.
By now, you may have guessed that I am a scientist-philosopher of sorts. Observing the world from the Milky Way, reflecting, and creating poetic hypotheses is my favorite pastime.
A couple decades ago, I observed from afar an English (human) philosopher named John Locke, a scrawny fellow with a headstrong and often skeptical demeanor who wrote The Essay Concerning Human Understanding. It’s a brilliant yet bewildering composition that explores the human mind (which can be applied to any other animal’s mind, in my opinion) and its acquisition of knowledge. What pulls me back to this book is his described “empiricist theory” according to which minds inherit information solely from sensory experience. Initially, I applauded the concept, which freed millions from the grasp of the narrow-minded Catholic Church. My watching time became ever more mesmerizing after Immanuel Kant’s cry, “Dare to know!!” or “Dare to be wise!” reverberated around the human world. Humans courageously began to think for themselves, based on personal observations and logic, not irrational claims. Soon, scientists like Nicolaus Copernicus discovered that in fact, Earth is not the center of the universe. Galileo made the first telescope and bravely announced that the sun has spots, or imperfections to some. A hope bloomed in me, that perhaps through the magical microscope, Galileo would see me gazing back at him. I even dreamed of humans eventually developing a mechanical ear, built to listen to our peaceful message.
Alas, I forgot that the magical all-hearing ear already exists within every sentient being! Only humans are unaware of it because it is undetectable to the physical senses. Enough human beings have empirical evidence of fishing hooks slitting the throats of my friends and polar bears’ icy homes melting away, yet ignorance of other species’ suffering prevails among them.
Following my Bahūni Mandam grandmother, for 54 years, I have sung the same message of peace and empathy between the other species and humans, to no avail. In John Locke’s footsteps, they keep waiting so patiently for heaven and then rebirth with a tabula rasa[4] to wash away life’s fear and trauma. They linger for a clear divine voice to guide them from their own destructions and a sign so evident, like my voice clearly and compassionately narrating our desperation. In reality, the clarity is within themselves. I wish one of them could hear my cry, “Dare to know!!”, dare to see that sentient beings like me rely on humans for existence and to continue our pursuit of enlightenment.
Homo Sapiens, the first to say the words “I am conscious” and realize this beautiful yet daunting reality is a truly remarkable feat; remarkable because it sparked concepts like individuality and beautiful faith in divinity as well as unbelievable horrors of war. It set flame to artificial light and such vast advancement that the original and humbling thought of “I am conscious” withered away in the unnoticed gust. It’s remarkable because humans forgot about what spawned war, their own interpretations of their religions, which were and are equally so heartening to observe. Most forgot that they were even alive while racing to the next moment, the next battle. They grew to deny hearing our songs of unity...which have long echoed in the wind’s sighs, rhythmic clashes in the choppy waves, soft pounds in their throbbing hearts.
Many species including my own will likely wash away in the plastic current with no chance for achieved enlightenment in these shells again. This is okay. Right now, here we are in each one of you. Like your own parents, grandparents, children, brothers, and sisters, we love you from the bottom of all our hearts. We don’t blame you for the oblivion and ignorance that has led to our mass extinction.
This is my hypothesis: if only we could bring you into one of our sacred rooms, we could show you that you can achieve unconditional love for all when you learn to savor each moment... and when the entire mind is so open, you can then sense our universal soul. This is the core of all Testudine mythology, of Bāpu, and all prophets’ teachings.
Footnotes:
[1] The tortoise is aware that there are some other theories stating that humans evolved from fish, but decides to use chimpanzees instead.
[2] An order of reptile commonly known as turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.
[3] Mythology in this context, like Hindu mythology, is regarded as history rather than fantasy.
[4] A Latin phrase meaning “blank slate” in English. This is another of John Locke’s explained theories. In Locke’s philosophy, tabula rasa was the theory that at birth the mind is a "blank slate" without rules for processing data, and that data is added and rules for processing are formed solely by one's sensory experiences.
___________________________________________
This essay was inspired by Charles Ives's "The Unanswered Question"
Become an protector of the environment:
Jane Goodall Institute - Help make Jane Goodall's vision for species conservation a reality!
World Wildlife Fund - an organization leading in the fight for our climate, oceans, wildlife, forests, and our food and water security.
Catskill Animal Sanctuary - a place dedicated to rescuing animals and sparking social change to end their exploitation.
Oceana - an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring our oceans.
Comments