Does the open mind help to become positive? Is open mind a positive mind?

Open mind is a positive attribute

Whoever keeps an open mind that person has understood. How much open the mind is, that much understanding there is. Person with less understanding becomes narrow minded. A person with a narrow mind would say, ‘I understand,’ but in reality, he does not understand anything. However, a person with an open mind would be able to understand.

So if there is an open mind, it is considered the highest thing. We should realize what our mind is in. If we avoid clashes and our mind becomes open, then we can realize how we kept our mind open. Why am I telling you this? Right now your mind has become narrow-restrictive. If it is still narrow in the future, it will become wrapped. Then, even if someone is trying to throw good things at you, you won’t accept anything. So keep your mind open. Nonetheless, it won’t stay open. What would your inner instruments (mind-chit-intellect-ego) do?

Questioner:  Get excited or start to jump.

Dadashri: There are all kinds of ‘K’s within, they will tell you, ‘What is worth listening?’ At that time You should say, ‘Shut up, keep quiet here.’ Those inner ones are separate from ‘You’. There are all kinds of ‘K’s within you. ‘K’ means ‘karavnara,’ - the one that makes you do. What are their names? Those with ‘K’? There is krodhak makes you angry; there is lobhak makes you greedy; there is chetak makes you cautious; there is bhavak makes you to make intent. Do you think they exist?

Questioner:  Yes, they exist in everyone.

Dadashri: They certainly do, in everyone. You should be cautious of all these. I had a very hard time removing them. It took me a long time to be free from them. They are not part of our property. They’ve all encroached in from the ‘outside’. People don’t even realize what speaks from within them. If you want to do something, and you get a third type of suggestion from within, wouldn’t you recognize that there exists something different or something of a third type inside? Does that ever happen? Have you experienced it?

Questioner: Yes, it happens.

Dadashri: There is a third type inside. That is why I am alerting you. I have seen your mind to be completely narrow. We shouldn’t keep it this narrow. Or else, how can this big philosophy come out? You should keep your mind open. You should listen to anyone at least once. After listening, if you don’t want to accept it, then you can remove it. And even if it seems alright, don’t go deep into it. If you have liked five sentences of a person, then you can note down within, his sixth one, which is unacceptable, and keep it pending. You should have at least some faith.

If there was a ship that sank fifteen days ago, and you had to go to the same place for business today, then how would you feel inside, as you board the ship today? Would you be frightened? Will the inside of you feel suffocated that the ship will sink?

Questioner: You said that I should not give opinions to anyone; but if the mind is open, then opinions can be given. So what are you trying to say here about the open mind?

Dadashri: These are all narrow minds. ‘I can do this and I cannot do this’. Open mind means that negative is negative and positive is positive, he understands both, and thus remaining in the positive (the Self); which means that negative won’t arise. And narrow mind means that it would want to stay in negative. Then the positive will not arise. There are very few people with open mind. No matter what talk is happening about any religion, if one is not affected, that is the sign of an open mind. Or else it is still narrowmindedness.

The mind is suspicious, that is why it sees it wrong. If the mind is suspicion laden, then one should ‘see’ after purifying it. People cannot grasp this truth.