670. Open Mind

To understand the reality of an open mind, it will be helpful to know in real terms what a closed mind is. It is best understood by knowing the process of opinion formation. Mother says opinions look like needles in the subtle plane. Obviously opinion is ours, not necessarily the fact of the situation. There is a report about a theft. It comes to us. As we hear of it, our past experience receives the facts - assuming they are correct facts - and arrives at a conclusion. That becomes our opinion. Our opinion of an event reported to us is our version of it in the light of past experience, valid to us only. To know the facts of the situation, one needs to shed that opinion. He who desires an open mind must be able to prevent opinion formation. He who forms an opinion prejudges the event. It becomes a prejudice. To insist on that prejudice is to have a closed mind.

Mind is like the surface of the sea, full of waves of thought. It cannot be stopped. An open mind is one which keeps the mind always free from prejudice, opinion or prejudgement. One can congratulate oneself if he has come across another whose mind is open. It is a matter of great gratification if one possesses an open mind. A rational mind is far superior to an open mind, as it serves as the basis for a rational mind. Most men are rational in affairs that do not touch their own personality, which means they have the rational faculty. When it touches their own personal affairs adversely, they act like others, with a closed mind or led by prejudice. Such a man often changes his opinion towards the right one when others point out his error. It is an acceptable good behaviour, but will not constitute rational behaviour. A rational man, in his own personal affairs, even when he is adversely affected, would come to a rational decision without external promptings.

An open mind is good. A rational mind is great. Life presents very many occasions for one to test his true value. A rational mind is necessarily true. It entertains no falsehood of any type or shade. A closed Mind is closed to the Force. The Force easily enters an open Mind. It enters very much a rational mind. To fully receive the Force, one should go further to Supermind. We have worked for twenty years and built up a business to five crores. At that stage, we see we may take another ten years to reach ten crores or we may level off here. Now an opportunity presents itself to us. If we are willing to open our closed mind and make it RATIONAL on our own, the Force will readily enter us and the ten crores will be achieved straightaway. Employed devotees have this opportunity, to abridge several years into as many months.