The talk based on this ppt can be heard here: https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2018/05/open-minded-not-empty-minded-2/ The speaker, Chaitanya Charan, is a monk, mentor and spiritual author. He has written 20 books and writes the world's only daily blog on the timeless spiritual class, Bhagavad-gita, at gitadaily.com

1. Be open-minded,
not empty-minded

2. Minds are like mouths
They need to be open to take
things in &
they need to close to benefit
from what is taken in

3. Close-minded
Refuse to consider anything
that challenges one’s beliefs
Eg. Echo chamber
Eg. “Jump off, you infidel”

4. Empty-minded
Refuse to challenge anything
that is currently flowing
Eg Pipe
Eg “That is our tradition”

5. Clarifying terms
Ultimatism = Dogmatism?
Ultimatism * Relativism
Dogmatism * Open-mindedness

6. Relativism Relativizes Relativism too
“There is no absolute truth.”
Is that statement an absolute truth?

7. No opinions
“Don’t be strongly attached to
any opinions – to this opinion, I
am strongly attached.”
- Woody Allen

8. Can we go beyond our filters?
Is there anything to us beyond
our filters?
Is there a holder of opinions
beyond our opinions

9. A thought-exercise
Close your eyes
Look at what appears on the
inner screen
Look for the seer of the inner
screen

10. The self – a holistic model
The body: hardware
The mind: software
The soul: user

12. Srila Prabhupada - “Philosophy
without religion is just mental
speculation”
Spirituality
Philosophy
Religion

13. Srila Prabhupada - “Religion without
philosophy is at best sentimentalism and
at worst fanaticism.”
Spirituality
Philosophy
Religion

14. Changing focus
Use religion more
To improve than
To prove