The Bhagavad-gita presents an open-minded worldview that integrates all people, no matter how diverse their values, goals and paths. According to their level of spiritual evolution, the Gita assigns them an appropriate position on a universal continuum that extends downwards to total spiritual ignorance and upwards to complete spiritual realization. The Gita also offers them spiritual pathways customized to their levels so as to inspire and facilitate them to rise higher on the spiritual continuum.

At the same time, the Gita does not imagine vacuously that all levels on the spiritual continuum are the same. That’s why it (7.15) disapproves unequivocally mindsets that violate one’s spiritual integrity and propel one downwards on the spiritual continuum. Though the Gita acknowledges the inherent spiritual equality of all human beings, even all living beings, it doesn’t naively confuse that inherent equality with their present condition of material infection.

To better understand this categorization, we can compare the Gita’s vision of a broad-minded God, Krishna,with a doctor who is so compassionate as to open his clinic to all patients, no matter how sick. He even offers them treatment tailor-made to their inclinations so as to overcome the reluctance they may have to accept the treatment. At the same time, Krishna doesn’t equate a mortally sick person’s condition with that of a vibrantly healthy person. Such equalization would in the name of open-mindedness condemn the sick person to perpetual sickness.

This kind of sentimental equalization would not be open-mindedness; it would be empty-mindedness. No wonder then that we don’t find such empty-mindedness in the Gita, for it is dedicated to assisting each one of us to reclaim our lost spiritual health and the eternal joyful life thereof.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 07 Text 15

“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.”