How can one assess one's own understanding of spiritual knowledge?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on December 27, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]

[Smt. Padmaram asked: How can I assess whether I have understood the Brahma Jñānam (spiritual knowledge)? Is it that only if am able to put it to practice in the form of karma yoga (service and sacrifice), can I say that I have understood the knowledge? Should I propagate Your knowledge only after I get permission from You?]

Swāmi replied: Understanding the spiritual knowledge in its literal sense is the first theoretical phase. By this, you can become a preacher and propagate the knowledge to others. You have studied medicine and you can become a lecturer in a medical college. But only when you actually practice as a doctor have you fully succeeded in practice. Practice must follow the theory and in the absence of practice, the theory has no use for you except to become a teacher or a preacher. On teaching or preaching for a long time, the subject might get digested by you and you may be able to put it to practice. In this way, the propagation of spiritual knowledge helps you and also others.

Once, a spiritual preacher called Sadāśivendra preached spiritual knowledge to a student called Brahmānandendra. Through that spiritual knowledge, the student developed so much devotion that he became mad about God. The preacher, however, still continued to teach the subject to other batches of students. When people came and told the preacher that his student is intoxicated with the devotion for God, the preacher wept saying that he could not reach that stage, in spite of teaching the subject to so many batches of students (Unmattavat sañcaratīha śiṣyaḥ…). Practice alone gives you the real fruit. When you become eligible to preach the spiritual knowledge to the world, God will give you the permission. This point was told by Śrī Paramahaṃsa to Swami Dayānanda Sarasvatī. I became a preacher of spiritual knowledge only when God Datta appeared to Me as Satya Sai Baba and told Me twice to preach the spiritual knowledge to the world. The main point is that the concept at any level should not be preached in a wrong way to mislead people to the wrong path.

Keywords:

| Shri Datta Swami | How can one assess one's own understanding of spiritual knowledge? | Jnanam Sadashivendra Unmattavat sancharatiha shishyah Dayananda Paramahansa

★ ★ ★ ★ ★