What is your attitude before performing a devotional activity, while performing, and after performing a devotional activity? And what is your expectation on the result of the devotional activity?
Nishkulanand Swami says that you might choose the most difficult Seva in order to please God. At the end, it is not necessary for God to be pleased upon it based on its level of difficulty.
There is a difference between devotional activity with attachment to its results and devotional activity without attachment to its results.
Narayandasji Swami’s selfless-service
Shastriji Maharaj often quotes an example in his discourses:
When Narayandasji Swami was still a Bhagat in Junagadh, he visited Vadtal to perform Seva for some time.
In Vadtal, there was a very good devotee of Maharaj named Pama Bhagat who was very old. No one was serving him. Maharajshree asked Narayandasji Swami to do the Seva of that Bhagat.
In no time, Swami started serving Bhagatji and did all the menial services for Bhagatji.
After a lot of Seva, Bhagatji was so pleased with Swamiji that he told him, “Please accept this footprint of Maharaj as my gratitude for your Seva.”
Swami replied, “Bhagatji, I tried to serve you only to please you. I beg you, I do not want anything in return.”
Swami did not even take the Prasadi of Maharaj.
If we do Seva, we expect something in return. Are we serving to please God or to serve our inner desires? Why are you doing Seva?
If you are doing small Seva with an intention to only please Maharaj, it is the greatest service. If you are doing great and most difficult Seva with the intention to please Maharaj and also to fulfil your own wishes, then it is the smallest service.
Narayandasji Swami did physical Seva for Bhagatji for only sometime, but it became a great service.
Deciding factor of detachment
People in this world use their skills to achieve name-fame, to get comforts, to prove their capabilities, to get liberation, etc., but no one wants to serve God and His Saints.
Detachment doesn’t depend on whether you excelled in studies or not. Detachment depends on where you are using your skills and possessions. Are you using your possessions and qualities for your personal benefits, to increase your own name and fame? Or are you using them only to please Maharaj and to serve His Saints?
If a Saint or devotee doesn’t study, it doesn’t mean he has detachment. If a Saint or devotee studied well, it also doesn’t mean he has detachment. If he has won or has lost, it doesn’t matter.
Where are you using your possessions and skill-set? What is your mood in doing it. How attached are you in doing things for Maharaj? Your detachment depends on the answers to those questions.
Narayandasji Swami didn’t want the Prasadi of God, which is not a worldly object. He was not serving Bhagatji to get name or fame. He only wanted to please Bhagatji. That is called Vairagya. If something is used without attachment, then it is the proper utilization of that thing. That is the proper utilization of your possessions.
Detached people break their links with worldly objects as soon as possible. Attached people don’t break their links with worldly objects in whatever situation they are in. Whatever their age is, whatever their physical condition is, they don’t reduce or break their link with worldly objects. The one with detachment breaks the links with worldly objects before they get attached to it.
There was a very good devotee of Rajkot Gurukul who was about 60 years old. He did a lot of Satsang with Shastriji Maharaj. When his wife died, he remarried at that old-age. His desires did not leave him even with age. His internal desires did not allow him to leave unworthy things. His detachment is so weak that it is not allowing him to leave the most unworthy things.
References:
Sarsiddhi Katha Part 03