Question: When we feel joy in working for you, can we take this as pleasing you in your own way?

Sri Chinmoy: If you get joy from doing something, that doesn’t mean you are pleasing me in my own way. Suppose I have not asked you outwardly to bring me a flower, but you try to please me by bringing me one. If I have asked you inwardly to bring me a flower and you have brought me the flower and are now getting joy, then you have the right to say that you are pleasing me in my own way. But very often you do a thing in your own way and at the same time you do it soulfully. At that time you deserve joy and you do get joy from within. That joy is really quite good, but it cannot be as divine or as fulfilling as the joy you would get from pleasing me in my own way. Very often you may not or cannot know what my wish is. Then what can you do? Remain silent? No. You try to do the right thing, whatever comes from your heart and soul. This may not be what I wanted, but as long as it comes from the heart and the soul, your devotion will come to me. From your good action you will definitely get joy. I cannot say it is not divine joy, but there are degrees of divine joy, let us say. When we speak of conditional and unconditional surrender, we say it is better to make conditional surrender than not to make surrender at all. In the beginning, let us try to do something conditionally. Then gradually, gradually we make progress and do the thing unconditionally.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sri Chinmoy speaks, part 7, Agni Press, 1976
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