Those who are looking for a reward are smaller than their reward; those who have renounced a thing have risen above it.
Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Related Material by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Compiled by Wahiduddin Richard Shelquist – wahiduddin.net
When doing a kindness to others the first thing that must be considered is that it should be unselfish, and not for the sake of appreciation or a reward. Those who do good and wait for a reward are laborers of good; but those who do good and disregard it are the directors of good.
Life consists of a continual struggle for gain, of whatever kind it may be. Gain seems to be the purpose of Life… But by a still deeper insight into the subject we see that every gain we have in view limits us to a certain extent to that gain, directs our activities into a certain channel, and forms the line of our fate. At the same time it deprives us of a still greater or a better gain, and of the freedom of activity which might perhaps accomplish something still better. It is for this reason that renunciation is practiced by the Sufis; for with every willing renunciation a person proceeds a step towards a higher goal. No renunciation is ever fruitless. The one who is looking for a gain is smaller than the gain; the one who has renounced a thing has risen above it.
Renunciation is not a thing that can be learned or taught. It comes by itself as the soul develops; when the soul begins to see the true value of things. All that is valuable to others, a seer soul begins to see otherwise. This shows that all things that we see as precious or not precious, their value is according to the way we look at them. For some, the renunciation of a penny is too much; for others that of all they have is nothing. It depends on how we look at things. All things one renounces in Life, one rises above. We are captives of the things which we have not renounced; of things that we have renounced we become rulers. This whole world can become a realm in our hand if we have renounced it. But renunciation depends upon the evolution of the soul. One who has not evolved spiritually cannot well renounce. For the grownup persons, little toys so valuable to children are nothing. It is easy for them to renounce this. So it is for those who develop spiritually — all things are easy to renounce.
( from Social Gathekas, Series I: Paper 29 – Renunciation [ unpublished ] )
Commentary by Murshid S.A.M. (Sufi Ahmed Murad)
Samuel L. Lewis
We can be no larger than our possessions. As Jesus Christ has said: seek ye first the realm of Heaven and all else will be yours. That is to say, cease to think particular thoughts, cease to have narrow attachments, desires, and ideals. Put your heart on the All, and the All will manifest Its Heart to you.