Why is the offering of wealth to the Incarnation greater than offering service to Him?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on October 31, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]

[Reply to a question by Śrī Ganesh] Swāmi replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! Karma saṃnyāsa means service. It is the sacrifice of work, which is energy. Karma phala tyāga is the sacrifice of wealth. Wealth is the fruit of one’s work, which is matter. As per the well-known equation in physics, E = mc², a lot of energy is equivalent to a very small amount of matter. Hence, the sacrifice of matter is always greater than the sacrifice of energy or work. When a person works, money or matter is paid for the work or energy. There are several unemployed people, who are ready to sacrifice (offer) their energy or work in return for a little payment of salary in the form of money or matter. The employer pays the salary, which is money or matter. The employee gives work or energy to the employer in return for the matter or money. The employee always respects the employer because the matter or money is greater than the energy or work. Employees are many, whereas, employers are less in number.

A saint can sacrifice only energy or work (karma saṃnyāsa), whereas, a householder can sacrifice both work as well as the fruit of work (karma phala tyāga). Hence, the stage of the householder (gṛhasthāśrama) is said to be the topmost among all the four stages (āśramas). The saint can only perform the sacrifice of work while the householder can perform both the sacrifice of work as well as the sacrifice of the fruit of work. Thus, the sacrifice of the fruit of work is always associated with the sacrifice of work, but the sacrifice of work need not be always associated with the sacrifice of the fruit of work.

The ultimate aim of any work is only the fruit. The goal or the fruit, which is the end is always greater than the effort or the work, which is the means. Of course, a saint is unable to sacrifice the fruit of work because he himself lives by begging. Since the sacrifice of the fruit of work is not possible in his case, the sacrifice of work done by him for the sake of God is as good as the sacrifice of the fruit of work by a householder. But, in the case of the householder, the sacrifice of the fruit of work is important because the householder is capable of performing this sacrifice.

I used to have a neighbour, who was a friend and colleague and who worked as a lecturer in a college. He was a devotee of Śrī Satya Sai Bāba. He used to earn some extra money by conducting tuition classes for some students. A few days before the Dasara vacation, he came to Me and said, “Dasara vacations have come. All my tuition students have already gone home. I propose to go to Puṭṭaparti (place of Bāba) to act as volunteer so that I can get free food there for doing some service. That way, I can at least earn something!” Therefore, the sacrifice of the fruit of work is the ultimate test, which alone brings out the true colour of the soul’s devotion.

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