"True
service is a fragrance of the Being. It is a light that emanates from
your understanding. At a certain stage of the journey, you are able to
practice service as an intelligent austerity, which is a spiritual
practice that purifies selfishness. You choose to create some friction
in order to provoke your ‘no's’ towards love. Since it is a choice, I
call it an ‘intelligent’ austerity because it is born out of your
intelligence and comprehension. It is bitter medicine, but it works, so
you decide to try it out."
- Sri Prem Baba