Losing Oneself in God...

True self-denial is losing one's self in God.

Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

Man, absorbed from morning till evening in his occupations which engage his
every attention to the things of the earth and of self interest, remains
intoxicated. Seldom there are moments in his life, brought about by pain or
suffering, when he experiences a state of mind which can be called soberness.
Hindus call this state of mind sat, which is a state of tranquility. Man then
begins to become conscious of some part of his being which he finds to have
almost covered his eyes. When we look at life from this point of view we find
that an individual who claims to be a living being is not necessarily living a
full life. It is only a realization of inner life which at every moment unveils
the soul, and brings before man another aspect of life in which he finds
fullness, a greater satisfaction, and a rest which gives true peace.

Can he speak about this to his fellow men? And if he does, what can he say? Can
he say, 'I am purer,' or 'more exalted than you' or 'I understand life better
than you?' As life unfolds itself to man the first lesson it teaches is
humility; the first thing that comes to man's vision is his own limitedness. The
vaster God appears to him, the smaller he finds himself. This goes on and on
until the moment comes when he loses himself in the vision of God. In terms of
the Sufis this is called fana, and it is this process that was taught by Christ
under the name of self-denial. Often man interprets this teaching wrongly and
considers renunciation as self-denial. He thinks that the teaching is to
renounce all that is in the world. But although that is a way and an important
step which leads to true self-denial, the self-denial meant is the losing
oneself in God.