Rewards...

He who is looking for a reward is smaller than his reward; he who has renounced
a thing has risen above it.

Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

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. He who
does good and waits for a reward is a laborer of good; but he who does good and
disregards it is the master 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 one sees that every gain a person has in view limits him to a certain
extent to that gain, directs his activities into a certain channel, and forms
the line of his fate. At the same time it deprives him 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 his 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 one person, the renunciation of a penny is too
much; for another that of all he has is nothing. It depends on how we look at
things. All things one renounces in life, one rises above. Man is a slave of the
thing which he has not renounced; of things that he has renounced he becomes
king. This whole world can become a kingdom in his hand if a person has
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.