(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 January 2013, Durban, South Africa, Lecture)
Devotional service is given to us by devotees. You cannot take devotional service. It is a gift. And because that element comes in, that a superior vaisnava is asking us to do a service and then we do that service. This is where the selfless element comes in. We just do what the superior vaisnava wants. Not that we think, ‘What I will offer Krsna.’ No, we do what the vaisnavas ask us to do. And it is there we can overcome that selfish motivation.
Of course, even if we do some service to Krsna and there is some personal motivation, it doesn’t matter because the service will purify our heart from personal desire. So overtime, the personal desires will diminish. But if we quickly want to rise above then we must serve the superior vaisnava and that is the trick!