Q: Is it possible to delight the Creator without giving something up, without restricting myself, without performing the first restriction, but only changing the aim from “for me” to “for the Creator?”
A: When you begin to delve deep inside and feel your own nature in all its lowness, you’ll understand why it is natural to be fooled by it. Our nature always puts on forms that are “real,” “genuine,” “useful,” and “desirable.” It is impossible to grasp that all our actions are performed only to please ourselves.
Therefore, we must cut off any contact with the desire and the pleasure. That is our “restriction” - the decision to not follow our own corporeal nature. Later on, we will reach such a level of correction that we become completely indifferent to the outcome.
Only after that phase, and according to the measure of correction, can we begin to contemplate how to act, not for ourselves, but for the Creator. Now we can see that correction is made of several consecutive steps, which necessarily begin with the restriction.