Bold and in quotes: Original text of Baal HaSulam
Regular: Commentaries of Rav Laitman
Capitalized italics: transliteration from Hebrew
"The essence of one's work should be how to come to feel taste in bestowing contentment to one's Maker..." That is, to feel taste in bestowal. What is the benefit of it? The benefit is that I feel good from giving. Then the question arises: 'Why is this desirable?" Is it because in bestowing I will feel good and therefore it will not be hard for me to bestow? It then follows that I would bestow for my own profit. This is a very serious and dangerous pitfall. Maybe it would be better if I did not feel good, not feel the taste in bestowal and altruistic acts, because in doing so I will bestow only in order to feel the taste it in.
"...since everything man does for oneself distances him from the Creator due disparity of form. However, if one performs an act to benefit the Creator, even the smallest act, it is still considered a Mitzva" (lit.Precept/good deed). This is only if one acts for the sake of the Creator.
Hence, one's primary exertion should be to acquire a force that feels taste in bestowing, which is through lessening that feels taste in self-reception. In that state one slowly acquires the taste in bestowing."
All of this applies to the period when a person is still in the state of Lo Lishma. I want to progress, yet I still feel pleasure from receiving: from money, fame, knowledge, or anything that is pleasant to my ears and gives me a nice feeling. However, in a group, I gradually start feeling that bestowal is good as well. This is how the group forms the foundation for bestowal within me.
But what is the benefit of bestowing? It can also bring me pleasure; I feel the taste in performing an altruistic act and I feel good from it. I get used to performing such acts by thinking about them and feeling good because of them.
The book of Shamati contains a few short articles like this one. These articles are written from Baal HaSulam's words at some festive meal or other occasion, where he spoke just a little without any explanation.