Cittasya suddhaya karma na tu vastupaladbhaye

Vastu siddi vicharena kincitkaramakotibhih. ~ VC-16

Selfless work and charity helps to purify the mind, but do not by themselves contribute to the perception of reality. This perception of  reality is only brought about by discriminative analysis. And never by count of action.

Vedanta or the guide to understanding the self, does not negate or decry ritualistic practises what it observes that when rituals are done mechanically, or hymns are recited mechanically it has no value. Kids are made to write and recite tables, so that they memorize it but continuing to do so at an adult age, is rather ridiculous, vivekachudamani equates the mechanical recitation of hymns and performance of rituals to this. When these get mechanized they are no more tools of self realization.

Often we perform tasks expecting a certain end result. The end results becomes the focus that we lose the dedication to the task, sometimes we don’t even enjoy the steps that we are take. The result could be either precisely what we envisioned or it could be different. If we have achieved the deserved results then we get attached to the success, if we do not get the desired result then we are agonizing over the lack of success but through this entire endeavour we lose the joy of the task.

Selfless action does have a place, it helps us transcend ego and provides the wings for the next stage, but mindless action has no place.