What does it mean to work out your own salvation?

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, the Enlightened being, explains,
“Rituals give peace in the worldly life, chanting that pacifies the mind gives worldly peace, but there is no liberation (moksha) without Self-knowledge (Gnan).”rnThe path of salvation or liberation does not require any rituals. By performing rituals, prayers and reciting mantras, we do acquire relative worldly happiness. However, if one wants more than worldly happiness and has a yearning for permanent happiness, freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth, then the path of salvation is for those.
rnEvery being is in search of happiness, and hence in everything we do, our deep inner intent is to be happy. Happiness is the intrinsic nature of every being. As a child, one searches for happiness in toys, games and in being loved and pampered. And when one grows up into an adult, the source of happiness changes, but the search for happiness continues in money, possessions, relationships, status, etc.
rnHowever, unfortunately in none of these, does one find permanent happiness. All the possessions, relationships, etc. leave us or we leave them one day or another. When they go away from us, they give us misery that is proportional to the happiness we derived from them. Thus, the world runs in search of permanent happiness, but ends up finding temporary happiness that results in misery. The meaning of Moksha is nothing but permanent happiness.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan further says, “Moksha (liberation) means eternal bliss; ultimate freedom (mukti) from all misery!”
- Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan

On the Akram path of spiritual science, there is no need for any penance or renunciation. The only thing required is to meet in person, a living Enlightened Being, who is liberated and has the gift of bestowing liberation on those who are in search of it. So on our part, we just have to attain from Him, the knowledge of the Self.

Self-realisation means to find the answer to ‘who am I’. When we discover our true Self, permanent happiness prevails. The experience of this happiness is the first stage of liberation (Moksha) - freedom from unhappiness. Later, the final Moksha occurs when all of one’s karmas come to an end.

The first stage of Moksha can occur in this very life, when upon attaining Self-Realization, one experiences freedom from anger, pride, deceit and greed. It is anger, pride, deceit and greed that verily are the reason for any pain or unhappiness.
rnEvery embodied Soul has a right to SalvationrnEvery embodied Self looks for happiness in one place or another, and in doing so, has wandered for countless lifetimes. And when one aspires eternal happiness, one looks for his own salvation.

For salvation, we need to attain Self-Realization. Ignorance of the Self is like utter darkness. Hence, we keep on wandering endlessly birth after birth, and experience immense pain and undergo enormous misery in life, when in this state of ignorance. On the other hand, the inherent property of Soul is eternal bliss. Hence, acquiring the Self is bliss. For this, we need to go to the Enlightened Being. With His grace, we attain Self-Realization and following His words, our problems begin to cease. That’s when we are said to have worked out our own salvation.rnTo know more: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/spiritual-science/moksha/