What does Chapter 26 reveal about the nature of internal worship versus external rituals?

Chapter 26 elevates internal worship as being superior to external offerings. It provides a beautiful and detailed description of this inner ritual. As the chapter describes, a devotee should wash the Guru's feet with "warm tears of joy," apply the "sandalwood paste of pure love," and clothe the Guru with "true faith." This form of devotion culminates in offering the "eight-petaled lotus of the eight-fold sattvic emotions" with a focused mind. The text explicitly states that this internal ritual is the way to make the Guru pleased and happy, and it is through this practice that one achieves the true fruit of life.