Unless, it is cutting off the ego-centered mind…

“According to the traditional Buddhist understanding, our human nature is without ego. When we have no idea of ego, we have Buddha’s view of life. Our egotistic ideas are delusion, covering our Buddha nature. We are always creating and following them, and in repeating this process over and over again, our life becomes completely occupied by ego-centered ideas. This is called karmic life, or karma. The Buddhist life should not be karmic life. The purpose of your practice is to cut off the karmic spinning mind. If you are trying to attain enlightenment, that is a part of your karma, you are creating and being driven by karma, and you are wasting your time on your black cushion.” ~from Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

“One morning as we were all sitting zazen silently in the zendo, Suzuki Roshi said, “Don’t move. Just die over and over. Don’t anticipate. Nothing can save you now, because this is your last moment. Not even enlightenment will help you now, because you have no other moments, with no future. Be true to yourself, and don’t move.”

David Nichtern, senior Shambhala teacher, on “Meditation Without Goals”

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