Expectations of goals and rewards (such as Enlightenment) are recognized for what they are: last-ditch attempts by the ghostly self to subvert the process to its own ends. The more we become conscious of the mysterious unfolding of life, the clearer it becomes that its purpose is not to fulfill the expectations of our ego.
Stephen BatchelorThis body is fragile. It is just flesh. Listen to the heartbeat. Life depends on the pumping of a muscle.
Stephen BatchelorThe origin of the conflict, frustration, and anxiety we experience does not lie in the nature of the world itself but in our distorted conceptions of the world.
Stephen BatchelorErotic names, robes, insignia of office, titles- the trappings of religion- confuse as much as they help.
Stephen Batchelor