The attitude one brings to meditation practice should be very simple, not based upon trying to collect pleasure or avoid pain. Rather meditation is a natural process, working on the material of pain and pleasure as the path. You do not try to use meditation techniques—prayer, mantra, visualization, rituals, breathing technique—to create pleasure or to confirm your existence. You do not try to separate yourself from the technique, but you try to become the technique so that there is a sense of nonduality.
From The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation, Shambhala Library Edition, pages 59 to 60.
Carolyn Gimian writes: Devendra Banhart (who reads the audio book of Cynicism and Magic) was recently on Duncan Trussell Family Hour, a podcast hosted by comedian and actor Duncan Trussell. Duncan is the creator of the Netflix show The Midnight Gospel, and past podcast guests include Ram Dass, Joan Halifax, and Sharon Salzberg. Duncan and Devendra discuss Cynicism and Magic, and Duncan strongly recommends the audiobook towards the beginning of the podcast. I found the discussion, beginning around 27 minutes, of spiritual materialism and disowning very interesting and coming from a different perspective. Here is Devendra’s episode – https://bit.ly/3xByHS7