Focusing on possibilities for some higher attainment or transcendence can be a hindrance and a distraction in meditation and in life. We become more self-conscious, and we start to second-guess ourselves. We can’t let ourselves be proper fools. Then we are stuck in the middle, not being wise and not being fools. We need a more direct approach that helps us with the down-to-earth problems and challenges in our lives.
From “Spontaneous Discipline,” in Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness, page 85.