/lit/ - Literature

Are there any good books about meditation that help you increase concentration, focus, and release stress over time without destroying my ego or piercing my unconscious mind?
I don't want that. I don't want to remove my concept of 'I'. I don't care that it might not exist or be an illusion. I like me, and I want to be me. Strange how Buddhists always seem to be totally for self-denial but never address the fact that you are a singular entity with a singular body and a singular perspective. The 'I' refers to that, nothing more, nothing less. So it's not an illusion, is it? Or else I would be you, or some overarching entity watching over the world like a spectator. But oddly enough, the sensation of 'I' would be there, too, as it is with any viewpoint.
>tl;dr, are there any books that discuss meditation without the retarded aim of shattering your self-perception? I want to strengthen myself, not lose it.

What are your thoughts on mindfulness meditation and the accompanying books that give you a protocol of practice?
If possible I'm also looking for the copypasta or image that circulated around here a while ago, involving an anon who had practiced meditation for a while and spoke of how retarded the benefits were and how he felt he had permanently damaged his brain
Some of the promises they make after prolonged practice seem pretty worrying. I understand piercing the reality of your awareness and every passing conception or experience you have seems like a good idea because it aids you with suffering, but I'm not sure if I really want to be rid of suffering. I don't want to be rid of my ego. It's an essential operating tool for me to exist within this culture. If anything I want to strengthen it and make it more competent.
Are there books on this counterargument to the meditation question? In terms of increasing focus and concentration skills I'm all for the idea of meditating, but the deep inner outcomes seem very daunting to deal with.

>>18741248
eightfold path, and the three trainings my son. The path is difficult, it takes great time to become worthy of enlightenment.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

>>18535676
four books for you coming up