“Ego is able to convert everything to its own use, even spirituality. Since ego is too solid to really absorb anything, it can only mimic. When we have learned all the tricks of the spiritual game, we automatically try to imitate spirituality, since real involvement would require the complete elimination of ego, and that’s the last thing ego wants to do. Ego translates everything in terms of its own inherent qualities. Through imitation, it feels a sense of great accomplishment, a confirmation of its own individuality.
However, one cannot truly experience spirituality if all you do is imitation. If the ego becomes successful at maintaining self-consciousness through spiritual techniques, genuine spiritual development is highly unlikely. Our mental habits become so strong as to be hard to penetrate. We may even go so far as to achieve complete ‘Egohood.'”
~ Chögyam Trungpa
Buddha Mind 