Practices    (Patipatti) The Middle Way (Majjhima-Patipada)               The Middle Way destroys or eliminates like or dislike, attachment or aversion, and is important in this practice. If you have sati and sampajanna in the present moment, then like or dislike (abhijjha and domanassa) cannot occur.             That is why we:             1) Cure suffering whenever it occurs by changing position, because suffering forces rupa to change. Here, you have to have good "yoniso" to prevent defilement from entering. So you have to have good yoniso when you change position, and good sikkhati, so you will notice if kilesa is there. For example, when we sit and suffering occurs a little bit, we don't like the position (feel aversion) and want to change to a new position because of desire. We should change position only if suffering forces us to.             We don't sit through pain because this creates kilesa and the wrong view that self can control pain. (Actually, nama and rupa are out of control: they are anatta.) Also, some yogis will try to sit longer and sit through pain in order to see dukkha. But that dukkha is not real, because it is artificially created. Some practitioners try to sit longer to have more samadhi because they think panna will occur, but this only creates kilesa. Remember, vipassana is to train the mind not the body. If the mind is wrong the body is wrong. For example, if the mind thinks that sitting in the lotus position is helpful to see sabhava - the mind will put the body in the lotus position.             2) Don't seek peace or happiness in any position. Don't feel that one position is better than another, because every position is insubstantial: anicca, dukkha, anatta.             3) Don't seek tranquility (samadhi) in meditation. Tranquility will lead us to believe that there is a 'self' in control and that it can lead us to peace and happiness. But there is no happiness, only freedom from suffering, and we can't realize this without suffering. Dukkha sacca (the truth of suffering) is a fact of Buddhist teaching, but there is no "sukha sacca" - or Noble Truth of happiness, because sukha is impermanent and becomes dukkha.             4) Don't practice to realize attainment, enlightenment or insight, just practice according to the correct principles of Satipatthana. Even if you want to reach nibbana or be an arahant you must practice without that desire. Nibbana cannot be reached if you practice with desire.             5) Don't practice with the idea that you would like to become a teacher. This will cause desire and prevent wisdom from arising. Your only goal is to practice in order to end suffering.