2. Practice top For long has this been cleaved to thus: this is mine, this is I, this is myself. (Samyutta-Nikaya,ii, 94) The last night approaches for you, whether you are going or standing, sitting or lying. There is no time for you to be indolent. (Khuddaka-Nikaya) Death, disease, old age, these three approach like huge fires. There is no strength to comfort them; there is no speed to run away. (Khuddaka-Nikaya,xxvi, 334)
2-1-1 Four Positions We observe rupa and nama in the four positons: walking , standing, sitting , lying down. These are the basic or major positions as outlined in the Mahasati-patthana discourse. We begin with rupa only, because rupa is easier to see than nama. It is easier to see because 1) rupa is ¡§gross¡¨ and nama subtle. 2) The 4 positions always exist. (Objects of nama ¡V such as hearing, seeing ¡V only arise at certain times.) 3) It's easier to see suffering in rupa, than in other objects, because when we observe the 4 positions they can no longer hide the truth of suffering (see 1.11).
¡]1¡^ Atapi ¡]2¡^ Sati ¡]3¡^ Sampajanna ¡]4¡^ Yonisomanasikara ¡]5¡^ Sikkhati Atapi is earnestness to destroy kilesa. Sati is mindfulness in Satipatthana. Sampajanna is clear comprehension shich brings the wisdom to de-story moha, or wrong view. These three types of nama (or ¡§yoki¡¨) observe the positions: 1) Atapi. Without earnestness you can't realize the whole sitting rupa. When for example, wandering mind (foong) takes you out of the present moment, earnestness used with sati and sampajanna brings you back. 2) Sati realizes the way you sit ¡V the position. 3) Sampajanna knows the whole posture is sitting rupa. 4) Yonisomanasikara means to fix one's attention o-n something with right understanding as to the reason for any action, or as to the true state of the nature of sitting rupa, etc. ¡§Yoniso¡¨ reminds you that when you are eating, bathing, going to the toilet, or doing other tasks, you are doing this to cure suffering, not seek pleasure. Also ¡§yoniso¡¨ reminds you that the position is being changed to cure suffering. 5) Sikkhati is observing. It tells you when the practice is not being done right. Sikkhati knows when the present moment has been left. The term ¡§yoki¡¨ is short for yogavacara. Although it would normally be spelled ¡§yogi¡¨, it is spelled with a ¡§k¡¨ because it conflicts with ¡§yogi¡¨ meaning practitioner.
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) can not 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, 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 training 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 ¡V 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 treanquillity (samadhi) in meditation. Thranquillity will lead us to believe there is a self in control and 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 turth of suffering) is a fact of Buddhist teaching, but there is no ¡§sukha sacca¡¨ ¡V or Noble Truth of happiness; because sukha is impermanent and becomes dukkha. 4) Don't practice to realize attainment, enlightment or insight. Just practice according to the correct principles of Satipatthana. Even if one wants to reach nibbana or be an arahant one must extinguish that desire. If this is not done nibbana cannot be reached. 5) Don't practice with the idea you will become a teacher. This will cause desire and prevent wisdom from arising. The only goal in practice is to end suffering.
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