Yogi: I have practiced many years but I feel that I’m not progressing. When emotions come or when there are problems, the mind cannot practice.

Sayadaw: You can only practice when conditions are good means that you don’t have enough experience practicing when conditions are bad.

When emotions come, you need to practice. That is why I advise yogis to face the difficulty; if you choose the easy way, it’s hard to progress. 

Yogis need to understand how to meditate whether pleasant or unpleasant objects arise. That means that when any situation arises, the mind is not involved; it is balanced and peaceful. You need to cultivate this skill so that you can apply it when you face emotions and problems.

Otherwise, the mind enjoys when pleasant situations arise and resists when the reverse arises. Attach and resist, attach and resist – everybody can do this. These are two extremes; you don’t have the middle path. The middle way means understanding how to practice under both pleasant and unpleasant situations. You need to cultivate this skill.