in conversation

Yesterday there was a bit of a jam on the road, so that started the conversation between the taxi uncle and myself. And for some reason, he was talking about keeping pets and that's how he 'cultivates' love. Somehow that lead to Buddhism, 5-elements and Nirvana.

Taxi uncle: When we go to sleep, we'll enter our astral body. This astral body is very 'fine' like an atom. When we die, we'll take over this astral body. There are other bodies but no one practices those...
Me: Ooh, so this astral body also must 'practice'?
Taxi uncle: No need. Automatic.
Me: Like that, what's the difference? Die also astral body, sleep also astral body..
Taxi uncle: When we sleep and become the astral body, there is no conscience. But when we die, the astral body will have conscience and we'll be able to see beyond the realm of humans...(or smthg like tht la...)

Then he talks about how the human mind is burdened by both positive and negative thoughts of our wants and needs etc and because of that, it is difficult (or almost impossible) to achieve Nirvana.

Me: So what's a Nirvana? Is it like enlightenment?
Taxi uncle: No.. enlightenment is when you understand a teaching. Nirvana is when your mind is pure. When there is no more negative thoughts that pulls you back down to earth.
Me: If like that, go and sleep can already mah.. when we sleep and we are not conscious so there will be no thoughts to bring us back to earth
Taxi uncle: (Laughs) Nirvana has many stages (5 stages), I think nobody can achieve.

Then don't know what I said, and we talked for some minutes more after I've reached my destination and paid the fare. Then I said byebye 'coz don't want to hold him up any longer.

Taxi uncle: You are deep. Seldom I talked to people like you. You seem to know something.

Hahaha! I grinned and said goodnight.