A conversation with Nyioh...

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

Meng Foong, greeting...

Can i ask a question?

[You]

Hello.

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

If we say yoga is the experience of the present moment. So it is not necessary to be in any ''asana'' where by sitting also an ''asana''. So why there are still a lot of yoga ''asana''?

[You]

Most people need to do asana to purify and calm down the mind by influencing the energy field in the body through positions of the body. The body positions influence the prana. The mind is influenced by energy (prana). When the body is in positions that are having the effect of calming the energy, the mind also will be calmed from being in those positions of the body. The mind that is full of impurities or ignorance, and are having lots of tensions/knots/energy block, need to be purified through many types of yoga practice, such like yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, relaxation, chanting, selfless service, concentration and meditation...

All these practices are there to help to make the mind concentrates at the present moment now, and be stilled, free from duality of good and bad.

If you know what is real non-attachment, then even if you have not a mobile body to do asana (such like being paralyzed), you are practicing yoga... really practice.

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

So yoga will be : experience the present moment while influence the body energy?

[You]

Not really. If you have gone beyond the body, the mind and the energy, not being affected nor influenced by the energy anymore (not attached to the body and the mind), then you can do without asana practice. As long as you are still identified with the body and the mind, and are being influenced by energy, you need asana practice and other practice to help you to influence the energy field in the body to purify and calm the mind. Asana practice is like other practices of control of the thoughts, actions and speech, pranayama, concentration, chanting, selfless service and meditation are there to help us to develop non-attachment towards the body and the mind.

If there is no attachment*, then there is no energy can affect you anymore... Then there is no more necessary to have any forms of practice. Your practice becomes nameless and formless. It is because you are already beyond the body and the mind, and are free from the influence of the energy...

*Non-attachment towards the body and the mind. Not identify with the body and the mind. Not associate with the body and the mind. Not affected by the condition of the body and the mind. The body and the mind will always be affected and influenced by energy (they are composed of energy, if we stop feeding the body and the mind with energy, the body and the mind will cease functioning). But if we know our true Self, which is beyond the body and the mind, then whatever is happening in the body and the mind, whatever the condition of the body and the mind is, it won't affect "you". "You" are not the body or the mind. The body and the mind is experiencing some conditions of different names and forms, but "you" are the knower or the witness or the observer that is knowing or witnessing or observing what the body and the mind is experiencing. The body and the mind is just being what it is (being influenced by energy, elements, and cause and effect)... The body and the mind is subject to impermanence and will encounter growth, changes, sickness, old age, pain, suffering and death (due to ignorance, attachment, karma, cause and effect, qualities that are subject to impermanence), but "you" are beyond all these phenomena.

"You" are beyond birth and death... "You" are the knower or the witness that is aware of the body and the mind is going through many rounds of birth and death. Before this body and mind exists, and after the body and mind exists, and after the body and the mind ceased existing, "you" are always there. "You" are beyond existence and non-existence.

Asana practice will definitely influence the energy that is influencing the body and the mind. The body and the mind will definitely feel good after the asana practice, but it is the body and the mind feels good being influenced by the asana practice, not "you". "You" are aware of the body and the mind is feeling good. And this good feeling is momentary. It is subject to impermanence also. It will pass away, be disturbed and disappeared. If you are not attached to this state of peacefulness that comes from asana practice, and go beyond all the states of the mind, "you" are who you are... "You" are not being affected by the condition of the body, the mind and the energy field. "You" are always at peace... This peacefulness doesn't come from the asana practice but it is from the true Self... The true Self doesn't need "asana practice" to feel good... It is always peaceful and blissful unaffected by any impurities or ignorance...

I can't really explain more than "this" to you on a conversation like this. Words are limited and conditioned, it can be very different meanings for different people. People might misunderstood what i am talking about...

English and Chinese are having very different way of understanding also...

For example, if drinking coffee cannot affect me, eating non-sattvic food cannot affect me, watching horrible movie cannot affect me, listening to depressing songs cannot affect me, feeling very unpleasant sensation cannot affect me, thoughts in the mind (positive or negative) cannot affect me, smelling very unpleasant smells cannot affect me, being with very negative people cannot affect me, being in very bad situation cannot affect me, (if I don't crave for the pleasant experiences nor averse for the unpleasant experiences, if I'm not attached to what I see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, and have no craving, no aversion, if I'm not being over-powered or influenced by the likes and dislikes that come from the mind, if I'm free from anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction and lustful desire) then I am not being affected by anything that is influenced by energy. Nothing is not energy... But yoga is going beyond the influence of energy (which determines the different qualities of good and bad that attached to names and forms, and influences the condition of the body and the mind)... This "beyond" is due to non-attachment. True non-attachment. It is happening every moment in life, in our heart.

It is about not generate reaction of craving and aversion towards whatever the mind perceives through the senses. Not being affected by all the states of the mind - dullness (tamas), agitation (rajas), calmness (sattva).

We are the knower or the witness or the observer of the mind. we are knowing or witnessing or observing the mind as it is but we are not the mind, and not identify nor associate with the mind, and not react towards the mind...

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

Last sentence is very beautiful, i really can feel it.

Sometimes it's surprise that how come got two ''me''.

[You]

The mind is influenced by energy, but not our true Self... True Self is not affected by energy, elements, cause and effect, existence and non-existence, birth and death, pain and pleasure, positive and negative, good and bad qualities, happiness and unhappiness...

There is only one "you".

But when we are being attached to the impure lower self or the ego, we are the "naughty" one that is influenced by ignorance and selfishness, and is affected by names and forms, craving and aversion. When we are not attached to the impure mind or the ego, we are the higher Self which is free from ignorance or impurities, craving and aversion... It is the same "you"... Either with ignorance or free from ignorance... There's no separation.

Due to ignorance, unwittingly we are attached to the body, the mind and all the names and forms, being over-powered by clinging, craving and aversion, fear and worry...

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

For the non-attachment, for example, i hurt myself and i feel the feeling of pain and for me the feeling is so ''real'', how can i convince myself not to attach to the pain?

[You]

The feeling of pain that arise when the body gets hurt or injury is "real" of course, but it is impermanent. It will pass away sooner or later. Think about many years ago you have hurt or injured your body, that painful feelings are gone already. Of course during that moment, you did experience some painful sensations, but now, it is not there anymore. If you think the poison is not real, and drink the poison, for sure you will suffer. That is ignorance.

If I cut myself with a knife, of course it will cause pain in the body... Who says the painful sensations is not real? But it is impermanent... It will pass away... There is a cause - a cut in the body. There is an effect - painful sensation. This is the law of cause and effect. It is the truth of everything. Now, if we are encountering comfortable or dis-comfortable feelings and sensations, that is because there is a comfortable or dis-comfortable cause that we had created. And now, the cause is ripen, and we harvest the effect... Everything is cause and effect. This body and this mind exists due to a cause... They won't exist if there is no cause...

Death is both the cause and effect for birth. Birth is both the cause and effect for death. That's why it is called the wheel of birth and death. Where is the beginning, where is the ending? All our practice is for us to exit the wheel of birth and death, by realizing who we really are and stop generating the cause and effect that keeps rolling the wheel of birth and death... Once we stop the cause of having birth (no clinging, no attachments, no craving, no aversion), there will be no death... When there is no death, there is no birth... The body and the mind ceased existing... All suffering that exist due the the existence of the body and the mind is gone... Killing ourselves will not stop the cycle of birth and death, it will only generate another birth to reap the existing karma... To "clear up" all the existing karma and stop generate more karma, is the only way to stop having birth... And to achieve this is by the practice of selflessness and non-attachment, eliminating the ego, stop generating the chain reaction of craving and aversion...

If we are attached to the mind and the ego, all our actions will be influenced by selfishness and are generating the chain reaction of cause and effect. If we are not attached to the mind and the ego, all our actions are selfless, compassionate, and are free from the chain reaction of cause and effect...

The one who are in pain, who feels pain, is the body and the mind.

The one who feels hurt, sad, angry, jealous, happy, like and dislike, want and don't want, good and bad, high confident and low confident, low self-esteem and arrogance, is the ego...

Without the mind and the functions of the senses, there is no feel, no pain, no happiness, no unhappiness, no good, no bad...

Painful feelings are impermanent. As well as pleasant feelings also are impermanent... All are impermanent. This body, this mind, this life existence, this world... Everything are impermanent and constantly changing... They don't exist forever and don't stay unchanged...

Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form. No differences...

If you aware of the body is experiencing pain, but you do not generate reaction of aversion, and observe the pain as it is, this pain will also disappear very soon... It might take a long time but it still will be disappeared...

This body is not us.

This mind is not us.

Who are we then?

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

I am.

[You]

Pain comes from the body, perceived by the mind through the function of the senses... It is not "you" getting the pain... "You" are aware of the body and the mind is experiencing pain...

And be free...

As long as we are having this body and this mind to perceived thoughts, feelings and sensations, pleasant and unpleasant sensations, pain and discomforts will always exist with the body and the mind. Lying down, standing, walking, sitting, unmoving or moving for a long time will also generate discomforts. Until there is no cause for birth and death to take place. That's why purification is the fundamental practice to eliminate all the cause for birth and death. By going beyond the mind and not attached to the mind will allow us to stand as a witness towards all these pain and discomfort experiences perceived in the mind, and remain equanimous unaffected by them. This equanimity will further enable us to know the truth of ourselves and everything... If there is no equanimity, it is not possible for us to realize the truth...

Om shanti Nyioh...

If you know what is intention-less and non-expectation, what is selflessness and compassion, what is renounce from the fruit of action, what is selfless action and inaction in action, what is non-duality, namelessness and formlessness, what is non-attachment... "You" are what you are and "you" are free...

There is no fear, no worry... Just being aware of all the impermanent names and forms that the mind is perceiving through the senses... Everything is just being what it is... No good, no bad... No happiness, no suffering... No birth, no death...

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

Hmmmmm, i am experiencing the mind thinking process.

[You]

Om... You are aware of your mind is digesting all these words... Maybe understand, maybe not. Maybe agree, maybe not. Maybe accept, maybe not. It really doesn't matter.. It is just the mind reacting to what it perceives from reading these words or hearing these words... You are the knowledge/wisdom. You don't need to get knowledge or wisdom from me, from books, from guru or from anyone... You are the wisdom...

All the knowledge arise in you when you know non-attachment, form is emptiness, emptiness is form, no good no bad...

Ignorance blocks us from realizing our true Self and hinders us from knowing the truth of everything...

That's why we need purification through the practice of asana, pranayama, concentration and meditation as tools for us to go beyond energy and the mind. When the mind is pure and still, it is a reflector for us to "know" our true Self and the truth of everything... The mind is not a bad thing. It is not a "thing". It is made up of thoughts. Without thoughts, there is no mind... Beyond the mind, is namelessness and formlessness... No happiness, no unhappiness... Everything is just being what it is.

If this "conversation" is too much for the mind to digest, let it go... When the time is right, all these words will appear in your mind again...

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

I am knocking my head unconsciously.

[You]

Even these words are names and forms, are impermanent.. They will pass away... It is meaningful and meaningless as well...

Don't attach to these words also. Perceived and let go.. No judgment, no expectation. "You" are not getting anything out of these words... The body and the mind will be benefited from all these knowledge and yoga practice, but "you" don't get any benefits... "You" don't need to...

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

Then why am i reading it, just for the sake of reading?

[You]

Words will help you to evolve if you can let go. But words will bring you delusion and confuse if you have attachment...

True knowledge comes from within yourself... Buddha also said, don't believe what i said to you... You have to know the truth by yourself, in yourself...

Reading and discussion is good to gain more knowledge, but it is just a knowledge if you didn't truly experience it by yourself. The truth has to come from within your own Self... Then that is the truth... Not somebody tells you about this and that. You have to truly experience the truth as it is... Then there is no words... Silence... No understanding (understanding come from the mind, the mind trying to understand it. If the mind has no recollection of what is it, the mind cannot understand it. If the mind never perceived a word or a thing called "apple", it will not understand what is "apple", until it sees one, taste one, touches one, smells one, think of one, then it will know what is "apple" when the word "apple" appear before the mind. Just like the mind cannot understand namelessness and formlessness. The eyes can see things outside the eyes, but it cannot see itself)... But you are what it is...

You are the truth itself.

Everything is in you... You are everything. All the answer is in you...

You are the knowledge. You don't "know" or "understand" the knowledge. You are the knowledge.

[You]

Doing a lot of "practice" or going to many retreats will not help much to progress in the path of removing ignorance if we don't know what is non-attachment and don't know how to practice non-attachment in everyday life. It is right here, in us, at this present moment now... It is all about non-attachment towards the duality of good and bad that comes from all the names and forms, and letting go of clinging, craving and aversion...

All those practices and attending retreats will give us momentary peacefulness in the mind and good feelings when we are following the disciplined program at the retreat center which has a helpful environment for reducing many inputs and restricting the activities of the body, the senses and the mind, and rendering the mind calm without external disturbance, and make the mind turns inward to observe the truth as it is. This will make the mind calm and at peace. But that is not the goal of practice... This calm and peaceful mind is a tool for us to inspect the truth of ourselves and everything... When we know the truth of things and ourselves, knowing who we really are, we are able to let go and be free from the clinging onto all the names and forms, and stop generating reactions of craving and aversion, and ceasing the cycle of birth and death, and be truly free... If we attached to this state of calmness in the mind and generate craving and clinging towards this calmness from doing yoga practice, then it won't bring us any further...

And usually, as soon as we get back into our daily life, we are lost in the mind again, lost in the past and projecting into the future, being influenced by lots of impurities (fear, worry, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, desires and etc...) that arise in the mind, and are continuing being disturbed and affected by our own mind, being influenced by the craving and clinging towards likes and dislikes, being over-powered by the outgoing mind that like to express itself and to receive attention from other people, and are attached to all the names and forms about "This is good, this is bad...", "This makes me feel good, this makes me feel bad...", "I am good, I am not good...", "I want this, I want that...", "I want to do this, I want to do that..." and etc... Making ourselves so busy wanting this and wanting that, and losing lots of vital energy through the mind's activities and through expressing the mind through actions and speech. This is because there is no non-attachment or the willpower for detachment is not strong enough.

If we are attached to the mind and are identified with this bubbling mind, we will be in restlessness... The body also will be in low energy (losing lots of prana through thoughts, actions and speech which come from the selfish ego that is full of attachments, clinging, intentions and expectations)...

Goodnight Nyioh... Sleep well. Observe your mind as it is... If the mind wants to think about all these words, let it be. If the mind can let go, stop thinking, let it be... The truth will reveal itself to you when you can observe everything as it is, without attachment, without reaction...

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

Thanks Meng Foong.

[You]

Om shanti... Bye for now...

[Yongtzer Nyioh]

Om shanti, nite.