gospel of Thomas 28

Jesus said, "I took my place in the midst of the world, and I appeared to them in flesh. I found all of them intoxicated; I found none of them thirsty. And my soul became afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their hearts and do not have sight; for empty they came into the world, and empty too they seek to leave the world. But for the moment they are intoxicated. When they shake off their wine, then they will repent."

This verse from the Gospel of Thomas is something of a lament, by Jesus, for the situation that unenlightened people find themselves in. And to an enlightened one it is always a tragedy: to see the mess that we human beings have got into; how far we have strayed from the simple truth of being; how we have lost touch with our essence; and what a terrible mess we end up in as a result.

Let's look in some detail at this saying of Jesus. I took my place in the midst of the world, and I appeared to them in flesh. After one has realised one's true nature, there are two spaces: the human space – with all the complications of emotions, personalities, sense of identity, the ego, the sense of separation between people, and between oneself and all that is – that unenlightened space that most people are living in, that's one space and the other is the space of our true nature, our Buddha nature we could call it – our stillness, our non separate self.

And after enlightenment, one can reside in either of those spaces. Many may reside in that Buddha space for the rest of their life. It is blissful, peaceful. But others, like Jesus, step back into the world, and re-engage as a human being with other human beings. I took my place in the midst of the world. This is what he means. He could have retired upon enlightenment. He could have sat out the rest of his life in a cave in the mountains. It would have been fine for him. He wouldn't have got crucified. He could have just enjoyed, enjoyed life. But no, out of compassion he appeared back amongst other people, in the flesh, as a human being. Every master who teaches, is in this space. Everyone who talks about enlightenment, after having realised that state for themselves, anyone who mentions it at all, is doing so out of this compassion.

But, alas, Jesus found everyone intoxicated. Now we need to be a little careful with words. When I use the word intoxicated, in spiritual teachings, I am usually referring to the state of intoxication with God – the sort of intoxication which the Sufis find themselves in: drunk, delirious with the beauty of existence; no longer capable of talking rationally; everything is far too divine and beautiful; intoxicating, yes. That sort of intoxication is fine. Certainly it's a state in which it's difficult to function normally within society, but for an hour or two each day, why not enjoy being intoxicated by God, intoxicated by existence? It has no hangover. It has no negative side effects.

So there is this intoxication which is how I usually use the word myself. But here Jesus is using the word negatively. When we are feeling unenlightened, life is difficult and we try to escape from it in any number of ways. We become drunk, using substances – alcohol or other drugs – using entertainments, video games, TV. We bombard each other with loud advertisements – images flashing, sounds blaring. All this desensitises us. We become intoxicated by this chaotic assault on our senses. And this is an escape. It is unhealthy. It is unhealthy.

So this is how Jesus found the other people. They were in this state of intoxication. And that was two thousand years ago, before video games existed. Now he would be utterly shocked. But sadder still, he said he found none of them thirsty. This thirst is the thirst for truth, the thirst for enlightenment, the thirst to discover who we really are, the thirst to feel whole once more. And until we are feeling thirsty, the master cannot help. That very thirst is the energy which will take us back home.

But Jesus found none of them thirsty, and this is so difficult. I've seen it myself in satsang with some people. No, they are not yet thirsty, and I know full well, there is nothing I can say or do, yet, which will be of any help to them. A thirst has to come first.

Are you thirsty? Are you thirsty to live in reality? Are you thirsty to live in truth? Are you thirsty to become whole once more?

Jesus goes on, and my soul became afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their hearts, and they do not have sight. Yes, I know this feeling. I also see people who are lost, totally lost – so lost they do not even realise they are lost. They have not even begun their spiritual journey. And it saddens one, to see people in this state. They are missing life without even realising they are missing it. Missing it totally.

Jesus says, empty they came into the world, and empty too they seek to leave the world. Emptiness is another word we need to be careful of. In Buddhism, in Mahayana Buddhism, emptiness is a positive state. It is our true nature, devoid of identity. Our true self before the personality and the ego come into being. It's an emptiness which allows a great reflection of all it is, a non-separation. So in Buddhism, emptiness is merely a statement of how we truly are – not only ourself but actually everything in existence, is empty of a separate identity. Everything is interdependent. In this sense, emptiness is neutral or even a positive attribute. In any case, it's a statement of the way things are.

But Jesus is using the word rather differently. And in fact, I rather disagree with his statement, empty they came into the world. Because Jesus is using empty in a negative way to mean having lost touch with existence, having lost touch with the essence, having lost touch with God. That's a terrible emptiness. A great void opens up, an ache inside, deep in our being, that cannot be filled by anything, until we come back home. This is the way Jesus is using the word empty.

But he says, empty they came into the world. It's not quite true. My feeling is every newborn baby is complete. And only a year or so into life, does somehow this separation come about. In fact, it's only a feeling of separation, an understanding, a concept. Anyway, certainly by an early age, we have lost touch with who we really are.

And Jesus says, they seek to leave the world empty, in the same state. I would use the word incomplete. Whilst one is so lost that one has not even begun seeking enlightenment, then one is incomplete. And one will leave the world in that state. In other words, many people, most people, live their entire life from early childhood to the moment of death, in this state of incompleteness, of separation. Jesus is lamenting this.

And he finishes with, for the moment they are intoxicated; when they shake off their wine, then they will repent. In other words, whilst someone is drunk – on alcohol, on entertainment – whilst one is intoxicated by the material things of the world, then there is no hope. When that intoxication is shaken off, then of course people repent. A great hangover comes, not just from alcohol but as a reaction to all these intoxications. It's a shocking moment in the life of an individual, when he or she realises that everything they have been doing, trying to achieve in the mundane world, has been to no avail. It's been a blind alley, a waste of energy. It's a shock, and at that moment we repent. But in a way, it's a great moment because it's also the beginning of the spiritual path.

Have you reached that stage yet? Have you repented living in the intoxications of the material world?