gospel of Thomas 86

Jesus said, "The foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head and rest."

I like this little teaching from Jesus. It resonates well with me. The son of man is Jesus himself. And probably somebody had asked what they thought was a simple question: where do you live, where's your home? But for an enlightened one, that question does not have an answer, not in the normal way.

The son of man is Jesus. But look at it – the son of man – the next generation of humankind. And this is also the feeling of the buddhas: that humanity is ever so slowly working its way towards a new way of being, the enlightened way, the next generation of humanity, the son of man.

The foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests. Yes, these animals make homes, and most humans do, too. For many people, that homebuilding instinct seems quite strong. But with it comes an attachment to the home, and a dependence – a subtle fear, comes in.

With enlightenment, all attachments drop away. So an enlightened one might live, by chance, in one place, for a very long time. Other people might say, this is his home. But for the enlightened one himself, it will not feel the same. The feeling is something like, at any moment, everything can change. In this moment, I happen to be here. But I have no idea where I will be in a few minutes, let alone tomorrow. So in one's heart, an enlightened one is a nomad and lives a life of no fixed abode; ready to move on at any time; without any attachment to the place one finds oneself in the moment.

For many people, this life of no fixed abode feels daunting, challenging. It is a rootless existence, drifting. But if you try it one day – selling your house, or ending the rent of a place, and living without a home of your own for a while – you might find that you enjoy it. You will see more places. You will meet more people. And your life will probably be richer.

So why not give it a try? Have a taste of what life is like, after enlightenment. Become a nomad for a while. Live with no fixed abode.