One day a very thoughtful student said to me, "Sir, why didn't Jesus, Buddha, Nanak and many like them have any home?"
I was caught unawares and I remained silent for quite some time. Then I began, as is my habit, in a didactic manner:
A long time ago there was a great sage, you may call him Christ, Buddha, Nanak, or whatever you like. He would wander from village to village, preaching to people and fulfilling their spiritual requirements. The sage had been traveling for many years and he did not stay at one place for long.
One day the sage and his disciple, let's name him Ananda, reached a village near the bank of the holy Ganges. Though the villagers were very religious, they were not ready to listen to the sage who was speaking against superstitions, dogmas, orthodoxy and evil practices prevalent in the area. They started pelting stones and some of them tore the sage's clothes. The dogs were let loose on the sage and his disciple. A stone hit the sage on his forehead and made a big cut. The sage was smiling. He said, "Be happy and live happily! God bless you and your village!"
Ananda, the disciple, was quite confused but he did not say anything.
Next day they reached another village. The villagers were more than generous; they touched his feet and took his blessings; they offered the sage their delicacies to eat; they washed his feet with milk and warm water; they provided him the softest bed available.
The sage spent two days in that village. When it was the time of departure, the whole village gathered at one place to get his blessings. The sage said, "Be homeless! Scatter all over the world!"
The villagers were intelligent and they understood what the sage meant but the disciple was more confused this time.
Finally he said," My Guru, you blessed bad people and cursed these good people. I don't understand anything."
The sage smiled and said," I told the people to be happy in their own village because they have nothing to offer to the world and they will contaminate the places they go to. They had better remain in their own village."
"You told these good people to be homeless?"
"Yes, my son. These good people should go to different places. Wherever they go they will carry their goodness with them. They will spread their fragrance in all directions. If they remain confined to their homes, the world will be deprived of many virtuous souls."
The disciple got the message and he knelt before the sage.
When I finished the story, I could see a very satisfying emotion on the faces of my students and I could feel that they had got their answer.
