When I reflect on the English word 'Sage,' it seems to me that it must come from two different roots - one root is in the Sanskrit language, namely 'swaga,' the other in the Persian language, 'safa,' or 'saga.' The first root means 'heavens,' which suggests that the one who tries to become a sage is the one who tries to attain heaven or himself become it. The other root suggests that a sage is a person who wishes to construct; a person who is constructive. But, of course, there is no such word as 'sage' in the Eastern language. There is a similar word in the East, 'satha,' or 'sant.' This is the same word used in the West as 'saint.' But the word 'sad'h' means 'mastery': that is, 'one who masters life.'

Now there are two different temperaments:

the one which is always inclined to be contented with things; to accept everything as it comes; willing to live a sort of retired life - resigned to everything that may happen. Indeed we see this temperament more or less in everyone.
The other temperament is one which wishes to master things; the desire to master every situation; to master another person; to master an affair; to act with will-power and courage.

There is good and evil in both temperaments, of course. The person who is always retired and resigned and contented with things is not necessarily all good, without any evil in him; nor is the one who controls others and masters circumstances always an ideal one. It is just that there are these two temperaments, and everyone is more or less one or the other. The two words 'sadhu' and 'sant' represent these two temperaments. The sadhu controls and masters things; the 'sant' is resigned and contented in all situations, and under all circumstances of life. He chooses a life of retirement and resignation.

If you were to ask which of the two is superior, I would say that neither is superior or inferior. If you work according to your temperament, that is the natural work for you, whereas if you work against your temperament it is like knocking yourself against a rock, and there is then no hope of progress. But if you do what you are fitted for, and act according to your temperament, there will always be progress. The temperament is neither a virtue, to be acted with, nor something to be overcome, so that one acts against one's own nature.

The sage recognizes these two temperaments and uses them accordingly, giving them more rein, and rendering them more evident to the eye of the seer. He studies how they operate in people's lives, and no doubt it is very interesting to study the lives of the sages in the East from this point of view. Of course, to a stranger to these countries it is mystifying how the different behaviors can belong to sageliness or saintliness, because in the West, people have the idea that a sage must be kindly, retiring, a renounced being, or perhaps even a 'wonder-worker.' Then when such a thing is not evident, it might seem there is something wrong about the sage. To gain a deep understanding of what the saintly life means, much patience and tolerance are required, before one can form a reasonable opinion about the sages in the East. People are apt to be disappointed when they judge from appearances.

We will first take the sages among the Hindus. This race is naturally sage-like. So a Hindu sage may be a Brahmin, a Kshatriya, a Vaisya or even a Shudra (caste). There is a tendency to develop into a sage among all these castes in India. The idea has been worked out in India for thousands of years. It is in the people's blood, in their veins, and the tendency can be seen even in a child. I might tell you how in my own childhood there was the pleasure at being in the presence of a sage. At a time when others liked to play ball, and play with kites, and pigeons, I yearned for retirement. It is as if such a desire had been carried through thousands of years; not only have the sages made their impression on the race, but the race has also been impressed by sageliness. The people have the greatest respect for a sage, the greatest admiration, whether they are in business, or in a profession, or students, or whatever walk in life they follow.

Their greatest joy is to be at the feet of a sage. It is as if one were at the feet of the Deity. So the greatest thing in the world, the highest ideal of life, is to be able some day to become a sage. Not only does the Brahmin feel thus, but also the laborer, the shudra, has the desire some day to be free of his toils, and get a glimpse of that beauty which is hidden in the sage.

There are two kinds of Hindu sages: Burhai and the Sant. One is ascetic; the other is like a sage or a saint.