The life of a sage in the East would be, I think, the most astonishing thing to a European, because in Europe, if any saintliness has been recognized it has been recognized in the garb of religion. In the East the saints and sages have been in the garb of religion and without it. Then, too, the West is the sphere of uniformity. All who are doctors, for instance, have the same medical diploma, all practice in the same way, even in their manner of living there is uniformity. In the East this is not so. The saints and sages appear in every guise and in every way of life.

The sage may be a religious person, a priest or an ascetic, he may be a king with crown and throne, he may be a speaker or a singer, he may be a poet, he may be a saint in the guise of a beggar, or the man who sweeps the street. Whatever he may be, he is a saint all the same. Therefore in the East humility, modesty, consideration is shown towards everyone, for they think that they do not know under what guise there may be an illuminated soul. Therefore I have wished to speak upon this subject before you few, who tread the path of spirituality, in order to show this moral of meekness, gentleness, humility.

There are in the East three sorts of sages, the Buddhist, the Hindu and the Sufi. The Buddhist sage is mostly, or always, a religious person, a priest. He lives in or near the temple, and there he teaches. He is always very humble, very mild. He is not sociable and does not care to associate with other people, but his presence sheds light and peace. Often someone speaks to us and we wish that he would be quiet. If the presence of someone gives peace and illumination, is that not better than that he should be sociable and talk very much? He is very considerate, and among some of them, the Jains, a very great consideration is shown even to the smallest lives.

In these times when man is standing against man with the sword in his hand, those among you who value civilization in humanity will think that they too had some civilization in them. The Buddhist wears a yellow silken robe. He has no wife or children, no home, often no property of any kind, nothing belonging to him. He goes from place to place, everywhere welcomed and revered. People do not bother him with questions, they think it enough to have his presence. A kind glance from him is a blessing to them.

Among the Hindus there are many different sorts of sages. There are the followers of Shankaracharya, there are those belonging to some sect of before the time of Shankaracharya, and there are those belonging to different groups that have arisen among them later. Some are priests, some are ascetics. Some live far away, in a remote seclusion, others are seen in the crowd, their bodies covered with ashes, with hair reaching sometimes to their knees, sometimes beyond. We have a saying in Hindustani "Khilvat dar anjuman" - seclusion in the crowd. They are among the crowd, but they are not of it. Those who have been in India may have seen some of them, and written of what they have seen, and have not understood at all.

Sometimes they may be seen always standing, some with one arm stretched upwards, without moving. As I do not in any way represent the Yogis here, I may say that they have their reasons for everything that they do. By this they gain command of their body. Their thought is that they should rule their body, not be ruled by it. And the body is the first kingdom of God. By this they gain that bliss that is spoken of by Christ. They wear yellow robes, or apricot colored, as you see me wear, or white.

Some are always silent; they are called Muni. Of course their power is very great. Some are silent for some hours in the day. Some speak for two hours in the day. There are the Sanyassi, the Vairagi, those who have renounced. They have renounced family, relations, all desires, all that could bind them. They are as much revered by them and more revered than their priests.

Shankaracharya, after giving his message with all his great inspiration and power, after his great work of years and years, when the inward wish for renunciation had become very strong, went to his teacher and asked him whether he might now lead the life of renunciation.

His teacher said, "First go and ask your mother whether she consents to your renunciation." He went to his mother and asked her consent, and when she gave it, he then renounced all.

Often after years of home life they ask their family, their mother, their wife, whoever it may be, for their consent to their renouncing all, and when they give it then they say, "Yes, we understand your wish, you are free, from this moment you are nothing to us, we are nothing to you." From that moment their family is nothing to them, they have nothing in the world, then they are ready to serve humanity.

Among the Sufis, whom I represent here, there are different schools, called Qadiria, Nakhshibandia, Chishtia, and Suhrawardia, but in the manner of their life they are of two kinds, the Rind and the Salik. The life of the Rind would be the most astonishing to a European. The life of the Hindu sages has some religious appearance, but that of the Rind has none at all. He appears in every guise, in any company, he thinks no-one too bad. He is found in the cafes, in the wineshop, in the places where they are gambling, anywhere. He is the enemy of orthodoxy and of a pious semblance. And with all this he is a sage all the same.

The Salik is not so extreme, though he too is not bound to one way of life, but all are open to him. Some lead the life of renunciation, others have family, friends and all things, because renunciation is always for a purpose. It is to kindle the soul, that there may be nothing to hold the soul back from God, but when the soul is kindled the life of renunciation is not a necessity. Some are with crown and throne like Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, Nizam of Hyderabad, whom I have seen, a great sage with both power and inspiration.

Others are beggars, their livelihood dependent upon what they beg, or the man who sweeps the street, and in all these guises he is a sage all the same. One may be given to silence, living in retirement, one may be a speaker, a teacher, a singer, some without property or possessions, dervishes. And if any-one could go among the dervishes, he would find the most perfect likeness with the life of Christ. That toleration of all that there was in Christ, that forgiveness for all, that readiness to be in all companies, among all associates, calling no-one wicked, condemning none, all this that you read in the life of Christ can be seen in their life. And wherever he goes every honor is paid to him, and he is never in need, because in the East, everyone before he himself eats, looks to see whether there is not someone in his neighborhood whom he should call, for he does not like to eat while another is without food.

There is always someone who brings the dervish some food or a few flowers, some offering, and says, "Maharaj, will you not eat this? Will you not take this?" And there is nothing they will not tolerate from a sage. If he comes in the house and his feet are dirty from walking in the dust, the ladies of the house think it an honor to pour water over them. There is nothing, nothing at all, that they would not tolerate. Friends, everything in the world is changing in all countries, but this little glimpse of spirituality in the East is still maintained and it is this that I have wished to show to you, not with the thought that you may follow this, but with the view that you may understand.

The question at once comes, "If there are so many sages there why are they not the greatest people in the world?" When they reach that evolution their ideal is quite different from that of the ordinary person. We look at things from our own point of view. They do not desire any worldly gains or greatness. There are many of them to whom all mankind is equally near, all the world is their brother, a European is just as near to them as their countryman, a Chinese is just the same as one from their own home.