Hazrat Inayat Khan spoke several times about the sages of the East. This short talk was given to a small group of more advanced students.

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. 

To be continued…