Slavery to desires is unsaintly. Hence, a saint, in Sanskrit is called
a 'Swami', a master. The saints strike no roots anywhere. They are
pathless people, their path cannot be mapped out nor can it be traced
back. Their callings are different, their source of inspiration is
different.
A saint is ever victorious for his victories leaves none vanquished
behind. A victory without a victor and vanquished is a lasting victory.
Such victories leave no bitter memories, nor any need for revenge.
Christ murmured, 'O Lord, they don't know what they are doing'. He
on the cross betrayed no resentment or anger. He only felt sorry for
his persecutors. In this sense a saint is most unpredictable by the
ordinary standards. There can be scholarly or illiterate saints, mild
or furious ones, flamboyant or self-effacing, socially committed or
socially unconcerned, dynamic or dozing, of all shades and hues. Still
they remain beyond all definitions, far beyond the confines of social,
historical and psychological categories. They are what they are inspite
of everything. They don't choose to be saints, but they discover themselves
to be saints. Theirs is the only authentic, free and relaxed life.
Their presence is often an enigma, sometimes even a nuisance to the
selfish conformist world. Their style of living is a non-violent rebellion
and a destabilizing factor in the security-mongering hypocratic world.
A saint is a disturbing question mark and his saintliness gives him
the authority to hurl at the world answerless questions. He is a mystery,
always secure, living the most insecure life. He is both the question
and the answer, the beginning and the end.