Christian saints

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(A.B. Purani:) Madame David-Neel divides the Lamas into three classes: the low and ordinary, who are the commonest and care only for food and comfort; the intellectual and artistic; the mystic or Yogi.

(Sri Aurobindo:) But that applies to all monastic orders. I remember the description of a feast in which the Sannyasins got drunk and began to dance. Also the Sannyasin who is a Pundit is a well-known type. In the Christian orders too, you have the professional monks who practise professional piety; the second type of monks are those who study religion and philosophy; only a very few are dedicated to spiritual practice.
         The Carmelite Order has given and is still giving many saints to Roman Catholic Christianity. The latest is St. Theresa of Lisieux.

(Satyendra:) There are two Saint Theresas. One is the great and famous saint, she was Spanish. The recent Theresa is French. The Spanish Theresa's life was very quiet but intense. She said, “I will spend my heaven for mankind.” Many miracles happened after her death.

The Spanish have produced many remarkable saints. Some of them had very powerful experiences. The German mystics show more the knowledge aspect of mysticism because they are more philosophic-minded. Boehme and Eckhart are examples. Among the French saints you find more love and charity and a flaming intensity. But the English saints are tremendous politicians. I don't know how they manage to become saints at all. They either kill or get killed. St. Thomas Beckett was murdered. St. Duncan was a minister to a king but was in fact the real ruler.
       The Irish or Celtic saints and preachers converted the greatest part of the European continent to Christianity. They have also given the greatest Christian philosopher. They were like the Vedantins. They followed a discipline very similar to the Indian. They were first suppressed by the Roman emperors who suspected they would help resistance to Roman rule, and afterwards by the Christian authorities themselves.”[1]




  1. Talks with Sri Aurobindo, p.207, 25 January 1939


See also