Can meditation happen to someone who considers themselves a sinner?

Another friend, Firoz, has asked: I am a sinner—can meditation happen to me as well?

Once I was invited to a meeting where three hundred mahatmas had gathered. A “conference of all religions” was being held; representatives of every faith were invited. The stage was built large enough to seat all three hundred. Yet they spoke one by one, because none would agree to sit together. What was the obstacle? Who would sit higher and who lower. The Shankaracharya of Puri was there; he would sit only on his throne. If he sat on a throne, Karpatri Maharaj could not sit below him—he too needed a throne, equally high. And so on and so on. If one sits on a throne, how can another sit lower? In the end, each spoke alone from the stage; the three hundred could not be seated together. Do you see that ego? Do you see the derangement? And such deranged people set out to heal others. I have heard…

Question: BELOVED OSHO, I AM A SINNER. CAN I ALSO BECOME YOUR SANNYASIN? That's the whole purpose of the world: to give you an opportunity to forget yourself. Why? -- so that you can remember. But you will ask -- and your question will look logical -- "If we already remembered before, then why this unnecessary torture that we have to forget ourselves and THEN remember again? What is the point of this whole exercise? It seems to be an exercise of utter futility!" It is not; there is great significance in it. The fish in the ocean is born in the ocean, lives in the ocean, but knows nothing about the ocean -- unless you take the fish out of the ocean. Then, suddenly, a recognition arises in the fish. Only when you lose something do you remember. Only in that contrast does remembering happen.

A friend has asked: Osho, what is the difference between sin and virtue? And as long as the mind is filled with sin, how can there be faith, devotion, feeling? How will prayer happen while the mind is full of sin? So first let the mind be filled with virtue; then prayer will happen!

It sounds right. It seems reasonable. Yet it is not right—and it is full of unawareness. It sounds right to say, “As long as the mind is full of sin, how can there be prayer!” But that is like a physician saying, “As long as you are sick, how can I give you medicine! First get well and healthy, and then take the medicine.” But once you are well, why would you need medicine? If you decide to pray only after you’ve dropped all sin, you will never get the chance to pray. As long as there is sin, you won’t pray. And when there is no sin left, why pray? What would be the meaning of prayer then? Prayer is the medicine. Therefore, one has to pray while still a sinner. And another thing: how will sin go? It cannot go without prayer. Those who try to remove sin…

Does a sinner deserve to be enlightened?

Otherwise who else? A saint is already enlightened, only sinners are left to be enlightened. But religions have taught you something which is creating the problem. They have condemned you as sinners -- how can you become enlightened? Sin is nothing but error. There is no condemnation in the word -- it is just error! And those who err, they learn. All saints have been sinners. There has never been a saint who has not been a sinner, otherwise how will he come to be a saint? He travelled, he erred, he went astray, he fell a million times, and rose up again. He has reached. The whole journey he has been a sinner. Now he has learned, and now no error happens. He has become wise through sinning, through errors. He knows. He has become enlightened. Out of the darkness of the night is the morn born. Every saint…

In the same context I ask, Osho, what is sin and what is virtue?

If the inner lamp of awareness is lit, then whatever actions happen are virtue. If the inner lamp is extinguished, then whatever actions happen are sin. Understand this! No act in itself is sin or virtue. Sin and virtue depend on the doer. No act is intrinsically sin or virtue. Generally we believe that acts are good or bad—this act is bad, that act is good. That is not the case. A person whose inner lamp is out cannot truly do a good act—it is impossible. It may look as if he is doing good. He can imitate the actions of those whose lamps are lit. But even in imitation his motive will be contrary. If he builds a temple, it won’t be for the Divine; it will be for his own name or his father’s—he will get the name inscribed. If he gives charity, he will be anxious whether…