According to Osho, to be free from sin and virtue is to transcend both outward-going tendencies (sin) and inward-going merits (virtue), dropping sorrow and happiness alike, and moving beyond heaven and hell into moksha. In that freedom, all experiences—even bliss—are seen as objects; you remain the pure witness, mere awareness, where neither inner nor outer exists: Buddhahood.
Stop chasing bad or good, sad or happy; rest as the quiet watcher who’s free of all of it.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, yesterday you explained that punya means that which gives joy and liberates. Then what does the statement mean that one must be free from sin, and also free from virtue?
Certainly, one has to be free from sin. I said: sin is that which takes you outward. I said: virtue is that which brings you inward. But one must be free of the outer—and free of the inner as well. First be free of the outer; then, immediately, you will find that what we had called “inner” was only inner in comparison to the outer. The moment you are free of the outer, you will discover that what had seemed inner now also appears outer—because in relation to you, that too is outside. You are where there is neither outside nor inside—you are the pure witness. One has to be free from sorrow, and free from happiness too. Sorrow binds, and happiness also binds. That is why only in our land there are three words that exist nowhere else in the world—because nowhere has the inquiry gone so deep: heaven,…
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…
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…
Question: BELOVED OSHO, CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT VIRTUE? Out of awareness whatever you do is virtue according to me. And out of unawareness whatever you do is sin according to me. And according to me, your sins are not going to take you to hell. Your sins immediately give you hell -- here, just now. And your virtues are not going to give you an eternity of paradise. Your virtues give you joy, blissfulness, the moment you act with full awareness. The punishment and the reward is immediate: the reward follows your action. But it depends where your action will lead you. It can be unconscious action, then hell herenow. It has nothing to do with geography; it is something to do with your psychology. Acting consciously, you are in paradise wherever you are. Once you have learned, you will not ask, "What is virtue?
I, alone, am the theme taught in the various vedas. I am the revealer of the
UPANISHADS, THE VEDANTA, AND OF THE VEDAS. I ALONE AM THE REAL KNOWER. FOR ME THERE IS NEITHER VIRTUE, PUNYAM, NOR SIN, PAPA. I SUFFER NOT DESTRUCTION, NEITHER HAVE I BIRTH, NOR BODY, NOR SENSES AND MIND. I, ALONE, AM THE THEME TAUGHT IN THE VARIOUS VEDAS. I AM THE REVEALER OF THE UPANISHADS, THE VEDANTA AND OF THE VEDAS. I ALONE AM THE REAL KNOWER. But the basic problem arises because of this concept of non-contradictoriness in existence. Existence is dual but not contradictory! And the duality is only in the expression, not in the ultimate source. The ultimate source remains the same. These contradictions are there, because without contradictions, without a dual nature, things cannot exist, the world cannot be. The world is there through duality. Can you conceive of silence without noise? Can you conceive of birth without death? Can you conceive of beauty without ugliness? They…