According to Osho, conduct has no fixed form; it is the context-shaped expression of one inner vision, filtered through each person's knowledge—language, thought, and culture—and therefore changes with time, place, and individual. Saints embody the same realization differently; true conduct adapts so the essence is communicated meaningfully rather than blindly imitated.
Conduct is how you show your inner truth, and it changes with where you are, who you are, and what people can understand.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, in what form will that conduct be? That is my question!
It can take many forms. Because conduct depends on many things; it does not depend only on you. That conduct can take many forms. With Jesus it will be one way, with Krishna another, with Mahavira yet another. The vision will be exactly one; knowledge will at once differ. Because the one who turns that vision into knowledge is each time a different person. Knowledge will differ; the vision will be one. All those in the world who are experientially realized share one vision, but each one’s knowledge will be different. By “knowledge” being different I mean this: their language, their way of thinking, their vocabulary—this is what becomes knowledge. Then knowledge becomes conduct, and conduct too will be different. For example, suppose that today Mahavira were born in New York: he would not stand naked. Because in New York there would be only one outcome—that he would be locked…
Conduct is not formed of such petty things. Certainly not for a man like Lao Tzu. His vision of conduct is unique. He says: those who keep running to obtain outer objects—rare and curious—corrupt their conduct. Which means: those who do not run to obtain outer things, they attain conduct. Conduct means: so fulfilled within oneself that nothing outside calls you. The name of an inner contentment is conduct. A self-contentment. So fulfilled within that nothing outside becomes a race—no thing can make him run. Nothing is so important that he must run. So still in himself that nothing in the world can make him run. Lao Tzu says: such a one has conduct, character, virtue. Surely, one who is so full within, who feels no lack to be filled—he will have a soul, an integrated will, an inner unity. He will have an inner individuality, a tone, a way.
It is asked: Civilization, culture, and organized religion are ninety-nine percent conduct, imitation. Then what is religion?
That is exactly why religion has been lost. In your so-called civilization, your culture, and your so-called religions—there religion has been lost. Religion is—the manifestation of the consciousness within you. Religion is—the kindling of the awareness within you. Religion is—the arrival of wakefulness, the coming of meditation, the descent of samadhi. Religion has nothing to do with the outside; religion is an inner revolution. Then what people say outside—who cares! One lives in one’s own bliss, one lives in the festival of life. Then what others say—who cares! If they speak well—good; if they speak ill—good. If they honor you—fine; if they insult you—fine. Once the taste and the fragrance of the within begin to arise, outer values lose all meaning. I give you such freedom. But you do not want freedom; you want dependence. You say, Lay down rules. You feel meditation and samadhi are distant, beyond your capacity.…
It has been asked: It has been asked, Osho, you tell us to think—yet what will come from thinking alone? As I keep thinking, I get drowned in thoughts themselves, and my conduct does not change. My conduct remains exactly the same. So please tell me, how is conduct to be changed?
Commonly it is said, “What value is there in thought? The real value is in conduct.” This is utterly false and futile. It is false and futile because conduct, deep down, is nothing but the expression of thought. Where there is no seed of thought, there can be no plant of conduct. Yes, it is possible to throw a false conduct over oneself from the outside. But false conduct has no value whatsoever, except that it deceives others and destroys one’s own life. The question asked is: “What will happen by thought alone?” This is why I ask, and why the question arises—if I were to pray to you, I would say: as yet no thought has been born in you. You are taking others’ thoughts to be your own. Hence the problem of trying to bring thought and conduct into harmony. If the thought were truly yours, it would…
And here is the strange thing: if a person becomes aware even within his conditioning, his life is transformed. Then what you eat is not important. What is important is whether you are aware while eating. And one who is aware will naturally drop the futile. In awareness the false will fall of its own accord. In awareness, only the right will remain; the wrong cannot remain. The very definition of right and wrong is this: that which remains even when you are aware is right; that which begins to crumble the moment you become aware is wrong. Whatever I can do in awareness is virtue; whatever demands I be unconscious in order to do it, that is sin. Unconsciousness is sin; awareness is virtue. Therefore in the first definition of saintliness Lao Tzu says: they are utterly cautious and alert, like one crossing a stream in winter.