Testimonial letters
This page is the central ("master") page for an amazing collection of letters from people all over the world attesting to Osho's superlative qualities as a religious teacher. Most were from sannyasins but an impressive subset were from non-sannyasins, writing in their professional capacities as academics or even some officials of nominally "competing" religions, from Catholic priests to Zen teachers. The letters were used to help with Osho's attempt to get permanent resident status in the US at the time of the Oregon ranch.
the story
Osho arrived in the US Jun 1 1981 and stayed in "Kip's Castle", part of Chidvilas Rajneesh Meditation Center, Montclair, in New Jersey. The Ranch was purchased in early Jul but Osho did not move there until Aug 31. (Source for dates in this account is Roshani's Chronology of Events Relating to Rajneeshpuram, Oregon (source document), unless otherwise noted.)
He first arrived on a visitor's visa. On Oct 23 1981, he applied for an extension of that until Mar 1 1982, based on the need for medical treatment. On Nov 24 1981 he applied for permanent US resident status as a religious leader and teacher.
After Osho's visitor visa expired in Jun 1982, he was allowed to stay in the country while his religious leader status was being considered. The decision came on Dec 21 1982; the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) denied Osho's application for permanent resident status. He was given one month to launch an appeal, or else be deported.
Two days later, Osho's lawyers announced they would appeal the INS' decision within 15 days, contesting every aspect. They said that the INS was looking for reasons to reject Osho's applications, noting especially the rudeness and hostility of INS officials at their Dec 22 press conference.
On Jan 5 1983, sannyasins filed their appeal in the INS' regional office in Minneapolis, mentioning five specific grounds:
1. Osho met all requirements as a religious leader
2. the INS misinterpreted and misapplied relevant statutes
3. the INS overstepped their authority in defining a religious worker, eg in saying that Osho could not teach or lead if he was in public silence
4. the INS failed to provide Osho's attorneys with various findings, so they were unable to respond
5. the INS acted arbitrarily and out of prejudice, discriminating on the basis of their own religious beliefs and limited understanding.
the letters
That filing was followed by months of legal wrangling, jostling and jockeying for position. It is not clear when in this process the idea arose and was implemented to collect the testimonial letters but, judging from the letters' dates, it was likely in early Jul of 1983.
And they came thick and fast. Over 2700 letters were sent or forwarded to the INS from all over the world. The letters were kept by Osho's immigration lawyer, Jeffrey Noles of Portland, who eventually [when?] donated them to the Oregon Historical Society, based in Portland.
The letters are only a small part of Noles' collection, comprising one box plus most of a second box of documents out of seven boxes in all. A correspondent contacted the OHS and, as of Mar 2022, has obtained and shared pdfs of images of all of the letters with the wiki. We will index them here, and link them eventually to individual pages with the image and a searchable text version. Later we will try to get the same for the other files in Noles' collection
Information on the whole Noles collection can be found at this page. "Series A", also called "Exhibit A", of that collection, by far the largest section, contains "documents used in the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh immigration case that were organized into folders based on the subject. Documents were used as evidence in an attempt to argue his importance and fame all over the world as a religious figure. Includes photocopies of letters, examples of published works, materials from various Rajneesh organizations and information about his religious beliefs and activities both in India and the United States. Includes a few color brochures and an introductory pamphlet". The section dealing with the letters is:
Individual letters of support from all over the world for Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh to gain citizenship in the United States.
The wiki is grateful to the OHS for making access available for these documents.
Testimonial letters listed in the tables below will be presented in two categories, non-sannyasins and sannyasins, each sortable by any criterion by clicking on the column headers. The "notes" column is a bit of a catchall containing various possible bits of information for which separate columns were deemed excessive. In that column, "hand" denotes handwritten letters, a language indicates the original language of the letter if not English, with both that version and a translation available, and "question" denotes authors whose status as sannyasin/non is ambiguous. Uploading the letter images and creating searchable text versions will take some time but will be automated as much as possible after a smooth system is set up. Patience please ....
non-sannyasins
Non-sannyasins who wrote letters in support of Osho as a religious leader or teacher were mostly professionals in various academic fields and religious officials. Their offerings were solicited mainly by people who knew them, as sannyasins come from a multitude of professional backgrounds. Sorting criterion for the non-sannyasins is their surname, usually but not always their last name, depending on their culture of origin.
name | position | date | exhibit # | notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Douglas V Steere | professor philosophy, Haverford College, Haverford PA | 1983-07-16 | A-1 | |
Peter M Kuntz | scholar law & theology, Princeton University | 1983-07-21 | A-2 | |
Daniel Matt | professor Judaic studies, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley CA | 1983-07-20 | A-3 | hand |
Douglas K Huneke | pastor, Westminster United Presbyterian Church, Tiburon CA | 1983-07-13 | A-4 | |
Mitsuo Aoki | Dept of Religion, University of Hawaii | 1983-07-12 | A-5 | |
Kazuyoshi Kino | research and mission work in Buddhism, Vice President, Hosen Gakuen Junior College, Tokyo |
1983-07-14 | A-6 | |
Frederick Partington | Anglican priest, head of Counseling Courses, Middlesex Polytechnic, UK | 1983-07-18 | A-7 | |
Joseph H Gelberman | rabbi, Tree of Life Synagogue, NYC | 1983-07-26 | A-8 | |
Michael Ziegler | rabbi, Piedmont CA | 1983-07-20 | A-9 | |
Ulrike Eichhoff | protestant vicar (F), Nörten-Hardenberg, Germany | undated | A-10 | hand |
Gregorio | Archimandrite of Turin (Russian Patriarchal Church), Italy | 1983-07-18 | A-11 | Italian |
(illegible) | National President of the Venerable Permanent Counsel, Orthodox Church of Italy in Florence | 1983-07-10 | A-13 | |
Dr. Gabriel Looser | Dr of Theology, Catholic hospital ministry, Bern, Switzerland | 1983-07-15 | A-14 | German |
Diane Mintz | MA rabbinic literature and education, Kensington CA | 1983-07-20 | A-15 | |
Reuho Yamada | head priest of Choshoji Temple, Beppu Japan | 1983-07-15 | A-16 | |
Klaus Bieger | Protestant theologian, Kiel, Germany | 1983-07-20 | A-18 | |
Revd. Dr. Chad Varah | Prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral, London | 1983-08-04 | A-19 | |
RC Gordon-McCutchan, PhD | professor American religious history, University of California, Santa Barbara | 1983-07-23 | A-21 | |
Felicitas D Goodman, PhD | professor (ret'd) anthropology and linguistics, Denison University, Granville OH | 1983-07-27 | A-22 | |
Rabbi Elihu Kestenbaum | Orthodox rabbi | 1983-07-19 | A-23 | |
Ronald H D'Angelo | Catholic priest + certified psychoanalyst | 1983-07-26 | A-24 | |
Rev Frank Stribling | minister of Sanctuary of Light Church, San Antonio TX | 1983-07-15 | A-25 | |
Rev JC Whight | Anglican priest, Australia | 1983-07-22 | A-28 | |
Ronald O Clarke | professor religious studies, Oregon State University | 1983-07-26 | A-29 | |
Ted A Nordquist, Fil.dr. | researcher history of religion, Uppsala University Sweden | 1983-07-15 | A-32 | |
DJ Michalka | psychologist, Perth, Australia | 1983-07-18 | A-33 | hand |
Robert John Egan | Jesuit priest, teacher, philosophy, theology, Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley CA | 1983-07-18 | A-37 | |
Kathryn J Raban | theology, "special needs" teacher, Loughborough UK | 1983-07-16 | A-40 | hand |
Dr Hermann Steinkamp | Dean of theology, Münster University, Germany | 1983-07-20 | A-42 | |
Dr Agnete Kutar | PhD, lecturer Indology, Free University of Berlin, Germany | 1983-07-25 | A-43 | |
Zen Master Seung Sahn | Korean Zen master, Providence RI | 1983-07-20 | A-45 | |
Alfred Bloom | professor religion University of Hawaii | 1983-07-16 | A-46 | |
Rev Terry Cole-Whittaker | minister (live + TV), motivational speaker, author, San Diego CA | 1983-07-15 | A-48 | |
Dr Jim Garrison | writer, director, East-West Reach, London | 1983-07-18 | A-50 | |
Rev Thomas D Cammack | Community Caring Project, San Francisco | 1983-07-19 | A-51 | |
Masanori Oe | translator Tibetan Buddhism, Yamanashi-ken Japan | 1983-07-21 | A-52 | |
Masaaki Monju | temple master Jitokuin, Kyoto Japan | 1983-07-14 | A-53 | |
Koku Nishimura | Second Patriarch, Tani School, Fuke Zen Sect, Kumamoto-shi Japan | 1983-07-19 | A-54 | |
Jorgen Thorndal Larsen | philosophy - religion - science intersection, Copenhagen | undated | A-55 | |
MC Blackden | teacher religion and theology | 1983-07-21 | A-56 | |
K Staub | theology, sociology, School for Social Work, Vienna | 1983-07-15 | A-59 | German |
Sister Ann McNeil | Tibetan Buddhist nun aka Ani Lobsang Dolma, Berkeley CA | 1983-07-20 | A-60 | |
Rev James A Gattuso | founder, Center of New Thought, Philosophy Church and Education Society, Akron OH |
1983-07-17 | A-61 | |
A Durwood Foster | professor Christian Theology, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley CA | 1983-07-15 | A-63 | |
Rev Richard Douglas Cain | chaplain Churchill College, Cambridge UK | 1983-07-20 | A-65 | |
Jean-Yves Leloup | doctorates in theology, philosophy and psychology, professor École de théologie, Toulouse FR |
1983-07-24 | A-66 | French |
Christopher F Mooney | professor religious studies, Fairfield University, Fairfield CT | 1983-08-11 | A-71 | |
Herbert Dale Long | professor religious studies, San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo CA | 1983-07-13 | A-72 | |
Robert Aitken | Zen master, Diamond Sangha, Honolulu HI | 1983-07-22 | A-73 | |
Drs Jan Bergers | Catholic priest, educator, Baak NL | 1983-07-16 | A-74 | |
Lorraine Thomas | lecturer psychology, religious studies, runs mental health clinic, Palmerston North NZ | 1983-08-22 | A-76 | |
Margareta Skog | researcher Stockholm Institute of the Sociology of Religion, Stockholm SE | 1983-07-21 | A-77 | |
prof Vittorio Giavotto | president, Centro Ghe-Pel-Ling, Milano IT | 1983-07-18 | A-78 | |
Dr Hans-Jürgen Greschat | professor history of religions University of Marburg, Marburg DE | 1983-07-19 | A-79 | |
David Thomas Kyle PhD | college teacher philosophy and religion, writer, counselor, Woodside CA | 1983-08-01 | A-80 | |
Gianni Vanonni | researcher, Interdisciplinary Research Center, University of Florence, IT | 1983-07-23 | A-82 | hand, Italian |
Robert S Ellwood | professor Oriental studies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles | 1983-07-19 | A-83 | enclosure |
Prof Dr theol Gerhard Marcel Martin | professor practical theology, University of Marburg, Marburg DE | 1983-07-22 | A-84 | |
Leonard A Voegtle, AMS | Provincial Superior, Marist Brothers (a Catholic order), Wheeling WV | 1983-07-15 | A-85 | |
Dr Warren J Stagg, ND, DD, PhD | associated with HELP Unlimited inc (non-profit religious, scientific and educational foundation) Hollywood CA | 1983-07-14 | A-86 | |
(illegible x3) | three officials of the Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Pomaia IT | 1983-07-27 | A-87 | |
Roger Abelson | executive director, National Jewish Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco CA | 1983-07-10 | A-88 | |
Diane Choquette | head of New Religious Movements research, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley CA | 1983-07-19 | A-89 | |
Rev Ken H Hills | priest, Church of England, Birmingham UK | 1983-07-29 | A-90 | |
Carol Voisin | president, Berkeley Area Interfaith Council, Berkeley CA | 1983-07-20 | A-91 | |
Shinkai Tanaka | Zen temple master, Kameoka-shi Japan | 1983-07-12 | A-92 | |
Sun Bear | Medicine Chief, Bear Tribe Medicine Society, Spokane WA | 1983-08-02 | A-93 | |
Kou Sugawara | head priest Goseiji Temple Foundation, Japan | undated | A-94 |
|
sannyasins
The letters from sannyasins often cite their prior religious history in order to illustrate Osho's teaching and how it has profoundly improved their lives and understanding of religion. Links will lead to their letters, not their personal pages, which may not exist. The sorting criterion for the name columns is the name they are most likely to have been known or be recognized by, usually their last name. In cases where only a legal name is given (asterisked), sorting criterion will be their first name.
Note that there is a small subgroup here, denoted by "question" in the "notes" column, whose status vis-a-vis sannyas is unclear. These few cases have not declared their status one way or another, do not indicate a "position" of authority or expertise and write in more devotional, flowery or "sannyas-metaphysical" terms. They have been deemed sannyasins for now.
name | background | date | exhibit # | notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sw Deva Paritosh | Catholic monk --> psychotherapist | 1983-07-14 | A-12 | |
Sw Deva Siddhartha | philosophy, theology, Catholic priest | 1983-07-16 | A-17 | |
Ma Prem Samadhi | theology and psychology | 1983-07-20 | A-20 | |
Ma Prem Hamido | Catholic nun, secular teacher | 1983-07-19 | A-26 | |
Eva-Maria Debes * | religion teacher | 1983-07-17 | A-27 | German |
Sw Devananda | stock trader --> metaphysics, religious studies | 1983-07-28 | A-30 | |
Sw Prem Gayano | psychology of religion | 1983-07-19 | A-31 | |
Sw Deva Ojas | Catholic monk, priest --> adult education | 1983-07-18 | A-34 | |
Ma Deva Pyari | teacher of German and religion | 1983-07-18 | A-35 | hand |
Robert Lazeres * | Carmelite monk, philosophy | 1983-07-23 | A-36 | |
Ülo Johannes Luuka * | protestant priest --> professor social work | 1983-07-17 | A-38 | |
Sw Antar Dhiren | protestant minister, BA theology | 1983-08-22 | A-39 | |
Sw Veet Sangharsh | Lutheran minister --> Quakers + Zen studies | 1983-07-21 | A-41 | |
Ma Sambodhi | radio + TV talk shows, screenwriter --> minister | 1983-07-20 | A-44 | |
Ursel-Renata Krüsi * | theology --> psychotherapy | 1983-07-19 | A-47 | German |
Sabine Hindelang * | theology, history of Lutheranism | 1983-07-20 | A-49 | |
Sw Bodhimitra | teacher, minister, United Church of Religious Science | undated | A-57 | |
Sw Dhyan Herbert | professor, science of art and semiotics, Institute for Sacred Art, Vienna | 1983-07-17 | A-58 | German |
Sw Anand Alok | immigrant from China to US, math, ethics, theology, counseling, minister | 1983-07-19 | A-62 | |
Sw Anand Kamalesh | Jesuit --> clinical psychologist | 1983-07-18 | A-64 | |
CPA van Esch | studied theology and philosophy, Ubbergen NL | 1983-07-17 | A-67 | question |
Jörg Marxen | church counselor --> clinical psychologist, Braunschweig DE | 1983-07-23 | A-68 | question |
Ma Deva Anurago | minister Dutch Reformed Church --> journalist | 1983-07-16 | A-69 | |
Christiane van der Spieren | teacher of Catholic religion, Mechelen BE | undated | A-70 | question |
Michael Leger * | Christian missionary --> ecology | 1983-07-23 | A-75 | |
Ma Deva Sadhana | philosophy, comparative religion | 1983-07-23 | A-81 | hand |
footnotes
enclosures
At this time, we are not sure how to treat enclosures, if at all. For now brief descriptions can go here. All enclosures will in any case appear with their letters on the individual letter pages.
Robert Ellwood's letter (exhibit # A-83) encloses two pages from a bio of Ramana Maharshi to illustrate the concept of teaching in silence.