Testimonial letter from Candace Cunningham
This letter is one of a remarkable series of over 2650 letters amassed in 1983 to support Osho's attempt to get permanent resident status in the US at the time of the Oregon ranch. The image is reproduced here with the kind permission of The Oregon Historical Society. Information about their collection of these letters and other supporting material -- the "Jeffrey Noles Rajneesh Collection", named for Osho's immigration lawyer Jeffrey Noles, who compiled them in 1983 and donated them to the OHS -- can be found at this page. The wiki is grateful to the OHS for making access available for these documents. For more information and links to all the letters, see Testimonial letters.
This letter is from Candace Cunningham. It is "Exhibit A-341" in the Noles collection.
The text version below has been created by optical character recognition (OCR), from the images supplied by OHS. It has not been checked for errors but this process usually results in over 99% correct transcription. Most apparent "errors" are correct transcriptions of typos already in the original. The image on the right in the text box links to a pdf file of the original letter, it has one page.
 1350 Fillmore #19 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to support the granting of a permanent U.S. visa to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. I am currently employed as an executive secretary at the Central Bank of Denver. I have been involved in adult education in Denver for the past seven years, teaching classes through Denver Free University in the areas of job satisfaction and production and management, and leading and participating in groups in the areas of religion and personal growth. In September I will be enrolled at Loretto Heights College to complete my degree in the History of Religion. I have come to know Rajneesh through reading his books and through association in workshops with people who work directly with him. My first introduction to his writings came about when I discovered his books in the library of the church I attend. Since that time I have read several more of his books, and they have been very beneficial. I find his writings to be especially clear and definitive. His books have been of invaluable assistance to me both in my personal studies and in my teaching others. He has enabled me to understand passages in the Bible that have puzzled me for years, and his discussions about Christ have enabled me to discover Christ as an exciting, vital person. Rajneesh's teaching of the necessity to seek God in all areas of our lives promotes understanding and growth in all people. His teachings transcend national boundries, as evidenced by the respect and recognition he has received in many countries in the world. His background as a scholar and educator shows up in his writings and lectures in the patience and persistent care he takes in expressing himself. His ability—as an Eastern Indian philosopher—to help me—an American Christian—understand the Bible is an example of his fine teaching abilities. I have not been to his home in Oregon, although I have two very close friends there. However, I like knowing that Rajneesh is living in this country. I think one of our most serious problems is the alienation many Americans feel from God. Rajneesh is one of the finest writers and lecturers in this field, and it is personally important to me that he be able to remain here so that we al I benefit from his wisdom and special abilities. We need every voice for God in this country right now. I urge you to grant Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh a permanent U.S. visa. [signed] |
(Please note: We assume that the above letter is still copyrighted, but we regard its historical interest to constitute a Fair Use exception for publication in this wiki.)
