Testimonial letter from Helmut Debes
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 Helmut Debes. It is "Exhibit A-1017" 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 original letter, written in German, appears first, followed by its English translation. The image on the right in the text box links to a pdf file with the whole original letter, the translation and a notary statement attesting to the validity of the translation. It has 4 pages.
 DIE LICHTE EIDESSTATTLICHE ERKLÄRUNG Ich bin mir der Bedeutung einer eidesstattlichen Erklärung bewußt und kenne die strafrechtlichen Konsequenzen, die falsche Angaben nach sich ziehen können. Ich erkläre an Eides statt: Mein Name ist Helmut Debes, geboren 20. 5. 1941 in Hamburg. Berufsausbildung: Dipl.Ing. an der Teehn.Universität Berlin, Bauwesen. Seit zwölf Jahren leite ich die Kerzenmanufaktur DIE LICHTE in Ahrensburg bei Hamburg. Wir arbeiten verwiegend für den europäischen Raum, exportieren aber auch nach USA, Canada und Japan. Ich habe Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh durch einen dreimonatigen Aufenthalt in Poona, Indien 1979 kennengelernt und diese Begegnung im folgenden Jahr, wiederum drei Monate, vertieft. Seit dieser Zeit hat sich in meinem Leben viel verändert. Meine privaten Beziehungen sind friedlicher und freudvoller geworden, mein Verhältnis zu meinen Mitarbeitern partnerschaft1icher. Mein Leben erscheint mir sinnvoller, da Bhagwan in einer mir verständlichen Weise den Sinn menschlichen Lebens erläutert hat. Als Ingenieur bin ich. gewohnt, von Wirkungen auf Ursachen zu schließen. Ich bin daher der Überzeugung, daß es d^tie überragenden Fähigkeiten Bhagwans als religiöser Lehrer sind, die alle diese Veränderungen bei mir in Gang gesetzt haben. [signed] LIEFERBEDINGUNGEN: translationHelmut Debes DECLARATION IN LIEU OF AN OATH I am aware of the meaning of a declaration in lieu of an oath and know that making a negligent false declaration under oath can result in prosecution. Knowing this I declare the following in lieu of an oath: My name is Helmut Debes, born May 20, 1941 in Hamburg. Training: technical engineer with diploma at the Technical University in Berlin, Building. I have been running the candle manufactury DIE LICHTE in Ahrensburg near Hamburg for twelve years. We work mostly for the European area but also export to the USA, Canada and Japan. I have met Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during a three month stay in Poona, India in 1979 and have deepened this meeting in the following year, again for three months. Since that time much in my life has changed. My private relationships have become more peaceful and joyful, my relation to my fellow-workers more partnership-like. My life seems to have more meaning because Bhagwan has explained the meaning of human life in a way I can understand. As an engineer I am used to conclude from effect to cause. Because of that I am convinced that the outstanding abilities Bhagwan has as a religious teacher are the reason that all those changes have been triggered off in me. (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.)
