Testimonial letter from Hendrik Doing
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 Dr. Hendrik Doing. It is "Exhibit A-1286" 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 2 pages.
 Wageningen, july 16, 1983 To whom it may concern. The following is a personal statement concerning recent developments in relation to Rajneeshpuram (Oregon, U.S.A.), to which I should like to draw your attention. Daring the last 3 years, I have studied texts of lectures by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (books, tapes and videos), had regular contacts with Rajneesh Meditation Centers and groups of Rajneeshees, followed courses and practised home exercises which are recommended in this context. By means of various personal contacts I have become acquainted with the life and problems of many Rajneeshees and with the role which their "Master" plays in their life. As a scientist (M. and Dr. of Agricultural Science, Agricultural University of Wageningen, at present employed as a senior research officer at this University) I have been educated to develop a critical mind and an open eye for educational and other social needs and problems. I have worked and extensively travelled in 5 continents (including North America), taken part in many international congresses and published c. 90 papers on plant ecology, geography, forestry, nature conservation and other related subjects. Although I am not a "sannyassin” (and have experienced no pressure of any kind to become "converted”), I have found no conflicts between my work as a teacher and scientist on one hand, and the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh on the other hand. In contrast, I regard these teachings as an unsurpassed synthesis of modern thinking in many disciplines, linking the sciences to the arts, religion, psychology and philosophy. I think they can give a new impetus to human activities in many fields, including my own. In my opinion, their contibution towards a modern ’’holistic" or "ecological” approach of the problems of our time is considerable. Up to now, this has been manifest mainly in the fields of mental and physical human health, but many further possibilities, e.g. in land use and agriculture, are still to be worked out. Concluding from this, I think that the further development of the experimental community of Rajneeshpuram, where all this is or will be practised, should be supported in all possible ways. It should also be clear that the permanent presence of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh as the religious leader of this community, is essential for this development. I am firmly convinced, that this would prove to be a great benefit to the country and to the human community in general If this is desirable, I shall be glad to provide further details and explanations of this statement. [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.)
