Testimonial letter from Ma Deva Nisango
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 Ma Deva Nisango (Margaret R. Heyer). It is "Exhibit A-384" 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.
 Rajneeshpuram, OR 97741 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN : While I was working on a Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology I heard about Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. In the Spring of 1978 I began to read his religious books, listen to his taped discourses and experience his active meditations. To hear and see such a great teacher brought me to Poona, India, in the fall of 1978. Here was a man who had extensive knowledge of all western therapies. A friend of mine, Dr. Paul Soderburg, a Professor at the Fielding Institute Graduate School in Santa Barbara, California, expressed his view that "Bhagwan is the most exceptional psychotherapist in the world today." He encouraged me to travel to India to visit Bhagwan and learn from him. Beyond western psychology, Bhagwan has a vast knowledge and experience with eastern schools of religion and mysticism. With the balance and perspective of both east and west he has formed his "psychology of the Buddhas" which.no other living Master has ever achieved. Above all, this spiritual Master, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh stands out with supreme intelligence and understanding, a resource of truth, a compassionate dynamic religious man who clearly perceives, understands and communicates the natures and dilemmas of man. In December of 1980 I returned to Poona, India and became a practising therapist in the Rajneesh Ashram. I learned for the first time that only love and compassion are the keys in therapy; and working in the proximity of an Enlightened Master, rapidly increases the healing process. My life and work as a Marriage, Family and Child Counselor were immediately transformed when I returned to America. From a new perspective I could view psychological and relationship problems using the new tools of awareness, love, and meditation. I had learned and experienced that the psychological is only one level in man. The spiritual lies beyond. (I had been searching for further meaning to life beyond the behavioral and emotional). Bhagwan’s unique contribution to the view of man at the normal level is the essential importance of meditation. Only meditation can take one beyond the mind, where all problems and conflicts arise and are never solved. Psychology has been ready to move beyond the humanistic level and professors and practitioners in the field have been flooding towards Bhagwan for years. I have been a resident of Rajneeshpuram for almost two years now, in the presence and environment surrounding Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Here is a community where all of his disciples are living the vision of the "new man" as seen by Bhagwan. Our meditation is our daily work, building our new city and creating an environment where all can live and love life in peace and harmony. Bhagwan’s presence here is a continual reminder for us to remember our unique potentials which were God-given and to move to higher levels of awareness and love. The qualities of freedom, love and mutual respect are encouraged to grow and express themselves. All forms of negativity are watched and not acted upon, for they only lead to violence and destruction. Energies express themselves in creative pursuits only. This is probably the only city in the world where there is no crime at all. Everybody works, contributing their efforts to the community. This contribution comes out of great love and gratefulness towards our spiritual Master Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. His vision for all human beings to live life lovingly and authentically is happening here and now. His silent communion with us at special Celebration times and through our work are vital to us in our growth. Bhagwan’s presence in our lives is our greatest gift. Such an exceptional spiritual leader and teacher as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh would be a valuable asset to any nation. He is inimitable, irreplaceable. Yours very truly, |
(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.)
