Testimonial letter from Ma Nirmala
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 Nirmala. It is "Exhibit A-1969" 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.
 This letter will have more OCR problems than most, having been typed somehow in a difficult-to-read Olde English font. Ma Nirmala TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN I am writing to you concerning Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his effect on my life and many others through his presence in Oregon. I am English, 41 years of age and had a career in administration for 20 years. From 1970-1980 I was employed by British Civil Services Department of Trade and worked for the English Tourist Board as a Regional Manager. My responsibilities included liason between central and local government to fulfill certain national objectives concerning tourist development in England. Prior to that I worked as a personal assistant to a Hollywood film producer (APTAC Productions, 20th Century Fox, West Pirn Blud. Los Angeles) from 1968-1970. In the late 1970s I became interested in Eastern philosophy, especially Buddhism, and in 1980 I went to India to study further. On hearing a taped discourse nf Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and on meeting several of his sannyasins, the truth of his message and its living example inspired me to go to Poona where his ashram then was. His genius as a teacher and his great love for mankind compelled me to become a disciple and I took sannyas in April 1981. Since that time I have used his meditation techniques and absorbed his teachings in books and on tape. I find I have greater clarity, energy and powers of concentration; also a more loving attitude towards other people. I attribute this change and flowering as a direct result of my contact with Bhagwan. In the last year I have worked as a psychiatric nurse in Perth Australia, nursing elderly and dying people. The inner strength that has developed and greater understanding of the meaning of life and death that Bhagwan has taught me helped me in dealing with people in sadness, pain and suffering. The work was joyful and the old folk so loving and grateful for the care that was given without fear. In June 1983 I came in Rajneeshpuram Oregon as a participant in the July Festival and I am now staying as a paying guest. This is an amazing, powerful and creative place, and the energy and love here is inspiring people to create a paradise in the desert. The Festival in July was a highlight for me as we had Satsang, the silent communion that is so meaningful. So sit in meditative silence with an enlightened Master brings a deep contentment and feeling of oneness with all creation; for me, it is a profound personal experience between Bhagwan and each o us; through his silence we glimpse God , the Truth, the Whole. Yours sincerely, |
(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.)
