Testimonial letter from Ma Prem Ambika
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 Prem Ambika (Donna Killems). It is "Exhibit A-1572" 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.
 Rt 7 Box 757 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN My name is Donna Killems, I am 35 years old. I have raised two children and worked in the health field for ten years and office management for the last seven years. I was born in San Antonio, Texas; with my father being in the Air Force we spent three years in Germany, four years in Japan, five years in Michigan and six years in Texas. I have always loved my country and been proud to be an American. In December 1980, I was in Mexico on a Rebirthing Intensive Seminar and was introduced to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh through a book entitled "Dance Your Way to God." Even with the first words my heart was touched. He said God is Love, God is Life, God is everything and is everywhere. So simple, so true; how was it no one had said it before? He said live life funny, totally, celebrate, rejoice. When I came home from Mexico I began reading his books. One book I read was "The Mustard Seed," talks on Jesus. Before this, I always saw Jesus as the bad guy, gonna send me to hell for all my sins, but through Bhagwan’s words I fell in love with Jesus - all my life I had been in a Christian family and society but never before had I felt a love and an understanding of Christ. The next few months I spent reading Bhagwan's words, probably 20 or 30 books. As I read, I fell more and more in love with Bhagwan and with Life. Then I found a place in Dallas called the Today Church. They did Bhagwan's Dynamic and Kundalini Meditations twice a week. Dynamic was so incredible, it worked as an outlet for years of repressed anger, hatred, sorrow and fear, and so a beautiful transformation had begun in my life. I had a plan to go to India in August 1981, but for me, another miracle! Bhagwan came to America in June. I wanted to go immediately to see him and be near him, but it wasn't possible, so in September I became a sannyasin (disciple) by mail. He gave me the name Ma Prem Ambika. Prem means love and Ambika means Mother Goddess. Bhagwan'smessage to me was to love myself and then I would love others. Becoming a sannyasin started the greatest adventure. Even before my new name arrived I had a new and daring job - as a jailor and dispatcher for a small police department south of Dallas; me who had always been afraid of violence and violent men had the courage and daring to say yes. Bhagwan teaches to say Yes to Life, Yes to Existence. After almost a year I came to Rajneeshpuram in July, 82 for the First Annual World Celebration. The first time I saw Bhagwan I knew, I knew total love, total opening of my heart. I was filled with incredible, indescribible joy. What happened I can't explain. I only know it was good, right, holy. Since my first visit, I've moved to California so I could be closer and come more often, and I've been back for four more visits, each time I'm amazed at the commune's accomplishments, its progress and its love for each and everyone of us who visit. While we are here, our clothes are washed, our rooms are cleaned and we are served three wonderful meals each day. Everywhere, everything is filled with Bhagwan's Love and Blessings. I came this summer for the Second Annual World Celebration and now I will stay for three months working side by side with other Commune members. The work is called worship here and it is. The days are filled with love and laughter and at the end of the day I'm amazed at what we've done when all the time, it seemed like playing. Bhagwan is the Heart and the Love in this Commune and if the world is to survive the twentieth century we will have to learn from this community quickly so that we can have Peace on Earth, Good Will to all Men. Bhagwan is the Greatest Blessing that America has ever known. We, the freedom loving country, have with us the free-est: an Enlightened Master, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. I believe at this time on earth He is the most exceptional incredible Being. So please read a book, open your heart and mind and say Yes to Bhagwan. Say Yes, we welcome to our country this Master of Masters. 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.)
