Testimonial letter from Ma Sambodhi
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 Sambodhi (Rev Jill R Gerhard). It is "Exhibit A-44" 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.
 To Whom It May Concern: There are few times in the course of a nation’s history when that nation has the distinctive honor of being home to such an exceptional man as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. It is my privilege to be a minister which, on many levels, gives me a special appreciation of this unusual person. I am also experienced in religious audio-visuals, and as a communicator myself, having had my own radio and television talk shows for six years on-KLX Oakland radio and KRON-TV San Francisco television. This has sharpened my perception of religious leaders who play the important Folenofeguiding people in the spiritual life. For nine years I was in religious audio-visuals as head of the Western Division of the Baptist Film Library in Berkeley, California. In the course of this work I had personal contact with ministers and theological professors of all faiths, giving numerous lectures to these groups in many California cities. I also wrote study-.guides for motion pictures as well as scripts for filmstrips. I have six script titles in the Library of Congress. I majored in Public Speaking at the University of California at Berkeley and at Diablo Valley College in Concord, California. I studied at the Baptist Missionary Training School in Chicago, Illinois, and the Institute of Religious Science in Los Angeles from which I was graduated as a minister in.1970. For the next ten years, until I retired at 65 in 1980, I have been a minister, teaching hundreds in classes, individually counseling people of all ages, writing religious articles, speaking, preaching, interweaving my life with those of the congregation, and sharing at seminars and conferences with other ministers. The above facts are listed simply to declare my qualifications to evaluate Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh as an expert in the field of religion, in the area of leading human beings to realize their spiritual potential. Most of my life has been spent in the spiritual quest—to find one somewhere in the world who can guide me to my utmost. It took the reading of a few pages from one of Rajneesh’s books to bring me to India, where he was, in 1979/80. In him--Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh--! found what I was seeking. During the three months while I was there, I saw people from all parts of the earth who had come to this astounding man for spiritual nurturing. I learned, first hand, of his.renown throughout the world, crossing lines of religion, profession, race, creed, country, culture^ age, education and background. I saw for myself the cross-section of people. I met many of them personally. No one had to tell me; I witnessed it for myself. He—Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh--was- reaching into the hearts of people everywhere, internationally. Since then, in this country where he now is, I have seen this variety of people continuing to come to him, though he is now in silence publicly. His silence simply increases communication on a deeper, truly religious level. So, firstly, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is an international figure—for all time. Secondly, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is like no other in the world today. He is most remarkable in his ability to transmit the unspeakable. It is his BEING, his PRESENCE that is so very exceptional. Just being in his presence is enough to bring people to a new realization of the wonder of God, Love, the Universe, Existence....whatever one wishes to name it. This is in no way a psychic thing. It transcends the cheap or weird or sensational. It is simply remarkably exceptional. I experience it personally. I have been in the presence of many spiritual giants. I have read their works and scriptures; but I know of no other now living who is so great a religious teacher or spiritual leader as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. This United States of America has the rare opportunity of welcoming Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh who is THE leader among religious leaders, the Master of masters. He is the spiritual figure of this modern age. [signed as Jill Gerhard] |
(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.)
