Testimonial letter from Ma Sugandha
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 Sugandha. It is "Exhibit A-2029" 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 one page.
 P.O. Box 10, Rajneeshpuram To whom it may concern The last ten years of my life I have worked with people categorized as "the criminally maladjusted", "emotionally disturbed", mentally incapacitated", and "impoverished". As a sociologist, my work and studies seemed to indicate such groups inherent in all cultures to varying degrees. The absence of crime, poverty and mental illness in my mind was an idealist’s utopian dream. Several years ago, I became familiar with the work of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Through my readings and my personal association, i.e. participation in meditations, programs, discourses and more recently various forms of silent communion (satsang and darshan), I have realized positive changes in my own life. I feel more highly motivated in my work and much more confident in all aspects of my life, including my work, creative expression and personal relationships. I am deeply grateful for the teachings of this man and the dedication of those working with him. I have since carefully watched the development of his teachings. What was, a few years ago, just a vision, is now coming to fruition in our own country. A community comprising the American ideals of freedom, equality and individuality with the binding foundation of religion all synthesized through the genius of this man, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. This great leader who for so many years spoke his vision to all who wished to hear is at present in public silence, allowing the words to become a living reality in the communities of people around the world who cherish him. Most notable in these communities is the absence of crime, poverty and social maladjustment. This mastermind and the community that surrounds him here in the U.S. should certainly be studied by sociologists, psychologists, economists and scientists of every field, and the many positive elements of this community including hard work, co-operation and enjoyment of life be exemplified as the American ideal being lived to-day. Albert Einstein stated that mediocre minds will not recognize great minds. I hope that we do not miss this opportunity because of our own lack of ability to see what is being offered to us. As an American citizen, a sociologist, and a concerned human being, I strongly urge you to support Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh remaining in our country and continuing his outstanding work here.
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.)
