Testimonial letter from Michael Sargent
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 Michael Sargent. It is "Exhibit A-509" 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.
 Michael Sargent TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN I am writing in support of the visa application of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh whose contributions to the arts and sciences are many. I first met this man while I was touring under the auspices of the Green Place Foundation International (an Environmental Organisation). My purpose in travelling to India was twofold: First, to witness the environmental damage to the country, and the attempts of various organisations to re-establish its former ecology. Second to contact and work with various persons instrumental in this work and to distribute varieties of beans and corn as well as oil seel. (the johoba oil seed, the hopi/navijo blue corn/Russian broad bran). I had lengthy discussions with the President of the Indian Branch of the R.S.P.C.A. and the pro-Environment Governor of Tamil Nadiu; and I was interviewed by three leading daily newspapers of India. I also lectured at various universities and societies. It was while visiting the Botanical University of Poona that I was informed of Bhagwan’s work in this field. I was told that he spoke extensively on the integration of science with religion a marriage of the two. Having visited Rajneeshpuram many times and witnessed the reestablishment of the ecology in this depleted and harshly over-grazed land, I find the work there impressive. A huge reservoir has been constructed; thousands of fruit trees have been planted; large pieces of what was economically unproductive land has been successfully planted and harvested. And every piece of work is done aesthetically, appropriate to the environment. This work is possible because Bhagwan is in Rajneeshpuram. His presence gives the people there the feeling of well-being and the capacity to want to work 12-14 hours seven days a week, with the kind of (?)thusiasm that any employer would envy. Economically, I am told that Rajneeshpuram spents its income locally, supporting the economies of neighbouring cities in Oregon. In my opinion, the essence of what is happening in Rajneeshpuram is what Bhagwan has said of the integration of science and religion; it is being manifested in the way the monumental work is being accomlished - and amazingly, work that would ordinarily take a year or more is done in a matter of weeks. It is this fire that is kindled within his disciples that brings all this about. When he makes his daily drives, every one stops their work and stands at the side of the road to feel his being radiating as he passes by. Then returning to their work, there is an abundance of feeling for that which is to be done. Rajneeshpuram represents the marriage of science and religion: to do work with such love that it becomes worship. He need not, and they need not, speak of it. His silence shows the way into this new way of being. In summation, let me say that not only does America need Bhagwan; the rest of the world is deeply indebted to him as well. Sincerely and cordially yours, |
(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.)
