Testimonial letter from Sw Dhyan Tarshito
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 Sw Dhyan Tarshito MD (Earle R. Sloan). It is "Exhibit A-802" 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.
 Post Office Box 10, Rajneeshpuram, OR 97741. To whom it may concern I am a physician licensed in Oregon and California and am board certified in the specialties of pediatrics and allergy-immunology. For the past year I've been in practice in Rajneeshpuram, Oregon. I was in private practice with Asthma and Allergy Associates in San Jose, California, and was a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine for seven years before coming here. The bulk of my experience has been in the care of children and adults who have chronic illnesses with a main emphasis on asthma. I am writing this letter to document the significant contribution which Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh has made in the field of chronic illness. In private practice his influence provided me with a major foothold to guide me in the overlooked area in medicine where patients try to cope with disease, fail to live harmoniously with their friends and family, struggle to raise their children as best as possible, and wrestle with their neurosis in search for a meaningful and fulfilling life. In many cases the prolongation of an illness to a chronic state reflects, either directly or indirectly, the breakdown of a harmonious relationship with a spouse, parent, son or daughter. Rajneesh's contribution in the science of psychology surpasses any teaching I've received to date from my undergraduate studies at Stanford University, medical studies at the George Washington School of Medicine, and postgraduate training at the Stanford University Medical Center. I was able to incorporate his teachings into everyday practice while treating and counselling patients. The feedback from patients was extraordinary, and I was amazed how Rajneesh's teachings produced significant improvement in patients’ insight into the complex relationship between disease and pathological interpersonal dynamics. In addition, and more specifically in reference to the treatment of extrinsic asthma aggravated by household dust, the most important and common antigen responsible for allergy in the northern hemisphere, the awareness and avoidance techniques followed by the Rajneesh disciples are unequalled anywhere. In Poona, India, the places where Rajneesh made his public appearances were spotless. In Rajneeshpuram, the dust avoidance measures followed in Rajneesh's home including the use of air purifiers, materials which don't attract dust, and approaches to cleaning are exemplary. If the dust-sensitive asthmatic could learn to follow this example, the overuse of expensive and often dangerous antiasthma drugs would simply not be needed. In allergy, the best treatment is avoidance of the antigen, not reliance upon medications, or to look at it another way, the use of anti-venom is simply not needed once one avoids the rattlesnake. The immediate application of Rajneesh’s teachings is readily seen in the practice of medicine in Rajneeshpuram. Here the doctor-patient relationship differs significantly from what is seen in the "outside" world. For one, there is no investment on the part of the doctor to keep the patient dependent on him. The doctor does not need the patient for financial or ego-supporting reasons. Secondly, the patient assumes a greater responsibility for his health, and physician functions more like a coach, explaining options to the patient and giving recommendations based upon the best knowledge of the problem. It is not unusual for the physician to admit he "doesn’t know" all the answers to medical questions, a confession not often heard in traditional medicine. Thirdly, the commune provides the patient with a rich source of nourishment and support while a disease is in process. An increased personal awareness allows for a healthy recovery, and little support is given for reactive patterns which tend to make patients more dependent upon helath professionals and which prolong chronic complaints. Since I have come under the influence of Rajneesh’s teachings, I myself feel more comfortable and centered while practicing medicine, and this icnreased self-confidence and well-being has a dramatic effect on the patient coming with a package of complaints. Here the package isn’t accepted by the physician, it’s merely placed by the side, and an interpersonal exchange happens which often has a positive healing effect. In summary, Rajneesh's remarkable genius has synthesized the best of Western technology and psychology and Eastern spirituality. This unified approach offers a fresh and necessary resource to the field of medicine. The presence of this spiritual leader is a tremendous asset to this country and will benefit the general welfare of all people with chronic illness. Many of our present so-called problems will simply disappear once these awareness techniques are incorporated into the everyday practice of medicine. [signed] |
(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.)
