Testimonial letter from Sw Prem Dinesh (Scottish)
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 Prem Dinesh. It is "Exhibit A-791" 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.
 P.O. Box 10 To whom it may concern I am an accountant by profession. I studied psychology, philosophy and business at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, obtaining a Bachelor of Social Sciences (B.Sc.) degree in 1976. After my graduation I worked at different and varying occupations for a year in both London and Edinburgh. I then returned to University to study accountancy at the postgraduate level in Scotland. I graduated with a postgraduate diploma in Accountancy from the University of Strathclyde in 1978. On completing my studies I was offered employment with a number of accountancy firms, finally choosing to work in London with one of the world’s largest firms of Chartered Accountants. I lived and worked in London for three years. During this time I was engaged in the audit of many large companies in many various business sectors. I also was secretary of the Scottish students' society in London for young accountants, and was the student representative on one of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland's committees. It was after these three years that I left my Kensington apartment and my job in the city to return to India. Between my two degrees I had visited my parents who were living in Poona, India, with Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh at His ashram there, for a summer holiday for which they were paying. I had travelled across the world to visit my parents, whom I had not seen for a year since they had left Britain to live with Him -instead it seemed that I had really come to find Him. This was indeed a strange sensation for one as rational as myself. At that time I was able to talk to Bhagwan and ask Him questions. I went to His discourses and participated in the therapy programs that were available there. I left India after my "summer holiday" knowing that one day I would return. This man was no ordinary man, He was not just another Eastern guru. There was something about Him, a magical mysterious quality that I had not experienced with anybody ever before. Something had entered into my life -a new meaning, or even just simply meaning - that had not been present before. It was with this feeling inside that I returned to India to live with the Man who became my Master. Since then I have been with Him and He with me, He has been my guide. My life has changed on a deep level, outwardly I probably still seem the same, I am still an accountant playing with figures presenting financial statements, profitable or not profitable, is there a cheaper alternative, and all that goes with being an accountant. Now there is less seriousness about it, my life is more a play, it is no longer a rush towards success, luxury, material possessions. My Master has taught me this and continues to teach me. His very presence is an example of how to lead life. His words were there once, and are still there in books, or audio tapes, or video tapes and in the hearts of His disciples. His silence now is so perfect He has said it so many times already. Now the world is beginning to recognize him on many different levels. The first, of course, will be through His words as it was for most of His disciples. His philosophy is worthy of University study as other modern day philosophers such as Wittgenstein and Russell. His insight into the psyche and psychology of modern man is so extraordinary that one can only marvel and exclaim that He is so right. And now in central Oregon in the heart of the material world His inspiration is building a sacred city that is quickly becoming a model city for the new age of man that Bhagwan’s presence on this earth is heralding in. A desert is being transformed into a garden, crime is non-existent, no drugs, no pornography, no prostitution, there is full employment, but most of all its citizens are happy and contented, work is our worship. Is this happening anywhere else in the world? The answer must be a resounding NO! The world generally is on a decline in so many ways and Bhagwan is here now to lead us away from this. There is not a country in the world that would not benefit in every way from His presence there. He is here in America and Americans should justly feel proud. Sincerely 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.)
