Testimonial letter from Sw Santosh Toby
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 Santosh Toby. It is "Exhibit A-109" 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 3 pages.
 AFFIDAVIT I, Swami Santosh Toby, being duly sworn, do depose and say as follows: As a qualified Minister, an Arihanta of Rajneeshism, and as Director of the Rajneesh Institute of Music and Dance, I am aware of and value the potential of music as an aid to meditation. The right kind of music greatly influences the creation of an atmosphere in which meditation can happen. Not only can music inspire a sense of well-being, it can be a practical, beneficial tool in a seeker's spiritual quest. I have studied music since I was seven years old and have been a professional musician for ten years. It is indicative of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh's exceptional ability and contribution to religion and the arts that, in the creation of His meditation techniques, He has incorporated specially composed and original music of the rarest quality. These meditations are used here at Rajneeshpuram and by thousands of people around the world. Personally, music has been a passion I have relished all my life as a creative outlet, yet it was Bhagwan who revealed to me its deeper spiritual significance, who connected the magic of music to the creative presence of the Divine. I have observed Bhagwan demonstrate, through the lives His presence touches, that creativity is more than the rare expression of the talented or the gifted; it is the natural quality that every truly religious man, every man of awareness, brings to everything he does. I have observed on countless occasions His exceptional ability to make people aware of their own creativity and their own potential to transform the mundane into the sacred. My years of musical training and extensive experience in orchestral and theatrical arts both in Europe and the United States provided me with the technical expertise to facilitate my duties as Director of the Rajneesh Institute of Music and Dance, where I coordinate the composition, production and performance of music for all Rajneeshee religious celebrations. The heart and soul of the music I create and perform, however, is Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who has attuned my being to hear the music of silence. I treasure as a gift the invitation to compose and perform music for the gathering of devotees in Bhagwan's presence, which began when He first entered the silent phase of His work. To create meditative music, a musician must himself be deeply meditative, otherwise the music remains just a technical exercise. By allowing Bhagwan's love to be my continuous inner flame, my musical creativity flows without personal effort and helps catalyse this same process in others whom I counsel and with whom I work/worship. I have seen how Bhagwan's care for the spiritual well-being and growth of man simply, almost incidentally, provides the necessary context for creative excellence to flourish. Through Him I have helped many seekers experience the fact that sincerity and joy, not seriousness, open the door of religion. As a result, I see Rajneeshee musicians bring an attitude of relaxed innocence to the most complex compositions, incorporating all varieties of instruments, traditions and arrangements. The music that results is rich, evocative, innovative and playful in the fullest sense of the word. Bhagwan provides me with direct guidance by detailing the form of our religious ceremonies, such as the Satsangs and Darshan during this year's Second Annual World Celebration, within which music, song, dance and silence were harmoniously and optimally integratd as venues for communion in His presence. Music is an essential element in celebrations, ceremonies and meditations of Rajneeshism. Bhagwan is creating new and thoroughly modern religious ceremonies that are religious experiences of unsurpassed artistic beauty and profound spiritual significance. In my opinion, the presence of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in the United States is a contribution to religion and the arts, particularly music, that is exciting and of immeasurable value. Dated: September 26 1983 |
(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.)
