Testimonial letter from Sw Sarvananda

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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 Sarvananda (Donald M. Bluestone). It is "Exhibit A-839" 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.

To whom it may concern:

I am an Associate Professor of Humanities at the State University of New York/ College at Old Westbury (on leave). I have a B.A. (Cornell University, 1961), MA (History, University of Wisconsin, 1965) and PhD (History, University of Wisconsin, 1973). I served in the History Department at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois (1966-8) and the Comparative History Ideas, and Cultures Program at the State University of New York/ College at Old Westbury (1968- ). I have been a sannyasin (disciple) of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh since 1979.

At the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury I used Bhagwan’s books extensively in my courses. There are over eighty of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s books in the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury library.

Bhagwan speaks profoundly and extensively on all major areas of the Arts and Sciences. From Plato to Wittgenstein, from History to Physics, Bhagwan has shed his own clear light on almost every area of concern to the Humanist.

There is no question that Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is an exceptional leader in the Arts and Sciences. Indeed, this is such an understatement as almost to trivialize such a giant.

College students found Bhagwan to be pungent and clear. In almost every case he made things clearer and opened up minds and hearts. Several colleagues at the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury were also affected by Bhagwan’s works and the presence represented in the words.

In my own life, Bhagwan’s influence has been inestimable. My own growth I attribute directly to his influence. For Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is more than an excellent intellect who has read vastly. He is more than an enlightened being who has realized. He is an enlightened master—one who has realized himself and has mastered the various ways to reach those of us who are still "sleepwalking".

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is a Master and a psychologist. His perceptions and insights go far beyond the most advanced Western psychology. Little wonder that so many psychiatrists and psychologists have become sannyasins.

Yet, despite the powerful influence that Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh has had during the period of his discourses, it is in the ultimate phase of his work that the true flowering of his work may be seen. Here at Rajneeshpuram the tangible flowering of the Master in his period of silence is visible. Here is a community reclaiming eroded and overgrazed land, building a city. Here is an oasis made from the desert in less than two years.

Yet, it is not only in the building of a city in the wilderness that is the flowering of of Bhagwan in America. It is in the joy of His sannyasins. It is in the love that goes into the work and the relations between people. It is that reare combination of distinct individuality and cooperation that characterizes the sannyasins. It is the absence of bureaucracy. It is the presence of caring. All this is due to nothing else than the presence of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

A recent federal report documents the disintegration of American education. While the educational structure is collapsing in the United States, it is flourishing at Rajneeshpuram. The children, in a unique combination of work and school, learn practical skills as well as the essential academic skills. There is no drug abuse or acoholism in Rajneeshpuram. After being here almost two years, I still feel the miracle of this place. And this miracle is due to the presence of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

The United States is fortunate indeed to have such as one as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh on its land.

Sincerely,
[signed]
Sw. Sarvananda
a/k/a Donald M. Bluestone


(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.)