Osanna s New Year Message

Transcription

1 FEBRUARY 2008 Osanna s New Year Message Of course this message from WSA decision was made to sell Bapak's flagship enterprise, PTS Chairlady Osanna Vaughn, is a bit old Widjojo. For a fair number of members this was very disappointing hat now, having been out since and is even considered a grave mistake; oth- January, and perhaps many of you ers, on the other hand, see it as the end of one chapter have already read it elsewhere. and the beginning of a new one yet to be written. Nevertheless, we think it should be recorded here for posterity. Subud Voice is not only for us, you know, but also for all the future generations who WSA Chair may want to know what sort of a year Osanna Vaughn Subud had in 2007 Dear brothers and sisters far and wide, I want to start by thanking all those members around the world who took such great care of me during my travels, offering me wonderful hospitality, enthusiastically sharing projects and visions, openly expressing concerns and upsets, and joining in songs and good laughs; and all those who wrote to me to share in much the same way. It is hard to express how much I appreciate your support and prayers. Also my thanks to all the members I could not meet or talk with but who each, in their own way, brought their unique gifts and talents to our global family. Only time will tell how the story continues saw many celebrations and jubilees, remembering the early days of Subud and Bapak's travels around the world. It started with the 60 year celebration of the official establishment of Subud in Indonesia, and ended with the recent 50 year jubilee in Sri Lanka. And right in the middle was the colourful Thank You event in Ascot, England, which brought together so many from all over the world. We came to express our thanks to Bapak, to the courageous pioneers of Subud's early days, to Ibu Rahayu, to all those who continue to dedicate themselves to serving Subud and, last but by no means least, to Almighty God for the gift of the latihan. A Year of Reflection As often as not, 2007 was a year of reflection as well, a time for honest appraisal, looking at what we have achieved, whether our expectations have brought the results we hoped for, where we want to go from here and what we need to do to get there. Only time will tell how the story continues. What is certain is that the decision has given rise to many discussions and a renewed look at what Bapak's vision for enterprises was all about. Listening to successful Subud entrepreneurs and professionals over the past months has given me useful insight into this complex issue, and, once again, I find the diversity of opinions and approaches quite fascinating. My perception is that the concept of enterprise within Subud is far from dead. On the contrary and I hope that 2008 may be a year where we find even broader content to our work on enterprises and projects of all types. To obtain the full text of Osanna s message contact ISC at isc@subud.org The YES Quest Finds a Home During Yes Quests, participants develop a vision of the life they want to lead, and the Quest facilitators join in this process too... Three members of the Quest Team, Peter and Isti Jenkins and Marlena Basser, had very similar dreams... A Quest Centre, shady and tropical, which would be ideal for running Quests and training facilitators. There was to be a It is hard to generalise about the fulfilment of expectations, but, in this past year, as I travelled, I was certainly able to bear witness to the fruits of the latihan in the lives of so many members, as individuals, in enterprises, and working together in projects. I was impressed and amazed at the diversity, creativity and ingenuity, so that more than once I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for all that I observed and experienced. At the same time, 2007 was significant in the fact that the At Gunnebah (from left to right): Howard Melder, Peter and Isti Jenkins, Marlena Basser, Leonora and Muhsin Raven beautiful swimming pool, a large latihan hall, wide verandas for drinking latte and accommodation for some two dozen participants. And guess what? We found it and we bought it. It s called Gunnebah, which means place of birth and cont on P2 > PAGE 1

2 joy, and it stands on six beautiful acres, one hour north of Byron Bay in NSW and just south of the Queensland border. We have three other partners, Muhsin and Leonora Raven and Howard Melder. All six of us worked together on organising Subudfest 07, the Subud Australia Congress attended by some 400 members last January at the Byron Bay Beach Resort. The six of us are now all living in the main house, which is a large mud brick building, with 12 foot ceilings. We have been there for about three weeks, and so far there have been no murders and there has been dinner on the table every night. We bought Gunnebah as a going concern. For some 15 years it has been the venue for activities ranging from Salsa Dancing to Yoga Workshops, running mostly for a full week or weekends. To these activities we will add, Yes Quests (for young and old), Subud Holidays and Gatherings, Family Re-unions and Creative Retreats. We will continue to run Quests with our partners at La Source, in France and Seven Circles in California, but it will be great to have our own home base. Right now we are working on our programme of events for This will appear, together with lots of photos, prices and other information on our new website (which we are also working on). So watch out for further news, and we hope to see many of you at the Gunnebah Centre for Quests, Gatherings and other events.which could be dreamed-up by anybody..maybe you! Peterjenkins4@gmail.com news in brief GREEN OAK CARPENTRY WINS AWARD We congratulate Andrew Holloway, owner of Green Oak Carpentry and International Helper in Area 2. The Savill Garden Visitor Centre was officially opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh in 2006 and has won four other awards. Andrew writes... On Wednesday, the 14th of November 07, the Savill Garden Visitors Centre building won the top award at The Institution of Structural Engineers Annual Awards ceremony in London. To achieve this meant beating an international shortlist of projects from all over the world (structural engineering consultancy is one of the UK's success stories in exporting our talent abroad.) One of the judge s comments was that the building moved the concept of timber gridshell structures to centre stage, exceeding the client s expectations, as well as being a great example of a dedicated and integrated design team. To achieve this meant beating an international shortlist of projects from all over the world It was a great evening and the client, Phillip Everett on behalf of the Crown Estates, acknowledged the satisfaction of the building's patron at its recognition 'as a building that delights all who see it'. Visit the Green Oak Carpentry ENTHUM An international group of Subud members who share a wide experience of business has come together and have now launched a coaching, training and consultancy company, The Enthum Foundation... Grahame Pitts is based near Oxford in England; Hussein Dickie has moved from Austria to Lewes in England; Lilliana Gibbs has come from Sydney, Australia, also to Lewes; Marcus Mackay, currently based in Canberra, Australia, also works in England and other European countries. Michael Heaslip commutes from Ireland. As well as working successfully in the business world, all have, from time to time, undertaken roles and tasks within our Subud association. Enthum explores the dynamics of the enterprise development process. The word derives from human and enterprise, underlining the connection between people and their work and talents. As a foundation, Enthum earmarks 5% of the fees generated for selected projects and for research that supports entrepreneurial growth in the broadest sense. The Enthum team thank Ruslan Jelman, Rhea Dempsey and Rosalind Jelman for their support given in the start up phase of the company, and appreciate that they continue to be a resource for Enthum. Visit our website, for more information. Maybe we can be of help to each other MALARIA CONTROL IN CENTRAL KALIMANTAN Renee Zimmer from Susila Dharma Germany writes that Malaria Control programmes for 6 villages in Central Kalimantan are ready to start. PAGE 2 Andrew and his wife, Stephanie, in front of the Savill Garden building In October this year the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development gave the green light to Susila Dharma Germany (SDG) for an extensive malaria control programme to be executed by Yayasan Usaha Mulia (YUM) in the Central Kalimantan cont on P3 >

3 villages of Sei Gohong, Tengkiling, Tumbang Tahai, Banturung and Habaring Hurung. Central Kalimantan is an endemic malaria area which means that people are - from birth on - constantly exposed to malaria infection: the swamps and still waters in the region are ideal breeding ground for the mosquito that transmits the disease. YUM medical director and project coordinator, Dr. Sinto, said: We are providing training to the local people so that in the future they can take greater responsibility for their own community's health and welfare. It is for this reason that education of the people will form a major part of the programmes. The total cost of the programme is Euro. 75% will come from the Federal Ministry in Germany, 15% has to be contributed by SDG and 10% by YUM. Both organisations need to fundraise to cover their shares. FROM YAYASAN TAMBUHAK SINTA Here are extracts from Kabar Itah, the quarterly newsletter of Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta, an NGO working with rural communities in Kalimantan. YTS is sponsored by PT. Kalimantan Surya Kencana, a mineral exploration company that has concessions in the area. Bardolf Paul is the director... The UNIDO Global Mercury Project: YTS continues to promote cleaner, low cost technology for capturing and recycling mercury to gold shops and miners... A low key monitoring program shows that significant quantities of mercury are being captured with the improved technology. While in Vancouver (Canada) this August the YTS director met with key people from the Global Mercury Project to discuss plans for a second phase of the program. To obtain Kabar Itah contact Bardolf Paul: bardolf@pacific.net.id BAMBOO SANCTUARY FOR LIVING ARTFULLY Many will remember Sofiah Thom, whose dance performance was featured during the Fashion Show at the Innsbruck World Congress, as well as on other occasions. Sofiah now lives in Dominical, Costa Rica, where she and her partner, Brendan, are creating a beautiful space they have named Bamboo a sanctuary for living artfully. To use Sofiah's words: Bamboo is our divine, outdoor studio situated in the heart of the cute little beach town of Dominical, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The area is known for its great surf, rainforest zip line tours, waterfalls, snorkeling, diving, boat trips and many other outdoor activities and adventures. Bamboo itself sits atop our recycled container home. Made from local hardwood, the 1200 square foot studio lends itself to accommodating large groups of participants offering plenty of open space to explore and play in. It enjoys a stunning view of the river and ocean with verdant greenery on all sides. Although in the heart of Dominical, Bamboo offers a safe haven, protected from the bustle of outside distractions. Sofiah held her first women s retreat and blessing way this January, you can see the details at: For more information on Sofiah s work you can see her website You can also contact her at grace@sofiahthom.org ADVENTUROUS SUBUD YOUTH Some time ago we reported on the adventurous travels of Björn Vaughn (son of WSA Chair Osanna Vaughn) in Laos. Now we can report that he has walked all the way to China from where he sent this report. Björn Vaughn and friend. Merry Christmas from Yangshuo in Southern China, and what can I say? It s a big deal over here. People are digging their Christmas. And so are we! To keep up with his adventures and his excellent photography go to An Increased Level of Guidance Raphaela Schipper, Holland, writes about the challenges of teaching at Sekolah Bina Cita Utama, in Rungan Sari, Kalimantan What a shock it was to be in front of a classroom full of Western kids again this week. They are so LOUD! There are up to 32 of them in each class, manners sometimes lacking. The boys remind me of gummy balls bouncing off the walls, and the girls are still deciding if they will choose 'my side' this year or not. Pressure! Thankfully, the lot of them are also hilariously funny. This may be the very aspect of this new job that will get me through the school year. Together with the fact, of course, that I can think of no better way to spend my time than doing Mathematics with them. However hard they try to deny it, I know they love it too. The contrast with last year is vast. The biggest group I taught at Sekolah Bina Cita Utama, in Rungan Sari, Kalimantan, was 12 students (the entire high school at the time). And even that number was a rarity. Almost all the people I worked and lived with, were Subud. Before I came I dreaded this a little, but I loved it from the minute I arrived. And now I miss it! Another big difference outwardly, was the stage of development of the 'system' I found myself working within. My current school in Holland has been up and running for a long time. Things are well organised, cont on p4 > PAGE 3

4 set in their ways, with a fair bit of momentum. As a new teacher you get on board and find your place within this moving train. A Staggering Goat Far from a running train, the school in Rungan Sari seemed more like a staggering goat to me at the time. Being the Western girl that I am, the different pace of life threw me off many a time. The lack of structure made me feel confused, scared and sometimes angry. I wondered if maybe this had been a personal dream of Pak Subuh the (much loved and respected) ordinary person, rather than an intention of Bapak the messenger of Almighty God to prepare the way for his children. Looking back, I feel it wouldn't matter either way. While the latter would satisfy my sense of ambition more, God knows what the reality is. Having gotten glimpses of the magnitude and meaning of the work that is being done in Kalimantan (on Kalimantan or on us?) I am willing to The problem was, there was no 'it' or 'them' to blame this on. I was it, along with the other pioneers out there. Thank God those other pioneers had been around a while, and had already got a good understanding of the situation. They were my pillars of strength, without whom I would have ran away screaming within a few weeks. Many things within the school were still relatively undefined, and nobody seemed sure even if we were going to make it through the school year. (Thank you school board members for doing the fundraising that got us through, and thank you Subud members for committing to the development of BCU and being so generous!) In terms of structure with regard to teaching and every day school life, I have tried my very best to contribute where I could. Sometimes with success, sometimes not. (Do Indonesians have watches?!?) Rahpaela Schipper at the BCU school in Kalimantan It was challenging for me to go from being a first year teacher in London, fresh out of school myself, to being a High School coordinator at BCU in Kalimantan, with no more than 10 days of summer holidays in between. I have had to accept my own shortcomings often, and hope, where it affected others, I will be forgiven. Most of the time I did OK, but I did make some mistakes I am not proud of. Patience was Needed I was part of many meetings with Karim MacDonald (Western principal), Pak Gunarjo (Indonesian Principal) and Utami Geiger (BCU school board) and it is hard to conceive how much patience and dedication was needed to deal with the ever changing and always challenging situations we found the school in. I am not going to bore you with details, but I will say it was an incredible learning opportunity for me. I am used to math problems that can be solved in many clever ways and have a single perfect answer. No such things out there! Whenever I thought we were getting somewhere with solving a problem, something changed and we had to start from scratch. That was so hard, especially as I grew to care so much. Many problems I simply was unable to solve. I am ever grateful for the acceptance this taught me. The problem was, there was no 'it' or 'them' to blame this on. I was it accept it for whichever it is. I feel incredibly thankful for and amazed by what I have witnessed during my year there. When I tested whether it was God's will for me to go to Kalimantan (quite a daring question, I thought, but it gave a lot of clarity) the receiving was incredible. For me, as well as for the helpers who were present, the receiving was such a gift. I experienced a strong sense of waking up, not dissimilar to the one I felt when doing the testing about the significance of Kalimantan that was done at the Thank You Gathering in Ascot, UK. I also felt clearly that actually the work I would be doing was of minor importance. Remembering that fact made me feel better at times of hardship within my work, and at times I felt incredibly bored living out in the middle of nowhere. Being in Kalimantan was for the benefit of something else. Not for my teaching career but for something on the inner level. It is very tangible to me, and I am aware of it every day. Many things in my life are different now. But it is nearly impossible to put this into words. If I had been able to describe it, I would have written this entire article about it. The Receiving was Incredible About a month or so before I went out to Indonesia, I was still undecided if I would take the job offer. It seemed so ridiculously far away. Also part of me, the sceptic, was wondering why Subud members were throwing so much money into that seemingly bottomless pit of Rungan Sari. PAGE 4 One small thing I can say is that my skin has become much thinner. Things affect me more. I am even more sensitive than I already was before. This is hard when it causes me pain, but it is well worth it if I consider the increased level of guidance I am now able to be aware of. I thank Almighty God for the many gifts I have received.

5 A Subud Way of Fasting? Harris Smart writes... Is there a unique Subud approach to fasting? I think there is. The recent experience of fasting in Ramadan has reinforced this idea for me. I think we have developed an approach to fasting which is different from what other people have done before. Or at least I have not seen any record of it. When I was a young lad being bought up within the Roman Catholic Church, the approach to fasting was that it was self denial. Basically you fasted in order to make your will stronger so that you could suppress your various unruly desires. It was a builder of character and a form of self discipline. And I think this concept of fasting is broadly shared across religions. I believe that our understanding of fasting in Subud is quite different. However, I have not seen anyone else write about this, so that is why I am writing about it now, and inviting you to agree or disagree with me, or perhaps to elaborate on what I have to say from your own experience. I think it is important that we try to share our understanding of the ongoing development of our Subud life. Relax! I believe that the approach we have developed to fasting in Subud is that it is not a brutal act of will designed to make us stronger people; it is more like relaxing into it, like relaxing into a warm bath. We fast because we enjoy it have said. And the whole context of surrender in Subud. That is, that we surrender our wills, rather than try and make them stronger. We offer them up to God to be cleaned and purified and then returned to us when they are in a better state and more useful to us and society in general. Because if we have a will that is powerful, but not well directed, then it just gets us to hell all the faster, causing a lot of trouble to ourselves and other people along the way. Out of all this I come to the conclusion that we in Subud are developing (have developed) a unique approach to fasting. Perhaps other people in other times have also fasted in this spirit, but I have not seen any record of it. I notice that in our Subud group it seems fewer and fewer people fast in Ramadan, and the understanding about fasting is not generally shared in the membership, and we do not communicate the understanding about fasting to new members, or young members. Perhaps we need to articulate our own understanding about fasting in order to be able to communicate the value of this experience in a positive way to people who don't know about. So that it will seem like something interesting and exciting and worth doing. Perhaps it is not enough just to point people to Bapak s talks, but also to have our own understanding of the value, and indeed the enjoyment, of it. I think this is an important aspect of our Subud life. We fast because we enjoy fasting. We try to live the good life not as an act of will but because it is what we most enjoy. Our pleasures have begun to coincide with our duties. Of course fasting in Ramadan, or any other time, requires some effort of will. We have to reject and deny our usual wishes for food and drink and various other kinds of consolations, comforts, stimulations and psychological and physiological needs. We like to fast. We value fasting for its own sake. We are coming to the understanding that what is most beautiful is also most pleasurable. We do not just fast because we hope to get a coconut on one of the nights of power. We fast because we enjoy it. Nevertheless, I believe that in general we do not value the brutal exercise of the will for its only own sake. No, we try to relax into it and keep the enforcement of will to the absolute minimum. Certainly we do not see the point of it as strengthening the will. It is more about learning to surrender and relax. I'm increasingly coming to the opinion that the most important word in Subud is that simple little word relax. It is after all the word that has been given to us to begin the latihan and perhaps contained within that tiny little word is the whole meaning of Subud life. I sometimes like to think so, anyway. Lately I get more use out of that homely little word relax than I do with that much vaster, grander word surrender. But perhaps in the end those two words mean same thing. Comunicating our Understanding My idea that there is a unique Subud approach to fasting is based on my own experience, plus comparing notes with others, plus things that Bapak and Ibu Rahayu Perhaps the most important word in Subud is that simple little word relax How Was it for You? I asked someone how the fasting was for them this year, and they said, I felt protected. This is one of the joys of fasting that I'm sure most of us can identify with. This wonderful feeling of being protected, of being wrapped in the arms of God, that Rest my soul in the bosom of Abraham type feeling. That feeling that we do not have to do anything for except fast. That is all we have to do. That is our only responsibility and in return we have this marvellous feeling that our life is enveloped in God's protection. I invite others to share their personal experiences and understandings about fasting. THE MEANING OF THE MONTHS I have also wondered about the meaning of the various months in the Islamic Calendar. Through doing Ramadan I have become more sensitised to the meaning of the various months. I suspect that many other Subud members have had the same experience. cont on p9 > PAGE 5

6 Ibu Rahayu Talk Ibu Rahayu s Address To the 50 year Commemoration of Subud in the West THANKYOU 2007 in Ascot, UK Pamulang, 15th August 2007 RECORDING 07 PAM 1 2 Final Translation by Raymond Lee Copyright 2007, World Subud Association. All rights reserved This talk was given for people practising the spiritual exercise known as the Subud Latihan. For those not practising this exercise, reading the following talk is not recommended as it could be misunderstood. To my Subud brothers and sisters in England whom I respect and love. Before I give my welcome address, I want to express my disappointment that I could not accept your invitation to be with you to celebrate 50 years of Subud in the West. The problem is that I am not fit enough to travel far, and for that reason I decided not to attend this historic gathering. Brothers and sisters, this welcome address is an expression of my innermost feeling I want to thank God for God s grace in protecting and guiding the existence and spread of Subud all this time. event could only have come about by the grace of Almighty God. Even though the spread of Subud has not always been easy it ebbs and flows it spread according to God s instruction that Subud is not just for Bapak or Indonesians, Subud is for any human being who needs it. And because that was how Subud spread, Subud is on a firm footing now, whereby we practice and pass on what Bapak received. It is active in each one of us so that we are able to worship God by doing latihan in a state of complete surrender, acceptance and willingness to let go. Subud members come from different backgrounds and different races, so Subud needed an external vehicle, or association in other words, an organisation. Even though it has an organisation, the Subud organisation is different from other organisations, and our organisation is both national and international. Of course, at the time, some people complained, Why do we have to be part of an organisation to worship in the Subud way? But, brothers and sisters, we live in the material world. In the past it may have been possible for a revelation to be spread and managed by the person who received it. But in today s world, even though ours is a spiritual community, we still need an outer organisation. Because, by having an organisation we can contribute to its goals and aims. When it comes to our spiritual practice, we do not need to be part of an organisation. But when it comes to managing people, to managing our members, it is vital to have an organisation so that each of us knows what our duties and responsibilities are. This initiative of yours is a commendable one, because holding this landmark commemoration gives us a sense of the history of the events that unfolded back then. And, naturally, that is an excellent idea, because we can be called the next generation of Subud members who will continue to spread what Bapak spread with all his struggles and surrender, namely a revelation that came to us via Bapak which gave ordinary people like us something that we had never known before. And we also recall the Subud brothers and sisters, many of whom are no longer with us, who joined this struggle as Subud pioneers and helped Bapak carry out this mission. It meant that Bapak had to leave his family for months on end, and many of those who travelled with him left their everyday responsibilities and jobs behind too. This initiative of yours is a commendable one Some of those Subud members are still around, but they are old and infirm and they cannot come to group latihans like you can. But I expect that they do latihan at home. But now with this commemoration, I hear that many of them have been invited to attend, so I want to say to them: I thank God that God has blessed you and you have this opportunity to be with a younger generation who will carry on your struggle or mission to spread Subud. The Spread of Subud The way Subud spread from country to country varied, because once Subud arrived and developed in England, it was as if a door had opened by which Subud could spread to other countries. Now there are Subud groups in many countries I think it is more than eighty. Clearly, such an So, brothers and sisters, that is what I want to say about why Subud needs an organisation. We need it so that people cannot say that we are an illegal group, or that we are not a reputable association. We do not Have to be Secretive Subud never promotes itself, but because Subud is alive it lives in its members through their actions and their behaviour in society whether we intend it to happen or not, people notice something different about Subud members and many of them ask, What is Subud? When I still worked for PT S Widjojo, someone came to see me I think he was a journalist, he said he was an international journalist who represented an association of all the world religions. It happened a long time ago. This visitor from overseas wanted to interview me and ask about Subud. Of course, even in this kind of situation, even when someone asks about Subud, they still will not understand what it is. However, it is our duty to tell them what they want to know. And, as for whether they can understand what we tell them or not, that rests with them. This happened again when Muchtar Martins was WSA chair, and when Sharif Horthy was chair, and now it has happened again during Osanna Vaughn s term. Subud has been invited to attend a conference of the world s religions. Some members have asked, Is it okay to go? Should we accept the invitation? Brothers and sisters, although we do not cont on p7 > PAGE 6

7 promote ourselves, we do not have to be secretive or be a secret society. There has been a debate about whether it is right or wrong to attend that conference. For the reason I just gave, it would be wrong to turn down the invitation, because it is unlikely that we will harm Subud in any way by attending. However, we should not go in the expectation that we will gain something by attending that conference. In fact that association of world religions is not seeking to criticise or prevent any religious or spiritual activity. Their aim is to find a way to attain peaceful co-existence between different ways of religious life, between one religion and another. At that time, if I am not mistaken, Sharif Horthy was also invited to speak in public about Subud. However, when it comes to how people will react to what we tell them, we surrender that to God. And of course, when you ask God to help you, as a helper you must prepare yourself by being in a good state and by being a good example to others. So, do not do anything that will create friction or disharmony among the members, and especially among the helpers. I say this because I still get many reports about groups whose membership is in decline, or that have disbanded, because the helpers did not put enough attention and effort into looking after the members in those groups. Obviously, this is a matter of great concern for Subud. A spiritual path or movement can only develop smoothly or in a good way if the people who practice it are good, if they behave well, if they are people whose natures have become susila. Subud on Websites This is a brief account to show that as we spread Subud, we can no longer be secretive. Especially since some members who are eager for Subud to develop and spread quickly, have set up websites [about Subud] in England and other countries. Personally, I am not sure how safe that is; I am not sure how open Subud should be to the outside world and what the risks are for Subud if information gets spread even further. Well, it will be your responsibility. Subud is not out to prove that it is right. All we need to do is to practice and pass on the gift that Almighty God gave to humankind via Bapak. But now that Bapak is no longer with us, the responsibility for spreading Subud rests with all of us who are still alive. So, do not be reticent to say that you are a Subud member. Since Bapak is no longer among us as our spiritual leader or guide, we have had, through his foresight, a structure in which we have begun to work for Subud, whereby we run Subud. Bapak set up what we call helpers dewans to take care of everything to do with the latihan. And he set up committees the organisation to perform all the tasks needed to maintain a vehicle for Subud members, as well as to represent Subud to outside parties, namely to non-subud or state agencies. In addition, the Subud wings were established one for culture (SICA), one for social work (SDI), one for youth work (SUBUD YOUTH), and SES whose function is to guide Subud members in how to run enterprises. And because Bapak entrusted these tasks to all of you who are serving in various positions in the organisation, naturally we can no longer just act as we please. What I mean by that is if you are a helper, you should carry yourself inwardly as a helper. I realise that not every helper is at the point where they can perform their duties as a helper in the spiritual sense. But that is precisely why, as a helper, you should not just sit back content to be a helper, but you have to feel a responsibility to develop yourself. To develop yourself means that you must start to put into practice what your inner prompts you to do, and you should ask God to guide you and help you perform your duties. This landmark commemoration gives us a sense of the history You are the one who should have a nature that is susila, so, if as a helper you continue to behave badly or set a bad example for others, for the members, you are making a big mistake. It is true that you will not face any sanctions in Subud; helpers can do as they please. However, if you understand the responsibility that you have been entrusted with, you will realise that this is a matter between you and God. Listen to Bapak s Talks Of course, you cannot acquire spiritual knowledge, or understand this path by studying it, but if you accustom yourself to being in the right state and each time you have to face something you turn to God with an attitude of total surrender, you will be guided. The guidance you get will come by itself, as if it is your own understanding. This is why I keep telling you to read or listen to Bapak s talks. Even though Bapak s talks are not a study course, but because you feel your preparation spreading or going deeper over time, when it comes to understanding what the talks mean, you will come to understand what you did not understand at first. And you will not just understand the talks; the process will go deeper and deeper to the point that you become wise. At that point you do not use your mind to read the talks; you read them with a feeling that springs up inside you. Take myself, although it could be said that I am more experienced than you are, and maybe I have had more experience in the spiritual, but when I read Bapak s talks particularly the early ones which go very deep when I read those talks, I re-experience the state I felt when I received the same experiences. At that time I could not understand what I was receiving. But now, by reading Bapak s talks, I can verify what I received. So, when Bapak used to say, This is a fairy tale! Just take this as a story! he did so because he knew that even if he had told you, This is my receiving! you would not understand. That was why Bapak used to say, This is a story. Take it as a fairy tale! But those fairy tales are real, they have a real content. I gave that just as an example. So, do not assume that Bapak s talks are just about the same old thing. They are not about the same old thing they cover many things. What s more, many young people these days do not want to read his talks. Some even say, There is no cont on p8 > PAGE 7

8 need to read Bapak s talks, because if it is true that the latihan comes from God, we will receive directly from God. Well, young people say that because it was never explained to them clearly why [they need to read talks]. Take what is told if I may refer to it in the latest volume of Bapak s talks, Volume 16. If you read it, you will realise how great the power of Almighty God is, and the extent of God s love in giving or lending part of His Power so that human beings could become witnesses to His glory. It is told in volume 16 well, [I will tell you] even though you can read this yourself in the universe, God created seven heavens. But the distance between one heaven and the next was too great. In consequence, God said, If I go ahead and create My creatures and they have to travel such a great distance through seven heavens to meet Me, they will never be able to find Me. Because that is the case, because I am the One who will create them, it is My will that My creatures can return to Me, to My abode. So God applied His will, He tested Himself so the story goes the story which Bapak received in one of his experiences. God tested Himself by making sure that God s creatures would always be in touch with God, or God would always be in touch with them. To achieve that, God decreed or placed His will in every single one of His creatures. He did so out of His love for His creatures. So, if you want to know, What is God s will? It is there inside you; it is what you feel in your latihan when the essence of God that you have inside you unites with the power of God that encompasses everything. This is all described in Bapak s talk. You can read about it in volume 16. When you read it, you will realise how great is the power of God and how great is God s love for God s creatures. I am telling you this to get you to read Bapak s talks. You need to read Bapak s talks so that when you have your own experiences, you can corroborate what you experience with what Bapak talked about with Bapak s stories. Well, I hope that all of you will witness the truth of Bapak s stories no other spiritual movement has fairy tales like them. I am not trying to boast indeed, we must not get bigheaded but [ask yourself] why did God give this grace to Bapak in a way that Bapak could pass it on to all his children in Subud? This is why I keep advising you: do not try to change Subud from its original form, from its source! Some of you say that Subud is lacking, that it should be augmented with this or that. Well, it just shows that it is your understanding which is lacking, not Subud. For instance, these days even some helpers do that kind of thing, because they think that they are not making progress in the latihan, or so they say, so they mix the latihan with meditation or yoga and so on. They do that because they are dissatisfied. But they do not understand or realise that the cause of their dissatisfaction is not Subud, the cause is that they have not prepared themselves. [Meaning that one makes no effort to correct one s shortcomings, such as: not having faith in the power of God, not putting one s surrender into practice willingly, not wanting to see one s own faults, and so on.] 1 This concludes my address which is my way to participate with you in celebrating 50 years of Subud in the West. Now Subud has spread even further to Russia and its neighbours PAGE 8 Poland, Ukraine. The members there are new to the latihan. Please help them, because they never met Bapak or knew Bapak. I end my brief address here and I want to send my regards to all the members in England who are arranging the Congress, as well as to the members of the World Subud Council who will meet in Ascot. I pray that you will be guided by God to get what you hope for and contribute what is needed for the development of Subud. That is all, good luck! I N N E R V O I C E Edited by Ilaina Lennard 1 Additional explanation by Ibu Rahayu. Inner Voice welcomes new stories and letters NOTE: Ilaina s new Ilaine.l@ntlworld.com SUBUD CUBA, THE FIRST KEJIWAAN WORKSHOP When Samuel (Andrés) Pérez Morillas became Chair of Subud Cuba, the first thing he received to do was to plan a Kejiwaan Workshop. He thought he had it all well organised in a member s house in Cabo Cruz, a charming fishing village, but then the difficulties began The first hint was that one of the former Kejiwaan Councillors and one of the guests received not to go to the workshop ; the same thing happened with another helper. Then began a series of difficulties: I could not find paper to print the materials for the workshop, and the computer on which I was doing all the work began a cycle of problems. First the mouse, then the keyboard and finally the complete operating system broke down. The main workshop materials - already completed, dissolved in the computer and the only way I could recover these was because I had sent it by to the Kejiwaan Councillor of Mexico. One of the National helpers, Michel, began to receive that something wasn t working and I decided to meet with him, the Kejiwaan Councillor and Raimundo, the National Helper, to analyze the situation and to test. The test was negative ; so I decided to cancel everything and tell the participants immediately. I then visited the owner of the van who I had contracted for transportation to let him know of the cancellation, and found that he had just left hospital with medical instructions not to work for a couple of weeks. Conclusion We had not consulted the BOSS and clearly he wasn't in agreement with us. That night I could not sleep. I simply decided to wait to receive, and days later, suddenly, I did. I received not to cancel the project but cont on p9 >

9 to organise a pre-workshop with the main people in charge of the kejiwaan activity. We would discuss the situation, test everything and organise the workshop again. We already had a firm basis. I had received the task, and now saw that what had happened was just a passing difficulty and a good experience of how a Subud Chairperson must do things. Organising the Pre-Workshop For the new initiative I decided to ask only the Kejiwaan Councillor and a National Helper from Havana, who together with other helpers from Manzanillo would make up the new pre-workshop team at minimum cost. That would leave us with enough funds to organise a workshop later on. But the Havana members decided to pay the cost of transport themselves. And in addition to those already mentioned, another National Helper, the Committee Councillor and the former chair, Latifah, came as well. One night before they arrived I was working on things for the event when suddenly the thought came to me that we already have our workshop, but I didn't say anything and continued calling it a pre-workshop. The Event Begins On October 5th the participants arrived in Havana; we did latihan and testing and again in the morning.. Marini, the CC, had suggested that we start the meeting with a latihan, which seemed like a good idea and so following a practice that I learned from an article in the Subud USA helpers magazine Inner Life: I opened with these words: Almighty God, if it is your will, let the meeting begin; I felt as if a blessing was enveloping me. An important detail was to establish meeting work rules. For this I used a harmonious combination of my leadership experience plus my Subud experience, but giving more emphasis to my Subud experience. Also I used what I learned in another article from Inner Life: let the inner speak was the essence of it. The first and most important rule said: Since we are Subud members, in addition to using efficient methods of working in a group, our meetings have to be distinctive, because we must let it be the inner that motivates us to speak, something that is not difficult (because we are Subud members) but we are not accustomed to doing it. So, please ask the outer to take a back seat and not to talk, since only the inners have the right to talk at this meeting. Incredibly, the meeting flowed like a spring of pure water members. The consensus of the meeting: To spread the outcome among the groups, and to follow the guidance of Bapak and of the book On the Subud Way, (nothing obligatory), transmitting the loving, understanding spirit which had been fundamental to the meeting. What Next? The meeting then ended but not before testing about the next activity. The Kejiwaan Workshop Test: Should we now organise a workshop and kejiwaan meeting as a follow up? The National Helper, Michel, received a clear NO. We were now stuck, and doubtful; because the result of a test about future activities should be unanimous. Then suddenly I received: we should test about organising a gathering but without there being a workshop. This was positive for everyone; joy! We didn't want to just say it, but the test clarified it; the activity was the Workshop itself.; the vision that I had that night verified it; we will organise the First Kejiwaan Gathering of Subud Cuba in Manzanillo on the 29th of February, 1st and 2nd of March We invite you all. For further information about Cuba contact the ISC office at isc@subud.org A SUBUD WAY OF FASTING? Continued from page 5 I think that for most of us it begins with Ramadan. We do Ramadan and we begin to understand how this month has a particular character. It is the month of fasting. It is a month when fasting seems easier than at other times. We begin to understand that it is true that the gates of heaven are open at this time in a way they are not at other times of the year and that grace can come flooding through. Then I think most of us learn about the month of the ancestors which precedes Ramadan. We begin to experience that this month also has a particular flavour. Often it is the flavour of things going wrong. For some reason I don't quite understand the connection this month of the ancestors often seems to coincide with trouble in life. But actually this trouble is not always a bad thing, because it sort of softens us up for Ramadan, makes us humble and eager to fast. Yes, there have been some months of the ancestors when I have just been so grateful to be able to stumble into Ramadan and collapse. This rule turned out to be so agreeable and useful that actually I did not have to work like a facilitator, and of the rest of the administrative rules, only the one about the right to 10 minutes at the most for sharing/talking was put into practice; the rest were not necessary. Incredibly the meeting flowed like a spring of pure water; all harmony, respect, understanding and consensus (something that never before happened in a meeting of Subud Cuba). And this was in spite of analysing the two most complex and important subjects of Subud Cuba: Subject I Helpers: the front door to Subud and key for its development and Subject II Spreading Subud: Proselytise? Propaganda? Presentation to interested people and selection of new Then there is the month after Ramadan. For me this is usually a month associated with high energy activity. It is like the energies which have been dormant during Ramadan really come racing out. Often I am energised by a sense of new and improved directions. I work energetically and even sometimes manage to get quite a lot done during this month. I wonder if there are any Muslims out there, or people who understand Islamic traditions, or perhaps they are also Javanese traditions, the meaning and significance of the various months in the Islamic calendar? Please write to editor@subudvoice.net PAGE 9

10 Causes of Climate Change Anthony Bright-Paul, UK,, contributes his view of climate change. He believes we should rejoice without fear at global warming Likewise the River Thames was virtually dead from chemical pollutants, but is now once again teeming with fish. We have also learned how to protect our coastlines from oil spillage and international laws attempt to keep the seas clean for our wild life and for the underwater coral reefs. Until such time as we know the causes of climate change it is useless and indeed arrogant for human beings, however well intentioned, to imagine that they can tackle climate change. We know that climate has been changing for some 450,000 years, as one Glacial Period (Ice Age) is succeeded by Interglacials (Warm Periods). Such a Warm Period occurred relatively recently, between 900 and 1300 A.D. and is known as the Mediaeval Warm Period. This was the time when the Norsemen colonised Iceland and the southern quarter of Greenland, sailing in open boats round Scotland to the Isle of Man. The Little Ice Age followed for some 400 years, during which time the Thames regularly froze over. Technically we are just emerging from this period. The causes of these temperature variations is not completely known, but we do know what is called the Milankovitch effect, when the earth s orbit changes from almost circular to extreme ellipse round the sun (the tilt changes from 21.8 to 24.4 and the date of the equinox varies), so when we get nearer the sun, we get warmer. This is not rocket science everyone knows that they get warm when the sun shines. As the earth warms up, the oceans (the major source of CO2) get warmer, sending streams of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Mr Al Gore perhaps conveniently failed to notice that the temperature rises before the CO2. We Can Make Improvements What do we know about Carbon Dioxide? Firstly it is a natural gas and not a pollutant. We humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, all 6.2.billion of us, night and day. So do all living organisms. Decaying vegetation, sends streams of CO2 into the air. This CO2 is continually re-cycled through plants and through being dissolved in the colder oceans. Indeed, there is a constant movement of CO2 between the oceans and the atmosphere that varies with the water temperature. The Greenhouse Gases are composed of 95% Water Vapour. Carbon Dioxide is less than 4% from all sources, the anthropogenic or man-made portion being less than 0.117% of that 4%. The idea that CO2 drives climate simply does not hold water. Much confusion arises because of those pictures we all see of smoking chimney stacks, hurling Sulphur Dioxide and particulate matter into the air. That indeed is pollution and that is something that can be dealt with by humans here on earth. This smoke can be scrubbed. London is a wonderful example of how the terrible peasouper fogs of my childhood have now been changed to a city of excellent air. The terrible pea-souper fogs of my childhood have now been changed to a city of excellent air Tackling Climate Change It is right and proper that we should all do all we can to guard our environment and in this respect there cannot be a sentient being that is not green. We are all at one in this regard. But when it comes to tackling climate change there we humans are at a loss. We cannot change the climate, for we cannot even change the weather. At this very moment Australia is suffering a drought. No man has yet become a rain-maker. We can build buildings that protect to a large degree from storms and hurricanes, but though we can predict them, in no way can we stop them in their course. In the face of Great Nature man can only pray to the Powers that be. Monsoons will come and go. The tectonic plates will shift, tsunamis will arrive, volcanoes will erupt and there is absolutely nothing that man can do except to take as adequate precautions as possible against their eventuality. Such is the pre-occupation with carbon and carbon footprints, stoked up by the media and by governmental funded bodies, that we have taken our eye off the ball on the major problem of world poverty. Of the six billion people on this earth s surface one third of them, that is some two billion people, are living a life of poverty amidst a world of incredible riches. What is the difference between the developed world and the Third World? In one word it is Electricity Without electricity, we cannot have central heating or air conditioning in our homes; without electricity we can have neither running tap water or sewage systems; without electricity we cannot have refrigerators to preserve food or medicines; without electricity we can have no light at night, nor could we run computers, telephones, mobile phones; and above all without electricity we can have neither scientific research or adequate hospitals. The distinguishing feature of the Third World is not Geographical, though that has some bearing, but lack of electricity. For those of us in the Western World who hold conferences with laptops in air conditioned hotels, the condition of those who live still in smoke filled hovels with no light, no running water, no sewage systems, no means of communication, is inconceivable. It is impossible for us by means of donations to charities alone to meet all the demands of the poor. Clearly we should do all we can to help the Third World to get hold of the cheapest forms of power possible. Unfortunately wind-power though desirable in theory, is simply too expensive. Where the world is poor they need the cheapest possible forms of generating power. Bapak and Kalimantan It is interesting for those of us who have been a long time in Subud, to remember Bapak s insistence cont on p 11 > PAGE 10

11 on enterprise. The flagship for his enterprises was Kalimantan and he encouraged people to go there to set up enterprises and mining, none of which was possible without electricity. Indeed the architectural and engineering projects that took place during his lifetime bear witness to his unending interest in progress, in the future. If the Globe has warmed half a degree centigrade in the last hundred years and we are entering a Warm Period, let us rejoice without fear. Let us pay no heed to the scaremongers and the politicians, and accept that we are entering a glorious period for the whole world and the biosphere. Don t let us hinder it with false, needless and unscientific predictions of catastrophe. 50 Year Celebration in Sri Lanka Lhareef Mohamed writes from Sri Lanka that the Subud members in Colombo celebrated the 50th year anniversary of Subud coming to Sri Lanka on December 27th and 28th 2007 We opened with the lighting of the oil lamp. After the welcome speech by Mr.Sinnedorai, our Chairman, Mr. Robert Goonetilleke gave us the History of Subud in Sri Lanka. Bapak's son Haryono, and wife Ismana spoke about their experiences in Subud and Renata Peek gave us a report on what is going to happen at World Congress 2010 in New Zealand. We had latihan on both days and cultural events to mark the occasion. THE REALITY OF SUBUD International Helper, Robert Goonetilleke, recalls 50 years of Subud in Sri Lanka When the latihan which is truly God's grace came to Sri Lanka in December 1957, it brought about many changes in the lives of those who received the gift of the latihan. Subud members saw glimpses of the true brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind. As time went by, those who survived the initial stage would come to understand that here was the key or the way that would unravel man's eternal quest for truth and understanding the very purpose of their existence in this world. The Island of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) was a peaceful and tranquil place at this time period. Many years ago the word serendipity was coined from the Arab word serendip which was the name used by the Arab traders. By custom and tradition the people of this Island enjoyed religious freedom. The vast majority were Buddhists who followed the non violent doctrine of Gautama the Buddha. The Buddhists for over two thousand years shared a mountain shrine called Sri Pada (sacred foot) with three other religions. The Hindus, the Muslims and the Christians. The British called it the Adams Peak but for the majority it was always Sri Pada. When Subud and the Latihan arrived in Sri Lanka it found fertile ground. Bringing Subud to Sri Lanka The mission of bringing Subud to Sri Lanka was entrusted to Icksan Ahmed of Indonesia and Mariani (Bulbul) Arnold of India. Between them many Sri Lankans received the contact of Subud in a few months and it is estimated that well over a thousand people received the gift of the latihan by the end of John Bennett and later Bapak visited Sri Lanka the same year. It is acknowledged that Varindra Vittachi was the first Ceylonese to receive the contact of Subud. There was another person who was born in Sri Lanka who had already received the gift of the Latihan. It was Arthur Pope, better known as Abdullah Pope, in the Subud world who was born in the then Ceylon and left the Island at the age of five. However Varindra Vittachi was to play a major role in the Subud world as ISC and later WSC Chair for many years. Through political turmoil and his belief that the pen is mightier than the sword, Varindra and some of his colleagues who were in Subud ran into trouble. Varindra and Aubrey Collette were forced to live in exile from the land of their birth for many years. By this time there were others who were ready to take on their Subud role. The Jayatilakas, Ronald and Rossetta, who played a major role as in the first few months latihans were held in their spacious home. Joe and Malika Perera, Herbert and Parami (Sophia) Siriwardana, Mohamed Rusli Sidik, Sooty Banda and Mariani Joseph, Rohana de Silva, Dr Ravindra Weerakoon and Lamaan Goonetilleke were key players in the growth of Subud in Sri Lanka. After Bapak's first visit Ibu Rahayu's husband was sent with Mas Prio Hortono. Mas Prio visited Sri Lanka twice more. Bapak cancelled visits to Sri Lanka due to political unrest till By then the group had moved to the present location in Frankfurt Place. Few of the second generation Subud members had joined Subud. The group was stable and those who had hung on were true Survivors who remained in Subud the rest of their lives. Subud Members Left for Other Countries As predicted by Bapak on his very first talk given in 1958, Subud members and families left for other countries. They went to theunited Kingdom, Australia, Canada and USA and Australia was the main beneficiary of these migrant families. One couple even went to Tunisia and ended up in Botswana where they lived for many years and were key members of the Subud group. On reports received recently there are nearly a dozen Subud members in the city of Melbourne and surroundings whose roots are Sri Lanka. Often the older members who migrated returned to their homeland to spend the last part of their lives. like Varindra, Lakshman Ponnamperuma and Rohan Warnesuriya left their imprint in their new homeland. There are five communities in Sri Lanka; the majority were Sinhalese and then the Tamils, Muslims, Malays and the Burghers(Eurasians). Each community was well represented in Subud. It was a true example of the unifying force of the latihan Enterprises Sri Lanka had one of the earliest Subud cont on p 12 > PAGE 11

12 enterprises in the world. It was in the early sixties and it generated enough money, after investing the profit to pay for the Subud house property in Frankfurt Place. An enterprise for the welfare of the poor was started by Lamaan and Helena Goonetilleke. It grew into a true enterprise that provided welfare and education for the poor and several other Subud members joined in. It was called Suhadha (good heart) a project which even had support from Subud Germany. It still exists but now under local government control. There were many lessons to be learnt for any Subud enterprise of this nature. Subud members have to run and work in a Subud enterprise for the latihan to have its influence. If there are too many outside influences (non Subud members) it cannot survive as a Subud enterprise. Another enterprise called Subiska was operated from the Subud house which generated profit for members and Subud Sri Lanka. Approaching the 50th Anniversary As we approach the 50th anniversary, Subud Sri Lanka has an ageing membership. Two Subud Icons Dr Ravindra Weerakoon and Parami (Sophia) Siriwardana passed away this year. Both shared the same sentiments with me when I met them for the last time. Ravindra simply said, I pray everyday that Almighty God will take me away from this world, it is time to leave. It was wonderful to know all my brothers and sisters in Subud and the latihan was the only thing that had meaning in my life Sophia Siriwardana said, My doctors and children want to keep me alive but it s time to leave, I feel a sense of great peace. They were both eighty four years old and had dedicated their lives to Subud. There are only a few pioneers left in Subud Sri Lanka. The majority live abroad and most would agree with Ravindra and Sophia. Fifty years is a long time in our lives to test anything and each one by now knows the reality of the Subud latihan, this amazing grace we have received that is beyond normal human understanding. It has changed our lives and we have come to understand the unity of all great religions and the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind. We have learnt to forgive and forget and most of all have come to love our brothers and sisters in Subud even more than our own siblings. The Bells of the Temple Aliza Albornoz, USA, has translated this Spanish story into English The temple had been on an island, two miles into the sea. It had millions of bells. Large bells and small bells chiselled by the best artisans in the world. When the wind would blow or the storms would sweep over the island all the bells in the temple would peal in unison, giving rise to a symphony that would mesmerise whoever would hear them. After centuries, the island sunk under the sea and with it the temple and its bells. An old tradition affirmed that the PAGE 12 bells continued to peal without ceasing and whoever would listen attentively could hear them. Moved by this tradition a youth walked thousands of miles, determined to hear these bells. He sat for days at the shore, in front of the place where at another time the temple stood and he listened with great intent. His heart would blaze after he heard these words But all he could hear was the sound of the waves as they broke against the shore. He made every possible effort to set aside the sound of the waves so he could hear the bells. But it was all in vain, the sound of the sea seemed to flood the universe. He persisted in his intent for weeks. When discouragement would take over he would find inspiration to continue when he would hear the wise-men of the town talk with great devotion about the legend of the bells of the temple and when whoever had heard them would assert the truth of the legend. His heart would become ablaze after he heard these words, only for discouragement to return when after several more weeks of effort nothing would happen. The youth finally decided to let go of his intent. Maybe he was not destined to be one of those fortunate ones who had been given to hear the bells. Or maybe the legend was not true. He would return home and face his failure. It was his last day at the place and he decided to go to his observatory one more time to say goodbye to the sea, to the sky and the wind and the coconut trees. He lay on the sand, gazing at the sky and listening to the sound of the sea. That day he did not put up any resistance to the sound but on the contrary, he submitted himself to it and discovered that the thundering of the waves was a sound truly sweet and pleasant. Soon he became so absorbed in that sound that he was hardly conscious of himself. So profound was the silence that it produced in his heart. And in the midst of that silence he heard it! The toll of a tiny bell, followed by another and another and another and then all of them, each of the thousand bells of the temple pealed in a glorious harmony and in his heart he was transfigured with awe and joy. The Corner Cupboard Adrianna King-Hall, UK, shows how meaning is revealed in the tiny details of everyday life The armchair had settled itself at an angle of 45 degrees to the large picture window. The weather forecast was for heavy rain and getting colder. As I sat in the chair there was warm sun shining through the window and warming just one half of my body. The rest, the right hand side, remained in shadow. It was seemingly unaffected by the warmth of the sun, but lived its own level of existence in a shadow of unawareness of the joy and light streaming on and into it. Quietly contemplating this strange state, in which my body found itself, a vision appeared. cont on p 13 >

13 It was of a corner cupboard. I saw how useful and practical they are for using a spare space - where walls would otherwise block the practical opening of the normal cupboard s hinged doors. The power of the Sun s warmth and Then I saw the symbolism of the vision. The corner cupboards in light is the my house fill spaces on one side of which is an outer wall and on the other the warmth of an interior wall. Inside the cupboard gift of God are shelves. In the vision I saw that each shelf reflected the state of one of the nafsu (or lower four life forces) within me. I saw that the shadow enshrouding my body represented the power exerted and imposed as yet beyond my control by the nafsu (life forces) working unguided from a higher level than the practical world in which we are called to live. pulling our socks up, cleaning up our act and engaging fully with, not only our membership; but, notwithstanding the various Susila Dharma projects around the globe, the world at large. We would do well to realise that human society is now in a transformative phase after the horrific famines and slaughters of the last century and the new-found awareness of the threat human activities present to our habitat globally. Surely if Subud is worth its salt we should be playing an active and effective role in this transformation. There are, though, some signs of nascent change. Subud Britain, for instance is working to encourage greater professionalism in the way its properties are run and, perhaps as a sign of a rather belated awareness that change is in the air, visioning exercises are now taking place in Subud. We had one recently here in Norwich, U.K., that came about out of the need to plan ahead in readiness for the expiry of the lease to our Subud House in six years' time. While we are a growing group, only six members attended, with just one being a member of the Subud Norwich Group Committee. The power of the Sun s warmth and light is the gift of God. Once we are opened to the latihan this power can penetrate, without either let or hindrance, through the walls of (our personal) Corner Cupboard. Thus as we surrender through the latihan to God s Grace, gradually, without harm to our unique individuality as God s Creation, we become open to experiencing and managing the gift of the nafsu (four worldly life forces) in performing the work of our jiwa. Through our Grace they too are gently transmuted and restored to their correct working order within and without us. Thus through our direction they support us in accordance with the purposes for which both they and we are created by God for life in this world. Reflecting on this little experience it came to me as a shewing of the true meaning of harmony. Wimps Who Leave Their Brain by the Door? Frank Richardson writes from Norwich, UK They are wimps who leave their brain by the door. How come someone like you is involved? This was shot at me by a former practising member of Subud who had notched up some remarkable achievements and earned international respect. As a relatively new member of Subud I should have been disconcerted, but was not. While Subud lags well behind in entering, let alone engaging with, the twenty-first century, things have moved on since that person's unfortunate experience. Nevertheless, for someone coming in from outside, Subud does appear to be aging, insular and organisationally outdated in the seemingly oligarchical, rather amateurish, less-than-open-and-inclusive way it is run. In my view, the latihan kejiwaan being something so unique and special, we do it much less than justice by not However, given the low level of inclusiveness generally in the practical matters of the group, we were not perturbed and went on to brain-storm ideas for possible new premises that could be a reality in less than three years. Out of an appreciation that community, inclusiveness and engagement with local communities need to be given a far higher priority, the following suggestions were mooted for a financially sustainable Norwich Subud Community Hub to, ideally, be located by a river or lake (though not, as one participant emphasised, on a flood plain!): male and female latihan halls that could also be used for sports, dancing, meetings and other activities; offices and a boardroom for letting; guest rooms; housing for families, couples and singles young and old; a playground; ornamental and vegetable gardens, eco-friendly buildings; a sauna, a large well-equipped kitchen and a library with internet connections. It was agreed these ideas would be presented to group members with the aim of encouraging their involvement and additional suggestions prior to the National Council meeting in Norwich in February. There, at least, is a beginning, but so much more needs to be done to bring Subud, albeit kicking and screaming, into the brave new world of the twenty-first century. Surely, though, if the latihan is all it is cracked up to be, we owe it not only to ourselves and our late and impressively productive Bapak; but to the world itself. Without a doubt, for me personally, anything less would be not just a wonderful opportunity missed, but an obligation and duty also. frankdrichardson@tesco.net Still Our Family Rukmawati Branting writes from Wisma Mulia about the dwindling numbers in Subud In 1963 Bapak visited Australia. The 13 talks Bapak gave during that visit are published in Vol Vll of the new translations. Bapak s first talk in Perth (pages ) seems to me to be especially important at this time, and should be published in Subud Voice at least in excerpts I feel. Bapak starts that talk by commenting on the cont on p 14 > PAGE 13

14 fact that there are no more new members, that the total has not increased since the previous visit, Bapak does not feel disappointed about that, because it is the same in other countries. It s in the nature of human beings to get disappointed and bored. Actually brothers and sisters, it can be said that whoever has been opened and has followed the spiritual training of the latihan cannot break off their connection with Subud because the latihan is the worship of God. So even if they are not here among you, in reality their soul is still connected with what they have received Therefore simply consider that these members who are not any longer present with us are still our family, but going through a phase of isolating themselves from us. I feel these words could be very helpful for members who worry about the dwindling numbers. PS. We at Wisma Mulia always look forward to the next issue of Subud Voice as most of us don t do computers. The Passing of Ruth White Levi Lemberger, USA, writes in memory of Ruth White I just found out the Ruth White passed away on the 25th of October, Ruth was 98. What I was told by her goddaughter was that Ruth was coming out of the bathroom and fell. She hurt or scraped her leg or thigh. Robert teaches economics at Cornell and writes a column for the New York Times. Ruth was very proud of Robert and had a photograph of Robert and Dalai Lama in her small living room. Robert visited Ruth annually. I ve known Ruth since the early 1970 s when I settled in Miami. We became close friends. Ruth and I joked around a great deal. She had a strong nature and a wonderful sense of humour. She Told it Like it Was She was also wise in the ways of the world and always told it like it was. As she grew older she told me that you don t have to worry about what you say anymore, you can just say. She was direct and honest whether you wanted to hear it or not. Watching Ruth grow old and listening to her, was my training for my approaching own old age. I could tell lots of stories about Ruth, but one of my favourites is this one. About a year ago we were sitting in the small living room, when Ruth turned to me and said Do you believe in Hereafter? Oh, I thought to myself, we had this metaphysical discussion a few years ago when she said she wasn t exactly sure about what would happen after she died. You mean life after death. The hereafter what s going to happen to you? I said Her caretakers wanted to take her to the hospital, but Ruth was determined not to go. She wanted to be in her own house and not a hospital. She told me the last time I saw her, a month ago that she wanted to pass away in her house that she has spent sixty or seventy years in. Her caretakers convinced her to go to the hospital and there she was given a sedative. Her caretaker was in the room and Ruth said, Can you see the angels? Can you see the angels? They re coming for me. Her caretaker said she didn t see anything and went back to reading her book. Ruth said, I m going to die now. A little while later the nurses rushed in. Ruth s heart monitor had stopped. Now if you know Ruth, you know the first words she might say to the angels were, What took you so long? I ve been waiting for awhile. Her Life In her professional life Ruth was first a Masseuse. She was trained by her mother and had worked in a solarium. She did some accounting work and then became a chiropractor. Finally she became a naturopathic doctor. Her title was Dr. Joan White. She married Robert Frank, who was a chiropractor and when I arrived in Miami he owned health food stores. He was ahead of his time. Ruth and Doctor Frank adopted a child, Robert Frank. PAGE 14 No silly. I keep going into the other room and when I get there, I can t remember what I came hereafter. Ruth was a dedicated helper. In her middle eighties, Ruth only stopped being active when we were at a congress and a few older Indonesian women helpers were there and told her she didn t have to do helper business any more. She could take it easy. Here is something you may not have known about Ruth. She grew up in her early years in the Russelite Church in Brooklyn Heights which her mother was involved in. The Russelite church later became the Jehovah Witnesses. Ruth became a Free Thinker. She Was Ready to Go I ve been preparing myself for this day for years. The last time I saw Ruth was a month ago. It was very different than any time before. We weren t really communicating as we had done for so many wonderful years. Ruth was my second mother. She cared for me and in her own way looked after me from afar. This time we were both in the room, the TV was blaring, as it had been for years, for that is what Ruth loved in her elder years, when I softened the sound and we found we didn t have much to say to each other. That had never happened before. When I left I realised she was gone from me. She had told me for the last year or two that she was ready to go. She didn t enjoy life the way she used to. So goodnight Sweet Strong Princess. I know when you get to where you are going; you will make things better and take care of those who need healing.

15 Remembering Wilbert Wilbert Verheyen passed away at home around 8 p.m on Friday evening, November 30, Here are some words spoken by Lailah Armstrong at his funeral In 1989 I knocked on the door of the portacabin in the gardens of Anugraha, the headquarters of SDIA, and I met Wilbert who was the chairman at the time. Soon after that I became his apprentice. Wilbert Verheyen I was fortunate to travel with Wilbert on many occasions and watch him live the Latihan with the capital L (the one outside the latihan hall, as he liked to stress). Wilbert in the field that is where he shone the most and on these occasions I saw in him an unquestioning acceptance of the other person, a wide open heart which made people relax and made one feel that the world was simply a large family in which both you and Wilbert had a place, and an important role to play. He inspired you to find that place. Helping Street Kids One episode comes to my mind for sharing After 14 years of missionary work in Papua New Guinea, Wilbert became a social worker for Terre des Hommes and set up the very first projects for street children in Jakarta. This was many years before I met him. In 1996 Wilbert was no longer chair of SDIA but we continued to work together in ICDP; that year he had the opportunity to draw on his knowledge about street children, as part of the assignment carried out on behalf of the Consortium for Street Children UK (CSC UK) to set up an international conference on street children in Indonesia that would promote good practice and improve the image of the street child in the country. I accompanied and assisted Wilbert on several trips to Indonesia. As one of the first things Wilbert did was go to Malioboro street in Yogyakarta in order to make friends with the street children. His intention was to invite them to the conference once it was set up. After a passionate speech, Wilbert managed to sell to the Minister of Social Affairs in Jakarta the idea of an international conference on street children and its importance for Indonesia. I remember vividly the grand arm gestures and the compelling voice Wilbert used towards the end of that meeting when he handed the ICDP visit card saying: You can reach us at our London office address for further information. Afterwards we were both in stitches remembering this, because the London office was a converted tiny shed in my garden. Wilbert could be great fun to be with. Soon after that we were introduced to Ibu Utario, a lady in charge of the BKKKS network for social assistance. Ibu Utario was visibly touched by Wilbert s explanations about the plight of street children and took it upon herself with great enthusiasm to organise the conference in Yogyakarta. As an able puppeteer she pulled strings in the right direction and managed to set up and oversee the whole event extremely successfully. Wilbert could be great fun to be with The Minister of Social Affairs was present during the 3 days of the event, as well as many important persons from the government, including the Governor of the province, 250 local NGOs and a few experts from Latin America and Philippines invited by us. During the conference the Queen of Yogyakarta showed great interest in the street children Wilbert had brought in. Soon she was talking to them and after some time she was even looking more comfortable in their company - she started singing together with Wilbert and a whole bunch of street children. Leading to a Happy Reunion On the following day a photo of the Queen embracing two street children was all over the newspapers the papers described it as a breakthrough, a public gesture which signalled a new approach to children living on the streets. On the second day of the conference Wilbert appeared on the television news: at ease, surrounded by street children who were joking and laughing with him. A few hours after the TV broadcast, Ibu Utario informed us about a phone call she received from a crying lady who had recognised her own grandson among the street children that appeared on TV with Wilbert; her grandson had been lost for more than a year and she had been desperate ever since. On the following day there was a happy reunion which crowned the end of the conference. As a result of Wilbert s efforts, new schemes were set up, and this included more effective and human approaches to street children in Indonesia. I would like to finish by saying the words Wilbert often said to others: Thank you brother. WORKING FOR PEACE Lewis Herlitz, UK, writes Subud brothers and sisters may not be aware that Palestinians and Israelis have been working together for peace, and living together for and in peace, for years, something that is not reported on very often. If anyone is interested I have a short documentary about this on a CD produced by a friend. Its called Side by Side and I would be happy to send it to you if you me your address details. Contact: lewisherlitz@hotmail.com PAGE 15