ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION NEWS

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1 ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION NEWS J a n u a r y Happy New Year! True surrender unravels who we think we are and gently (or not so gently) erodes our ego with all its preconceptions and attachments. Naturally the ego struggles and resists. Each week we have to renew our intention to let go a little more and not give in to the urge to settle for the familiar and known. From Roland Evans, Chairman In my early days of Subud, I thought that surrender would be easy as simple as stepping into a warm soothing bath. A lifetime later, I know how much courage and perseverance it takes. Each latihan calls me to give up my ordinary thinking and feeling, to take a leap into the unknown. That resolute quality of mind and spirit is the same strength we use to face the difficulties and challenges of living on this earth. The latihan is not just about inner realization; it is given to us so we can make a difference in this world. It invites us to take initiative, confront difficulties and be of service. That is the inner meaning of our proposed Regional Project: to be a channel through which we can manifest the richness of our receiving. We need courage and determination to make it happen. We need everyone to be a part of it. (Read more about the RMR Humanitarian Project on the next page.)

2 What s Going On in the Rocky Mountain Region? Regional Humanitarian Project. The vision of our proposed regional project is to provide humanitarian support within the Rocky Mountain region and beyond, and to help unite and connect our membership. The Project Planning Group will meet in late January to explore ways to determine potential member interest and the sustainability of a humanitarian project(s) within our region, while gathering information from you, our membership. There are currently a number of projects maintained by individuals or groups, including Victor Wuamett s clothing for the homeless in Albuquerque, Roland Evan s agricultural projects, the Boulder Group s Clothing to Ukraine, and Atalanta in Crestone. We have set up a treasury fund earmarked for the Humanitarian Project to begin building seed money for growing this regionwide effort. We invite you to share your thoughts and feelings about establishing this endeavor and your vision of what we might do together. You can contact Roland Evans at roland@roland-evans.com or Rohanna Muth at rdmuth@comcast.net. Regional Council Meeting. The next council meeting will be at 5.30 on Sunday, February 14. The call-in number is , access code is Everyone in the region is welcome to join the meeting. Regional Latihans. Regional Latihans provide a special opportunity for all of us to do latihan together. They are especially meaningful for those of you without a group nearby for regular latihans. As you know, it is very gratifying and fulfilling to worship together, bringing spiritual fellowship to all of us in the region who join in. Regional latihans are held once a month at 7 p.m. on Sundays, and the next dates are February 14 th and March 13 th. Women can choose to use the regional call-in phone number (605) , Access Code If you wish additional information, contact Joanna Dokson at Joanna@bacagrandestables.com. Women s Gathering in Crestone. All of the women in the Rocky Mountain region are invited to a women s gathering the weekend of March 4, 5 and 6 in Crestone. It will take place in the home of Loretta Covert with overnight accommodations in members homes. We will start Friday evening with a meal and Latihan, then Saturday with Latihan, lunch, and testing followed by dinner. There will be a Sunday morning latihan before heading back home. We will collect donations for meals. Contact Loretta at ljcovert@fairpoint.net or call her at for more information or to reserve your place by February 19. We hope you can join us! 2016 Regional Meeting in Albuquerque. The 2016 Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting is planned for Memorial Day weekend in Albuquerque, May It will be held at the Bosque Retreat Center which is offering us very reasonable rates. Check out their website at to view this lovely site situated on the Rio Grande bosque, and mark those dates on your calendar. Detailed information will be provided later.

3 Bapak... on courage Almighty God knows the situation of mankind. Do you think Almighty God is any less clever than you are? Any less capable of arranging things? Don't worry about it. God truly knows the measure of everything. He knows the right moment and the right amount of everything for the moment. Bapak gives you an example. Suppose you're sailing on the sea. From your vantage point it may look as if the water is higher than the land because, after going a ways, you don't see the land anymore. Then when you get on shore, the sea looks like it is well below the shore, and if you go a ways it looks as if the sea disappears. All this occurs through God's Will. God wills the land to be there and to be unable to be run over by the sea. But if the moment arrives when God wills that the sea should, for some reason, for the reason that it is time perhaps, for the reason that God feels the time has come for the sea to submerge the land, then it will do so immediately. We should have courage to face whatever is in this world because truly we have been given the proof of God's Power. That is why we have to have complete faith and trust in Almighty God. If we can do that then truly we will find our way in life. We who have received the guidance of God in the latihan kejiwaan should in fact have greater confidence in our lives than other people do. We should have courage to face whatever is in this world because truly we have been given the proof of God's Power. We have come from nothing and we have become something, and from this something we go back to nothing: a "nothing" that envelops everything. And that makes the cycle of life complete. This "something" that is in this world, is this world, is the reality of this world; and is something we should face with courage and confidence because it too is filled with the Power of Almighty God. Excerpts from a talk given by Bapak on January 16, 1981.Taken from the Zone One News, Vol. II, No. 1, June Copyright 2007 the World Subud Association. Provisional Translation.

4 Ibu Rahayu... So God only gives what He knows we can deal with in this world and still continue to live as normal human beings and fulfill our responsibilities in this world. Now, also I want to say that when we experience something like this, when God shows you something that is the reality of the next world, or the reality of the soul--it's not always pleasant. It may be something that is pleasant, but it could also be something that is not pleasant, or scary, or frightening. But when we are frightened in that situation, it is usually because we are still tied to this world. What frightens us is our ties to this world, because at that moment we remember things that still connect us with this world. Maybe it's our children, or maybe if we are married maybe a wife remembers her husband or a husband remembers his wife, which is still something that ties him to this world. So it is at that moment that we need the ability to surrender. That is the real test of surrender whether our surrender is real or not. Because surrender is something that has to be real and not just something we say like 'I surrender'. It has to be something really here within us. It has to be total, total surrender. God knows exactly our state. And that is why I would like to say to some of you, if you ever have the feeling that you and a lot of people are bored with Subud--they never get anything, they feel that it doesn't work, they've done the Latihan for a long time and they haven't received anything that they would like to receive. And then they say well, I'm going to leave Subud. I would like you to examine yourself before doing that, because it's likely that the fault is in you. Try to do a self-check and see what is really missing from you. Where have you gone wrong? Or what is it that you're not doing that has had the effect that you don't seem to progress, or you don't seem to receive what you had hoped for? Because the reality is that God will always give to one who is ready and one whom He trusts. So it is important when you are not satisfied or bored, or fed up, not to blame Subud or to blame God, because the fault is actually in you. Once you are able to feel the truth of what is right in your life, it requires the qualities of courage, determination, self-confidence, and a strong feeling to persist... Brothers and Sisters, once you are able to feel the truth of what is right in your life, then it requires the qualities of courage, of determination, of self-confidence, of constancy or having a determination and a strong feeling to persist - and persistence. And indeed this is also a nafsu. But it is a nafsu that you need to use, and it is of course already a nafsu that is guided by God's power. So in order to do this, in order to live in this world according to God's Will you actually need to use all the Sukmas... the agents that work within us, what we call the 'finer bodies'... whatever is within us that is not the soul not the human soul... a finer body that has the nature of nafsu... bodies that actually work for us in our lives... that carry out what we need to do in this world. They are the fine bodies which live within our coarse body. But when these are penetrated by the human soul, then they can really serve your life in this world and make it successful. Because you will achieve then an ability to feel and to sense whether something is right to do or it's better not. And this is what I'm trying to tell you--to live your life, or as much as possible of your life, aware of the guidance of God's power. Not only the half hour that you are in the Latihan hall. Note: Throughout this article, the editor has shortened or altered copy for clarity or for purposes of allotted space. From a talk given by Ibu Rahayu in Perth, Australia, January 30, Provisional Translation by Sharif Horthy. Copyright 2007 the World Subud Association. All rights reserved.

5 A Talk with Steve Hoerler from Boulder Born into a military family in Texas, Steve has lived in numerous places in the U.S. But when he got to Michigan, he stayed there for a good while. He went to high school, then university (Michigan State) and medical school (Wayne State in Detroit) followed by an internship/residency in internal medicine at Detroit Receiving Hospital. With all those studies behind him, he worked in Gross Pointe, a suburb near Detroit, seeing patients and teaching in a special training program for residents. When the program ended, he continued his practice there for a few more years. Steve and his wife Sydney had spent time in Colorado when they were growing up, and both of them loved the mountains and the skies. In addition, Steve s parents had retired in Ft. Collins. So Steve and Sydney moved to Boulder, bought a house, and Steve now practices at Boulder Community Hospital. Both Steve and Sydney joined Subud in Boulder after hearing about it through a group doing Gurdjieff work. Steve has a variety of interests including music, photography, and diving. He plays the mandolin and ukulele, composes songs (usually very funny ones) which he sings. He has been interested in photography for many years, and learning more about underwater photography has enhanced his diving, which provides not only a visual enjoyment of the grandeur and beauty of the ocean, but also a sense of something larger than himself, a feeling of how tiny we are in the grand scheme of things. He describes the thread that links his interests as a path to finding essence, something he has felt throughout his life, but did not always have words for. And this concept of essence is linked to another big part of Steve s life, which is service, a way of giving back in thanks for the life given us. Not only his profession, but also his interests touch on essence and giving back. He feels that when we look for essence in the world it helps us find our own. (See RMR News #1 for interview with Steve s wife Sydney: Steve feels he has been on a spiritual path for a long time, but finds the Subud experience of being with a group of men, each on his own path, to be empowering and renewing. What he especially likes about Subud is the structure, the space provided to say, I m here, God. What do you want me to do? One of Steve s Subud songs. Imagine the accompaniment of a mandolin with wife Sydney harmonizing. Well its Tuesday, it's my night to pray Time to talk to God, see what he's got to say What a way to navigate life's maze Walk in the door and suddenly "wham" I remember who I am And I always leave with a smile on my face. Chorus I've been running around with these crazy people They say it's a church but there ain't no steeple Just hootin and hollerin, trying to find the way If God is there and I think he is I know he's listening To all of this And I bet he's got a smile on his face. Here I am talking about God again Nothing better than a sweet amen Hoping tonight he'll show me the way Talking and listening makes my spirit soar Just fills me up right to the core And I always leave with a smile on my face. Here I go, one more night Walk out of the world and into the light What a way to find the path to grace Some days that light s a bit hard-to-find Some days it's so bright you kinda lose your mind But I always leave with a smile on my face. Chorus Carrying on for half an hour Talking and listening to the Almighty power My blues slip away, gone without a trace Some days it makes sense some days it don't Some days I listen, some days I won't But I always leave with a smile on my face. Chorus When my life is done and it's my time Hope I don't cry, hope I don't whine Hope it ain t soon, don't want to make it a race But if I'm in heaven and it's up to me I'll be latihaning into eternity Me and god with a smile on our face. Interview by Laura Lathrop.

6 The Men s Dewan Visits Albuquerque Ruslan Feldman, Lawrence Pevec and Roland Evans joined Salomon Chavez, Max Zieher, Dean Legacy and Simon Shima in Albuquerque over a weekend in late October for discussion, latihan and testing. The women joined the men for latihan on Saturday followed by a potluck dinner at the home of Latisha and Salomon Chavez. Lawrence Pevec, Simon Shima and Salomon Chavez enjoy historic Old Town in Albuquerque Rohanna Muth and Roland Evans finally meet in person Our lovely hostesses, the Chavez Sisters Photos taken by Ruslan Feldman

7 Vernon Contessa The Visionary behind the Subud Library Vernon Contessa is the man behind the online Subud Library. He had the vision to create and maintain a Subud Library almost 30 years ago. What is now evolved because Vernon understood the importance of reading Bapak s and Ibu Rahayu s talks. He said, This is what the website is about: Bapak not only received and passed on the latihan to each of us, but in his talks he also received and passed on all of the supplemental information and guidance we would need on this spiritual path. It seems strange to me that some people are willing to accept the latihan, but either ignore or reject the other half of the gift, which is the advice and guidance that came with it. (Subud USA News) The Library s beginnings were small, from the time in 1981 when he and his wife Maria scanned Bapak s talks from the Pewarta Kedjiwaan Subud, an early Subud journal, and posted them to a subscription-based bulletin board. Unfortunately, there were so many technical problems with the system that after a while Vernon felt the time was not right. By 1985 he let go of this first effort, but the idea of a library stayed with him. Vernon continued to think that all Subud members in the U.S. should have free access to Bapak s and Ibu Rahayu s talks, so in 1993 he again started to make a few talks available online. Better technology was available by then, and this is when the library in its current form began. At that time the Contessas were living in Connecticut, not far from Boston. Ruslan Henderson of Subud Boston was very supportive and helped spread the word of the new Subud Library, a category on the Boston website. At first only a small group used it, but this began to change. The Library took on a life of its own and continued to develop. At this point Subud members volunteered to help, offered financial support, and many sent messages of appreciation. Although the path was not completely smooth solutions were found, and the Library continued to grow, still on the Boston website, until it became clear that it had become an international endeavor and should stand on its own. Today the Library is a World Subud Association (WSA) website. Many volunteers, translators, and others have made it possible to have talks in the eleven different languages posted there. The entire site can be viewed in any of those languages, people can sign up for usernames and passwords in their own language, and receive s confirming their subscriptions with instructions for using the site in their own language. Vernon is currently in the process of moving all the names of people who have passwords to the Library to a database. This is a nice bit of foresight because it will make it easier for someone else to take over when it is time. Vernon and his wife Maria recently moved to Tucson, AZ. They joined Subud shortly after their marriage 50 years ago, and have lived in several places, including Skymont, VA. They have six grown children with their families scattered around the U.S., and they will all soon be gathering in Tucson for a family reunion. Article by Laura Lathrop. Many thanks to Julia Hurd, who graciously allowed us to use information from her article about the Subud Library published in 2014 for Subud USA News when she was Editor.

8 You can reach our regional helpers as follows: Rachael Amos or Salomon Chavez or Joanna Dokson or Ruslan Feldman or Lawrence Pevec or From the Cherkassy, Ukraine Subud Group In the last issue of Rocky Mountain Region News, we reported the efforts of the Boulder Group in collecting winter clothing for the Cherkassy Subud Group where extremely cold weather and economic crisis continue. Laura Lathrop reports that three boxes were successfully delivered, and received a warm thank you note on behalf of the Cherkassy Group including the following. Ooh! The parcels project is completed! All the parcels have safely arrived and last Sunday, after the latihan, the parcels were opened, the clothes were laid out on the carpets of the latihan room and the members started trying them on. Practically all the things were distributed. It was an animated and lively event. All the members are sending their greetings to you and American members. Political instability is depressing. But, on the other hand, we need to feel joy when there is sun in the sky, when the nature around is so beautiful. We need to find joy wherever possible. Cold Days Are Here! Pictured are socks and slippers available from Laura Lathrop, who knits the socks, which come in long ones for boots or Birkenstocks as well as short ones great for latihan. The slippers, with non-slip leather bottoms, are knit by Sofia, Michelle and Oksana of the Cherkassy Group. They all come in sizes for both men and women. The socks sell from $20 - $25 and the slippers for $27. You can order them from Laura Lathrop at llathrop77@gmail.com.

9 A Warm Welcome to Laurence Pierson From Rachael Amos Our newly opened member is Laurence Pierson. She is a French woman who's lived in Denver for a few years and teaches botanical illustration in the program at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Laurence also paints Christian ikons and has done these for many years. She is a calm, peaceful presence and a lovely addition to our group. Laurence found out about Subud through a Canadian friend, and as a result of her having been informed by him, our applicant meetings were very smooth with no false expectations. Laurence went to Menucha two days after having been opened and hasn't looked back! (I guess.)

10 28 days in the desert... From Hannah O Wilder The fall of 2015 found me exploring the canyon country around my home, collecting sound offerings in giant alcoves. 28 days later, finally satiated from deeply drinking the glory of this place, I returned home, planted and started mixing a project called Wilder Still - "28 days in the desert". Copies will be available soon, along with the other albums on my Bandcamp site: Here is a thread of instruction from my audio blog recorded in view of "the holy mountain"... sensing harmonic resonance hearing, feeling, oscillations in frequency tuning into different fields, beings, sounds sensing connection and light through my body keep dropping in keep sensing keep trusting watch the sounds transform keep trying to find the sweet spot of sound that needs to be expressed The Latihan seems like a current that passes through me, and is most often the channel of my recordings and performances. In Mexico last summer I was honored to play the biggest show of my musical career at one of the oldest theaters in Central America. The music included toning with Tibetan and Crystal bowls, an improv on the drum-kit over pre-recorded soundscapes, and songs with bowed ukulele. Dear friends from 4 different countries joined me on the stage. I experience the world gatherings as an expansion where anything is possible and the light keeps building with each latihan until it starts spilling out of my heart onto the world community who are there supporting me in my dreams of sharing that healing light through sound. After the Puebla Congress, Hamden Arroyo and I recorded 4 sound sessions in his studio documenting the spirit of the congress. "Ambiental" will be released once I have the resources for mastering. This summer I started looping live onstage, sampling my voice, drum-kit, accordion, bowls, bells, xylophone, and guitar, sometimes over soundscapes. I also began making offerings of sound baths in those same canyons I recorded in. You can see me toning in the desert, and playing shows at The Teasdale, Utah group of 5 is inactive and I don't know of other members in the state. I live in a small seasonal town called Boulder population 200-ish. I fell in love with the Colorado Plateau and moved here in 1999, with the intention of having more time for music. 16 years later I still long to devote my life force fully to the healing arts through music, but most of my time and energy still goes toward supporting myself by working at the coffee shops in town. Much of my family is Mormon, and lives in SLC, UT. My sister lives in San Diego, which is where I was officially opened, close to a decade ago. But first I was spontaneously opened during a vision quest, where one of the women was doing latihan. "I longed to be this tree, directly connected to earth mama, its purpose, to radiate beauty." My first few years in Subud were cathartic. Childhood wounding surfaced as chronic sciatic pain for many years and I lived the truth of Bapak's words "it must out". My earth connection was crucial to compost the pain of what was dying in me. Somehow I forget the best tool I have for guidance and clearing. This morning I tested, what is my resistance to doing the Latihan weekly? I was reminded that clearing is often uncomfortable, even painful, but it is a necessary counterpart to the work of healing, and the peace that follows is so delicious, I am reluctant to return to my waking life, but in order to be a clear conduit, I must be grounded. My first sound bath was well received this summer at the regional gathering in Crestone Colorado, bridging the gap between one-on-one sound healing sessions with the Tibetan and Crystal Bowls and live performance. I have long aspired to set up a European tour, and plan to book one around the World Congress in Germany. Whenever I'm traveling the world I seek out Subud groups. I can yawn my being wider to receive with a community, exponentially so at the regional and world Latihans, and my receiving takes on the character of that culture. I just released an album with Bandmate Ben Kilbourne:

11 The editors wish to thank those of you who have contributed articles and photos to the Rocky Mountain Region News. We believe that the more input we have from all of you, the better the newsletter. So please send us your articles, news and notices of openings in your centers. You can us at or call Laura Lathrop at or Rohanna Muth at Shooting Star This is the sixth Rocky Mountain Region News. The newsletter is distributed electronically and is available in hard copy to those without computer access. It is also accessible on the Subud Rocky Mountain website at: You are invited to send in your news, stories, spiritual experiences, creative pieces, center news and anything else you may wish to share. And photos, especially photos! You can send your submissions to: Subud Rocky Mountain Region News is a publication of the Subud Rocky Mountain Region. Rohanna Muth is the Editor and Laura Lathrop is the Contributing Editor. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Editors, Subud Rocky Mountain Region or its membership. Submissions, comments, and change of or postal address, may be addressed to: newsletter@subudrockymountain.org SUBUD USA is a tax-exempt non-profit corporation under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible. The name Subud is a registered mark of the World Subud Association, Inc.

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