IN THIS ISSUE: Talk to Men & Women, NY, 18 May 1967 PAGE 15 Ibu Rahayu Talk on 25th Night of Ramadan, PAGE 35 Ismana Shulze Vorberg, WSC Mtg., Sept 24-30, Salobreña, Spain, PAGE 29 Elias Dumit, Chair of the World Subud Association Fernando Fatah Nieva, Zone 7 Rep. SCAN - the Quarterly Newsletter of Subud Canada / www.subud.ca SCAN Talk to Men and Women, May 18, 1967 - Page 15 Doing Ramadan at Cilandak, Sandra Olsen, Page 30 In this issue: EVENTS m Subud Gathering at Bethlehem Retreat, 1 m 2016 Gathering of the Americas, in Cali, 3 m Susila Dharma AGM in Poland, Rhyana Blakely, 6 m Subud s Role in the World, Lynelle Stewart, 8 m Crescent Beach - A Gathering, Lucas Foss, 9 m Subud Youth & Basara, George Demers, 10 m The Joys of Organizing a Regional Gathering, 11 TALKS m Why do we have to depend on Almighty God?, 14 m Talk to Men and Women, NY, 18.5.1967, 15 m Things We Remember Mas Adji Saying, 28 m If This Latihan Can Spread, There Will Be Peace, 31 m Excerpt from Talk to Asian Councilors, 12.4.1974, 35 m Excerpt from Talk in Cilandak, 12.4.1974, 35 m Ibu Rahayu s Talk on 25th Night of Ramadan, 35 BOOKS m Book Review, new book by Lawrence Shorter, 22 m Story: The Gift, by Latifah Taormina, 24 m Excerpts: An Extraordinary Man by Abdullah Pope, 34 PASSAGES m Matthew Baeveldt s 75th Birthday Party, 25 m Karsten Smith Turns 81, 26 m Passing of Herbert Stewart, 27 INTERNATIONAL m Introducing new WSA magazine CONNECT, 12 m Letter from WSA: Funding the Future of Subud, 12 m Observers Welcome at WSC Meeting in Spain, 29 m Doing Ramadan at Cilandak Sandra Olsen, 30 m Subud Voice to go on subscription in October, 33 m Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Richard Simon, 40 m Reflections About Pak Sudarto by Rasunah Marsden, 42 m Latihan Experiences and Ancestors, R. Darlington, 45 Autumn issue september 2016 Subud Gatherings or no subud gatherings: that is the question? (With apologies to William Shakespeare) The Western [Canada] Region Family Gathering at Crescent Beach, in July, was said by some to be the best ever. However, it was a struggle to get members to register by the required deadline and, in addition, there were many fewer who chose the overnight option this year versus coming as day visitors, making it quite a challengem to ensure that we had sufficient revenue to pay the rental of Alexandra Retreat Centre. But, due to the culinary and fiscal wizardry of Kumari Beck in the kitchen, and generous donations by those who attended, we ended up with an unexpected surplus! In October, we have again booked Bethlehem Retreat, near Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, for an adult Regional Gathering. Registrations are coming in very slowly. As a result, I sent out the following reminder to all members in the Western Region in early September.
Bethlehem Retreat When: Friday, October 21 at 3 pm to Sunday, October 23 at 2 pm. Where: Bethlehem Retreat is situated in wooded acreage in Nanaimo, BC, on Vancouver Island, overlooking Westwood Lake with a backdrop of Mt. Benson. There is a well-groomed path around the lake, and trails up Mt. Benson for the adventurous. What: Enjoy this popular, annual kejiwaan experience in a beautiful and peaceful location. There are thirty-five guest rooms on site, and a chapel, library, garden, labyrinth, and one of Vancouver Island s few Peace Poles. Nourish body/soul with your choice of meal plans. Bethlehem Retreat is offering two registration options: OPTION A - FULL WEEKEND - WITH LODGING (per person) $245.00 Includes 2 nights lodging, 6 meals, morning and afternoon snacks, & facility rental OPTION B SATURDAY DAY RATE (per person) $44.00 Includes lunch, snacks, & facility rental In order for this weekend to go ahead, we must have a minimum of 20 committed overnight registrations by THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15. This means that I need to actually receive your completed registration (including a cheque!), or the promise by email that your registration (including a cheque!) is in the regular mail, by THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15. If we receive the minimum 20 overnight registrations by THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15, additional registrations can be accepted up to September 30. There are individual rooms with shared bathrooms. Special dietary requirements can be accommodated. To reduce travel costs, foot passengers can be met at the ferry terminal and car-pooling is encouraged. Financial support is available please ask. Please talk to your Subud brothers and sisters about this gathering, so that everyone knows about the impending registration deadline of THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15. Help to spread the word! If this gathering does not go ahead, we will forfeit our deposit of $100. Any questions? Please contact me at hitch@shaw.ca or 250 370 1291. The apparent lack of interest in registering for these gatherings (or at least with many leaving it until the very last minute) may be for all kinds of very valid reasons. These could include cost, timing, location, content, accommodation, meals, travel, family responsibilities, other priorities, our ageing needs, uncertainty re-availability, not interested in (relatively) large gatherings, etc. etc. We can do all of the organizing and promotion that we like, but maybe there simply isn t the interest? A couple of expressions come to mind: You can lead a horse to water, but you can t make him drink! Voting with your feet! Maybe we need to rethink what kind of Subud events our members want at this time at least in Western Canada? It would be good to hear from our members in Western Canada. Please let me know your thoughts. I m all ears! SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 2
2016 Gathering of the Americas Paloma Muñoz (Zone 8 Rep) writes: Extracts from the full report: It was a gathering with a lot of participation and involvement in the work of the Wings: Susila Dharma with a wealth of experience in all types of social work. The youth, with its representative Konrad Muñoz, presented their work connecting Mexico, Chile and Colombia in a great joint project with SICA, with the idea of hosting a meeting of Subud youth from the Americas in Cuba. SICA has a television project: SICA LATINOAMERICA. The SES enterprise wing is taking off: they presented the experiences of various Subud entrepreneurs, making the distinction between Subud enterprises and Subud entrepreneurs. The WSA (Hilaria Dette) and MSF (Marston Gregory) presented the current proposals they have on the table. The gathering also enjoy a lot of kejiwaan work thanks to the presence of the six Area 3 International Helpers, Mahmud Nestman of Canada, Sharifrudin Harris, Hoan Toan Phan, Myriam Ramsey and Suzanne Renna of the USA, and Sarita Rodríguez of Colombia; we also had the presence of two IHs from Area 2: Dahliani Drejza and Sahlan Crona of Norway. The programme included different cutural activities organised by SICA Colombia and the Americas, with recitals, concerts and exhibitions at the Cali Subud House. There was also a touristic visit to the Centro Internacional Amanecer, La Tebaida, Quindío, with transport from Cali, a general latihan in the large hall at Amanecer, and return to Cali the same day. Others took a tour of the city, as it had been designated a day of relaxation and rest. The number of participants was around 300 (282 actual registration, plus a few more to simply attend the kejiwaan activities), from 15 countries and 51 cities in the Americas and Europe. Please read the full report in Spanish here: http://www.subudworldnews.com/dyn/news/informe%20%20prensa%20americas.pdf SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 3
2016 Gathering of the Americas, Cali, Colombia SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 4
2016 Gathering of the Americas, Cali, Colombia SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 5
Remembering Poland by Rhyana Blakeley (Subud Youth Assn. Int l. Rep.) So I will start at the end, a night of performances of all ages representing many cultures. An incred ible show of short films made in a stop motion workshop run by two 14-year-olds. A member only in Subud for two weeks performing the New Zealand Haka. A combination of a teenager from the Ukraine playing with a young man from many places but currently based in Spain combining Ukrainian folk guitar with Flamenco guitar. A traditional Indonesian dance performed by a teenager from the USA with Indonesian heritage. Mixed with professional musicians (I will be checking out Louiza Sofianopoulous s album, Dragons). An old friend who touched me with his singing and songwriting, a gift I didn t know he has. And ending with a group of old and new friends playing folk music. This was the end of a day where we had suddenly presented the new European youth team who will spread across both Zones 3 and 4. In a time when the world seems to be embracing barriers and dividing us by religion, race and passports it was amazing to see age, race, culture merge. And now the beginning: a Zone 3 meeting in 2015, where we discussed young members in the area defined as Zone 3. The old model of national youth coordinators was not working; there were too few youth in many countries apart from Subud Britain. After meetings of budget we presented the idea of getting funding to help young people from different countries meet together and help to energise each other, and pushed for a joint zone meeting (with Zone 4) with a strong youth and family programme. This was also presented at the zone 4 meeting a couple of weeks later. Getting an amazing team in place, clarifying the fund (known as the Zone 3 youth fund), advertising the fund, advertising the gathering and expressing to people who know nothing of SYFA or big international gatherings that this was not just Latihan and meetings, that there was space and focus on babies, children, teenagers and youth both opened and non opened, parents, adults, delegates and non Subud friends, who are aware of Subud and will not wander into the latihan thinking it is an other great art workshop. Some of the members of the European Youth Team We managed to fund 9 youth from across Zone 3, and together Zones 3 and 4 found funding for an amazing team to put together a families/youth/arts programme. The word got out and we had a large range of ages present. An idea put through by Howard Ray to re create a Zone 3 youth coor dinator to initially manage the Zone 3 youth fund helping activate and connect young members with each other grew into a team idea. (It is not the first time we have had a Zone 3 youth coordinator but we had not had one for a while). SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 6
An initial meeting was slow, and fears of taking on too much or the energy dissipating grew; but when the idea of bringing in talents and passion was there, the energy increased. Ideas of a SYA app to help communicate, a new letter with animation, an on line shop, and many members who would be responsible for finding out who within the organisation would get things done grew. Laughter shone out and the youth approached, many from countries in Zone 4. It then felt silly to turn away energy and ideas due to location, and a fol low up meeting to which I was not present developed the idea of a Europe team, with one Zone Rep for Zone 3 and one for Zone 4 who would communicate to the Zones and respect the existing structure, but would oversee a team of youth from all over Europe. We presented it expecting to have to persuade, but were treated with open enthusiasm and support, so much so that it was almost overwhelming. In amongst all of this grew youth testing sessions, and an amazing meeting where helpers and young members spoke openly with children and non opened members about the latihan and Subud. In the last day I spoke with a mother who informed me she would definitely come again as long as there was a family programme like this one, and other parents who were overjoyed to have been able to be such a part of the whole gathering. A young teenager who was not born into Subud and was experiencing his first gathering asked if he would be welcome to future gatherings as he had never before experienced such an accepting and open group of people. Friends of Subud members who wanted to be opened, openings, and many, many cries of see you soon, see you at the next gathering, see you in Germany! The Youth team is still growing, and I hope will continue to do so. The enthusiasm and inspiration from Basara (a youth organised camp in Kalimantan) has lit a fire under the youth here, which hopefully will continue to burn on until and long after the World Congress. The Zonal committees created a space to listen to and allow the youth in, to start to hand over the reins to them with support and knowledge. In my experience of around 15 years of working for SYA, the youth do not wish to be apart, they wish to be connected and heard, and, fortunately, the older generation do not wish for the youth to disappear or shut up, but are holding out a hand for them. Hopefully we can continue to work together as one and that one of SYA remits to be a bridge between the young members and the organisation will no longer be necessary. As a catch up, the team has continued to grow with people joining it after Poland. We are about to have our second Skype meeting, and already there are 4 fundraising projects underway, brain storming and creative ideas for communicating in a way that will appeal more to youth. And talk of supporting possibly 5, maybe five families / youth gathering in Europe next year. When things are more solid we will communicate with them, and introduce the team in full. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 7
Subud s Role in the World Lynnelle Stewart, from the USA, writes about the Gathering in Poland In July, people from 30 countries arrived in Poland - around 400 I think - and Ibu Rahayu sent a long welcome message. I hope it is published somewhere soon. This gathering is evidence that Subud is still alive and active. The setting was a peaceful nature resort on a lake in northern Poland - 2 hours or so from Warsaw. There were actually two resorts one, Kolatek, housed the "family" camp, where there were many creative and other adventure activities for kids and families, including animation and art workshops that we all saw the results of later. I stayed at the other resort, Kormoran, where I loved swimming in the peaceful warm waters of the lake, along with the ducks, surrounded by forests of fir and other trees. Testing and Kejiwaan The "business" meetings - SDIA, SESI, SIHA, SICA, Zonal and so on - were held at my resort. I didn't attend any of them, as I needed every second of latihan and kejiwaan time. Testing and kejiwaan activities went on daily, and I was acting as a helper part of the time, which was very interesting, as I was working with Hassanah Wilson of England, whom I know. She is a former international helper with wide experience and great heart. She knew some of the people from Ukraine and Turkey whom we were working with. It is astonishing to meet people from such countries and share the truth that the latihan is also the most important thing to all of them - that alone is so miraculous. Also, I really needed help myself. Every second of latihan, plus personal testing about my future. The Role of Subud in the World at this Time The large group kejiwaan testing flowed on, day after day, and much of it was focused on that BIG changes that seem to be coming to the world and how we are guided to be in the face of them. Countries have serious problems everywhere - and people need to know how best to respond to what is disturbing and happening in the world around them. Questions about the role of SUBUD in the world at the current time, and our individual roles within that far greater purpose seemed important and some had powerful receiving. My receivings went from the small weary and solitary latihan I have done at home recently, to a very large receiving about the world, end of life, etc. etc. I filled a journal with them. Interestingly, Pope Francis visited Poland at the same time as our Congress, only to the south in Krakow. There were youth groups who travelled far to see him and give service - both Catholic and evangelical Christian groups were present in Poland. Old Friends It was also wonderful to meet old friends from around the world, and two of them tested with me how to be concerning my job. Two other new acquaintances helped to determine and confirm my own receiving about my next important step - which is the upcoming celebration in Indonesia of Bapak opening the first person. There will be a tour of significant places in Bapak's life and it seems that I MUST go... well, that it is pretty powerful message that I hope will give me courage and strength to carry on. There were many cultural events...including a brilliant pilot TV film called Finding the Warrior Within, by upcoming second generation members Guillaume Sanchez, Pierce Vaughn and Björn Vaughn; and a documentary film called Coffee Man, which recently won best Australian documentary at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, produced by a young Australian Subud member Roland Fraval. I personally participated in a writer's workshop and came up with the kernel of a possible children's picture book. I'll work to develop and improve it. SICA Chairman Sebastian Flynn s Cultural Compass work with refugees and displaced persons is therapeutic and impressive. I also liked Monica Clark s project from South Africa called I Protect Me, which involves the whole community in teaching children and women to protect against violence, South Africa being 'the rape capital of the world' - an excellent project in good hands that is earning recognition for successfully doing such important work. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 8
Back to Work I start back to work tomorrow. On August 18th I'll be 70 years - never dreamed I'd live so long. Finally, after many years of living in an area where local latihan is not available, I have realized that I shall ultimately need to live where there is latihan nearby. The situation of feeling alone, in an overwhelming world, without latihan and family support, will become untenable, as I grow too old to hold a job. For now, I head back to work feeling appreciated for my "incredible capacity and talent" (supportive comment from a Subud sister), which should help me deal with co-workers here. Hope so anyway. Here is a website with approx. 500 photos of the gathering in Poland. http://fair2.media/subud2016/ Crescent Beach A Gathering Lucas Foss Harmony is one word that comes to mind in describing the retreat because it was a felt experience, a very similar experience to the one day gathering at Errington in May. Yes, harmony but also fluidity, clarity and a richness in selfless acts of giving and contributing. It felt good. There were so many instances of love and support manifesting from the heart. There were beautiful children being themselves. There were two birthdays celebrated: David Hitchcock and Michelle Butterfield... not sure who is older but they both ate a lot of cake... more than most I d say. And three babies were born... nope. Many folks were recognized for their monumental contributions such as David and Kumari who did such a fantastic job organizing and taking care of us with loving hearts. There were many others but I particularly noticed the inexhaustible energy that was displayed daily by Reuben, playing, entertaining and watching over the children of all ages. So nice for each parent to know their kids are happy and safe. Oh and ever popular George Demers helped out there as well. This was the first retreat that Regional Helpers Ramon, Lucas, Estella and Adelia were together at the same place and time. How sweet it is says James Taylor and Jackie Gleason and we all agree. It is such a pleasure to work well together and care about each other. We supported members with personal and group testing. For the men we offered a couple of tested questions and then opened it up for member offerings. There were questions about aging raised and tested. In Errington I remember a testing question for isolated members with regards to doing latihan together with their spouses. A number of variations were received ranging from yes it s fine to yes but in separate rooms. I m pretty sure based on the closing circle that all 74 attendees were happy they attended the event. Of course it helped there was sunshine all weekend and so we hold that wish for next year and that everyone who attended remembers this heartfelt impression on their soul. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 9
Subud Youth and the Basara International Youth Gathering George Demers How will our children learn if they don t see us fly? How will our children fly if we don t give them the opportunities? Many, many years ago, when I was a very young man, I came across some words which had a great impact on me at the time. They were I am a lover but have yet to find my thing to love or something similar. I don t remember who wrote them or where they came from, a poem, an essay, a book? The reason they had such an impact on me at that time in my life was because they so perfectly captured how I was feeling a dawning awareness of great pas sion within me, a feeling of intensity and the realization that I did not yet know how to express this paon into the world. I hadn t yet found my thing to love. This was also many, many years be fore I discovered Subud. If I had been in Subud then, I might have de scribed my experience at the time as slowly becoming aware of the im mensity of the meaning of my connection with God, of my uniqueness and a building intensity of passion or purpose. I might even have under stood back then that I could use that connection to diver how to express what I truly and completely am into the world. But I did not discover Subud while I was still young. I stum bled along by myself, still aware of a kind of passion within me but unable to find a way to connect with it, eventually replacing it with a life that conformed and distracted but didn t touch this sense of unrealized passion. Discovering Subud has changed all that for me but that s another story. This is the story I would like to talk about now. I hope most of you are aware of Basara Youth Camp 2016. It is a Subud Youth gathering which will take place from December 29, 2016 to January 7, 2017 in Rungan Sari, Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a collaboration between Subud Youth Activities International and Subud Youth Indonesia and is being organized primarily by the youth in Indone sia (by the youth, for the youth) with support, as requested, from the WSA, IHs, all wing bodies (SICA, SDI, SESI, SIHA), Yes Quest and Human Force, all of whom will be present during Basara and will help facilitate the event. Basara is an opportunity for young members to deeply connect with Subud by deeply connecting with themselves. It s an opportunity for young Subud members to find their place within Subud and in the world. You can find out all about it on their website www.basarayouthcamp.com. We need to get our youth there, however, to allow them this opportunity to develop. Youth are no toriously limited by their lack of financial resources and attending will be very challenging for most of them. A challenge is good, but it is even better when it is a challenge that brings us all together to find ways to meet it. In my role as International Youth coordinator I have had an opportunity to meet and talk with many Subud members and have always been moved by a strong sense of yearning many have to share the gifts they have received through the latihan with the younger generation, to allow them to discover, sooner, many of the things we discovered much later in our lives. Not to pass on Subud to them, but to share Subud with them. Together. I have this vision of every single local Subud group interacting with their youth. Wouldn t it.. couldn t it. be amazing if every group began a project to work together to raise enough money to send one or two young people from their group to Basara. The older members working with the younger members, getting to know each other, sharing together, stretching and growing together. Teaching each other to fly. Yes, that would be amazing. We can do that! Note: it is also possible to donate directly to Basara. There are two funds established, one to assist youth with registration costs which can be had through the Basara website at www.basarayouthcamp.com. There you can find a secure Paypal link for donations. The other fund is the Inter national Youth Travel Fund to help mitigate the travel costs of those youth who need to travel the farthest. This fund can be contacted through the WSA website www.subud.org. Basara website http://basarayouthcamp.com. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 10
The Joys of Organizing a Regional Gathering! There once was an old chap named Dave Who tested for Regional Chair oh how brave! To find out his task For some input he asked And the members, their input they gave! More gatherings, was the cry that went out Twice a year, if you can, was the shout In the spring and the fall We ll come to them all They re what we love, there s no doubt! Now the cost is important to me Or, preferably, please make it free I have little money. Are you sure it ll be sunny? And how far is the walk to the sea? I need more time to make up my mind To rush me is not very kind I ll feel, then I ll test And then have a rest Don t tell me that you re in a bind! I ll register late, it s only me I m coming, I promise, you ll see My minds not made up Would I sleep in a hut?!!! You re joking, perhaps, if it s free? Don t have it in May, it s too cold! Nor too late, when the summer unfolds I don t like the rain To much sun, just the same And if it is Ramadan hold! We don t want to travel or hike Just a very short trip on my bike! Make it super close by With no need to fly Full of great folks, who I really do like! Overall it must be just like home With WIFI, TV and a phone The rooms not too hot Do they come with a cot? No mattresses made out of foam! And we re all getting on in our years So our comforts we need, Poor old dears! Single rooms for a song The beds must be long Or we ll spend sleepless nights, all in tears! And remember our dietary needs please No gluten, no pork and no cheese Vegan is fine! I d like meat on mine! What do you mean, that will put up my fees?!! After all has been said and been done It really is lots, lots of fun Most people are great Only some are too late They re the ones who don t walk in, they run! Do I do this for purification? From the lows to the lofty elation? All the ups and the downs All you jokers and clowns In the end, it is pure celebration! So, despite all my jesting and moaning And the times I wake up simply groaning When I see all you folks And hear all your jokes It is worth all the emails and phoning! There once was an old chap named Dave Who tested for Regional Chair oh how brave! A second term he was tasked Would you test? he was asked And the members, their approval, they gave! Dave Hitchcock Western Regional Chair July 2016 SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 11
Introducing: CONNECT - a New Magazine from WSA The WSA Executive Team welcome all members to CONNECT - the new quarterly, digital magazine full of stories from across the broad spectrum of our Subud community. Enjoy a good read and, if possible, please help ensure (either personally or via National Committees) that members without computers and internet get to see printed copies. This issue includes an editorial letter from our WSA Chair, Elias Dumit, a segment titled Looking Back with rememberances of Pak Haryono Sumohadiwidjojo, Varindra Vittachi and Rebeca Wild, Q&A from Puebla to Freiburg, Subud Germany's journey to the next World Congress, News from around Our Subud World, and much more. In addition to this new magazine, the Executive Team will continue to send out For Your Information FYI, the monthly WSA work progress report. The next issue will come out on June 1, 2016 Feedback and thoughts on the magazine can be sent to the WSA Executive Secretary, Selamah Leclaire at salamah.wsa@gmail.com To subscribe to CONNECT, click here: http://subud.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e1e5ced84e76d27e58e4a3244&id=34535c8bf4 Funding the Future of Subud By Ismanah Schulze-Vorberg, Executive Chair of the World Subud Association, and Hilaria Dette, Treasurer of the World Subud Association Dear Brothers and Sisters, We are in a transition period. Brothers and sisters who met Bapak in person are getting older. Subud members who were opened during the last 25 years never had the chance to meet Bapak. Therefore, we have to build a strong foundation to convey Subud and the latihan to the next generations as pure and true as we received it. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 12
These numbers are not exact! Some people can give more, and some less. We just need the right mix of contributions to combine to USD 250,000, whether they are USD 100, USD 200, USD 500, USD 1000, USD 1200, or even USD 2500! We also want to be very clear: contributing to WSA should not reduce your pledge to your group or your national organization. This effort by WSA is not meant to weaken any of the vital local structure of Subud. We even hope that recognition of the importance of WSA will encourage members to increase their support at the local level! How are contributions transformed into visible results? International helpers travel supports and develops the latihan all over the world. The international helpers meet with members, attend gatherings and work with local helpers. Members constantly give feedback saying how valuable these visits are. WSA budget has foreseen USD 166,000 including overhead in this area. Bapak s talks are a precious and valuable resource for Subud members now and in the future and embody the essence of the Subud latihan. There is a need to maintain and preserve them as well as translate them to make them accessible to all members. WSA budget 2016 is USD 137,000 including overhead in this field. The human activities aspect of WSA s work supports brothers and sisters in need around the world through our Care Support program and funding Zone gatherings especially in Africa and other areas where funds are scarce and the need is great. WSA budget 2016 has foreseen USD 89,000 including overhead. At World Congresses, gatherings and meetings the Subud community comes together. There members meet each other, experience the deepening of the latihan and take part in the business of WSA, cementing the future of Subud in the world. Funds are needed to enable as many members as possible, especially young members, to attend gatherings, meetings and events and the 2018 World Congress. WSA budget for the current year shows USD 108,000 including overhead. We hope that after reading the explanation of WSA's work you will seriously consider enlisting to make an annual contribution at a level you can meet. It is our feeling that by sharing the work of raising USD 250,000 among the many of us from so many countries around the world, we can do this! In fact, the good news is that we already have the commitment from one member to match all contributions up to the first USD 100,000! How good is that! SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 13
If you have questions and suggestions, you are welcome to write us an email to funding.the.future@ subud.org Now, how can you send money to WSA? There are three ways to send your contribution to WSA. First and simplest, you can send a personal check, made payable to World Subud Association, to the WSA Secretary: Salamah Leclaire, 196 Ridge Trail, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Account Number: 5066637108 (Wells Fargo) Salamah will deposit your check and send you a thank-you from WSA along with a receipt for tax purposes. Second, if you are familiar with BillPay (a free check-writing service which most banks offer), then you can easily set up regular monthly payments to WSA via Salamah. (If you are not already using BillPay, you will have to go to your bank to register for this service. BillPay enables you to pay bills online without using stamps! If you use BillPay, you do not send the checks BillPay creates and sends checks for you.) Third, you can donate using the DONATE button at the WSA website. This donation method (serviced by Network for Good) costs 3 percent (which if you wish you can add to your payment), but allows payment by credit card. You can set up regular monthly payments from your credit card at the DONATE button. Also, if you have a PayPal account you can set up regular monthly payments from your checking account rather than from a credit card. Thank you for considering a donation to help support WSA! With love and respect, Ismanah WSA Executive Chair Hilaria WSA Treasurer Why do we have to depend on Almighty God? Hence Bapak says, Why do we have to depend on Almighty God? The reason is that God is the only One who can repair something that is beyond repair, and clear a state that is impossible to clear. As you know, as Bapak has explained maybe here or elsewhere the faults we have were not just caused by us, by our actions in our life here, but by our ancestors. Yes. This is referred to in Buddhism as karma: the embodiment of a person s wrong actions will be carried by their offspring, their descendants. It is clear that the faults in you have existed from your ancestors until they reached you. So, clearly, the faults you have are impossible to clean. It is impossible because the longest you will live in this world is a hundred years, a hundred and fifty at most, whereas the mistakes your ancestors committed have existed for hundreds and hundreds of years. But there is no need to be unhappy. God is Almighty and that is a reality and we have received it. So now we have that, we understand or we realise that the faults we have within us will never disappear, will never be cleansed, unless by the grace of Almighty God. And, fortunately, luckily for us, we have received that [grace]; you received it when you were opened and you receive it whenever you do latihan, as you did earlier. Because of this, brothers and sisters, if you consider this deeply and recall the true nature of what you have received, truly, you will regret it if you do not devote yourself diligently to the Subud latihan. And you will realise that only after you die. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 14
Talk to men and women - Is there any way to make up for lost time? New York, U.S.A. May 18, 1967 Talk # 8 From "Bapak's Talks Volume 18", The Complete Recorded Talks Of Bapak Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo Copyright 2008 the World Subud Association. All rights reserved. Published By Subud Publications International 2008 Code Number : 67 NYC 3 Authorized Translation, For Subud Members Only Brothers and sisters, tonight Bapak is going to give you some more explanations about the latihan the spiritual training of Susila Budhi Dharma that you have received and practise. There is definitely no way to speed up the spiritual training of Susila Budhi Dharma in the way you would like to. The reason is that your latihan proceeds by God s will, and God knows the capacity, nature and strength of each of you. But although there is no outer way for you to accelerate it, once you have been given the strength and you have been purified of the mistakes and dirt that are present in your inner feeling, Bapak expects that you will rapidly receive what you need everything you need for your life. Whether you like it or not, whether you want to or not, you must accept that fact. For although outwardly you look the same, your strength varies from person to person. Take the prophets: there have been about one thousand prophets, but fewer than ten prophets were able to receive the perfect life as messengers of God. This is why Bapak tells you not to be in a hurry, because by trying to hurry you will only slow your receiving down. Therefore the best attitude to have is to be patient and to have complete faith in the greatness of Almighty God. If you do that, you will make it possible for God to clean your inner feeling, which is full of mistakes, at a faster pace. And if the final hour comes, if it is time for you to die but you have not achieved what you hoped for, then because your soul has been awakened, because your inner feeling has begun to be cleaned, those processes will keep going. So you do not need to worry that you are too old and have missed your chance, that you have run out of time. Your soul that is now awake, your inner feeling that has begun to be cleaned, will keep working until you get what you need for your life. Bapak has heard that many older people have asked whether there is any way to make up for lost time, because they are old and will not live in this world much longer. That is why he is telling you this. To give you proof, a member had just such an experience; this took place in Japan. There was a young member there this is just an example whose receiving was not that good, whose latihan was far from perfect, but his time had come. It was God s will that he die young. And in fact, after he died he continued to do latihan. Usman will tell you about it, so that you get an idea of how the latihan you receive and follow works for people who have received it. Usman: There was a case in Japan, in Tokyo, which happened to one of our members and proves the truth of what Bapak has just explained to you. There was a Subud member there, he was not old, he was quite young maybe in his thirties or forties and he died a while ago. And one of the members experienced that, even though this man had died, he came back again I mean his soul to meet a friend. This is to prove to you that even though someone has died, their soul is still alive. This young man had been in Subud for some time, and his latihan was quite good. And one day or one night he received in his latihan that he was going to die very soon. And before he died he told this receiving to a friend of his and asked, if he died, that his friend should go and see his family once in a while and give some advice and help them, if necessary. And, really, two or three months later he died. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 15
One night his friend was in the latihan hall, sitting down outside the latihan room quietening himself for a while. Suddenly he felt beside him, on his right side, a person touching his arm. He opened his eyes and saw on his right side his friend who had died. But at that moment he did not realise his friend had died, because it was so real. He had forgotten completely that his friend had died. So he started talking with him. And this friend I mean the friend who had died reminded him of his promise; his promise that he would go to his family, his wife and children, to see them once in a while. But still the man did not realise that he was talking to a friend who had already died. And then he asked his best friend to do latihan. So they entered the latihan room and did latihan. And after the latihan he said to his friend, Now, let s go to your house and see how your family is doing. They took a taxi and went off. [Laughter.] About a hundred metres or maybe a kilometre before they arrived at the house his dead friend suddenly said to him, Look, I am not going with you, because I still have something urgent to do. You go alone and speak to my wife and children. At that moment the man realised that he was in the car and talking with a dead friend. And the moment he turned to look at his friend, his friend had disappeared. Then, instead of going to the house of his friend, he went back to the hall and told all this to the other members who had done the latihan with him. He asked them whether they had also seen this dead friend doing latihan in the hall. But none of them had. It was he alone who had that experience. So this is to give you evidence or proof of what Bapak just explained to you about the fact that even when you have died the latihan is still going on, that the soul is still living. Bapak: This is proof for you. It is not a story, it happened just recently. The friend who was asked to help guide and advise the widow was busy preparing the matters to be discussed and debated at the international congress that is going to be held in August. So this story is not made up, it really happened and it happened recently. As soon as the deceased s friends in Japan his Subud friends heard this story they asked Bapak, Is it true, did it really happen? Bapak answered, Yes, it happened. It happened because both his inner feeling and his soul are alive. Therefore, what is important is to be aware of the spiritual training of Susila Budhi Dharma when you work, when you go out and you are out and about, when you are at home while you eat or sleep. You need to do this because the latihan is not the kind of training where you need to use your heart1 and mind, all you have to do is get used to feeling it, get used to receiving it. At the same time, you should continue to use your heart and mind in the usual way to meet your needs in this world. If you do that, when it comes to your receiving Bapak cannot promise that you will receive quickly, but what you receive will keep evolving and you will receive many things. In the end you will understand even if only to a small extent things that people cannot ordinarily understand or comprehend. But never feel that [the latihan] is difficult to do, never look on it as a burden, for it is there when you see, or hear, or smell, or eat, or feel, or touch something. Clearly, what you receive, what we call the Subud latihan, is now present and active in every part of your body. If you have that attitude you will not feel burdened, because doing latihan is not like following a teaching, where if you do not study you will forget how to do it. The latihan is not like that; you do not need to study how to do it. You just need to make sure that when you are about to sleep, when you are about to go out, when you are about to eat, that you remember the greatness of God and that you quieten yourself and subdue your emotions. You will soon feel even though faintly that in everything you do you are always accompanied by the power of God, that you are always accompanied by the will of God, which, SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 16
as Bapak told you, is the will of God that is present in every member of your body, in every part of your being. But do not go around doing latihan in the same way that you do in the latihan hall. You just need to feel your latihan. If you were to go around doing latihan the whole time, you would be trying to force yourself to progress. But you are not ready for that. Doing so would have negative consequences, you would go through something that other people would think was bad a crisis. It is enough to do latihan two or three times a week. And Bapak needs to warn you and if Bapak warns you about something it means that it is dangerous never use any kind of drugs or medication in an attempt to quieten your emotions or quieten your thoughts. It is wrong to use drugs or medication to do that. If you use medication for that, your heart does not become quiet; on the contrary, it becomes lifeless, it becomes rigid. The state of calm you achieve in that way is not a true state of calm; it is a state of impotence. In fact, you need your heart to be healthy; your heart should be potent. There lies the difference between the state of quiet brought about or willed by God and a state of quiet you achieve with your own will. The state of quiet willed by God comes about because God is Almighty, and therefore can quieten your heart without affecting its quality or its function. But if you use your will to quieten your heart, in time your heart will become passive, powerless. You will not want to work, you will not want to do anything but you will still enjoy eating. That is the point; Bapak warns you against using [medication] thinking that, because it can have a calming effect on your emotions and your thoughts, it will help you to receive better. In fact, by doing latihan, although you must not involve your heart and mind when you do latihan, it turns out that because you do not involve them, your heart and mind get healthier. They become healthy because they are kept out of your innermost feelings, your inner feeling. In consequence, your inner feeling as well as your heart and your brain, your emotions and your thoughts, are restored to health; they come to life. As Bapak may have told you the other night, this latihan is not new. You already experienced it when you were a baby, when you were in your mother s womb. But why is it that now, when you receive this training it feels strange, it feels new? The reason is that the connection between your inner feeling and your soul has been closed for such a long time from the time you were small through to adulthood. And now at last that connection has been opened again and restored to its former state, so that your inner feeling can be just as it was before it was filled by the influences of this world, which got into it via your heart and your mind. And later on, as your inner feeling becomes cleaner and cleaner, you will understand and you will know the truth of what Bapak is telling you now. And if you ask where God s justice is in giving you a heart and mind that tempt you all your life, causing you not to worship God properly, and causing you constantly to be troubled by emotions and thoughts, the answer is that it is God s will. To enable you to do all the things you need to do to live in this world you were equipped with a heart and mind. Without a heart and mind you could not get what you need to live here. You have also been equipped with low forces material forces, vegetable forces, animal forces and your own human force as well as other forces, which are higher than the human force. This is because the form you take in this life means that you need to have all these forces. Without the existence of these life forces, whether low or high, you could not function as a human being who has been put in this world. Therefore do not discard or try to eliminate your material, vegetable, animal or human forces. If you did not have the material forces in your inner feeling, if they were not part of your nature, you would not know about clothes, you would not know about money, you would not know how to fill the world with all the things you have now. And neither can you do without or avoid the vegetable forces. Without the vegetable forces you could not live in this world in human form, because the vegetable forces build your form, they nourish and make you grow; they become your flesh and blood. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 17
And neither can you avoid the animal forces. Without animals, the animal forces, you would have no energy to live, so you need [to eat] animals. Even though some of you say that you do not eat meat, the truth is that you do, because even in vegetables, in your food, animal essences are present. You see the proof when you try to keep some place meticulously clean in spite of all your efforts something will always grow there. Clearly, the animal forces are everywhere. The same goes for the human force, the jasmani [Arab.: physical] force. Without it you could not think, nor could you have descendants, you could not have children. The jasmani or human force gives rise to men and women, whose nature is to mate, to marry. So you need to have the human force and use it in your life. Without the human force you could never know how you were brought into this world; what your life was like before you were born; and the difference between your life before you were put in this world and now that you live here. And the same applies to other forces, which are higher than the human force, such as the ruhani [Arab.] force. There is no way you can get rid of that force, because you have no power to do so. Quite the opposite, if you are patient and surrender to God, the ruhani force a high life force that is higher than human beings will enter you. If it does that while you live in this world, even though you are only human you will know and understand about things beyond this world, beyond what humans can know. So it is clear that the material, the vegetable, the animal and the human forces are not there to tempt you, they are not there to prevent you worshipping Almighty God. However, you need to be able to separate one force from another. Those forces the life forces that you have in your inner feeling should function in your life like the members of a human household. A human household has a head of the house, a lady of the house, a housekeeper, a cook who buys and prepares food, a gardener who tends the garden, someone who cleans the house, and a houseboy who fetches and carries. Together they form the structure for family life. With that structure in place, the life of that family will go well provided that guidelines are enforced and they are the ones God has set down. The head of the house must be in charge, he should not do the housework, the gardening, the cooking or worry about prices in the market. The lady of the house should not do menial work, she should concern herself with what is uppermost the children. The others should do likewise; they must act and work according to their jobs. This is to give you an example. But in your life, when as a human being you worship God, do not be influenced by anything which could lead you astray, which could lead you to a different objective. For example, you worship God but when you do so you want something, you have a wish you pray to God out of a wish to get rich, to be promoted, to defeat someone, to get something, and so on. If you do that, you are acting out of desire5 and you are not in the state you need to be in to worship God. When you worship God do not think about your work, do not think about your needs, do not think about anything to do with this world. That is why Bapak tells you to surrender to God with acceptance and sincerity. In truth, the most important thing for your life in this world in fact it is said to be your true worship of Almighty God can be seen in the example of the life of Adam when he was put in this world. After Adam was placed in the world he complained to God, God, now that I am in this world, I do not know You any more, I cannot hear Your voice any more, I cannot smell or feel You any more. How could You do this to me? After all, You created me. Then God said to Adam, Adam, I am Almighty. I did not put you in the world for nothing. I am going to give you something that will make your life complete and then you will be able to worship me. Then God created another kind of human, a female. And with that woman, Adam could once again feel and receive his worship of Almighty God; he could once again worship God in the true way. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 18
Recalling what Adam experienced and what happened to Adam when he was with Eve, it is clear that marriage between a man and a woman is really a way for human beings to recall what it was like before they were sent into this world, in other words what it was like before they had physical human organs and after they had them. However, while what Bapak just told you may seem simple enough, and many of you think that this is a matter of little consequence, in truth, marriage or intercourse between a man and woman is the most important thing in human life but it is full of peril. The trouble is that through your own faults, through your own carelessness, by neglecting to worship God when you make love to your wife, or when a wife makes love to her husband, a new human being is created a human embryo which is full of dirt and sin. And the human embryo you make, your child, will grow up to be a human being who does not live by the rules that God has laid down for them. They will be someone who is driven only by desire, who seeks and wants only material things; they will not worship God and they will not submit and have total faith in the greatness of Almighty God. That is why in religions Protestantism, Catholicism or Islam when Catholics, Protestants or Muslims marry they must do so in a church or a mosque. There the couple make an oath not a curse but they say the words, I believe in God and God s power and I bear witness that a human being is God s representative, to make more human beings to populate this world in the right way. The words used in Islam are, Ashhadu al-la ilaha illa llah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulu llah. Those words mean: There is no God to be worshipped other than Almighty God, Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad here Muhammad means a male human being is God s representative. Those are the words spoken in mosques. Bapak assumes that similar words are spoken in churches by Catholics and Protestants. But once those words are said, once the couple are newly-wed and they do what is normal go home and make love they forget. They forget what they said in the mosque, they forget what they said in the church. What they do is far from the worship of God, and they do not fulfil their role as God s witness. That is the problem. This is the root cause of why so many people find it hard to receive the will of God that is inside them. Even though God loves humankind, even though God has graced humankind to the point that God can unite with any part of a human being God can unite with you in your seeing, God can unite with you in your hearing, God can unite with you in your sense of smell, God can unite with you in your feelings, God can unite with you in your heart and mind still, human beings cannot feel God. Why is that? The cause, as Bapak just told you, is that many human beings were created out of desire and not out of God s grace; [their parents] did not remember Almighty God at all times. So what took place was not the same as is told in the story of the prophet, the story of Adam. After Adam made love to Eve, Adam exclaimed, God, now I know that You still love me. What I just felt after You gave Eve to me is no different from what I felt when I was still in heaven. After Adam experienced this, Eve said to him, I am fortunate to be your life companion, Adam, for I am the channel and you pass through, so if you can pass through me and reach God, I will certainly be taken there with you. That, brothers and sisters, is the truth about marriage, according to Adam. So it is hardly surprising that every book be it the holy books or other books, such as the novels people write almost without exception every book is about men and women. Every book is almost certain to be about men and women, women and men, because everything in this world is either male or female. If there were one without the other, the world would be empty. If there were only males, the world would be a dull place. If there were only females, the world would be dull place. So, there are males and females it is the will of Almighty God. [During Usman s translation, Usman says. writers always write about man and wife and Bapak interrupts to say in English, Always! at which point the audience laughs.] Everything God creates has a counterpart the earth and the sky, night and day, large and small, male and female. Do not imagine that wind does not have a male and a female. Do not imagine that water does not have a male and a female. Do not imagine that fire does not have a male and a female. Everything SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 19
has a counterpart, with the single exception of Almighty God. That is the difference between God and God s creatures. This is the point of doing this spiritual training Bapak is going to return to the subject of the latihan now. Why does this spiritual training involve making movements that he describes as alive? Because that is how it should be something that is right is something that is filled with life. It is obvious. Even thoughts that are filled with life are good. Anything that is filled with life is good. Automatic watches that are filled with life are good. If it is filled with life it is good. That is how it is. And that is why this spiritual training is training to be alive. In fact, the term spiritual is not the right term to use. However, there was no other way to describe this training; there was not another term that fitted the nature of the latihan. When Bapak called it training to live [people asked], What does training to live mean? Why do we have to train to live? We are already alive aren t we, so what do we need training for? So Bapak had to change the name to spiritual training. The correct term is training for human life. That is why every part of you is brought to life. Once the whole of your inner feeling is alive, it goes without saying that anything that is alive can feel its own nature. For example, if you were dead you would not feel anything, but you are alive, so even if a mosquito lands on you, you can feel it. So when every part of you is alive when your eyes, when your seeing is truly alive you will be able to sense what is right or wrong. Oh, my seeing is motivated by the desires. You sense it. I am seeing this under the control of the animal forces. You sense it. I am seeing this under the control of the vegetable forces. You sense it. I am seeing this because I am thinking about A or B or C. You sense it. So, once the whole of your inner feeling has been brought to life you will be able to feel your true nature. Then you will be able to tell what is right for you and what is not, which part of you is noble and which is base, and which part of you is your true individuality. You will know the true way to behave. You need to know that in order to be able to discard or rid yourself of your dirt, of your mistakes. And if you can complete that process, later on when you come to die the angels will not need to inspect you; you will not need to go through customs. There will be no need. When you show up [they will say], Ah just go through, [gesture]. You will have already been inspected. Before you die the angels will have checked you out, you will be clean. This is what this latihan is for it has come from God; it is God s help. Time has gone fast, I saw one or two people leave just now. This is why Bapak told you the story of Adam, and told you about newborn babies and about how God created the heavens, the angels and human beings. Bapak told you all those things just so that you could see that the latihan is not alien, it is not new; it exactly follows the history of humankind from the time of their creation; from when they were placed on this earth; when God s will was placed inside them and human beings being able to say what God wanted them to do. All those stories are in complete agreement with what we receive in the latihan. We have been awakened, we have been brought to life, and this is just the start. So do not be in a hurry to know everything. It is not time for you to understand yet. When it comes to understanding Bapak will explain the different levels of understanding. The first level that will be penetrated can be likened to a house or place that has high status, but it is still the lowest one it has an important position, and yet it is base. In Islam it is known as Bait-al-Muqaddas, the location of amorous desire, the place where a man feels the desire to make love to a woman who will bear a child. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 20
That is the first part of you to be penetrated. Once that has been penetrated, you move to the next level, a house or place that is bigger still, which is described as spirit or holy feeling. In Islam it is called Bait-al-Muharram. After that house has been penetrated you move higher still, to a place which is even more spacious, it is even more extensive than the other houses. This is where human beings get understanding, wisdom what the Dutch call wijs. In Islam this place is called Bait-al Mamur. Once that house has been penetrated, there is still one more, a single point. That point is known as Qalb. It is at the heart of life, including human life, animal life every kind of life. This is what Bapak can tell you, but you do not need to think about it now, as you still have a long, long way to go. For now, just receive one movement after another move freely and say whatever you are made to say. You are Americans and you speak English, but when you do latihan what you say is unintelligible, Cèkècok ocèkècok ocèkècok ocèk Who knows what it means? If I ask you, Do you understand what you are saying? You reply, I have no idea. But if you remember: It is how I was when I was a baby. A baby, a newborn baby can only say, Me ma me ma mi ma mi ma mi wik wok wik wok wik wok [Laughter.] If you were to take a baby to the jungle and leave it there, and in the jungle it was raised by a monkey, it would speak like a monkey. Yes. If it was raised by a dog, it would speak like a dog, Woof, woof, woof, like that. Yes. If it was raised by a monkey: Mwek mwek mwek mwek, just like a monkey. [Laughter.] Just like the story of Tarzan. You have heard of Tarzan; the film was screened in cinemas here in America. That is how it would be. So, if you remember what it was like when you were a baby: Oh yes, it was like this. Thus, at this stage in your training you are taken back to the state of feeling like a baby. If you understand that, you will realise: Of course, it was like this. Therefore you get to understand and receive and feel what it was like when the atmosphere of the material world entered you and displaced the knowledge you had of the spiritual realm when you were a baby. But for now, accept these movements as the start of your training, when all you can do is move like this [gesture]. Take Lawrence Clark: when he does latihan it looks as if he is flying; he tries to take off. Children do that too. But he does not understand why he does that. Why does he try to fly? He cannot fly. Only later, when you reach the level that Bapak has spoken of, will you be able to understand this. So, the place you have to experience now, which must be penetrated first, is the house of sexual desire, so that you know how a man and a woman should have sex without being affected or driven by the desires. But although you have only got that far that is as far as you have got you can already feel a difference. You will certainly have felt some change, particularly in your behaviour. If you used to be quick to anger, now you are not. If you used to hit people, now you do not hit them so often. If you used to fight with your wife, or as a wife you fought with your husband well, you may not have stopped but you fight much less. So you have seen a benefit from the latihan. And as the days and months and years go by, the benefits will grow and become more and more pervasive. Eventually, the ladies here will understand what it means to be a woman. Perhaps, at this point you do not understand that, you only know and see that a woman s body is a different shape from a man s [laughter], but you do not understand what a woman is yet. Earlier on, Bapak told you that after Eve got Adam or Adam got Eve, Eve said to God, God, I am so fortunate. Now I know that in truth I am a channel. I am a channel for something to pass through me namely, Adam. And if Adam uses me, and through me he gets to heaven, I will get there too. These are just a few words, but you need to understand and absorb them. So, it is really hard on a man, because the man is the one who has to achieve this. The man is the one SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 21
who has to be able to worship God in the right way. As for the woman, in truth she is simply the channel. Therefore, if a man gets to heaven, his wife automatically gets there too. To put it simply, if what passes through the channel is a cart, it will leave the imprint of a cart. If what passes through the channel is a car, it will leave the imprint of a car. If what passes through the channel is a buffalo, it will leave the imprint of a buffalo. And, if what passes through is a human being, it will leave the imprint of a human being. The truth is that it is the man who has to know how, it is the man who has to be like Adam he is the one who has to get to heaven. That is why I urge all of you men to pray to Almighty God and ask to receive God s grace, so that you can carry out your duties and responsibilities properly as men in human society. That is all. People keep slipping away, so Bapak will end this talk now. He will continue tomorrow night, on our last night together, with an explanation about the process of the latihan how your latihan will develop if you are a woman and if you are a man. That just leaves Bapak to say goodnight and thank you. Notes 1. Heart: the word hati, which is usually translated as heart, is the feeling that is limited to our mortal nature. Literally, hati means the liver and is considered to be the seat of the feelings, emotions and desires. Heart is not a perfect fit however, for in Bapak s usage it is also the place where imagining and daydreaming take place. Therefore in some places the word imagination has been considered to be a more appropriate translation. The content of the human heart is the images of all that a person has experienced from childhood, throughout their life and into old age. Bapak, Paris 1959. [Collected Talks, Vol. 6, 59 PAR 3, p239] Book Review Following his highly entertaining book, The Optimist, Laurence Shorter now brings us The Lazy Guru s Guide to Life - A Mindful Approach to Achieving More by Doing Less. It is illustrated by Magali Charrier. Are you stressed out, feel like you re in a creative rut, or are having trouble taming your inner control freak? Welcome to The Lazy Guru s Guide to Life, an innovative, inspiring, and illustrated guide to effortless and mindful self-improvement. The concept of being lazy goes back thousands of years. It s what the Chinese sages call Wu Wei or no trying, a natural way of being--a flow state--where the body is relaxed and attention is focused. So if your world seems like it s spinning too fast and can t be stopped, the Lazy Guru is here to show you how anyone can be effortlessly creative and return themselves to flow without years of meditation or therapy. Through a series of games and activities, Shorter provides readers with practical problem-solving skills; down-to-earth means for restoring inspiration, relaxation and creativity; and, above all else, peace of mind. Being such a new book, it s hardly suprising there s only one review on Amazon so far, but it s a Five Star review and reads: Brilliant book, so simple! Beautiful illustrations, I bought the kindle edition and am really happy with it. Really enjoyed the book, recommend it to anyone who is looking for new perspective and peace. Available on Amazon for 13.48 (CAD$23.17, US$18) hard cover, or 7.99 Kindle version SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 22
A Personal Story: The Gift by Latifah Taormina June 28, 2016 Sometimes, as if through a misty curtain of flowers and light, I can still see her. Her name was Sumari. Siti Sumari. I called her Ibu. She was very special. I don t know how to put it into words, but it was something lovely and light that you could feel when she was near. Right: Portrait of Siti Sumari by Latifah Taormina I didn t get to see Ibu a whole lot as she lived in Indonesia, and I lived in California. But late one summer, when we were both visiting a place called Skymont, in Virginia, I spent almost a whole week with Ibu. She told me stories every day, and when I had to dress up for something, I would come show her what I was going to wear. And later, we would go for walks, and she would take my hand and tell me more stories. In all her stories, there was always someone who was ordinary on the outside, but very special inside. What made them special? They never complained, they were always grateful to God, and, as Ibu would say in her gentle sing-song way, Every minute, every hour, every day, they ask God s forgiveness. Asking forgiveness, for Ibu, meant asking to be clean, to be returned to one s real self instead of being all cluttered up with ideas of trying to be like somebody else. It wasn t about breastbeating and wailing about guilt. It was a way of receiving God s grace. By November, the glow of summer had gone. It was a cold, damp, Northern California winter. I was missing Ibu terribly. I was also experiencing many difficulties in my life. Test after test. Many times, out of the blue, I felt like Ibu was asking me to come visit her in Indonesia, but I would rebuke myself for having such thoughts as if I could receive such a message from afar, as if Ibu would send a message to me of all people. And then I would ask forgiveness for being so prideful. In February the word came. Ibu had died. Oh no. I felt terrible. It felt like the bottom dropped out of my world. It dawned on me that she had indeed called me, but I had dismissed the message and had not gone. I cried and cried. I was still crying two days later. But as I lay in my bed I felt Ibu come into my room. Not in the way you could see a person, but in the way you can feel a presence. And she sat in the chair near the bed. It was a chair my grandmother had covered in a fabric full of tiny pink roses. Ibu very much liked pink. Why are you crying? she asked. Because I won t ever see you again, I sobbed. Because I didn t come when you called me. You mustn t cry, she said. Ibu loves you. I blinked up all my tears and turned to look at her, for when she said that, I felt full of rose petals a kind of feeling I d never had before. But when I turned, I couldn t see her at all. And then I thought to myself. Now you are really losing it. You think Ibu is sitting in that chair and talking to you. No, Ibu said laughingly. I am really here. And to prove I am here, I will tell you a story. This is the story Ibu told me: Once there was a woman who lived with her young son in a little house way out in the country. And they were very, very poor. She had no husband or family to take care of her, and her son, while he was a very good boy, was still too young to earn a living. So the woman had to do everything all by herself. Because they lived way out in the country near the edge of the forest, the woman couldn t go out and get a job like people do nowadays. There was no town nearby or neighbors to turn to. No, she just had to make do with what she had, and that wasn t very much. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 23
But the woman was a very good woman, and never complained about her situation. Every day and every night she prayed to Almighty God and thanked God for what she had and asked God to help her live a right life. And then she would sing God s praises and go to sleep. And in the days, she would scrub and clean and she would play with her son. And somehow, there was always enough. But then things got harder, and there were days when there wasn t enough to eat. Still, the woman didn t complain. She would just give more of her portion to her son and work harder to make ends meet. One day there was a knock at the door. And when she opened the door, an angel appeared before her. God is pleased with you, the angel said, and he knows your need. So He is sending a special gift so that your troubles will be over, and you will never have to worry again. With that, the angel disappeared. The woman got very excited and quickly called her young son to tell him what had just happened. What could it be that the angel would bring? And they danced around imagining what the angel might bring so they would never have to worry again. They laughed and joked about the wonderful things they would do, and thanked God for their good fortune. The next day, the angel returned. He again knocked at the door, and she ran to the door to open it. Here is your gift, the angel said, placing something before her, the gift God promised you. And again the angel disappeared. Slowly the woman went forward to see the gift. It was a cabbage! Not a golden cabbage, not a silver cabbage, but a plain, ordinary green cabbage. A full green cabbage with nice crisp leaves but still a cabbage! Why, this is just a cabbage, the woman said to herself. She wondered how this cabbage would end all her difficulties. As she took it in her hands, she thought, Even if we are very careful eating it, the cabbage will only last three days before it is all gone. She began to wonder if she d heard the angel correctly in the first place. Maybe he wasn t even an angel. Maybe this was a terrible joke. But then, she caught herself doing this and stopped, I am complaining to God, she said to herself. I am sitting here thinking that I know better than God rather than accepting the very gift God chose for me. She quickly begged forgiveness for being ungrateful. Well, we have no food, she thought. The cabbage will feed us for now. So I shall wash the cabbage and cook it, and thank God for taking care of our needs. She went to the sink and began to wash the cabbage carefully in the cool running water. As she peeled the leaves back from the cabbage, she began to sing. Then, after she had peeled a few more leaves from the cabbage, she suddenly discovered that there inside the cabbage, in its very heart was a wondrous jewel. A jewel full of light. The woman began to weep for joy for she knew this jewel was far more precious than a diamond that could be bought and sold in the market place. This jewel was a gift from God. This was a gift that would always belong to her, that she could keep inside herself, and whose light would shine outside her. It was a gift that could never ever be stolen or taken away. And indeed, the woman s troubles were over, and she knelt down with her son and praised Almighty God. You see, said Ibu at the end of her story, sometimes God sends us a gift, a gift that seems very ordinary so ordinary we might not even notice. But sometimes, what seems very ordinary is, truly, very very special. And then she was gone. But I knew she had come. And she gave me this story, and sometimes I still have that rose petal feeling. NOTE: This story was told by Latifah at the opening session of the 2016 California Regional Congess. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 24
Celebration of Matthew Baerveldt s 75th Birthday Subud Toronto Hall, August 14, 2016 SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 25
Celebration of Matthew Baerveldt s 75th Birthday Subud Toronto Hall, August 14, 2016 Karsten Smith is on Matthew s left, and Karsten celebrated his 81st birthday the following Sunday, August 21. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 26
Obituary: Herbert Brian Howland Stewart (1928-2016) It is with deep sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Herbert Brian Howland Stewart after a brief illness, on June 16th, 2016. Herbert was born on May 22, 1928 in Winnipeg and was the third of four sons born to Harry Greenwood Stewart, and Elizabeth (Chub) Howland Stewart (nee Reeves). He was predeceased by his parents and his brothers Henry (Hank) and Henry s wife Jocelyn, Lawrence, and Dennis. He is survived by his sisters-inlaw Girnith (Lawrence) and Gloria (Dennis), 35 nieces, and nephews, plus many who considered him to be their uncle. He remained happily unmarried. Herbert was someone who knew how to live. What an attitude! He was a role model for all! People who met him said he was an Inspiration and that he dressed as if he represented GQ for octogenarians. Herbert s life was typified by lovability, a positive attitude, charm, connectedness, and COMMUNICATION. He corresponded with his grade 12 Latin teacher for 64 years before moving back to Winnipeg and meeting her in a Continuing Education class. Herbert continued to use a fountain pen, and was a prolific writer. The ideas that he shared were inspiring and his letters were often treated as keepsakes. In the late 40s Herbert studied architecture at the University of Manitoba and then worked for Green, Blankstein and Russell, (now Stantech). He maintained close friendships with these colleagues all his life. In the late 50s, Herbert left Winnipeg to attend music schools in London, England, studying voice, with a view to a career in opera. Ultimately he decided that architecture would be a more pragmatic career path to follow and decided to settle in Toronto. While keeping his feet on the ground with architecture he continued to sing in operas, musicals, and choirs, and had a lifelong love of the arts. Herbert made light of his accomplishments, displaying things like his Certificate in Beginner s Tap Dancing which he earned when he was in his 60 s. Herbert was a member of Subud, an international spiritual association for over 50 years. He was an early member of Subud Toronto as well as serving as Chairman of the International Subud Committee from 1975 to 1979. He traveled extensively and developed friendships with Subud members all over the world. In the early 1980 s Herbert s friend, Ken Ang, fellow graduate of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture invited Herbert to join his architectural firm in Singapore. Herbert accepted and in addition to his architectural work, he was quickly drawn into musical circles and performed at the Raffles Hotel on numerous occasions. He eventually returned to live in Toronto and finally moved to Winnipeg in 2010 where he renewed old acquaintances and promptly joined three choirs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Winnipeg Stewart Family Scholarship Fund (PACE) the UW Foundation 901-491 Portage Avenue R3B 2E4, or the charity of your choice. Many thanks to the wonderful staff of St. Boniface Palliative Care for their care and compassion. Cremation has taken place. Funeral services were held on Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 11 am at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 256 Smith St. with a reception following next door at The Met 281 Donald St. Herbert wrote this item a few months ago in response to a survey from the folks writing the Latihan Book: Back in 1961, I was living with my cousin in London, England while studying singing. Cousin Henry Greenwood was all for the Subud and said I should join too. Nothing spectacular happened at my opening. I had no real expectations and yet it has changed me completely. The latihan has been an extremely broadening influence on all aspects of my life. I receive whatever I need to keep in shape each latihan. It has always been like this. It s a great way to be reminded that God is always looking after me. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 27
I was appointed Chair of the International Subud Committee at the World Congress, Wolfsburg, 1975. I have managed to keep up my practice of the latihan as a result of self-discipline. I am trained to meet appointments, including the time for latihan. Herbert Stewart passed away on June 16th in Winnipeg, where he had resided 6 years. Before that he was a long time Toronto member. He also lived in Singapore for 5 years and practiced the latihan with the group there. Excerpts from Talks by Bapak: You Do Not Need to Worry That You Are Too Old And if the final hour comes, if it is time for you to die but you have not achieved what you hoped for, then because your soul has been awakened [by doing the latihan], because your inner feeling has begun to be cleaned, those processes will keep going [after your death]. So you do not need to worry that you are too old and have missed your chance, that you have run out of time. Your soul that is now awake, your inner feeling that has begun to be cleaned, will keep working until you get what you need for your life. Bapak has heard that many older people have asked whether there is any way to make up for lost time, because they are old and will not live in this world much longer. That is why he is telling you this. (67 NYC 3) The Faults Do Not Remain Endlessly Within You If there are still people who have lost their way in seeking their livelihood, it is clearly the fault of their ancestors, who have caused them to have a narrow and disordered inner feeling. But even so, you should not blame your parents, for they themselves were not aware of the wrong conduct in their lives. So there is no reason for you to blame them. On the contrary, you should find a way that enables you to correct the errors they have made. It is fortunate for you that by the grace of Almighty God you can receive His guidance and direction that manifests in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, so that the faults do not remain endlessly within you. This is the reason, brothers and sisters, why Bapak has often said that the latihan kejiwaan of Subud puts a halt to this, so that the faults in your inner feeling will no longer be transmitted endlessly into the inner feeling of your descendants. In this way, your children will be human beings who have a human inner force, and an inner self with the qualities of Susila, Budhi and Dharma. As for those of you who are already old and whose children were born before you received the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, you should have the feeling of patience and acceptance, surrendering with submission and sincerity to Almighty God so that, through the latihan kejiwaan that you follow, you can bring benefit to your children. Besides this, you should also guide them so that, when they have grown up, they will like to tread in your footsteps and wish to be opened and to follow the Subud latihan. (67 TJK 7) Things we remember Mas Adji saying Recorded by Liliana MacDonald Serious face, sentimental face. I prefer sentimental face. Serious face is not my cup of tea. Don t be complicated. Join the Uncomplicated-Persons Club. Worry is imagination. Ask permission from God before doing things, even picking a flower. Mas Adji talking about losing his weight, said that he had to learn to like not to eat. Keep your eye on the journey. You should be clean, and take that cleanliness before God (when you go to pray,) and he loves you for it. If you are patient, a little is a lot. If you are impatient, a lot is a little. It is up to you how much negativity you want in your life. If you are confused, you aren t learning. Once the understanding comes, don t become a guru and teach others. Avoid teachers. The only teacher is your own inner, being taught by God. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 28
!! World Subud Council 2016 September 24th - 30th Salobreña / Spain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utumn 2016 / Page 29
Ramadan in Cilandak From Sandra Olsen Dear Brothers and Sisters, There is a Muslim saying that during the holy month of Ramadan, the gates of hell are shut and the gates of heaven are open... Above is a photo of the latihan hall in Cilandak, Indonesia. On June 23, I flew to Indonesia to spend the last 10 days of the Ramadan fast at Wisma Subud, a gated community in the Jakarta of Cilandak. It was wonderful to be fasting with Subud members from all over the world Chile, Spain, Malaysia, Norway, the US, Argentina, France, Kalimantan and, particularly, Australia in a place where the latihan seems continuous and the air echos with the Muslim call to prayer. I arrived in Jakarta at 1:00 am and even at that hour the cab driver got stuck in traffic on the way to the compound. Later that night, while walking to a warang stall for saour (breakfast taken before fasting), I saw dozens of honking motor scooters speeding along Jalan Fatmawati; my companion explained that people like to stay up at night during Ramadan, and to keep others awake by making lots of noise! I rented a simple room with lots of windows on the third floor of the Wisma Subud guesthouse and took meals with other guests in the downstairs dining room. On evenings before an event at the latihan hall, enterprising Indonesian ladies set up a make-shift cafeteria on the verandah, selling fish cakes, tempeh, sweets, fresh juices and meat soup. And Subud Indonesia thoughtfully supplied water coolers, so fasting was made easy and there was no need to venture out into the busy city traffic. The evening after my arrival was the 21st night of Ramadan, the first night of power, and a Bapak tape was played in the large domed latihan hall at the centre of the compound. Chairs were set up inside the hall, men and women naturally separated themselves on either side of the aisle and a special chair and flowers were placed in the first row. Suddenly all talking ceased and everyone present rose to their feet; Ibu Rahayu entered the room on the arm of Raymond Lee, followed by her family and party. At 88 years, Ibu appeared very tiny and frail, but her presence and beauty completely filled the hall, touching us all. The tape played that night was a talk given by Bapak on June 9, 1985. On the 23rd night, Ibu again visited Wisma Subud, sitting with us while we listened to Bapak's 85 CDK 8 talk. That evening many more members were present and the atmosphere was somewhat different. On both occasions I found it very difficult to remain awake and continue sitting upright while listening to Bapak. During the month of Ramadan, Ibu Rahayu will usually give a talk on the 25th night and test with members on the 27th night. Before beginning her talk, Ibu chatted and laughed, pointing to the ceiling while a deafening downpour temporarily overwhelmed the AV recording engineers. Indonesian members arrived by the busload, some having travelled for 3 hours; the hall was full of colourful batiks and beautiful flowing garments, members seated in rows of chairs or sitting in groups on the carpet; there was a feeling of excitement and joy! Once the talk started I again felt overwhelmed by sleep and recall very little of what was said. The testing session two nights later began immediately with no preliminary latihan or talk, the women being tested first while the men remained outside. The latihan hall itself seats up to 1,200 people and SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 30
while testing that night the space seemed very full. I have some memory of awareness-type tests and others about asking forgiveness testing that felt very beneficial for me personally. On Wednesdays, Subud members are welcome to attend latihan at Pamulang, another gated community where Ibu Rahayu and her family have their homes. That evening my guesthouse friends and I hired taxis for the hour-long drive. Everyone gathered on the covered walkway that runs between Bapak's house and the pendopo-style latihan hall. Ibu Rahayu came out of Bapak's house, greeting us as she slowly made her way to the hall. After latihan I was given the opportunity to greet Ibu personally and visit Bapak's house and bedroom. Tea and cakes were served on the walkway and the atmosphere was very light and casual. I felt quite different after this visit, much quieter, and this feeling persisted throughout the following day. During the evening of the 30th and final day of the fast, Ibu Rahayu and her family once again visited Wisma Subud to take part in halal bil halal, the traditional asking for forgiveness. This ceremony can go on for nearly two hours and I was again moved by Ibu's willingness to be with us and by her encouraging and gracious demeanour; it is truly an honour to be in her presence. And on Eid ul-fitri, at 4:00 am the following morning, all guests boarded a bus for Suka Mulia, the place where Bapak and his family are buried. It was a 3-hour drive up into the mountains, a blessed time of sitting and praying near Bapak's grave, the culmination of a wonderful gift I shall be forever grateful for. That evening dear Ibu Ismana invited us to her home for a lovely meal... And then it was over; it was 3:00 am and I was taking a Bluebird taxi back to the Soekarno-Hatta airport, flying back to Vancouver. The month of Ramadan had ended and the gates of heaven were closed once more. Subud Indonesia is planning a 70-year celebration of Subud in Yogyakarta the city in central Java where Bapak registered the organization in February, 2017. Check the following WSA links for details: www.subudworldnews.com/events/swn_flyer_alt_9.pdf www.subudworldnews.com/events/swn_more_flyer_subud_world_news_2nd.pdf If this latihan can spread, there will be peace Jakarta, Indonesia July 11, 1984 From Subud World Vol.3 No.4 September 1984 Copyright 2007 the World Subud Association. All rights reserved. Bapak's Halal-Bil-Halal Talk given in the auditorium of P.T.S. Widjojo before an audience of approximately 150 people of whom 100 were non-subud employees. Code Number : 84 JKT 6 Provisional Translation, For Subud Members Only The following is Bapak's message to all of you who are meeting at Anugraha, England: First, Bapak will explain about the purpose of the enterprises which you do, which are born out of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud. It is in truth the Will of Almighty God that the proceeds of the enterprises you are doing should be for strengthening the spiritual brotherhood of Subud. Therefore one hundred per cent of the enterprises you are doing are not for enriching individual Subud members but for reinforcing the functioning of the Subud brotherhood, so that all its needs are taken care of. These needs include, for instance, the organization of meetings, sending helpers to explain as clearly as possible what the latihan kejiwaan of Subud is and to give clarifications to those members who have not yet been able to become truly aware of the nature of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud which they have received. So Bapak confirms herewith that the enterprises which are set up by Subud members are not for the pursuit of wealth but to render complete our situation as we worship the One Almighty God. It should already be clear that the idea of creating these enterprises has grown out of the latihan kejiwaan SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 31
of Subud. From this it is apparent that, in fact, it is God's Will that we should be strong, harmonious and able to help one another in our Subud brotherhood. This will strengthen the brotherhood so that Subud will spread to those people who are not yet Subud so that they also may learn man's responsibilities in his worldly life. In reality, social problems cannot be tackled in a permanent way unless we Subud members are financially strong, and such strength is a prerequisite to enable us to communicate with one another and to enable Subud centers to communicate with each other. This path is not one that can arrest our development in the latihan kejiwaan, because the latihan is not a training that arises out of a teaching or a plan which could be called a theory on how to worship God, but rather the latihan kejiwaan arises by itself so that Subud people need only follow its action. That is also why it is out of place for you constantly to preoccupy yourself with its progress, for the one who knows about the strength of human beings is Almighty God. Therefore, as Bapak has just said, Subud doesn't arise as a result of the nafsu but comes because of the Will of God, whose power envelops our being inwardly and outwardly. As for our thinking minds and our hearts, which have been decreed by God as our assistants for our lives in this world, they really need to be made to work and used as living tools which can serve us while we live in this world. While that aspect of our life which is connected with God's decrees - or with what is usually referred to as 'the hereafter' which comes later, that can only work if we are truly freed from our minds and hearts and the nafsu which dwell therein. So it is clear that we can only worship Almighty God on the basis of grace given by Him which is placed and awakened spontaneously in our lives or in our bodies by God's power which exists within our being as well as all around it. Conversely, to organize all the needs of our lives we have to use our minds and hearts in the way people normally work in their lives. Therefore in setting up and doing enterprises you must clearly not depend on the latihan kejiwaan, but do it in the normal way, using your mind and your heart. In other words, in your life you have to use two techniques or follow two separate ways: The first is your worship towards Almighty God which you can only do because of God's decree, meaning something that awakens within your being free from the nafsu that dwells in your heart and mind. The second is serving your everyday life, for which you have to use your intelligence and your nafsu since this is a duty which the intelligence and the nafsu are able to carry out. Bapak will illustrate this briefly: suppose that somebody is engaging in trade, but moved by God's command. Since God's command will not allow him to add anything to the price at which he sells his goods, he will have to sell for 100 dollars that which he bought for 100 dollars. How can that trader ever make a profit? But as a trader who has to make a profit, he needs to sell something that cost him $100 for more than the purchase price at least ten per cent more, let us say. So a trader is permitted to augment his selling price provided only that he doesn't reduce the satisfaction of the one who buys. This is only an example, but if you, as a trader, practice your worship of God at the same time as you are doing your trading, you will never make a profit. Brothers and sisters, don't be afraid lest engaging in an enterprise should obstruct the latihan kejiwaan which you receive and practice since it is your duty to use your heart and mind to look for those things which have been determined as the needs of your life. Brothers and sisters, you are in fact most fortunate in having received the hakekat ( or reality ) of the worship of Almighty God, which has no preconditions other than that you surrender your body and your jiwa to God in the interest of your life later after you have left this world. That is all, brothers and sisters, and Bapak hopes that all of you who have decided to hold this meeting are able to accept this short advice. Finally, Bapak prays that in your discussions you will truly be able to separate the two aspects Bapak has described above, and Bapak hopes that a state of harmony will always prevail among you. From Bapak SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 32
Subscribe to Subud Voice Thank you for your interest in Subud Voice. From October 2014 onwards in order to be financially sustainable Subud Voice will only be available to paid subscribers. The subscription period will begin in October 2014 and will continue until September 2015 inclusive, that is, 12 issues in total which will be made available on our website on the first of every month as usual. Subscription costs AUD $60 / year pro rata. (AUD$60= US$56, Euro 42, Pounds Sterling 33). All subscribers will be able to access past issues All subscriptions are due on the 1st of October each year. If you subscribe in Oct - Dec cost is AUD $60 Jan - Mar cost is AUD $45 Apr - Jun cost is AUD $30 Jul - Sep cost is AUD $15 PayPal is a safe, secure system to process the transaction but you will not need to join PayPal. You just pay by credit card as usual with online transactions. Click the link below to subscribe to Subud Voice: http://www.subudvoice.net/members-area/ After payment you will be redirected back to this [Subud Voice] website where you can enter your details and create your username to gain access to Subud Voice. Your username and password will be emailed to you, and you will have the opportunity to change your password after you log in to the site. If you would like to access SV but YOU CANNOT AFFORD THE STANDARD SUBSCRIPTION RATES then please send an e-mail to Harris Smart at editor@sububvoice.net briefly stating why you would like a discount on your subscription for reasons such as: I am a student I am a pensioner I am on a very low income And we will arrange for you to get a half price subscription rate. Please DO NOT SHARE YOUR PASSWORD with other people. The financial future of Subud Voice depends on us getting enough subscriptions to be able to keep going. By making the discounted offer we hope we have been able to make SV available to any Subud member who wants it. The September issue - which will be our first subscriber issue - will also be our main issue about the World Congress. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 33
Excerpts from: An Extraordinary Man, compiled by Abdullah Pope For a book full of stories about Bapak, go to Subudbooks.com and order An Extraordinary Man: Stories of Subud Members Experiences of Bapak. Here is a story from that book. In 1967 Bapak and his entourage came to stay at our house at 9 Reddington Road, in Hampstead, North London. I was five at the time and I don t remember too much about the visit. Most of my memories of England were forgotten once my family moved to Indonesia later that year. I think the visit must have happened around Easter because I remember being invited to share the Easter goodies that Bapak s granddaughters had been given. I remember thinking that these young ladies must be princesses as not only were they gracious and noble, but they had such wonderfully big chocolate bunnies. The only encounter with Bapak that I remember happened a few days later. We had just returned to the house from some outing and the car I was riding in had been parked in the garage beneath the house. I remember being interested in some part of the car as I climbed out and I was not paying too much attention to what was going on around me. That changed very suddenly as the car door was slammed on my hand. I have no recollection of the person who did this, all I remember was a terrible throbbing pain and screaming. The door was quickly opened but the damage was done and I continued to scream. The next thing I remember is a man in silhouette approaching me (I was still in the garage.) This man spoke some soothing words in a language that I did not understand and then took my hand between his and held it gently for a moment. When he released my hand the pain was gone. I was amazed. I had expected that my hand would hurt for days. Even at that age, I knew that such things were not possible. I have always thought of this experience as proof that Bapak had something special about him. I believe he was capable of many things that he chose not to share as they were not as important to him as spreading the latihan. Leo Horthy Here is another story in the book: The Coat - Valentine Narvey We went out to meet Bapak at the airport in Vancouver [in 1969], and I happened to be nearby when Bapak entered an elevator. Someone in the party handed Bapak s overcoat to me and asked me to carry it in the elevator to the floor above where the car was waiting, which I did. I rode up with Bapak and tried to stay calm and quiet. The coat was a normal trench coat but as I held it, I felt that it had no weight at all. It was like holding air. It had absolutely no weight. I was sorry that I had to hand the coat back, it felt so beautiful. Panoramic view of Freiburg, Germany, site of the 2018 Subud World Congress SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 34
Excerpt from Talk to Asian Councilors Conference Cilandak, Indonesia, April 12, 1974 (74 CDK 4) Brothers and sisters, do not let yourselves feel according to the old tune: once a man turns to the inner, once he follows the teaching of completeness, he forgets the world. Don't! If man forgets this world, it is the same as forgetting the next, exactly the same. So if you have not been able to feel how is the nature of God which envelops your being both from within and without, then when you later die you will be in darkness. Bapak does not say this, because Bapak possesses something out of the ordinary. No. It is from the kejiwaan, from the latihan kejiwaan which you have received. In the latihan kejiwaan you are trained to wave your arms, to touch, to hear, to laugh, to shout, trained to do many different things until finally you are trained to think. God's guidance is not guaranteed, it depends on your strength and the purity of your heart. This is why Muslims have been given a month of fasting every year, and this fast is in fact a training to train a person, to train the one who fasts to purify himself and to be able to put aside the pressure of the nafsu whose temptation is always present in his heart. Brothers and sisters, do not imagine that devils live in the forest: devils do not only live in the forest or under the bridge; they are in your heart, brothers and sisters, so it is not necessary to relegate them to the forest. In your heart and in your brain devils are hidden and inhabit. This is why those who study the way of completeness consider it necessary to close the babahan nawasanga. The meaning of this is the nine holes, that means the two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils, the one mouth. What about the other two? You must know where they are. One of them is secret and the other one is for going to the WC. These nine have to be closed because this is where the devils enter. But for devils it is even easy to enter by other ways. Indeed, for devils to enter man is very easy. And who makes it easy? You yourselves, brothers and sisters. You see something that is very beautiful, and the devil gets in. This is the bridge, your seeing. You hear people having a quarrel, are noisy or criticizing someone, the devil enters. By what means? Through the sound. This is something man can easily understand. But what about thought? If you think about something that is not good, the devil enters into this thought of yours that is not good. This, brothers and sisters, is your great good fortune, for with these the guidance of Almighty God, all these ways have been dammed up. Ibu Rahayu s talk on the 25th Night of Ramadan Cilandak, Indonesia June 29, 2016 Final Translation by Raymond Lee, Code Number : 16 CDK 8, For Subud Members Copyright 2016 the World Subud Association. All rights reserved. No part of this talk may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electrical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the WSA Executive. Brothers and sisters whom I respect and love, may the peace and blessings of Almighty God be with you. I think the talks by Bapak [that we listened to] were about the nights of power, the nights on which God gives a grace to God s creatures based on the result of their fast. Naturally, I hope that, listening to those talks, you were able to absorb the aim and purpose of this fast that we do in this month of Ramadan. So, perhaps what I am going to explain here will not just concern the nights of power. But I will also start with the latihan. What is the latihan? Though you all do latihan, but sometimes Doing latihan is not like going to a teacher or to school. Yet, though it concerns the spiritual, the truth is that the latihan is a kind of school it can be called a teaching. In a normal teaching, our brain, our thinking, does the work. But in this spiritual training, our school is the school of latihan. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 35
It cannot be said that your latihan will be a true latihan or receiving after just one go. It is like being in school: it goes step by step. To those who are new and have not done latihan long, and even to those who have done it a while, do not be disappointed by that even though the latihan seems so simple in that you could move and feel it ever since you were opened. What you can feel there is a contact. And where is that contact from? [To know that] you need to use the feeling of that contact: Where is it from? For us in Subud, it is said that you were opened by God s contact. Why God s contact? Besides being beyond and as wide as the universe, God is also present in each of His creatures. Therefore, at an opening, a helper is simply a witness. Never feel: I did the opening or so and so did the opening. Bapak never felt like that. He was simply the channel for the contact between God who pervades the universe and God s essence that is present in each of God s creatures. So, through the opening, the powers meet, there is a union of the power of God, resulting in a contact that arises in your soul. Why the soul? For us in Subud, it is the soul that has eternal life. It is not just for this life but for ever, for eternity. Do not equate the soul to the assumption people make of a soul that can only live in this world. The thing that, according to the thinking in medical circles, is called the soul is not the eternal soul. They have some understanding, but they do not understand the full extent of the human soul. Since it is like that, it can be said that the latihan is like a school. Nevertheless, it is the school of the latihan where you receive little by little or step by step, in line with your individual situation and condition. I say this because there are those who say, I have done latihan for fifteen years fifteen years is a long time I come every time, my latihan is regular. And when I do latihan, I really surrender to God. But why do things keep going wrong in my outer life. I must be doing latihan wrong. Was my opening done wrong? Since everything ends up being negative, her hopes are not met. It is as if she blames God. Since it is like that, the latihan must be wrong too. My opening was also wrong. And then God gets the blame. Her latihan is fine, her opening was good. But the things she does in reality do not match that. And it is not because of a mistake by God. The problem is she still gets influenced due to her [lack of] readiness and acceptance. As I said, the latihan proceeds step by step. Because we live in this world, with Subud, we are introduced to other creatures of God. Their purpose is to help our lives on this planet. But, of course, because we are still new to this, we do not have strength yet. We are not able to form a power from the soul yet, which is in line with your spiritual growth. I said earlier that the latihan is like a school because it proceeds step by step. Since it is the power of God that works in the latihan, [God] certainly knows the strength of God s creature. So, the contact the one that is said to produce the latihan is a contact between God s essence and God s creature. For some people, to use an everyday term, the power of that contact is only five watts. For some it is ten watts. For some it is twenty-five watts. And for some, the power of the contact in their being may even be fiftywatts. Before I encouraged you [helpers] to learn how to do testing [in a group], Bapak once said after all, he was growing older Do these people have strong enough [contact] yet? Is it time for me to show them how to do this kind of testing yet? This is an example. So, in this, Bapak too wondered, Is it time for them to give testing in groups? Then before he passed away, when was already old Well, in the past, Bapak was the only one who could do testing in groups. But after he passed away, many people stopped coming to latihan. They felt bored. All I do is make movements. I want to see something, or to hear something. And so on. As I said, it was not the time for all that. Yet I could see that many Subud members had indeed stopped coming to latihan and so on. Then I thought: Is it time for us to learn how to do this kind of testing? And it turns out it was permitted. But, of course, only those who have done latihan a long time and have the inner balance needed can do it. And it turns out it helped. Many people became interested in doing latihan again. Particularly young people, who thought that by testing they could ask what they should do, what is best and so on, on their own. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 36
So testing is a program that is part of the latihan that has become customary over time. Since it is customary, we tend to forget. Look, when we test, it is like we tell God what to do. Surely God You were sent to this planet to work, to live. The important thing is not to forget that you are creatures of God. Never forget it. For that reason, I state in this talk: we must respect testing. Do not do it for fun or use it for self-interest. Yes, Bapak showed us how to test to select committee members and to select helpers because it is needed for that. Even so, we know that testing is not certain to be true. It only approaches truth. And we know that when we test, it is not from us. Meaning, we ask for God s help to know, to know this and that. In fact, what God intends is this: Do not keep asking God for help. Do things yourself. With faith and God s coaching, you will be able to. But in line with your individual condition and circumstances. As I said earlier, we each have a different nature, or, as I said, a true self that does latihan. Though the contact comes from one source, but when present in your true self, it cannot be the same in each of you. Each has their own strength, ability, and readiness. This is why, at the time of the last congress, since I am no longer able to attend congresses, a thought came to me: For the testing in groups, who will be able to conduct it? In fact, when we are at a congress, we need a strong contact contact from God because hundreds of people attend. And luckily at the time, I remembered and I said to Muti, or maybe I had a feeling, Should I provide the testing? I cannot attend, but I have the capacity to have a contact that can reach every member who will be there. So, I sent [a recording of my testing] not to please myself, nor to be popular, no. I sent it because I felt at the time the international helpers were not be able to do it yet. For that reason, before the congress, I made Well, of course, first I asked inwardly whether I had permission. How come the explanation that came was that I did have permission? So, I sent it. But I did not report first to the international helpers or to the congress chair, that I was going to send that recording for the testing. And my concern was valid. It is not that the international helpers could not do it, but they did not have the capacity needed at the time. Why not? There was no readiness among the international helpers to make up a power, one power. There were still many individual powers. Some were like this, some were like that. [Ibu gestures.] They could not unite yet, to the point that they were one channel. So, the international helpers should not think, Why did Ibu act on her own like that? I did so since I feel I am someone senior in Subud and, at the time, Bapak Haryono was ill. He attended, but soon went home. So, I had a responsibility in this, because it concerned the kejiwaan. Finally, they tried it. Well, I checked continually to see how it was going, how it went in practice. I did not want to just be sure of my self. According to the reports from congress, apparently the members, when testing, felt lost. They did not know what to do. Then someone took the initiative to play this recording. The members began to follow the tests I gave. And it turns out it worked. So, in this, I Look, I am old. It will not be possible for me to always be with you. It could be soon; it could still be a long time. I leave it to God. So, I hand this over. I ask that these international helpers, who are in charge of the kejiwaan for all or many countries, work together and unite and get along. It is the international helpers obligation. After all, I cannot promise to attend the next international congress. I just said that the international helpers must unite and get along because, in the kejiwaan, we need harmony. Do not feel you are right, or be so sure of yourself that you have no respect for other people. Do not be like that. And it is the international helpers who have the responsibility to ensure that the kejiwaan will be uniform throughout the world. Do not have a situation, Oh, Subud there is like this, but Subud here [it] is like that. In Subud, no one is clever and no one is dumb. And, of course, since international helpers start out as helpers, the truth is that inner readiness is something that helpers must be familiar with too. If a helper has no [inner] space, if a helper cannot get SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 37
along with others, if there is not this it is not God s fault, it cannot be blamed on the historical situation, it is not the country s nor the government s fault. It is the fault of the individual. Yes, everyone is different. Of course, everyone believes that what they do is right. It might be right for them. But it is not right for the inner readiness needed to be someone who guides [people] on the path to God. This is why I lament and am disappointed that even now, when Subud has existed for nearly a century, there are still helpers who cannot get along with others in their work. What do you hope to achieve by not getting on? You said you were eager and willing to be a helper, and that makes it your responsibility. But some say, It is all up to God. Look, it is not up to God. This is God s work that has been entrusted to all of you, as God s creatures. Of course, you will not be aware of your fault if it is habitual. Suppose you eat while walking around. Someone tells you: Do not walk while you eat! It is wrong. You object: I cannot eat unless I walk! That is an example. If you are like that you must Well, we need to be able to look at ourselves. To look at yourself means to look for your faults by yourself. If someone else points them out, you will certainly object. Yet we must understand: what are my mistakes? What are my faults? Once you can look at yourself, Oh dear, what do I do now? I know it is wrong. But why do I still want to do this and want that? Ah, it takes discipline. It is what Bapak recommended: discipline. Therefore, there is a connection between self-awareness and discipline. Once you can look at yourself, you will be able to discipline yourself. But if you are disciplined by someone else, or use the low forces to discipline yourself, it is wrong. Indeed, there are many obstacles on this spiritual path. But if I had to explain them one by one, it could not be done. So, I ask, brothers and sisters well, now you are those who were young are now mature, are adults. Be an example to the next generation. Here is one instance: Why does no one like me? say, I have no friends. Gosh, why? Well, now she realises that she is always alone and no one dares to be close to her. She needs to understand for herself, Why does no one want to help me, to assist me? What is wrong with me? She needs to look at herself. And then she has to discipline herself. If you cannot resist, call God s name: Allah, Allah. God will help you to become a good person after you make an effort. Oh my, if you want God to magically transform you from bad to good, there would be no right and no wrong. You have to become a good person by yourself. Things like this are in fact simple, easy. But we make them difficult for ourselves. So, this is just an example that this contact of the latihan is like a school. It contains so many things. It is why it can be said that Subud covers every aspect of life. It does not just cover culture or intellectual activities; it covers them all. So, life is indeed broad. Some things are simple, some are hard. And everything has its risks. For that reason, never neglect the latihan. It seems on the surface that the latihan is only making movements, nothing more. But later, when you are ready, the connection between you and the power of God will be close. When I say close, here is an example: you are in latihan you face some trial and are truly accepting, then pray to God. Use your contact: call God s name, Allah. Then it will be God who works directly. Well, there always needs to be an effort made by each of you individually. So, brothers and sisters, that was a story about how the latihan develops. And now: What is the relationship of the fast to this school of the latihan? [Ibu laughs] Since we attend the school of the latihan, we are more or less aware of the development of our soul: which of our actions are the ones that the nafsu are riding, and which are not. Those actions are the ones that arise from our true self. And, as human beings, we certainly can never be free of faults. Everyone has faults and weaknesses. So, with our increasing ability in the latihan, as I put it earlier, our wattage increases. Then we will realise that, in our actions in this world, we are bound to make mistakes. So how do we go about reducing our faults and shortcomings, and the mistakes we make throughout our life in this world? After all, correcting oneself is hard to do. It is hard because we have not only our soul within us, but also many influences from the things that participate in our life. For instance, suppose we ask God. We ask God for forgiveness, SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 38
say. You have probably asked for forgiveness. But those participants in your life who have other aims act to block to your true self. And this fast, meaning the Ramadan fast the fasts in other religions probably have the same aim is our attempt to reduce those nafsu that always participate in our life. In Subud, fasting is not in fact obligatory. It is simply an endeavour that has a reality to it. So, if advice given in religion will indeed improve our life later on, why not follow it? No matter which religion you follow, it is fine to fast in the month of Ramadan. The fast is our effort to reduce the desires that are normal for people. We not only do not eat and do not drink. We also cut down on all the things we do that give us pleasure. After all, God does not want people to go to excess. Going to excess will cause your downfall. Nevertheless, if you are not fasting, do not say you are. It does not matter. Fasting requires a willingness to do it. So, in this we must realise that, after being opened, we will feel in fact that there is no gap between us and God. Since it is like that, this effort you willingly make during the fast will be accepted by God thankfully even though it is for your own sake. That is because God will not give you anything until you yourself make an effort. As a result, God Well, in religion, if people fast resolutely and willingly, God will dispense good fortune and grace. And that grace will not just be spiritual. It might be something new outwardly. For instance, in your life you get something good or something as a reward thanks to your action which sucessfully lessened your own nafsu. It is why it is hoped that you do not fast under coercion but with a willing heart. I think my talk about these nights of power has covered not only what is needed on these nights but also what is needed in your duties as God s servants. So, I wish you good fasting until the end, which is a few days away. And that, hopefully, this fast will bring a benefit for us all, we who dedicate ourselves to Almighty God through the spiritual training of Subud. And I welcome the members who have come from the regions, and the visitors who have come from overseas. I am grateful that you are still able to travel far to get here. I welcome you all. Let it be that you will get a benefit from your fast. That is all. This evening is concluded. Perhaps there will be one more night, when I intend to do testing with you, on the 27th night. And now I hand this over to Iwan, the national chair. If you want to do latihan together, go ahead. But I will not stay; I need to go home. Something happened earlier and I need to rest. Thank you. Art by Rohana Salom SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 39
The Super Kili Soul Brothers It was pitch dark when I heard the tent flap rustle and I knew that it was time to get up. My body screamed in protest, having had only two hours of restless sleep. At 16,000 feet, for someone who has lived at sea level their entire life, sleep is fitful at best. I looked over and Oliver was already awake beside me and had begun to put on the last of his clothes. Although we were three degrees south of the Equator, we had been sleeping for the past three nights with four layers of clothing on inside our bags that were tested down to -9 degrees Celsius. We gathered outside in the dark at 11:00 pm, eight intrepid travellers, heavy with anticipation and last minute preparation, readying ourselves for a summit bid, hoping to stand on the top of Mount Kilimanjaro 19,333 feet high, the roof of Africa and the tallest free standing mountain in the world. It had taken five days of climbing to reach our final base camp, perched on a ridge below the summit. Bundled in all our clothing, and dawning our head lamps, gulping a last mug of hot tea, with packs on our backs and accompanied by our four guides, we started the final ascent. Step, step, step, - pole, pole - Swahili for slowly, we ascended the 45-degree slope, filled with loose rock and scree. The ink black sky was covered in a blaze of stars and Orion showed himself, a familiar and welcome sign, straddled upon the heavens. Dozens of spectacular comets with burning tails, plummeted through the midnight sky, a good omen. Taking a short rest to hydrate and snack, three of our party strapped on oxygen, and then onwards and upwards. As dawn spread slowly, and the summit beckoned, our eyes adjusted and the night sky gave way to faint shadows of light. With an immense feeling of joy, we crested the crater rim and looked back and down upon an endless sea of clouds, a curved horizon and a spectacular sunrise. The true summit was another hour to go and another 1,000 feet and then, with heaving lungs, at last euphoria! We made it, all eight of us! After pictures and hugs, I found a quiet spot among a pile of volcanic rock and buried a small Subud symbol. I stood for a few minutes in silence in the bright blue sky and sunshine giving prayers of thanks and then turning began the long descent, 9,000 feet down to our new camp. Our journey had started as an idea, spawned two years ago at the World Congress in Puebla Mexico, when six Subud Brothers from the U.S.A., Canada & New Zealand formed a "fellowship of the trail" and climbed Mexico's fifth-highest volcano, 14,636-foot La Maliche. All six shared a deep and meaningful experience and agreed to another challenge. Ariff from New Zealand was unable to join us but three of our sons signed on so that in the end this small "band of brothers" was made up of Arifin Graham, Subud Victoria; Ishman Clarke, Subud San Diego; Simon Andrews, Subud San Diego and his son Phillip; Reynold Orchard, Subud Portland and his son Philip; Richard Simon and his son Oliver from Subud Vancouver. It was truly an international expedition. It took 18 months of planning, organizing, struggling, juggling and stretching at times of one s patience but finally we had done it. From a sea of green jungle to a barren polar ice cap, the top of a legendary mountain high above a continent had stood beneath our feet. Months earlier, I had tested two questions; how it would be to make this climb and my receiving was predictably good and then I tested how it would be to make this climb with my Subud Brothers...and it was incredible. How true the testing was. Climbing this mountain in Africa with my son was immensely special but climbing with my son and my Subud Brothers went beyond anything I was prepared for. Our jiwas expanded and we became a team, a unit, joined inwardly and outwardly on this quest, enveloped by the power of Almighty God. The guides dubbed us The Super Kili Soul Brothers and we felt that way. We were close, harmonious and supportive of each other every step of the way. We shared a unique range of experience, intense feelings and deep wonder. We were able to find a space at the hotel for a group latihan before we started the climb and joined together for beautiful quiet times at each meal with prayers of thanks and blessings. When the climb was over and we began to separate, I could feel the aura contract until once again only Oliver and I remained. Deep feelings for my brothers and shared memories of an epic journey are all that now remain...but Africa touched our souls, our bond has been strengthened and we have been transformed. Hakuna Matata, Richard Simon SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 40
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Some Reflections About Bapak Sudarto Martohudojo by Rasunah Marsden Pak Sudarto was trained by Bapak Subuh Sumohadiwijojo, and Sudarto always paid close attention to the instructions of Bapak about the latihan kejiwaan of Subud. Sudarto was known to be a very fatherly, gentle, soft-spoken, smiling, worshipful, diplomatic, wise person who was very attentive to his large family. He lived alongside Pak Brodjo and Pak Prio in Wisma Subud. When I first met Pak Sudarto at the Subud World Congress in 1971, there were many older Subud members who had met with him or received letters from him for some years. In fact, often for hours and hours each day, he would sit with anyone who came to speak with him, and talk about spiritual matters. I never heard of him complaining at any time about the services which he provided on behalf of Bapak. I should mention that in a general comment made by Bapak about writing and the content of stories, he said was that it was appropriate to point out the values of 1. Honesty, 2. Good family relations, 3. Hard work, 4. Prihatin. The relationship between Bapak Sudarto Martohudojo and Bapak Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwijojo was that they were related in their ancestry through the same Eyang Grandmother on one side of their extended Javanese family. About some personal reminiscences which follow and were part of my experience, perhaps the reader will understand that I have no intention to cause any misunderstanding, but intend that the examples will provide a respectful glimpse into some ordinary matters in our lives. The first conversation I had with Pak Sudarto in 1971 was about the nature of a writer. He asked, What is the nature of a writer? and then he continued with an explanation about writing: he said the nature of a writer was to describe. If, for example, a priest requires some assistance from his parish, what does he do? Of course, he will first need to tell them a humorous story, which will make his parishioners to laugh, thereby drawing them close to him, A writer, then, will first ask himself, Where do I laugh from? (in which organ or area of the body) and then he will speak from there. But if a writer writes about something difficult or heavy, then it is as if he goes down to a place (in that state), and it may take sometimes several days to return to a quiet or peaceful state. So we need to be able to write from a feeling of the latihan. While Sudarto was prevailed upon often for all kinds of advice, for example about dream interpretation and the animal natures of people, (and he was asked many trivial questions!), it is important to understand that Sudarto himself advised that the real authority and veracity of these type of discussions need to be based on the latihan, rather than on theories about personalities, dream interpretation, etc. It was in the 1980 s that I had the occasion to meet Sudarto more often about family matters related to the marriage of his son, Subagio, and myself, (a marriage which later proved unsuccessful). While Indonesian culture can be very complex, in general, good family relations are treasured. Indonesian people are very polite, and it is Indonesian style never to say No directly to a person. It also is customary never to reveal a feeling of aggression or anger. Also, for many family members, the quality of harmony is viewed as of greater importance than love. Animals, Dreams & the Alphabet A belief shared by a number of people in Wisma Subud in the old days was that a true dream was dreamt at dawn, and that if a dream came true, this could mean that the person who had dreamt the dream was already prepared for what would happen later. The meaning of letters of the alphabet was another thing which people would ask Sudarto about. Animal natures was another topic that people liked to talk to Sudarto about, although others might find the association between a person and an animal to be offensive. Well, in fact, this was a light-hearted SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 42
subject, because we do not need to be too serious about these things. So they would ask, What was so- &-so s animal nature? If a person loved wide open spaces, was sensitive to danger of difficulty in situations and knew what to do about it, was very flexible in the work area and could do many things, this person had the animal nature or spirit of a rabbit, Sudarto said. A person who had the animal spirit of a squirrel moves very fast when alone but if others are near and distract him, then he can t work properly. Such a person was very creative and teaching was good for him because a teacher usually does not have bosses or the effect of many oneto-one meetings. We have a way of knowing about these various kinds of energy or life force through the latihan. For example, when Bapak, during a testing session in Germany, asked the men to run like race horses, instantly the whole stadium seemed to turn into a field of stallions racing every which way. (Really, this was very amusing for the women who were watching the testing session at the time.) In 1988 I had a dream about some finely, well-formed animals, in which I saw a very large, beautiful stag with antlers lie down by itself (alone). I thought it might be preparing to die. So it was a surprise later when I asked Sudarto s son, Bagio, what did he think the animal nature of his father was? Bagio laughed and replied, Maybe a deer? In another dream which was conveyed to Sudarto, I dreamt of a seer who was blind who could feel what people were like on the inside through putting his hands on them, and when this blind man did this to me, it caused my state to be full of latihan. Sudarto advised from this dream that I should open my feeling. He indicated, in general, a difference between feeling and mind : Bagio, he said, had an open feeling and closed mind, whereas I had an open mind and closed feeling. Our son, Luthfi, has the mind of his mother and the feeling of his father, so you can see, we were fortunate. One day, Bagio had a dream about meeting a thief, which according to his father meant he should have more courage. If a thief comes and you don t scream, it is you who are wrong because you ve supported his sin by not screaming. Later I dreamed that a kris (Indonesian knife) had been plunged straight through my heart. There was no blood, but I had died. It had happened so quickly that I was shocked. While I didn t mention it to Sudarto, I felt that this event had something to do with my unborn child. Nevertheless, Sudarto replied this meant the child would be clever. He also commented that my mind and heart were separated (death) from the djiwa, but I shouldn t be alarmed because it was not another kind of death. ***** One of my favorite memories of Sudarto is his watching little children and being very alert to their states and commenting on them. I knew also that because he was advised not to drink coffee or smoke cigarettes because of diabetes in later years, nevertheless he enjoyed the odd kretek and coffee throughout his entire life. Another best memory is of Sudarto seeing him sitting quietly in his living room, with others or alone, even in the middle of the night, his head swaying gently in a latihan state. The other observation about Sudarto is that he always seemed to be in a state of inner prihatin, the feeling which comes through decades of fasting. Earlier, Sudarto s son, Bagio, had consulted with his father about courtship and the ups and downs of it. But it was especially through latihan that Sudarto was very clear in his receiving. For instance, Sudarto pointed out that if the man feels in the latihan about a woman, yes, no, yes, no, this means he may not be strong enough in the djiwa or is not suitably prepared to marry that woman. About an experience which a person had about crying and crying in the latihan, Sudarto replied, Sometimes your own self can slap you, if you do something wrong. If you make a mistake to someone else, you have to ask their forgiveness. Sudarto added that the person who related his experience to Sudarto had a great tolerance, so he naturally absorbed the sadness in the family. Bagio was advised that if in latihan he felt he should do a number of things, he should just carry them out. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 43
The son listens to the mother. If in her turn, the mother listens to the father, and if the father is steady in his receiving, then everything should go in the right direction. In the matter of marriage, therefore: Jangan Paaksa. Don t force the marriage. Follow your latihan. Follow your latihan. After the date (of a possible three options, according to the Javanese calendar) was chosen, a quiet marriage ceremony was performed by local officials and witnesses in the latihan hall. According to Sudarto, in the first three months of pregnancy the cells are just dividing, but after that, the character is given to the unborn child. I continued to work, even though pregnant, teaching English language courses at the British Council in the Widjojo Centre. One night an odd question entered my mind just before sleeping: What would you do if there was a bomb near you? I thought this was a ridiculous thing to think about. But the next day when I went to work, there was a security meeting at the British Council, following the bombing of the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur the day before, which injured four people, two seriously. The following was reported the next day, 12 April 1989, in the Jakarta Post: Threat Empties British Council The Widjojo Center building which houses the British Council was vacated yesterday afternoon following a bomb threat from an anonymous caller. The caller informed the British Council at about 3 p.m. yesterday that he would set fire to the office, occupying the first and second floors of the building situated on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta. The officials of the council immediately called the city police because they were worried that the threat was serious. Police squads were deployed This was why, in the middle of a teaching session, an official came to ask me to evacuate the class of business students because of the bomb threat. As soon as we were safely apart from the building and the police went in to investigate, I returned to Wisma Subud, not wanting to risk the chance of any further disturbance. During my pregnancy, although the marriage was difficult, and there was much opposition to it, I maintained my respect for Sudarto because I felt he so often made efforts to set aside his own personal interest for the sake of others, that he acted as a good human being while he was alive, and that he was often able to help members of his family find calmness when confronting difficulties. On some occasions Sudarto asked me to sit in the living room to help him translate when some Western women came with problems. I could see from this experience that if they were too serious or intense, it was equally difficult to resolve a problem because they would tend to overlook the fact that a light feeling was very helpful and was a key with which they could create a space to help them receive unexpected guidance from the latihan. Sudarto had a way of cutting through a mass of irrelevant and sometimes painful details to arrive at a simple explanation or illustration of the core of a difficulty. Much of the time it was difficult to resolve problems in our lives simply because the person was not able to accept a situation for what it was. For example, if a woman was having great difficulties in her marital life, the main thing was for her to find a peaceful way to approach and understand the situation even if it was not the kind of resolution which she wished for! In other words, much difficulty is experienced because the person tries to force or impose a resolution which does not exist. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 44
Everyone has problems in life, and sometimes all that is necessary is not to try to do something about it, or to get someone else to do something about it, but simply to acknowledge or accept the situation for what it really is. One of the things which Sudarto said to me in my first meeting with him in 1971 was, Knowledge is a weapon with which we can open our minds. Sudarto died one year after the birth of his grandson, Luthfi. He is survived by his wife, Ibu Sudarto, many living relatives and grandchildren in Indonesia. Assalamu 'alaikum wa rochmatullahi wa barakatuh. ( Peace be with you all and may the Grace of Almighty God and His Blessings be with you ) Latihan Experiences and the Ancestors Remarkable Experiences from Rohana Darlington Rohana recalls some illuminating experiences... I did enjoy reading Harris Smart s How Was Your Month of the Ancestors? It reminded me of various latihan experiences I ve had relating to ancestors over the years. When Harris suggested I might like to share some of these with other Subud Voice readers I was happy to do so in the hope they may be of interest to others, especially new members. I was opened when I was eighteen, almost fifty years ago, the only person in my family at that time to become a Subud member. My family was rather dysfunctional due to religious schisms which led to painful estrangements down the generations. I was so glad to receive the latihan which enables people of all religions to come together in worship without having to engage in theological quarrels. Soon after being opened I began to have experiences of seeing people I knew were dead and this has proved to be an abiding theme of my spiritual journey. But as I was so young I became frightened I might be losing my mind and had begun to suffer from hallucinations. One such experience I had happened after I had just become engaged to my husband Mashud, also a Subud member. I was staying in my future in-laws home for the first time, and had retired for the night in their guest room and went to sleep. Some hours later I was awoken by a group of people wearing old-fashioned clothes who had gathered around my bed in the dark and were trying to attract my attention. They said they had come to welcome me into the family and pushed forward a gentleman as their spokesman who said he had a message for me. I was so scared I switched the light on and they vanished. Afterwards I wished I had listened to them to find out what their message was, but at that time I was unable to understand my receiving if I tested anything. The helpers I discussed the experience with were also inexperienced in their receiving and suggested I write to the experienced Indonesion helper Sudarto Martohudojo for an explanation. Sudarto replied to my letter saying the experience was genuine and told me that the people I had seen were Mashud s ancestors and their message was to advise him never to give up doing the latihan as they were hoping for the spiritual help it would give them. When I told this to Mashud he was annoyed as he has been a devoted Subud member since he was eighteen and had no intention of giving up the latihan. However, his elder and only brother who had introduced him to Subud did leave the association and has never returned. It seems their ancestors were hoping Mashud would not follow in his footsteps. SCAN Autumn 2016 / Page 45