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AUGUST 2010

A S i g n i n t h e S k y

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SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF SUBUD VOICEWe would like to let you know that the September issueof Subud Voice may be a couple of days later thanusual reaching your mailbox because our highly effi-cient administrator, Bradford Temple and his wife,Celia, will be taking a little break for a European holi-day. We wish them well on this well-deserved excursion!The Voice will only be a few days late at most and willcontain some special Ramadan reading.

Harris Smart writes…

Gaye Thavisin who is orig-inally from Tasmania,Australia, went to live inRungan Sari, CentralKalimantan, about tenyears ago for a short con-tract at the KalimantanMeeting Centre, nowknown as Rungan SariResort.

Coming with the experi-ence of running a restau-rant in Perth, Gaye wasimmediately catapultedinto the whirlwind of help-ing to staff and outfit theresort over a short periodof time for the SubudGathering of 2002. She had to select, train and supervisestaff, supervise kitchen and menu development, outfit theguest rooms, and liaise with the building developmentteam and interior designer, while she juggled settling intothe small and remote Rungan Sari community with herdaughter Adina.

The KMC was still getting its finishing touches when she firstarrived, and the work with an extended managementand development team of Subud members to have itready for occupation on time, was an unforgettable,dynamic and rewarding Subud enterprise experience.

After working as General Manager of the KMC for a time,Gaye set up her own foreign investment company,Kalimantan Tourism Development, to operate the KMC.Aided by 3 other Indonesian women, includingMaulithawati Mustafa and Salamah Comey, the contractcontinued over 4 challenging years.

During this period she met her current business partner,Lorna Dowson-Collins. Together, they developed the ideaof fitting out a Kalimantan river boat, a traditionalrungkan, as a tourist cruise boat. This intention came tofruition about two years ago when their boat, Rahai`iPangun, was launched.

The boat is beautifully fit-ted out and is availablefor both day trips andlonger journeys. It has fivecabins and three bath-rooms, and an upperdeck for viewing the pass-ing parade. I certainlyrecommend the experi-ence to anyone who hasthe opportunity to take atrip, short or long, onGaye and Lorna’s boat.

The TourOne Sunday while living inRungan Sari, I went withsome friends to do a riverboat tour. We first went tothe nearby village ofTangkiling where the

cruise boat was moored.

The boat is extremely comfortable. I have previously doneriver trips in the local narrow canoes with 2-stroke enginescalled klotoks and they are uncomfortable, especially ifyou have to stay in them for any length of time. Yourknees ache and your backside gets sore.

But on Gaye and Lorna’s cruise boat you travel in style, sit-ting comfortably on cushions. I sent a photo of myself onthe boat around the world and someone wrote back tosay I looked like a pasha. To which I can only add thewords “big, fat”. I just needed some of those girls picturedin Egyptian hieroglyphic waving those long feathery fansover me.

We were mostly hoping that we would be able to viewsome orangutans on the orangutan pre-release sanctu-ary island. And indeed we were extremely fortunate inseeing a number of these apes who have been rescuedfrom desperate situations such as having their habitatdestroyed, and are being rehabilitated to live in the wild.

There are platforms where food is laid out for them andwhere they like to gather. Another advantage of the Rahai’iPangun over the klotoks is that it can stop in the river so thatyou can get good photographs of the orangutans.

There are many other things of interest on the river. Yousee the local people going about their business.Kalimantan is of course a land of rivers and at one timethe rivers were the main arteries of travel, commerce andcommunication.

Now, of course there are roads, but even so the riverscontinue to play an important part in the life of the peo-ple. You also see the villages which project out

Rahai’i Pangun, the river cruise boat of Gay Thavisin and Lorna Dowson-Collins

onto the river on stilts in the traditional way thatthey have done for generations.

The Nature of an EntrepreneurThis trip on the river was one of the best experi-ences that I had while living in Rungan Sari. Onthe trip we were served delicious pancakes andvery good coffee. I also had the opportunity totalk to Gaye about her enterprise. This was mostrevealing.

What was revealing was what it showed of the characterthat is required to be an entrepreneur. That is, you have to

be extremely tough, courageous and determined. Notthat Gaye is “tough”. On the contrary she is sweet andgentle, but she has an inner nature of “true grit” that isrequired not only to start, but what is more difficult, to sus-tain such an endeavour.

Without complaint or self pity, she told me of the series ofextraordinary natural and manmade disasters which haveimpinged on tourism in Indonesia and therefore on theirenterprise. These included the bombings in Bali, the tsuna-mi in Aceh, earthquakes in Central Java, floods in Jakarta,and more terrorist bombings in Jakarta. All this makestourists reluctant to come to Indonesia. Many peoplewould have given up by now, but not a true entrepreneur.

Gaye and Lorna are also now facing competitionbecause the local government has also decided to getinto the pleasure boat business and has fitted out a bigboat. Gaye and Lorna hope that this boat will mostlycater to local trade leaving them to focus on the interna-tional market.

A Sign in the SkyDespite the difficulties, Gaye and Lorna press onundaunted. They are even now in the process of fittingout a second boat. Gaye told me the very interestingstory of how their first boat was launched.

It was actually fitted out not on the Kahayan or theRungan, the rivers it now mostly uses, but on a neighbour-ing parallel Sebangau Lake and River where there was adry dock. So when the fit-out was complete, the boathad to be sailed down the one river, across the sea andup the Kahayan. The crew did not relish this prospect,especially the part out at sea. Would the boat survive?Perhaps it would roll over in the waves.

“Despite the tension on board,” Gaye told me, “I wentdownstairs and slept in one of the cabins. So I missed all

the excitement of crossing the sea. I awoke aswe were sailing up the river again. I came out ondeck and in the clouds was perfectly pictured aDayak boat with people paddling.

“As you know, the Dayaks are very sensitive andattuned to omens in nature. If they hear the cryof a certain bird when they are setting out onsome endeavour, they will turn back because it

is a bad sign. Seeing things pictured in the clouds is agood sign, so these Dayaks paddling in the sky was a

good omen for what we were doing!”

Experience the natural landscape, the wildlife and theDayak culture from the comfort of a river boat. With gour-met cooking! For more information about Gaye andLorna’s enterprise go to www.wowborneo.com

SUBUDVOICE PAGE 2 AUG 10

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The Dayaks’

paddling was

a good sign

““

Dayaks paddling in the sky (Photo by Gaye Thavisin)

Osanna Vaughn writes…

Are you relieved now that you're no longer the WSA chair-lady?This is one of the most common questions I've had toanswer since World Congress. My first reaction is to laugh,because the question makes it sound like people think Iwas carrying a very heavy burden – which I never felt Iwas.

Don't get me wrong, it was intense – but wonderfullyintense. At times the intensity felt like more than I couldphysically and emotionally deal with, but most of the timeit was just a beautiful experience.

Sharing latihans and being with members all over theworld, getting a sense of the brilliant diversity and theeclectic smorgasbord of our association, and becomingaware of the potential if we are able to express the graceof the latihan through our work and our interaction withthe broader world community – many times I was just leftfeeling totally amazed.

Of course, there were hundreds of e-mails, and I don'tregret the fact that I can now actually open my e-mailprogramme and find no messages in the Inbox!

And there were many serious matters that needed myattention, some more complicated than others – but Ialways had support, from the deputy, Frederic Richard,from the executive team (including my twin, Maya, whichis a rare plus), from my local group, national committee(Germany), and so many more. I cannot repeat enoughthe crucial importance of supporting our officials inSubud: it helps us all in ways we can not always compre-hend or imagine – while the contrary just pulls us all down.But, coming back to the original question, there is onething that hasn't changed and that is the feeling of carry-ing an inner embrace that extends not only to the wholemembership, but is also reaching out to the broader com-munity beyond.

Another important aspect that many assumed wasimpossible, was that I did not give up my personal andprofessional life during the four and a half years. My fam-ily is spread all over the world, and even my musician hus-band, Dylan, travels quite frequently for work – but themarvels of modern communication meant

L i f e A f t e r W S A

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we were always in close touch.

My first book was published in 2005 – justafter the Innsbruck World Congress, andI'd finished the fourth before Christchurch.(www.osannavaughn.com) Now,because the series is still not complete, I'mwriting the fifth.

My free-lance translation work (main-ly in areas of design and photogra-phy – from German into English) pre-dominantly came about whilst I wasat home, rather than travelling – I onlyonce found myself caught with an

imminent deadline, throwing documents back and forthvia Skype from a remote corner of the world. This allmeans that there has been no shattering readjustmentphase for me.

At the same time, I should mention that it was tough tocome back to six weeks of snow, ice, cold and grey,when I returned from New Zealand to Hamburg... buteven then I was blessed, being given the opportunity tohead to Jakarta mid March for latihan in Pamulang onIbu Rahayu's birthday, followed by five weeks inKalimantan to realign myself.

Apart from having 3 of my kids and my sister in Rungan Sariat the time, I was able to write, be part of the caring com-munity there, stroll over to latihan 3 or 4 times a week, visitthe markets in Tengkiling and Palangkaraya and, sing a lot.

I also spent a stunning day on the river with Gaye Thavisinand others aboard the Rahai'i Pangun, and simplyenjoyed 'being'. In addition, Ibu came over to RunganSari just before I left, travelling there with her sister Ibu Yati,Muti, Tuti and others, and we were able to share anamazing latihan together.

So, now I'm back home, still very much in the loop regard-ing various areas that interest me in particular within ourassociation – starting with the essence of group life, all theway to our presence in the world.

And I hope to have occasion to be with many of youagain, for latihan, sharing and working together – here,there... or in Puebla, 2014.

(Thanks to the excellent Subud Australia Enews – editedby Rohana Fraval – for supplying us with this article.)

PAGE 3SUBUDVOICE AUG 10•

Introducing the New TeamAn inner

embrace thatextends not onlyto Subud, butto the broader

communitybeyond

“

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That moment in Innsbruck, all those years ago, when Osanna first put on theWSA chairlady’s hat

The World Subud Council will meet for the first time inBritain in August. The international team on the organisa-tional side tested and appointed at the 13th Subud WorldCongress in Christchurch in January is made up of:..

WORLD SUBUD ASSOCIATION CHAIRPERSONLuke Penseney, was born in London and lives inMississauga, near Toronto, Canada. His parents wereopened at Coombe Springs, UK, in 1957. He is married toKaren and his two children attend university. He currentlymanages his own capital markets-based strategicresearch business, Markets Intelligence, advising CEOsand senior executives in global gold mining companies.He has served as Subud Canada Chair, Regional Chair,local and regional helper, and most recently asCommittee Councillor. Just prior to World Congress hedeveloped a paper on the future of Subud enterprisesalong with Rashad Pollard and has a strong interest inseeing the affiliates/activities (wings) and projects devel-op over the coming term, or to quote Luke: “To build anever more responsive, professional organization to sup-port the manifestation of the latihan through our work,projects and activities in the world.”

WSA EXECUTIVE CORE TEAMChairperson/CEO, Maxwell Fraval was opened in 1966,became a helper in 1976, is married to Asmaniah, recent-ly retired international helper, and has six children, all ofwhom have joined Subud. Serving Subud seems to be inthe blood of the Fraval family, with one brother currentlyserving as Zone 1/2 Representative, and two others justcompleting terms as International Enterprise Coordinatorand U.S. National Helper. Maxwell is originally British andhas lived in Australia for 27 years. He is currently a consult-ing Osteopath, pioneered the first Osteopathic Pediatricsdegree in Australia and has long held an interest in inter-disciplinary health and directed two multi-disciplinaryclinics. He was chair of Subud Australia at the time of theWorld Congress in Sydney in 1989; served on the SubudInternational Health Association (SIHA) steering commit-tee for the past 12 years and was coordinator of the com-mittee for the last four years. He was also Chair of SubudCanberra over the past year while the group has movedtowards the building phase of a latihan hall. Maxwell hasa special interest in seeing our activities express them-selves in the world.

Vice-Chair, Maya Korzybska, (formerly Bernardes) bringsher experience with this position, continuing from lastterm. She is a younger twin (by 15 minutes) of Osanna,WSA Chairlady last term, and was born and raised inJersey Channel Islands (UK), and brought up and openedin Spain. Maya has two children, lived in France for over30 years and more recently helped develop the ‘LaSource’ retreat centre along with her husband, Halim.They currently work and reside in Kalimantan and soonwill celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

WSA Treasurer, Hammond Peek, whom many know as atwo-time academy award winning production soundmixer for ‘Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ and‘King Kong’, and has worked in the New Zealand televi-sion and film industry for 34 years. He is married to Renata,former Zone 1/2 Representative and current InternationalHelper and they have five children. Hammond has servedas Subud NZ National Chairman, National Treasurer,Committee Councillor, Group Treasurer,

street’ and a culmination of all my experienceboth in and out of Subud. As an administratorI’ve worked in small companies – charities,Subud enterprises, arts, classical music festivals.I’ve worked freelance as a conference andevent manager [and] organised and man-aged three National Congresses for SubudBritain...” This new position is evolving andremains within WSA’s budget for administration.

WSA Internet Coordinator: Matthew Weiss fromIreland has agreed to continue as the WSAInternet Coordinator. Last term he managed toregain the ‘Subud.com’ domain name, suc-

cessfully oversaw a major effort toward ensuring theSubud name and symbol are placed on websites, as aprime responsibility of the association, as well as harmo-nizing the international Subud websites.

We will introduce each member of the World SubudCouncil in subsequent issues of the WSA Newsletter.

Taken from the WSA Email Newsletter

Leonard Wells wrote and circulated the following “modest pro-posal”…

I have spent most of my life seeking a bankable talent. Igot no help whatsoever at school save one sentencefrom a Christian brother to the effect that I was a writer. Ireckon a great many young people lead unfulfilled livesbecause of an inability to find the right direction. In shortthere is a great need there.

I would very much like to help by starting a small enter-prise offering to help people find their talent.

It would be web and Skype based to keep costs to a min-imum but use webcams so that we could 'interview'potential clients face to face – get a picture to help usget a feel for where their abilities might lie. You can havevideo conferencing now on Skype!

If you have any ability in this field – even if it’s just testingabout talents for example, and you feel drawn to helpingyoung people do get in touch. It will all be home basedusing Skype. I'm a good organiser though my talent is sup-posed to be in politics! This will not be a 'get rich quick'type of enterprise! My Skype name is leonard.wells andmy email sirleonard247@yahoo.com

Leonard’s humble suggestion sparked a tremendousresponse with many emails on the SES List Server. Therewas a great debate about talent and how to foster it.

For a moment, it looked like the wings might come toblows over who owned talent. Was it SES? Was it SICA?Was it someone else perchance? But in the end there wasa happy resolution because everyone agreed to sharethe ownership of talent and to work together to foster it.There will be discussions, you may be sure, at the WSCmeeting in Britain this August.

One of the most interesting contributions to come out ofthe debate was one by Jan Duniewicz about the benefitsof being unemployed...

Group Helper, member of the World CongressOrganising Team and Group Chairman inAuckland then Christchurch over the past 4years while planning and building their newlatihan hall. To quote Hammond on his newestrole: “My goal as WSA Treasurer is to help makeWSA financially stronger than it has been in thepast. I realise I will need the willing help of allyou Subud members to achieve this...and Ibelieve it will happen.”

WSA Secretary, Julia Hurd, continues in thisposition from last term. She says “It is a privilegeto do this work, for such a purpose, and to workwith Subud colleagues.” She has served as group chair,National Secretary, Committee Councillor, and Zone 7Representative. She has been married to John for 40years and they have two grown children.

Trivia: Maya and Julia share the same birthday (althoughnot the same year!)

External Relations Officer, Amalia Rasheed will continue inthis position which has been evolving for several yearsand she has participated in almost every phase. She hasbeen serving as UN rep for many years, and has previous-ly served as local and national helper, and on nationaland zone committees. Amalia lives in Austria and is afacilitator, practitioner and teacher of ontological kinesi-ology and cranial fluid dynamics. Mother of five andgrandmother she is married to Samuel Simonsson, who iscurrently the Muhammad Subuh Foundation Chair. Readabout recent External Relations activities further in thisnewsletter under ‘WSA executive’.

Additional Executive Team Responsibilities:International Archives: Amalijah Thompson lives inCanberra, Australia, and continues as the InternationalArchives Coordinator. She has worked in and studied thepreservation of archives and their management bothinside and outside Subud since 1997. She currently worksat the Australian National University archives in part deal-ing with preservation planning of their audio visualrecordings. The ANU archives is an internationally recog-nised 18 kilometre collection of university, business andlabour records, a section of which is listed on the UNESCOMemory of the World Program. Amalijah also establishedan archival consulting business.

WSA Accountants: Leonard Van Willenswaard fromHolland has served as the WSA and MSF Accountant fortwo terms and is currently in the process of turning thereins over to Elwyn Waugh in the UK. Elwyn is a CharteredAccountant, running a private practice with a range ofclients personal, corporate and charitable. These includebeing the accountant for Subud Britain and FinanceDirector for an international internet company. He alsorecently completed a term as the kejiwaan councillor forSubud Britain. Elwyn and Leonard are working closelytogether to facilitate continuity in this most importantdomain.

We are profoundly grateful for Leonard’s capable andreliable service over the last eight years and wish him well.

WSA Administrative Assistant, Silvana Caradoc-Evans:Silvana recently moved to Canberra, Australia and willprovide WSA administrative support at the request ofMaxwell Fraval. She writes: “It seemed to be ‘right up my

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Developing Talent

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To support the man-

ifestation of the

latihan through our

work, projects and

activities in the

world

“

“

•

PAGE 5SUBUDVOICE AUG 10

Unemployment – An AwakeningJan Duniewicz tells his story...

Being unemployed can bean awakening instead of acalamity. In my own case,these so-called “bad times”,have often broken my wornout patterns of existence, andbecome an opening to newendeavours that have mostlyturned out to be the mosttransformational and enrich-ing experiences of my life.

I may have started to realise this when in 1981 my wifeJola and I decided to take ourselves and our children (5and 3 years old) out of our country Poland, which was atthe time oppressed under the communist regime. To dothis we had to pretend that we were going on a vacationtrip and without any notice leave our jobs and all ourmaterial possessions behind us.

We dis-employed us ourselves, we expelled ourselves fromour apartment, and we drove away wearing only summerdresses, and with some sandwiches and fruit to eat and$100 cash borrowed from a friend (our Polish zloty's wereworth nothing at that time outside of our country).

We arrived in Austria and were shifted from one refugeecamp to another for months, with no legal permission towork. My latihan began prompting me to do somethingmeaningful, while awaiting the next step. So Jola and Itogether with a few others, initiated a special school forrefugees' children and English language workshops foradult refugees. This introduced us to a friendly network ofwonderful local people, and brought us into the public eye.

The Austrian government then offered us the opportunityto stay for good in Austria, and we were given the neces-sary legal status and permission to work there. However,even though my qualifications were excellent and myGerman had become fluent, all my many efforts to get ajob in my profession were turned away. Whenever Iopened my mouth, I was told right in the entrance at thereception desk “es tut mir leid”, “I'm sorry but ... we don'taccept foreigners”. Jola and I called these “es-tut-mir-leid”laughingly as “tutkis”: “you've received again a tutki”

After months of such knocking from door to door, as theresult of a newspaper ad I attended a written exam foranother attractive job in my field. As one of the top can-didates, I was called to an interview. After an intensequestions-and-answers hour with the co-owner of thecompany, he said to me:• Sir, you are definitely the best of my candidates. I wouldlove to hire you but... es-tut-mir-leid I can't, you have a for-eign accent...• How about, sir, – I responded with determination – if youhire me anyway and I will work for you for FREE, no salary...• Hmm.. – responded the co-owner with astonishment – Iwill check with my partner...

After three months of working there for free, he said tome: “I can't afford to lose you... I will be paying you fromnow on...”. Soon after, thanks to the network I had built upthrough this job, I was offered a higher and much betterpaid position in another company in Vienna, and then

after a year an even better job inCanada. I moved there with myfamily for good.

After years of success and devel-opment in my professional life andcareer I then reached (withoutbeing aware of it) a kind of satura-tion point in what I could do, and Ilost my job. I felt frustrated,depressed. But then, while sendingout hundreds copies of my CV in adesperate search for the next job, it came to me throughthe latihan that I should do something useful in the mean-time.

I applied as a volunteer to accompany an entirely paral-ysed person and then to actively support a group of peo-ple recovering from mental illness and on their way backinto society. This was a magnificent human experiencethat opened me up to an even wider network of peopleand gave me a higher level of understanding. This enor-mously influenced my behaviour in the next job that I gotoffered.

Again after several years of professional accomplish-ments and growth, I reached the next ‘wisdom limit’, andagain I lost my job – from my view – in the most unfair andundeserved way. This got me so frustrated that I decidedto continue on my own. I set up a leadership consultancybusiness and after a few months of networking withpotential clients, the contracts started to flow in. I alsoreceived an offer to work for the Canadian government.I found my work then the best and most fulfilling of anythat had gone before.

During one of my unemployment times, Subud's SES andSYA offered me a one year assignment as a YES (YouthEnterprise Support) coordinator. This had launched world-wide workshops and then led me to initiating an onlineinternet based humanitarian program on personal, profes-sional and business transformation coaching. (This was freeof charge.) Jointly with some wonderful Subud people, Ihave been doing it until now in parallel to my profession.

In summary then, each one of the seemingly “bad” peri-ods of my life, appeared to be a brutal catalyst to awak-en me, to explore further depths of my inner, to understandwhat I am here for, and eventually to shift me to higher lev-els of fulfilment during my existence in this world.

A brutal catalyst to awaken me, toshift me to higherlevels of fulfilment

““R A M A D A N I N 2 0 1 0We understand that Ramadan in 2010 beginsaround August 10th but you should check with yourlocal Islamic authorities to find the correct startingtime for your area.

To find the corresponding time in your part of the world go to

www.timeanddate.com/worldclock

W O R L D L AT I H A N

AUGUST 1st (SUNDAY) 10.00(GMT)

SEPTEMBER 4th (SATURDAY) 20.00 (GMT)

•

PAGE 6 SUBUDVOICE AUG 10

cont on p7 >

Subud Projects is a web site set up last year by HarrisMadden to showcase existing and past Subud projects inmany fields. The site is very clear and easy to navigate.You can choose from project type such as Enterprise &Business, Culture & the Arts, Social & Humanitarian and soon, and you can further refine your search by geograph-ical region. Here are some entries from the Enterprise &Business section. The site is www.subudprojects.net

NUTRIVITAL Abstract: Nutrition and food production business.Project Type: Enterprise & BusinessForm of Trading / Incorporation: For profit (company,partnership, similar)Country: EcuadorRegion: South AmericaCurrently Operating?: YesYear Commenced: 1997Description: Nutrivital is a food production business.

The company has a particular way of producing foodproducts, based on the Health Promotion principles thatAsociacion Vivir has applied. The business concentrateson the creation of products like Granola and Soy milk,with strict sanitary norms and high quality processes.These last few years the enterprise has grown consider-ably and steadily, satisfying the local Ecuadorian market,and increasing its capacity. The new goals for the nextyears is to build new facilities focused on the continuousimprovement of the processes and with the objective ofsatisfying markets in the Latin American region, and otherglobal regions.

Products include:Dream milk (R): a fresh soy milk made with organic soyand pure water. A highly nutritive drink.Magma Granola (R): a mixture of roasted oats, tropicaldried fruits, sesame, cane syrup all combined in a highquality recipe with different ingredients as options for thecustomers.Quinde (R) granola bars: a 30g granola bar withEcuadorian dried fruits, a nutritive and practical meal.Founders / Key People: Marcus Garzon, Benjamin GarzonWebsite: www.nutrivital.com.ecContact Name: Benjamin GarzonE-mail: xgarzon@nutrivital.com.ec

ENTHUM COACHING AND CONSULTING Abstract: Person-focused business coaching, consulting &facilitation.Project Type: Enterprise & BusinessForm of Trading / Incorporation: For profit (company,partnership, similar)Country: United KingdomRegion: EuropeCurrently Operating?: YesYear Commenced: 2008Description: The name, Enthum, comes from the wordsENTERPRISE and HUMAN, reflecting our understandingthat fundamentally businesses are about people, andthere is power and purpose in looking at both together torecognise blocks and bring about change.Enthum helps to draw out the potential of individuals andteams, through coaching facilitation and business con-sulting. Enthum offers a range of specialties with partnersexpert in business, finance, coaching and counselling.Processes including using movement, voice, story and

creative techniques to engage the whole person inchange and growth.Founders / Key People: Hussein DickieLilliana GibbsMichael HeaslipWebsite: www.enthum.comContact Name: Hussein DickieE-mail: hussein.dickie@enthum.com

SONOREX OIL AND GAS LTD Abstract: Oil and gas exploration in the UKProject Type: Enterprise & BusinessForm of Trading / Incorporation: For profit (company,partnership, similar)Country: United KingdomRegion: EuropeCurrently Operating?: YesYear Commenced: 2001Description: Company Overview Sonorex Oil & Gas Ltd is an independent oil and gasexploration company, incorporated in England andWales. The Company was established in October 2001 toevaluate hydrocarbon potential on the northern shores ofthe Severn Estuary, on the eastern margin of the BristolChannel Basin in the United Kingdom.

The Company has secured 100% interest in two UKonshore blocks ST38 & ST48 (Licenses PEDL 157 & 224 cov-ering an area of 133 sq km) located in South Wales andhas carried out a regional seismic survey to identify drillingtargets.

Sonorex’s strategy is to seek new hydrocarbon explo-ration opportunities based on proven techniques. TheCompany has a corporate and financial managementteam with a proven record and obtains technical expert-ise from experienced exploration consultants.Founders / Key People: Ramsey David Alfred Barker –Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.Mark Robert Smith – Technical Director. Reynold Alexander Barker – Operations Director.Dahlan Leonard James Simpson – non-executive director.Dominic Hudson – Environmental Adviser.Isabel Naomi Davies – Geophysical Adviser.Thomas Andrew Mackay – independent consultant in theUK oil and gas industry.Website: Contact Name: David BarkerEmail: dbarkerram@aol.com

KALTENG CONSULTANTS Abstract: Remote sensing and Geographical InformationSystem (GIS) techniquesProject Type: Enterprise & BusinessEnvironment & SustainabilityForm of Trading / Incorporation: For profit (company,partnership, similar)Country: GermanyRegion: EuropeCurrently Operating?: YesYear Commenced: 1995

Description: Kalteng Consultants is executing research projects byremote sensing and Geographical Information System(GIS) techniques to investigate the evolution and theeconomic potential of the resources in CentralKalimantan, Indonesia. By multi-spectral and multi-tem-poral image analysis we evaluate peat lands,

S u b u d P r o j e c t s

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IBU RAHAYU’S TALK ON THE 23rdNIGHT OF RAMADANWisma Subud, Cilandak, Indonesia 26th October 2005Recording 05 CDK 1Final Translation by Raymond LeeCopyright © 2007 the World Subud Association. All rights reserved.

This talk was given for people practising the spiritual exerciseknown as the Subud Latihan. For those not practising this exercise,reading the following talks is not recommended as it could bemisunderstood.

Ibu Rahayu

Talks

the environmental importance of tropical forest and theagricultural potential as well as wildlife conservation aspects.Current Activity:In August 2007 Kalteng Consultants carried out a largeAirborne Laser Scanner (ALS, also called LIDAR-Scanning)campaign in Central Kalimantan for the CentralKalimantan Peatland Project (CKPP) contracted byWetlands International and the University of PalangkaRaya in the frame of The Netherlands environmental proj-ect. The objective was to achieve precise DigitalElevation Models. Especially in Elevation the resolutionwas +/-15cm measured by helicopter with ALS equip-ment.This project has shown the importance of the ALS-technol-ogy with Ortho-Photos for tropical forests, fragile peatlands and land use planning. The Peat Swamp Forest waspenetrated by 3% to 5% of the Laser-beams. Precise pro-files of the peat dome and tree heights were measuredand the depth of fires in the burnt scars determined in2008 and 2009.The ALS-/LIDAR-technology can also be used in otherprovinces of Indonesia as well as in Malaysia, thePhilippines and Singapore.Founders / Key People: Viktor BoehmWebsite: www.kalteng.orgContact Name: Dr. BoehmE-mail: viktorboehm@t-online.de

THE GREEN OAK CARPENTRY COMPANY Abstract: Traditional oak framed houses, barns andbridges.Project Type: Enterprise & BusinessForm of Trading / Incorporation: For profit (company,partnership, similar)Country: United KingdomRegion: EuropeCurrently Operating?: YesYear Commenced: 1996

Description: Subud member Andrew Holloway's businessdesigns and builds traditional oak framed houses, barnsand bridges. Modern timber buildings have won interna-tional awards.

Founders / Key People: Andrew HollowayWebsite: www.greenoakcarpentry.co.ukContact Name: Andrew HollowayE-mail: andrew@greenoakcarpentry.co.uk

Brothers and sisters whom I love and respect: may thepeace and blessings of Almighty God be with you.

We are in the final days of the month of Ramadan, andtonight is one of the nights we call a night of power – one ofthe nights on which God bestows God’s grace and rewards.And we are here tonight to witness this night of powertogether. So, tonight’s program is for what can be called sus-tenance for the soul – an explanation about God's instruc-tion to human beings to fast in the month of Ramadan.

I hope that many Subud members are doing this fast,even though fasting is easy for some, and difficult for oth-ers, and some of you cannot fast at all because of oneproblem or another that affects you. But, I hope you willfast willingly and that you will not have any intention toneglect your obligation to participate in the feeling of thefast, as we need this time to subdue the desires that wehave inside us, that participate in everything we do in ourlife here.

For us Subud members, we not only have the obligationto fast, to follow God’s command, but we also get aneducation from within by doing latihan. In latihan we aretrained to surrender, and to be accepting, so that ineverything we do we try to bring ourselves closer to thepower of God.

That is because God, and God's power, is always close tohumankind. But it is hard for human beings to draw closeto God. So hopefully, by fasting, you will feel the benefit,as fasting trains you to restrain your desires. We need todo that because the low forces do not just exist outsideus; they also live inside us where they participate in ourdaily activities. So, it is not surprising that God decided togive us this time [Ramadan] when we can experiencewhat it feels like to live without being ruled by desire.

Because, even though it is true that we need our desiresand it is God’s will that they are our partners for life,human beings are creatures of God on a high level, so donot let yourself be led too far by your desires that con-stantly compete with each other – even when they areinside you – to get to the best spot.

What’s more, by subduing your desires that are alwayswith you, you give an opportunity to your individuality [tobe active]. Your individuality is the part of you that reallyowns you. So when your individuality is present

Barn conversion by Greenoak

in your movements and actions, that meansyou are guided by the will of God. And,because your movements and actions areguided by God’s will, you do not need to askanymore what God's will is. Only God knowswhat God’s will is. If a person could say whatGod's will is, that would make them smarterthan God, they would know more than God. In Subud, we say that our lives are guided by,or we follow, the will of God, so we have tosurrender that to God. To surrender meansthat we have faith in God, we accept whatwe receive, provided indeed it is God's will. Ifyou do that, your individuality will grow and becomeactive, and your behaviour and your work will not be driv-en by your desires all the time.

To achieve this you have to repent to God. To repentmeans that you [learn your lessons and] do not repeatyour mistakes. In particular, do not keep repeating thesame mistakes. If you keep repeating the same mistakes,your individuality will not grow, you will block its develop-ment. Today you feel sorry for what you have done, buttomorrow you do the same thing again. That is a big mis-take; it means you cannot keep a promise to your self. Some of you may think, “It doesn’t matter if I do some-thing when I am influenced by my desires; even if mydesires end up controlling me, it won’t matter.” Perhapsyou think like that, but you don't understand where yourdesires come from. Your desires come from your lowforces – from the material, the vegetable and the animalforces.

If God had decreed that you should be a tree, you wouldnot mind being one, because you would have neverknown what it is like to be any other kind of entity. But ifGod has decreed that you should be human and youbecome a tree, obviously, you will suffer. It would be tor-ture. That is what hell means. Hell does not necessarilymean that you are boiled all day, hell is torture, and thattorture can take many forms.

Take that earlier example, suppose someone is stubbornand they say, “It would be nice to be a tree!” or “It wouldbe nice to be an animal!” Well, it would be nice if Godhad created you to be a tree in the first place and youhad never known what it is like to be human, if all youknew was how to be a tree. That is not suffering. But, ifGod created you to be human and you end up living onthe vegetable level – that is suffering. It is suffering thatGod can release you from to return to the human level,but you don't know when.

That, brothers and sisters, will be the consequence if youdo not try to be a good human being. Because, the pur-pose of joining Subud is to become a good human being,a human being with the qualities of susila, budhi anddharma. You do not join Subud to become rich, tobecome important, and to get a job, and so on.

This is the truth. So be careful, do not play around withSubud; if you do, you are only fooling yourself.

God is all giving, and for that reason, if God asks you to dosomething, if God commands you to do something, Godwill reward you if you carry out God's command properly.This shows that God constantly loves and cares for allGod's creatures. For that reason, do not waste it, now thatyou have this chance to try to draw close to God.

God's rewards come in many forms, in manyshades, and in many different situations.There are material rewards in that when youpray, you might ask to receive good fortune.Well, if you are accepting and let go, yourgood fortune will come to you. It will, ofcourse, come to you via another person, orin some other way. But it will not fall from thesky, it will be the result of the work you do tosurrender.

There are also rewards that are spiritual innature. What kind of reward will God you

give on this spiritual path? Well, you cannot achieve ahigher spiritual level unless God helps you, it is impossibleotherwise.

Why do we need to do latihan? You have to do latihan tocleanse your being, but that is only the purificationprocess. Once you are clean, you will be brought to life,and once you are alive, you will grow. As your soul grows,you will understand for yourself what you should do andwhat is right for you.

So, clearly, the decisive factor on this spiritual path is yourdegree of surrender, your submission to God, so that Godcan help you achieve what you need to achieve. That’s how it is, because that is God's will. Therefore, ifsomeone wants to make rapid progress, it is not possible.Nobody can help you progress faster on this path. Yourknowledge of the spiritual will grow by itself once everypart of you, once the whole of your being, is filled withyour individuality and not with desire.

So God’s reward comes when we least expect it. Youmight not be hoping for anything at all, and it arrives. Thisis a grace that does not come about because youthought about it. For instance, you are sick and thensomething makes you better. The medicine did not makeyou better, it was God's grace. The medicine was just themeans for you to get better, the agent. The truth is thatyou got better because of your prayer, because youaccepted your situation and you surrendered everythingto Almighty God, and then God granted what you askedfor. Many people have experienced this in Subud.

But, if you get a grace that does not come from God, youwill lose your way. For example, many people who wantto get rich ask a satanic being to make them rich. That isa kind of grace too, but where does that grace comefrom? It comes from a devil!

I will give you another example, there are members – Iapologize for saying this – who take things belonging toother people. Here, in Subud! In Subud, where we aretrained, where we constantly get explanations, membersstill lose their belongings, because some people takeother people’s things. They think that if they get awaywith taking another person’s belongings without anyoneknowing, that is a grace too.

I still get surprised when I hear that a member has had some-thing taken at latihan, because when we come to latihanwe are supposed to worship God. I think this depends onyour intention; you shouldn’t come to latihan intending totake someone’s belongings. That is truly shameful! Even if noone saw you take something, God knows. Because thepower of God is inside you, there is a witness. But people foolthemselves and they think no one knows.

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By subduing yourdesires, you give anopportunity to yourindividuality to be

active

“

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Susila Budhi Dharma. Those experiences are real. Even though I did not have an experience likeBapak’s, I believe that what Bapak experiencedis true, it is real. My experience did not last for athousand days. I cannot imagine what it wouldbe like to have no sleep for a thousand days. Myexperience only lasted for a hundred days. It wasas if there was no time for sleep, whenever I triedto sleep, I would be woken up. I was woken upand told to come and work. I was told to do allkinds of work, it was like being tested. And nowthat work has become a reality – I can explainthings to you, I can give you something. That was

why I had to have those experiences.

We cannot explain something, or give understanding tosomeone if we have not experienced it ourselves. But you cannot ask for this kind of experience. It will justhappen. All we can do is receive it. And afterwards, youwill feel very tired. When I was being used like that I feltstrong, but afterwards, I was weak and exhausted. Thereason for that is when we come back here our low forcesenter us again. So, it is true that, even though they temptus, our low forces help us in this world.

For instance, when my experience ended, a voice said,“Your assignment is over; now go back to earth.” Butwhen I got back here I was completely helpless, becauseI had no low forces, I was empty of low forces. So, I couldnot make the leap – I could not get back to earth eventhough I could see it in front of me. But then I understoodwhat to do and I prayed, “As a human being, it is not pos-sible for me to get back unless God helps me.” Then I washelped and I could get back here.

When I recall that moment, I know that people in crisis arethe same way. If it is not the time yet, if you tell them tostop, they are incapable of ending the crisis, they cannotstop the crisis by themselves.

That was my experience. And because of that experi-ence I can tell you that Subud is not a game, everythingcan be proven. Well, all this takes time. Some membershave done latihan for years, but they do not understandwhat the latihan is.

When I was in Jogja, I said that once you feel the bliss ofyour latihan you will never leave Subud. The membersthere asked me, “What is the bliss of the latihan?” It is afeeling that is complete; it is not like tasting food forinstance. Food is tasty, but bliss is a complete experience.You are able to generate a peaceful and pleasantatmosphere around you. You generate it yourself, andyou feel bliss in the latihan.

This is my experience and I have given you a little expla-nation about this, so that you can understand what God'sgrace means, what kind of rewards God will give you.Usually you cannot see those rewards, but you experi-ence them. Without knowing why, you experience achange in your self.

This is all. I will end my talk now. Please take what I havetold you as a story, and do not dwell on it or think aboutit. I hope that your fast, of which there are only a few daysleft, will go well until the end.

Thank you. May the peace and blessing of Almighty Godbe with you.

The same applies when we work, whatever work we do, we must do it honestly. If youdo not work honestly, you will block yourdevelopment. So, in many cases, it is smallthings that we pay no attention to, thatblock our path.

Now, on this spiritual path, if you are blessedand you have an experience, that experi-ence will usually come when you leastexpect or want one, but you will be givenan experience anyway, to enable you towitness reality through that experience. These experiences come in many different formsdepending on which parts of your body are alive. If, forinstance, your eyes are alive then – because they arealive – when you close your eyes you can still see. If thathappens, you are not seeing with your physical eyes, youare seeing with your soul’s eyes. You can have similarexperiences with your hearing or your other senses.

And, if your individuality is fully prepared, you will be con-scious and fully aware of what is happening to you duringsuch an experience, because part of you wants thatexperience – the touch of God that is inside you. So, if anorder or summons comes from the power of God thattouches your soul, you cannot refuse.

You see this, for instance, when you have to deal with some-body in crisis. You should observe how they behave!Someone in crisis will only do something if they are instructedto do it by their true self – the part of them that is touched byGod that I just mentioned. If you tell that person what to do,they will not do it. Not because they do not want to do it, butthey cannot do it. That is why helpers, when you deal withsomeone in crisis, do not approach them in your normalstate or talk in the normal way. You have to face them usingyour latihan. You must be filled by your true content andthen a connection is established between your inner con-tent and the content of the person in crisis.

This shows that the power of God is there, it is not absent!And it is also inside the person in crisis. If you try to forcethem to do something they will not do it. Just try to dragthem away – you will not be strong enough.

If, as your soul develops, you have experiences like this, ifyou are conscious, ask God to help you. Or, if you arescared, ask God to return you to your normal state. So, you can have all sorts of experiences depending onyour needs and on your capacity.

I have been talking to you about the different types ofgrace or rewards from God, and if God wants you tohave one of these experiences, as one of God’s crea-tures, all you can do is receive it. Take Bapak’s experi-ence, for instance. Bapak did not sleep for a thousanddays. During those thousand days, Bapak had one expe-rience after another. Like someone studying, the experi-ences went on and on. So, if you are not prepared, youwill be left behind. What I mean is that you cannot askGod to repeat something, like you can if you do notunderstand something in school and you ask the teacherto repeat it. You cannot do that.

Bapak had all sorts of experiences, some were things thatBapak had to do, and some were about things Bapakwould have to do later on, there were many kinds of expe-rience. And these experiences are set out in Bapak’s book –

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As your soulgrows, you willunderstand for

yourself what youshould do and what

is right for you

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Inner Voice welcomes stories and letters. Please send to IlainaLennard, NEW E-MAIL ilaine.l@blueyonder.co.ukIlaina (Ilaine for the e-mail) can be contacted at her NEWADDRESS: 8 Sissinghurst Grove, Up Hatherley, Cheltenham,Glos. GL51 3FA UK NEW TEL NO: (+44) (0)1242 707 701

I N N E RV O I C E

SOLIHIN THOM – SOME OF HISJOURNEY... PART 2Continuing the life of Solihin Thom, rewritten and re-editedby Ilaina Lennard from the interview with further explana-tions taken from Riantee Rand’s book THE MANY FACES OFSUBUD...

A pivotal experienceI had been studying with my friend and mentor AlanBeardsall, an American chiro-practor, who taught his modifiedversion of Applied Kinesiologyusing hand modes or mudras. Hecalled this Clinical Kinesiology.

The use of kinesiology I hadknown for years, practicing andplaying with the process, albeitalways having a tinge of suspi-cion about its veracity andaccuracy, but his work broughtprecision and clarity which wehadn’t seen before this.

I immersed myself in his work, and became adjunct withhim, along with my pal Richard Holding DO, and webecame the principle practitioners of Clinical Kinesiologyin the country. Alan would come back twice a year andteach, altering his ideas.

One day after arranging a visit to Jerusalem to see apatient, we heard that Alan would come again, butunfortunately he was arriving the day before I wouldleave. I rang him up to tell him that I loved him, that hehad changed my life, and that I was eternally grateful forhis gift to us.

Perhaps fifteen minutes later he was dead, together with hisnew wife Kirsten, having been hit by a truck on the narrowroads of Cheshire as he visited with Richard Holding. Shehad inadvertently driven on the wrong side of the road.

Of course I was one of the first to hear the terrible news,and immediately wrote a eulogy, knowing that, as aMormon, he would have a specific burial and rites andhoped that these words would be read at his funeral. Forsome reason I also wrote, “and if you need me I amalways here” – strange words for one who has died.

Several weeks later, when Alicia and I had returned fromJerusalem, which itself had been a pivotal experience forme, I and Haakon Lovell L.Ac, a Subud member and oneof our colleagues in the practice, went to see a friendwho practiced Clinical Kinesiology.

For some reason he showed us that he made contact

with his parents – who were dead – and that he used avariant of Alan’s methods. We thought he was cuckoo,made polite noises, and went home. Our strange kinesio-logical practice was strange enough without contactingthe dead!Releasing AlanBut the very next day, back at work, Haakon and I hadsimultaneous experiences. Haakon related that whilst onthe landing of the third floor of the practice he had felt ahand on his shoulder, and then a slight push, almost mak-ing him fall, prompting him to look behind – whereuponhe saw the face of Alan.

Meanwhile, I – who was working with a client, had turnedaway, and had turned back to look down at this recum-bent patient, only to see Alan’s face superimposedbetween his and mine. I was startled, but, as one does,put on my professional and serious face and continued towork with the man.

Moments later however, Haakon’s worried face pokedaround the door, and we looked at each other and knew

instinctively that each had experi-enced what the other had seen.

Unusually both our next patients hadmysteriously cancelled within the lasthours, and we had free space toexamine what had happened. Weboth were quick to realize that ourprevious day’s encounter with Chris,the communicator of the dead, hadprepared us, — dare we say it — todo the same.

Taking what we had witnessed, weused Haakon as the mediator and me as the ‘arm puller’,and accessed what appeared to be Alan’s essence. UsingAlan’s hand modes (the ones we had learnt from him) sim-ply didn’t work. In exasperation we both surrendered, andsimultaneously we both received an identical mode in ourhands, even though we both had our eyes shut.

We fussed around a bit but again, simultaneously, in a fur-ther moment of quiet, both of us felt as if a net or web –like a spider’s – covered our faces. Eventually we under-stood that Alan had been entangled by something in thepursuit of his work. Several years later we actually foundout what we were not able to truly name during this ses-sion. This work he was pursuing had caught him, andwhen he died, its dark force held his essence preventingit from leaving this earth. He needed help.

We both sank to our knees and prayed, in a latihan state,and felt this huge weight or force enter the room, andpush our bodies downward. Eventually, the feeling liftedand became light. On getting off our knees, we repeat-ed the process to access Alan, and got the ‘answer’ thathe could go; that he was free. We stopped the process,thankful and amazed at what we had just witnessed.

A visit to JerusalemIn our book Being Human: Exploring the Forces that ShapeUs and Awaken an Inner Life we wrote:

Alicia and I visited Jerusalem where I had been invited tosee a client. The trip appeared as a godsend, for it cameat a time when I was rather depressed. I had been goingthrough a period where I thought and

Solihin and Alicia Thom

As we talked about this, werealized that this spontaneousexperience brought us asense of Oneness and inner-knowing of the Divine, andthat it had no language, doc-trine or learning associatedwith it. This pure surrender toGod is the content that uniteshumanity, and the form of reli-gion is often what divides it. Ina way, the city of Jerusalemsymbolizes this as well.

It seemed that feeling this deep inner movement that dayhad opened a part of Solihin and brought alive his faithby allowing him to no longer fear death. The feeling ofdeath that had been pervading his consciousness for solong completely disappeared, and has not returnedsince. — Alicia To be continued

SUBUD AND THE MISSINGSANGHAReynold Ruslan Feldman writes from Boulder, Colorado,about the importance of community...

Some years ago in Honolulu I was joking with the Buddhistpriest whose temple our Subud group was (and still is)renting. “Sensei,” I said, “Your people are Buddhists, butwe are Su-Buddhists.” I went on to explain that Su inJavanese means “good” or “excellent”; hence the com-mon male names of Sukarno, Suharto, or in Subud circlesSudarto or even Sumohadiwidjojo.

We both laughed and moved on to discuss other things.Certainly, the Reverend Nishiwaki’s congregants werealmost entirely Japanese Americans, whereas we repre-sented different nations and religions. Moreover, themembers of the Palolo Buddhist Hongwanji were follow-ing an outer, conventional religion, where everyone didthe same thing at the same time, whereas we each didour own thing as inspired by our Inners – a thing whichchanged as our development required from time to time.Now, however, as I reflect on that conversation, I havecome to another conclusion. They have the Sangha, andwe don’t. Let me explain. The three jewels of Buddhismare the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The first isthe charismatic leader and guide, the second the path,and the third the community. Subud, the word, is anacronym—how the Indonesians love their acronyms—made up, as every candidate member knows, of Susila,Budhi, and Dharma. Okay.

So they have the Buddha (the Enlightened One), and wehave the Budhi (that which leads, or can lead, toEnlightenment). We also have Bapak, our charismaticleader and guide. And we both have the Dharma, or path(to Enlightenment). But then, they have the Sangha, the(spiritual) community, whereas we have Susila (right living).

So here’s the issue for me. Right living can be either for anindividual or a group. A successful utopian community, Isuppose, would be one where all or most of the memberslive good, careful, respectful and disciplined lives. Theconcept of Sangha implies that right living can only hap-pen fully and well in community. What’s the point ofenjoying a fabulous lifestyle in a slum?

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The feeling ofdeath

disappeared, and has not

returned since

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fantasized about my death.

These thoughts had been my close companions for atleast a year, and yet I had never articulated these feel-ings to anyone, let alone Alicia. I had imagined myselfdying while performing my prayers in the Al Aqsa mosquein Jerusalem. I had indulged my mind to conjure up allsorts of scenarios over the previous months, but this fanta-sy capped the lot.

During those months I had been having problems with myprostate, which had become irritated and enlarged, andthe memory of my grandfather suffering and then dyingfrom prostate cancer was not very comforting.

This was also a time when I was researching and formingthe work that I have since taught to many around theworld. However, this initial phase was lonely, isolated, anddifficult. Many of my old clients left as I practiced this newmodel of medicine, for they preferred that I simply fixthem rather than get them to take responsibility for theirillness or state. — Solihin

Alicia continues:

In Jerusalem, we were staying with the client so thatSolihin could treat him on a daily basis. Each day wewould go out and explore our surroundings. On our firstday we walked through the old city to the Western, orWailing, Wall, where many Jews were deep in prayer.

We walked up the stone steps and through the securitycheckpoint to the gateway leading to the Temple Mount,which contains the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of theRock. This place is very sacred to Muslims, Jews, andChristians. Jews believe the rock to be the foundationstone of the world, and the pedestal upon which the Arkof the Covenant rested.

It is said to be the place where Abraham came to sacri-fice his only son, Isaac, before the angel released him,and where Mohammed had his ascension. It is believedthat a footprint in the rock marks that event.

The cave below the rockWe had a guide who was explaining the history of theplace. He asked if we would like to see the cave belowthe rock. We knew nothing of this cave, and said yes. Heled us down some steps into an empty stone cave deepbeneath the main floor.

As we went he explained how the cave was believed tohave been used as a place of prayer and retreat bymany of the prophets, including Abraham, David,Solomon, Elijah and Mohammed.

As we stood there, we became aware of an intensevibration throughout each of us. The guide was ready toleave, and we asked him to meet us outside. Weremained in the cave and continued to feel a vibrationthroughout and around us.

This force and experience was not entirely new to us, butreceiving this spontaneously was an unexpected gift. Itfelt very deep and pure, and we understood this to meanthat this truly had been a place of surrender to God, andthat the force of those prayers and intent was containedwithin this place.

Eventually you’ll be burgled andmugged, understandably so. For bet-ter or worse, it seems to me, Subud, likemost self-help practices, emphasizesindividual spiritual development. True,we mainly follow our latihans in groups,albeit separated by sex. (ThinkOrthodox Jews and Muslims, wheremen and women pray in separatespaces.) Yet we do our own thing inthose groups. God forbid we wouldreceive to do a pas de deux with one

of our fellow exercisers! The helpers would swoop in likehawks. So like many another spiritual practice or self-helpprogram, Subud turns out to emphasize the Me, not theWe.

To be sure, Bapak did stress such community-buildingpractices as helper and helper-and-committee dewansand latihans, often neglected or omitted in my experi-ence. And to our merit, we experimented with communi-ty in such projects as Wolfsburg, Skymont, and morerecently Amanecer and Atlanta. Subud enterprises toowere to be, among other things, training grounds for prof-it-making collaboration.

Yet communitarian Wolfsburg had its dictatorial side andeventually died, Skymont collapsed for economic andsocial reasons, Amanecer is still struggling, and Atlantahas yet to get off the ground. Even the Subud gatedcommunity in Central Borneo (Kalimantan), Rungan Sari,reputed by some as the “new Cilandak,” has beenmarred by occasional in-fighting, misunderstandings, anddisharmony. As for Cilandak itself, as a growing number ofnon-members buy houses there, it sometimes seems char-acterized more by gossip and backbiting than by lovingcollaboration.

So, as I celebrate my 49th Subud birthday in full gratitudefor the countless real-world blessings the latihan hasbrought to my life, I would like to suggest it is time for ourtiny but promising organization to move in spirit and prac-tice from SUBUD to SABUD, from Susila Budhi Dharma toSangha Budhi Dharma.

In order for us to exemplify the Javanese su of our name,we will need to learn and practice the skills of harmony(Indonesian rukun, a term Bapak stressed) so that we canrealize the blessings of group life, true community, collabo-rative projects, and the reality that the whole really isgreater than the sum of its parts. Only then will Subud growand be able to fulfill Bapak’s mission of making the latihanavailable to all humankind. Whether we rise to the occa-sion or not is in our hands and remains to be seen.

EXPERIENCES WITH BAPAK David Likas writes…

I feel it’s time to tell about an experience I had in 2000. Ihad reached the age of 72 and felt quite concernedabout my inner self. It was my 8th stage of human lifeaccording to Bapak, as given in his talk – 'The 8 Year CyclesOf Human Development'. And that's when I heard from theReal Bapak, and saw something else.....

I was falling asleep in latihan one night when I heardBapak's voice from very close up and felt a comforting armaround my shoulders. The 'feeling' was really Bapak, but I

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Sangha implies

that right living

can only happen

fully and well in

community

•

could only hear his voice. He said: "Your nameis David...you are a designer...you will diewell!" (My instant feeling was one of greatrelief – perhaps an eventual passport tosome better place?).

But I was surprised at his mention thatmy real talent in life is, in fact, a design-er with published patents in R & D. Ithanked him most happily and continuedon to a large but dim looking cathedralspace where I saw many people. Someappeared to be listening to someone onmy right side whom I could not see.

It was like watching a colourless black and white movie. A fewpeople looked vaguely familiar, and I wondered. Then I heard avoice say – "They are waiting to be called ...but you are not yet!"

People were coming and going with a purpose and I wentalong to see other places too. Then I felt it was time toleave when a kind of open elevator appeared in front ofme. I stepped in and turned to see a 'white Bapak' stand-ing outside, like a rigid marble statue and looking intently atme through the open door.

I knew it was 'another Bapak' who seems to be every-where, or perhaps what I could see of him at my own level!He had the most serious expression – like a very concernedfather. This white Bapak looked sad and disappointed, andI felt sad too that he was probably expecting somethingmuch more from me. 'He really cares for us' – I thought!

I said to him, "I will see you later Bapak!" He was still staringat me when the scene went dark and I awoke at dawn. Iknew it was a real experience but I also tested later with anational helper who confirmed it.

The White Bapak In the spirit world, I believe a 'white' color signifies the ordi-nary human level (Rahayu). I had seen the 'Real Bapak'when he was still with us. He appeared with a spirit escortjust 5 days before he died as reported in my brief story 'TheLatihan Gate' (See Google).

Then Bapak had radiant gold hair and complexion. Hisescort was a tall big man. He had a glowing bronze com-plexion. I recognized him as the spirit of a prominent Subudpioneer who had passed away 13 years before Bapak. Itappears we have to know something 'here', so that wecan also know and recognize something 'over there'.

What is Real?Some people ask, "What is real?"

Once I was subjected to a test – if I could know the differ-ence between a physical reality and an imaginary dream.

Everything was in colour and solid “steady state” real to thesmallest detail, as I went about my boat building project inmy back yard. In fact it was so bright and clear with 20/20vision reality that I became suspicious of everything asbeing much more vivid than normal.

I searched for signs of non conformity with known physicallaws. Yet my tools were certainly real and worked just as theyshould! Except I noticed that difficult work was rather easy.

I continued working with a feeling that something

Little David Likas

Furthermore, it is clear to me that Bapak was willed by God toreceive these talks for our benefit, not for his. It is important forus to understand that, because Bapak received and experi-enced the whole content of the latihan, and because Bapakwas a human being, as we are, we too may experience whathe did, as many Subud members have.

If these talks weren’t important for us, why then was he madeto receive them in the first place? Well, at least I can confirmthat one person needs to read these talks; me. But I’m surethere are many others who feel the same way.

In the June issue of Subud Voice we published an “allegory”by Merin Neilsen critical of some aspects of Subud. RuslanMoore was moved to respond...

The first time I read the article you previously published by MerinNeilsen I was inwardly incensed and outwardly so too, becausewhat he had (and has) to say has both an inner and outer com-ponent. At the time I was inclined to send you my own views onthe matter, but in the end refrained, thinking it was better toleave well enough alone.

Now, in this issue, we have another chapter, which as you say, youhave published under the banner of freedom of speech, which Isuppose is laudable if looked at from that perspective.

Permit me therefore to present a different outlook and a com-ment or two on Merin's so-called allegory. Merin, of course, isentitled to his own opinions and indeed so am I, and I forwardthem to you because really I need to express them after read-ing the article (and your response).

Firstly, it seems that the 'allegory' (yes, Merin, I do think it is pre-tentious of you, but that's beside the point), in my opinion,rather misses the mark. To rework it, I would say that the PianoSchool's director and founder is actually the One AlmightyGod, not Bapak, who was only His faithful servant.

Secondly, the instruments and pupils in this school are as manyand varied as the number of those who have received the lati-han kejiwaan of Subud. Amazingly the teacher teaches eachfrom within and without with a method peculiar and particu-lar to each of them individually, according to their 'instrument'and in harmony with their capacity and willingness to progress.For each one according to his or her nature. Who could haveimagined that such a thing were possible?

Thirdly, there are indeed those who think they knowbetter, and can learn to play their 'instrument' better,faster and more effectively if they add to the teacher'swork with other methods, or leave this 'school' and findanother teacher or system. Good luck to them.

To get to my own view on the matter, I'm not at all reluctant tosay that it's obvious to me that Bapak was one of theMessengers of God; the Messenger of God for this day andage. Subud folk sometimes tiptoe around this appellation butconsider this: Had Bapak not received the latihan directly fromAlmighty God, there is not one of us who would be capable ofdoing the latihan. Whether we received it first-hand directly bybeing opened by Bapak himself or second-hand by beingopened by one of his helpers the fact remains the same.

The Proof? The job of a Messenger is to deliver a message, andevery time any one of us receives the marvellous grace andgift of God that is the latihan, we are bearing witness thatBapak delivered the Message.

was not quite right about my exceptionallyclear conscious state.

If I could only wake up I thought, to proveit was all a dream! Suddenly, something“moved” that disobeyed a physical law. Ithought, “Oh, oh, now I know somethingis not right about this clear consciousstate. Maybe I can ask Phil my next doorneighbour, if he thought we were dream-ing. He laughed and said, "How could webe dreaming in broad daylight!”

I was not satisfied and began to look for someone I could real-ly trust! But who could I trust? I know, I could ask Bapak, hewould know – and that's when I woke up, totally flabbergast-ed that the dream world could appear far more real than thisphysical one!

BENEFITS OF READING BAPAKSamuel Hull writes…

After reading Ragnar Lystad’s article (“The Path Ahead”, May2010 Subud Voice) about Bapak’s talks and why he feels it’snot necessary for us to read them, I need to explain why I feelthey are important and a blessing for me.

From the moment Bapak first passed this contact on to anoth-er person it has been necessary for him to explain to thosepeople the reality of the Subud latihan. He needed to ensurepeople had a clear understanding of what Subud was, tomake it clear that it isn’t a religion or a human teaching.

He needed to make us aware that we cannot force or makethe latihan go faster with our own effort or by mixing it withother spiritual practices. He would say “God requires no help,and will know exactly what we need, when we need it andthe amount we need.” The latihan is so much more than justfeeling guidance in our lives, that is just the beginning. It is atraining to live as a complete human being, in this life, and thelife after death.

Bapak needed to give advice about what we may receive inthe latihan, based on his own experience. He would also tellstories about the reality of the spiritual life and what existed inthe religions of today, He would say, “Think of it as a fairytale,only believe what I say once you have experienced it for your-self in your own Latihan. What is more important is that you fol-low and practice your own Latihan”

He would occasionally ask members to test the reality of thesestories during his talk, to give evidence to what he was saying.Also, Bapak would constantly remind us that our Latihan is themost important aspect, is the number one priority in Subud. Heexplained his role in Subud like this “I am like a schoolroom assis-tant, I prepare the desks, paper and pencils and make every-thing neat for you. Then the teacher arrives, that teacher is God.”

So why do I read Bapak’s talks? Because being a Subudmember is hard work. I am constantly changing andexperience states that are sometimes confusing or hardto accept or endure. There are too many changes to testabout, so I need to be reminded from someone else’sexperience that everything will be OK, that I am going inthe right direction.

So many times have I read a talk and understood how some-thing is, or why my receivings are the way they are. They con-firm my experiences, bring comfort to my inner feelings andremind me that sometimes we have to go through thesechanges to progress.

PAGE 13SUBUDVOICE AUG 10

cont on p14 >

A Response to Merin

“

“

I need to be

reminded from

someone else’s

experience that I

am going in the

right direction

PAGE 14 SUBUDVOICE AUG 10

cont on p15 >

The message was NOT a new religion, itwas far broader than that; a livinggrace and gift that is astounding in itsscope, bestowed on people of any orno religion and providing them with afurther dimension of spirituality to whichthey could never attain without it. Howthen can the latihan be described byanyone who has experienced it as a"religion or a cult?"

One could possibly accept such anopinion from someone who had never actually experienced itand had 'heard tell' of what goes on in the latihan, but to hearit from someone who has actually experienced the latihan isvery strange.

Merin may perceive Subud as a 'Bapak Fan Club', but it seemsto me that as in the case of the words of any others of theMessengers of God it makes sense to listen and take note ofwhat he has to say and benefit from his words.

All of us Subud members started out knowing nothing of thereality (haqiqa) of worship and spiritual development,whereas by the time we were opened Bapak had alreadymade the journey to Almighty God, and returned to passthe gift on to us. If anyone knows the way better than he Iwould be surprised.

Lastly I would like to say that what I would consider a properattitude towards our benefactor, Bapak and what he hasgiven us in Subud, is one of loving respect and undying grati-tude, and a wish to repay in whatever way we are enabled to,the great gift we have been given.

Harris, on the internet, in comment sessions and blogs andeven newspapers such as the New York Times that also publishcomments, there appear frequently a category of respondersknown as "Trolls", whose sole pleasure is derived from pushingpeople’s buttons with inflammatory and perverse commentsdesigned to provoke the normal sane reader. I would suggestthat we have had enough of Merin's viewpoints to last us agood long while. He has made his point, such as it is.

Forgive me if I have said anything out of place.

SUCCESS! CHILE EARTHQUAKE NEEDS ME: On February 27 there was a major earthquake in Chile, fol-lowed by numerous intense aftershocks. Subud Chile askedSDIA to make an appeal for financial assistance to help threeSubud families in Chile who lost everything. Another five fami-lies are able to repair their homes without help. The damagewas assessed at $12,000 USD, half of which will be used for rentwhile the homes are being repaired.

Thanks to all the generous donations of individuals and groupsaround the world, the goal was reached through the com-bined efforts of SDIA, SD Netherlands, SD USA, the WSA CareSupport Team and many individual donors from Indonesia, US,Russia and other countries around the world. From the SDIAnewsletter: “We continue to pray and hope that our modestefforts will help make things easier for the people involved.”

PIONEERING A SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE IN HAITIAfter returning from working as a first responder nurse just afterthe Haitian earthquake, a friend convinced Patricia Arquetteto start a project to help in Haiti. Patricia felt what she neededmost was trust that something could be done, courage to goahead, and the willingness to stay open to learning and guid-ance. She began calling people who might be able to help.From this beginning a network of partnerships is emerging.

It makes sense to listen

and take note of what

Bapak has to say and

benefit from his words

““

Give Love has been created byPatricia and her friend Rosetta Getty,also from LA.

Patricia writes:I want you to know about the projectI have implemented to help the peo-ple in Haiti. The project is called GiveLove. In Haiti we have partnered withL’Athletique D’Haiti and Boby Duvalwho has been working since 1996with marginalized children. Our plan is to pilot an urban village for 2 years on the land wehave been given for this project, and to demonstrate sustain-able initiatives including housing made from shipping contain-ers, sanitation solutions, water filtration, alternative energy,communal food and herb gardens, hiring women and men towork in the project and build their capacity to manage theirown communities.

I feel very proud to be a part of this project because what weare creating will provide a solution to a very serious problem. Ijust got back from visiting Haiti and the site which will be used forour project. After seeing everything first hand, I am more deter-mined than ever to help the women and children I met there.

Please visit our website, www.givelove.org, and spread theword! This project will be a success with the help of all of ourfriends and your wonderful generosity. You can be assuredthat every penny raised and spent for this project will be over-seen by me.

MY INTERNSHIP IN SENEGAL Michelle Rintelman is a Subud member from Portland Oregoncurrently working for an NGO in Senegal and she writes:I'm happy to share my experience interning with an organiza-tion called Tostan (human-rights based non-formal educationfor women's/community empowerment: tostan.org).

I discovered the opportunity when I was searching for a place-ment to complete the internship component of a Masters ofPublic Health. I'm here for about another 6 months, whichseems like such a short time, but I am so grateful to be able towork with Tostan; I think that their approach is really effectiveand I hope we can continue to spread the program through-out Africa.

Community development work is such a balance. I have somuch to learn. Part of my mission on this trip was to visit a fewof the villages that have enacted the CommunityEmpowerment Program and talk with people about theiraccomplishments and aspirations so that I can report back toa funder. I stumbled through the planning and the translation,but I learned more from the experience than I ever couldhave from reading text.

The Community Empowerment Program is spread out overtwo or three years and is based on a foundation of humanrights education in national languages that covers democra-cy, problem solving, health and hygiene, as well as literacy,math, and management skills. In each village with the pro-gram, a number of participants form a group with committeesthat address community concerns related to health, educa-tion, the environment, etc.

It's very encouraging to see the influence that the programhas had in communities, to see the social cohesion, and tohear women talk about the improved communication skillsand self confidence they have gained. Literacy is such a valu-able gift and I don't think I fully appreciated it. We read num-bers about illiteracy rates, but to look it in the face and then toreally contemplate what doors are opened up when we canread, is staggering.

Susila Dharma International News

What we are creating will

provide a solutionto a very serious

problem

““

•

PAGE 15SUBUDVOICE AUG 10• cont on p16 >

I've put some more photos on the picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/michelle.rintelm if you wouldlike to take a look.

UN HABITAT WORLD URBAN FORUM IN RIO DE JANEIRO Illene Pevec, founder of the child’s Garden of Peace, gave akeynote speech at the Youth Assembly at The UN HabitatWorld Urban Forum in the Child Friendly Cities session in Brazil

recently. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guar-antees children and youth the right to participate in planningcommunities, physical facilities, services and events that arepart of their lives. From her report:

Coming home to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is a profound experi-ence for me. This time I asked my taxi driver how long he haddriven a taxi in Rio and he told me 52 years. I commented thatI had noted from the air how much Rio had suffered deforesta-tion since the first time I had seen it from the air 46 years ago.He told me that deforestation was the result of environmentalignorance and greed. He went on to say that one of Brazil’srichest men lived at the top of the hill where we were, that thisman made his money cutting down the Amazon forest, turn-ing the trees into charcoal to sell.

The taxi driver said he had never spent a day in school. His illiter-ate father had taught him as a child to not plant in a dry streambed, because the water needed a place to run when the rainscame, to not cut down trees because they provide fruit andshade, educating him in a way that city planners and councilmembers need educating, so that they understand the effectsof their actions. I got out of the taxi with tears in my eyes.

“IN CONTEXT” ARTICLES NOW ON THE BLOGThe rest of the articles from the Susila Dharma magazine distrib-uted at the World Congress in New Zealand are now posted onthe blog on the Susila Dharma web site.www.susiladharma.org

Clearing the Path — the impact of mine clearance on devel-opment, by Imbert Mathee.

Through a Microscope — volunteer pre-med student teachesbiology to street children in Paraguay, by Myroslava Mykytyn. Seeking Sustainable Healthcare in DR Congo — creating com-munity health care centres, by Virginia Thomas.

From Village to City: The Migration of India’s Farmers — Social,economic, and technological changes force Indian farmersto leave a traditional way of life, by Cassidy Sterling.

Initiatives of Change Conference in Switzerland, by HadrianHolloway

Please log on and comment on the articles!

These stories have been excerpted from The SDIA NetworkeNews. Contact info@susiladharma.org to receive thisnewsletter.

Announcing the publication of the book by Silvana Waniuk …

Beyond the Breakers – A Subud Odyssey is an entirely engag-ing account of the spiritual journey to date of the author. It is astory of how one's everyday life can be directed by a higherpower, affecting all aspects such as one's work, marriage, andresidence. Subud members as well as those interested in thedevelopment of the inner self will be inspired by this book.Dr. Shoshanah Margolin, MA, ND, PMD, CCN HolisticPractitioner, International Helper

Silvana Waniuk’s book is an eloquent witness to the power ofthe latihan, to the power that brings about an inner transfor-mation; to a belief in a Higher Will that comes not from aTeaching or a Creed, but from a personal experience of theGreat Life Force. Anthony Bright-Paul Author, “My Stairway toSubud”

This is the story of a young girl from a village in Israel, daughterof an immigrant family who fled Nazi Germany in the nick oftime; a family of intellectuals, that settled on the land andbecame farmers. Yet while tending to the farm, they alsomade music, read philosophy, poetry and literature and triedto master a new language. The gap between these worldswas enough to make a child neurotic. Yet Silvana grew up onsolid ground only she didn’t know it. Joining Subud helped tomake the picture clear and find the inner balance. Silvanatakes our hand and delicately with honesty and humor in arich and colorful language leads us through the many phasesof her life. Her narrative flows with ease making the book apage-turner. Varda Daliot, Jerusalem, Israel

PRELUDEAn Excerpt from Beyond the Breakers – a Subud OdysseyApril 1964. It was the last day of the voyage. The Turkish shipwas due to enter the Marseilles harbour in two hours. Alreadythe passengers had said their good-byes, casual friendshipsmelting into indifference. All stood on deck to watch theapproaching land but I headed down to the deserted lounge.If only I could prolong indefinitely this hermetic, floating exis-tence. For in truth, I was not travelling for pleasure or study, buthad left Israel in desperation, running away from my life.

Settling down into an easy chair I noticed that I was not alone.In the far corner sat a young man playing softly on his guitar,oblivious to the world. I could hear fragments of a Bach prel-ude – so he too played the classical guitar. Throughout thevoyage he kept fiercely to himself but now, with nothing tolose, I dared an imposition. And thus, in the short time leftbefore the ship docked, we forged the quick and intensefriendship of travellers everywhere, be it on ship, plane, or train.We parted with regret, we shall never meet again. He headedto the highway to hitchhike and I, with my guitar and heavysuitcases, waited for the slow night train to London.

The train was packed. I had to stand in the crowded aisle, andthat’s how I spotted among the sitting passengers this youngman who, for a split second, I took to be my new friend from theship. The resemblance was remarkable. He had the same fea-tures and colouring, the same bushy eyebrows, and his sleekblack hair fell over his forehead in exactly the same manner.However, the guitarist had the pinched and intense look of avery private person, while this fellow was handsome and sur-rounded by friends. I didn’t dare approach him – maybe later.

He didn’t get off in Paris and when, after boarding the boat inCalais, he stood in my line of non-British passport holders, Iresolved to act – it was now or never.

I came over boldly, ‘Excuse me, you remind me of somebody.’I coloured; what a lame opening. ‘Are you an

Michelle Rintelman and friend

Beyond the Breakers

PAGE 16

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MUSIC BY SUBUD ARTISTS• Yamba Yamba Orchestra

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BEYOND THE BREAKERS Continued from page 15

American?’ His expression confirmed my fears.

‘Yes,’ he barely deigned me a look. ‘Are youfrom Chicago?’

Taken aback, ‘Yes?’

‘Do you have a brother by the name ofThomas?’

Yes!’

‘Did your brother recently finish his studies in law;does he play classical guitar, and has he beentravelling in Israel?’

Yes, he had, and indeed I was talking toThomas’s younger brother, who grudgingly toldme that they hadn’t heard from Thomas formonths and that his parents were beginning toworry. Stammering nervously I related to him myconversation with Thomas, what he had doneand what he was planning to do. Then my mis-sion accomplished, feeling terribly awkward, Islunk back to my place in line, hoping to beswallowed by the crowd.

Two brothers who had been in Marseilles onthe same day, who could have met but did-n’t; and I, a stranger, had been assigned to bea link between them. Surely this was not acoincidence!For years I marvelled, why me? Now, forty years later, I believe I understand.There was irony in that encounter. I wasn’t abeliever then, nor in the habit of meditating onexistential questions, yet in one of the morechaotic and pointless moments of my life I wasmade to witness a higher order, an infinitesimalfraction of that web of vibrating and connect-

ing threads that holds together our lives and theuniverse. It was a promise, I would not be lost.

This story came up as I was planning the bookand searching for a format that would be otherthan chronological. Its apparent arbitrarinessreminded me that when I look at my life I tend toperceive it as a set of unconnected events inwhich the present and the past intermingle con-tinuously. I believe that some of these events arepreordained and imagine them as strategicdots on an invisible blueprint. And this is how I willproceed, drawing lines between seemingly dis-parate stories – not unlike that childhood gameof joining numbered dots on paper. Perhapsafter I have connected the most prominentones, a new understanding will emerge.

But why write this book in the first place? After allI haven’t made a name for myself and canboast of no great achievements. And though Imay have had a rather eventful life, it wouldn’thave been a good enough reason for writingthis book if it weren’t for Subud. I have been amember of the spiritual association of Subud fornearly four decades, and it has been a pro-found journey of self-discovery and growth. It isthis that I am compelled to write about.

Yet I am not a writer, but a musician and apainter. My first languages are Hebrew andGerman, not English. I wouldn’t have dared toattempt this venture if it weren’t for a persistinginner prompting to get on with it! Thus, with trep-idation and with the hope that I will be helpedalong the way, I begin my story.

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