THE YEAR THAT WAS IN SUBUD Library/SubudVoice/SVOLJan04.pdf · UK, but it had a number of positive...

THE YEAR THAT WAS IN SUBUD

for News in Brief, subscriptions to Subud Voice

and links to many other Subud sites: www.subudvoice.net

January 2004

1

Personal copy; not for onward transmission

ISC Chair, Laurencio Young, leads the farewell at the Americas

SUBUD VOICE - January 2004

Harris Smart writes about the year in Subud as it appeared from the editor’s desk at Subud Voice… Surely the most important single event of the year was the Americas Gathering in Brazil in August. It was not only a coming together of the Americas but was also at-tended by Ibu Rahayu and was the venue for the annual WSC Meeting. The Brazil meeting was preceded by a Gathering in Colombia at Amanecer. This demonstrated the ongoing energy and vision of the community at Amanecer (which had earlier been marked by a visit from the popular president of Colombia). The Amanecer Americas Gathering was also distinguished by vibrant cultural activ-ity and a strong youth component which resulted in the proposal to hold an Interna-tional Youth Gathering at Amanecer in the middle of 2004. The Brazil Gathering was small (about 350 people including about 100 young people) in comparison to other recent international meetings, such as the 2002 meeting in the UK, but it had a number of positive char-acteristics. The meeting was superbly organized in a beautiful venue by our Brazilian hosts, and also most impressive was the strong show-ing of Susila Dharma projects from Latin America in particular. A lot of work had been put in to get young people to the meeting and this paid off. There was an active presence of young people showing that there is a “next gen-eration” of Subud members coming along

who are not only lively but also dedicated and with a strong sense of responsibility. There were proposals for more young helpers and a commitment to help 800 young people get to the World Congress in Spain in 2005. The best aspect of the WSC meetings seemed to me not so much any particular decision that was reached but more the development of a style of meeting that was more harmonious, enjoyable and produc-tive than in the past. Trusting the Process When Daniel Cheiftez became WSC Chair at the Bali Congress, there was a general sense of “malaise” in Subud that Daniel and the new “administration”, both helpers and committee, were asked to address. It is clear that Daniel has put a lot of en-ergy into doing this. He has travelled and held many meetings and forums which have given people a chance to express themselves. It seems to me that, if he has not solved all the problems, he has gone a long way to-wards developing a better way of dealing with them. He has developed a style of meeting “trusting the process” which seems to me more attuned to the latihan. The motto in Brazil was, “Create the space, trust the process, acknowledge and accept the blossoms”. Ibu Rahayu – who turned 75 in 2003 – has been giving talks which become more and more direct. This was true of the talks she gave in Brazil, particularly the one which focused on the “dangers of promiscuity”.

The “Book” If we are to believe the correspondence and articles we received at Subud Voice, the “issue” which most interested and excited Subud members in 2003 was the revision of the Helper’s Guide. We received many submissions pro and con this initiative of the International Helpers. The debate was kicked off by an article in the June issue, by the siblings of the Rogers family who questioned the need for the “book”. The article attracted a generally positive response. Apart from anything else, people were glad to see young Subud members taking an interest in anything. Further articles question the need for a “book”. Some questioned the right of the International Helpers to initiate or carry out such a project. In one sense, Ibu Ra-hayu put the matter to rest in Brazil when she declared quite clearly that the book should go ahead and that there was a need for “guidelines” in Subud. However, it seemed to me the “controversy over the book” was really just a flashpoint, revealing more generally different attitudes and approaches in Subud. These may be roughly described as the more “conservative” point of view which stresses continuity of tradition, the ongo-ing importance of Bapak’s words, and the value of written guidelines; and the more “radical” perspective which throws the emphasis on the value of the individual’s receiving. Isn’t that what Subud is all

Continued on page 2.

2 SUBUD VOICE - January 2004

Continued from page 1. about, they ask? That we should all be-come capable of receiving for ourselves? Probably most of us will find ourselves aligned somewhere on the spectrum be-tween these two views. There were many interesting variations on the theme in arti-cles we received. An article by Leonard and Melinda Las-salle in our October issue asserted that too much reliance on a book can limit the growth of individual understanding. An article in this issue by psychologist Roland Evans explores the debate using the termi-nology of “realists” and “idealists”. Well, clearly, there will always be differences of opinion and it is healthy that they are freely expressed. Challenges Both verbally and in writing, I sometimes hear expressions of disillusionment and disappointment such as... “We are all getting older and less active. Many of us feel exhausted and no longer able to contribute very much. Our groups are getting smaller rather than growing. Very few people join, very few of them are young. Often those who do join do not continue.” Of course it is difficult to generalize about the whole Subud world. To an individual in an isolated group somewhere it may seem that not very much is happening. But if everything in Subud is drawn together, then it is evident that a great deal is hap-pening. There may be depression and recession in some places but in other places and other groups there is new life and burgeoning energy. Susila Dharma continues to provide a very professional organization supporting Subud’s very impressive array of humani-tarian projects in many countries around the world. SICA also came up with some good initiatives such as the travelling LOVE exhibition and its video magazine. We do not hear so much about enterprises as we used to, but stories still come to us of successful endeavours in this area. I would like to try and bring more enter-prise stories into SV this year. But Subud members continued to initiate and develop projects of great importance such as the Garden of Forgiveness in Lebanon which is described in this issue. Our big hope on the enterprise front re-mains the mining project in Kalimantan. There have been positive signs this year with new investment raised and good re-

sults from exploration, especially in the Baroi area. The mining project has also established an international reputation for its work in sus-tainability and community relations. If Kalimantan can be successful, the “vision splendid” of the 1970s and 80s of Subud making a significant impact through its activities in the world can be revived. The development at Rungan Sari continues to consolidate and mature. This year sev-eral more houses have been built, there is now a fully functioning Resident's Asso-ciation, a school has started, and the Kali-mantan Meeting Centre (KMC), now being managed by Gaye Thavisin as her own business, is enjoying improved trading and widespread local and external interest. There is also great work being done in Kalimantan by the Kalimantan Support Group, including the cultivation of indige-nous plants which have medicinal applica-tions for fighting malaria and AIDS. The YES Quest, which combines adven-ture and personal development in a pro-gram to help young people find direction in life, followed up its first outing in Kali-mantan with a second one in the deserts of Central Australia. The Second Varindra Vittachi Youth Conference was also a great success as can be seen from the arti-cle in this issue. We were all inspired in the 1990s by the spread of Subud in countries of the former Soviet Union such as the Ukraine, and it has been heartening to see Subud continu-ing to spread in these countries. We con-stantly receive reports of the activities of individual members as well as many gath-erings. Indeed, gatherings of all kind con-tinue to be one of the healthiest signs of Subud life throughout the world. We constantly receive evidence of the tal-ents of Subud members in the form of new books and music CDs. There were also initiatives such as Bapak’s talks appearing on DVD and Ibu Rahayu’s letters online. Revived and Rediscovered Some Subud groups or nations which had seemed to be lost, or at least gone very quiet were revived or rediscovered. A visit by the international helpers to Pakistan brought new life there and we also had news for the first time in a while from South Africa. There was plenty of evi-dence of the hard work of the Subud or-ganization with many reports, for example, of the travels by the very dedicated team of international helpers. At Subud Voice we were grateful that we were able to continue our service both in print and online. We were especially happy

this year to be able to expand our transla-tion service of our online News in Brief which now includes Spanish, Indonesian and Russian. We also continued to make available new books and videos. Well, Subud is so large and complex, we cannot know about everything that is going on, so please forgive us for anything we may have omitted to mention, but these have been a few thoughts and reflections from the “editor’s desk”. Many thanks to all of you who have supported us this year with your subscriptions and contributions. On behalf of the team at Subud Voice – Bradford (who administers and looks after printing & distribution), Rahman (who supports and advises), Ilaina (who started the whole thing and still edits Inner Voice), Kitka (who looks after our web site), Lambert, Leticia and Subagio (who are our translators into Spanish, Russian and Indo-nesian respectively) – we wish all our read-ers, and the entire Subud world, all the best for 2004.

Kalimantan Gold Corporation Limited has announced that its recent financing initiative has been successfully completed and drilling is now underway. CEO Rahman Connelly said, “Like all junior exploration companies, Kalimantan Gold has struggled in the past to raise funds but, such was investor demand that this placement was increased beyond the originally announced $600,000 to $721,000. However this still left a num-ber of potential investors on the sidelines. “In part this reflects much improved mar-ket conditions, but it also a growing reali-zation that Kalimantan Gold is not your ‘standard’ junior explorer. If you take a look at our Baroi prospect for which we raised the funds to drill 18 holes over the next four months, our Far Eastern Zone alone is 2 x 3 kilometers and displays 8 geological signatures associated with the world's major porphyry deposits. To com-plete the program we have drilling crews working in shifts 16 hours a day, 7 days of the week. ”On top of that there have been some pretty encouraging channel sampling results. Kalimantan is generally recognized as a place for ‘elephant prospects’ and we hope to discover one or more of them on our Contract of Work. Whilst others have avoided this substantially under-explored area, Kalimantan Gold has remained ‘on the job’ and I think we are beginning to see the results of that.”

DRILLING UNDERWAY


I would like to thank Leonard and Melinda for their heartfelt article about the Helpers’ Guide, “Using Bapak’s Advice and Guid-ance.” I find myself both agreeing and disagree-ing with their conclusion: that we do not need a new “Helper’s Guide” but should rely on our own receiving and the direct words of Bapak in context. At the same time, I wonder why this topic has raised so much discussion and disagreement. Surely, it is not the “Helper’s Guide” that is problematic; we have had a helper’s handbook for years. I believe this issue is a symptom of a more profound and complex dilemma that con-tinues to plague Subud members: how to balance the worldly requirements of the ‘heart and mind’ with the guidance we receive in the latihan. This is not a new dilemma. All spiritual practices and relig-ions grapple with it at some stage. Thus in the Gospel Jesus tells us to give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s; in popular Islam we are told to trust in Allah and tie up our camels. Even the US constitution seems to sym-bolically recognize this problem with the separation of church and state. Bapak has always advised us to look after our worldly responsibilities, work with our hearts and minds and to leave our spiritual develop-ment in the hands of God. However, this is not as simple as we would wish. Subud exists in the world. It is an official organization but also a bunch of people with their own individualities, their own psychologies and their own idiosyn-crasies. Each person receives in his or her own way and has different ideas and be-liefs. At the same time we all worship God through the latihan -- we are joined to-gether by a force greater than the human. So at one level -- that of the heart and mind -- it is obvious that we should disagree, while at the spiritual level it is assumed that we will all agree. In essence, the spiritual is not a problem; it takes care of itself given the required atten-tion and awareness. It is in the realm of the heart and mind where things go wrong, individually and for Subud in general. We are embodied beings, captured by our thinking and emotions, reacting to our ex-periences in ways that are conditioned by our upbringing, society and culture. We are never free of the influence of the

world, except maybe in those few mo-ments when we surrender totally. Certainly for me, these moments do not come too often. If we were all truly sur-rendered, able to receive guidance in every moment, then there would be little need for guidelines, for rules or handbooks. There would never be a need for formal testing of questions. Our primitive attempts at re-ceiving guidance through testing are often ritualized and formalized means to soothe our hearts and minds. We test because we are unable to receive clearly enough, our minds are uncertain and we lack trust. In an ideal Subud we would all agree what is correct in the sight of God and act accord-ingly. Obviously, this picture does not reflect our current spiritual state. Subud is enmeshed in the material world with all its struggles and discords. Helpers in the same group fail to agree.

Our major enterprises fail. We individu-ally contend with our own fears, doubts and limitations. In essence, we are still far from reaching our spiritual potential. We are all flawed human beings reaching gradually toward a distant perfection. So do we accept this rather grim reality and offer guidelines, rules and regulations to helpers in the hope that we will make fewer mistakes, achieve more coherence and less conflict? Let’s call this the “realistic” approach. Or, on the other hand, do we try harder to fol-low and trust our own inner receiving (no matter how limited) and risk dissension and chaos? This is the “idealistic” posi-tion. I would like to advocate the position of the idealistic realist or a realistic idealist! I agree with the Lasalles that ideally we should rely on our own receiving. That is the hope and heart of the Subud experi-ence. At the same time, the dictates of the

REALISTS AND IDEALISTS

Roland Evans.

“We must be constantly vigilant to not allow Subud to

become just another belief system with its

rules and rituals. Subud is an experience.”

world and our flawed hearts and minds require that we be practical and create in-struments that help achieve agreement. This is being realistic, recognizing our infinite potential to make mistakes. We need a Helpers Guide. But this guide should only be consulted with inner clarity and a firm sense that it can never capture the truth. In this vein, let us remember the story that is found in many spiritual traditions: A devil and an angel are arguing about whether human beings will ever become enlightened. As they look down from on high, the angel spies a man reaching down. “There you are,” says the angel, “that man found a grain of truth. Human beings will be saved.” “On the contrary,” replies the devil, “it means less than nothing. Given time, that man will turn that grain of truth into a be-lief system.” We must be constantly vigilant to not al-low Subud to become just another belief system with its rules and rituals. Subud is an experience. That experience is fragile. Like a naked child Subud needs the cloth-ing of words and explanations to be in the world. The clothing will get increasingly worn and tight. As Subud grows towards adulthood it must regularly discard all that is outgrown and put on ever fresh and more delicate raiments. Roland Evans, USA


THE GARDEN OF FORGIVENESS Last year, the English Subud member, Alexandra Asseily, gave a lecture at the Beyond the Brain Conference in London about her role in developing a Garden of Forgiveness in Beirut. Alexandra first talked about her experi-ences during the years of war in Lebanon. Her husband is Lebanese and she was caught up in the conflict, playing an important part in the distribution of inter-national aid in Lebanon. These experiences led her to a belief that we all in some way share responsibility for these violent situations. Through her work as a psychotherapist she became increasingly aware of how conflict is passed down through the gen-erations, but also how it is possible through compassion and forgiveness to break this vicious cycle. Then at the Subud World Congress in Spokane, she had an important receiving. As she told the Beyond the Brain conference… Since a beyond-the-brain experience in 1958, I have been a member of Subud, a non-denominational, international spiritual Association, practising an exercise which I think of as aerobics for the soul - for all peoples and all religions. In August 1997, I was at a Subud spiritual congress in Spokane, USA. Whilst in Spokane, a friend sent me the draft of Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho’s book on Elijah, The Fifth Mountain, for my comments, which included his plan for its launch in the centre of Beirut, which had been devastated and was just begin-ning to be re-built. The plan was to have an important, inter-national “happening” called Childhood and Reconstruction, with street children from Brazil and street children of Leba-non, on the theme of childhood as the symbol of reconstruction and innocence. I realised that whilst I truly believe in in-nocence as our natural state, I also believe that the child inherits, (along with blue or brown eyes and many gifts) the seeds of grievances, repetitive violence, pain and the sources of ill-health, unless there can be some release through compassion and forgiveness. As a “helper” at that congress, I was do-ing my best when two good friends and fellow helpers asked me if I wanted “understanding” about something specific. I said, “Yes”, I wanted to ask God if I was on the right track.

Do the living and the dead hold each other in a kind of contract - echoing each other - until released through the ‘key’ of compas-sion that enables forgiveness? I held my hands like this - parallel to each other, about 9 inches apart, and parallel to my body. As I did so, I had a “beyond the brain” experience of such intensity that it transformed my life. Every cell of my body was charged with energy, purpose and wonder. I was unable to deny, put aside, or brush off the experience; it was humbling and inspiring and gave me direction and cour-age beyond my own capacities. My friends vowed never to let me forget that moment, and have indeed been very supportive of my strange journey since. In fact, one of them, Osanna Peters, is with us here today. I knew that the experience had somehow to be channelled to do something specific to help end the cycle of violence in Leba-non. I didn’t know how. It was a strange incubation time, full of promise and life, but with no knowledge or understanding of the way to give birth to this form of en-ergy. What I did realise was that the moment I allowed myself to despair of the task, even a little bit, the extraordinary strength I had been given drained away immediately. I was required to keep faith with man’s humanity to man, to trust that there was indeed a way out of the cycle. (I kept hearing in my head - the words “when two or three are gathered together…” and weeping.) Whilst talking with a very good friend and healer, the idea came of translating my experience into creating a Garden of For-giveness. I wrote down the vision as fol-lows. The Garden of Forgiveness Vision A garden in which people can gather strength and inspiration; A garden with running water from a powerful source; An archetypal garden, including seats, shade, jasmine bowers... A sanctuary, a place of calm for reflection; A garden of healing; A garden of bless-ings; A place to trigger the concept of for-giveness, innocent and purifying – without which the rebuilding of Beirut is but tem-porary and fragile – witness the past... The intention of forgiveness will go into the very roots of the garden; The energy which is put into the design will carry through to the people – who are touched by it; Blossoming through all forms of

ancestral progress; Inscriptions from the Prophets, the Old Testament, the New Tes-tament and the Koran on rocks, on walls... Finding the Place My husband happened to be going to Bei-rut and suggested that he pass on my “vision” of the garden to the chairman of Solidere, the company which had been given (with a great deal of controversy) the task of re-building the central district of Beirut. The Chairman, Dr Chammaa, responded saying that they had plans for various gar-dens and suggested I visit the sites of these as shown on the Master Plan. A month later, armed with a map I wander around each one. I ask God to guide me with a sign as to which space would be most appropriate. (I was already convinced it would be an old cemetery.) In fact I get no sign, nothing. I am stand-ing despondently gazing across the ruins of the city, at a loss at what to do next, when again I am overwhelmed by a “beyond the brain” experience. I cry at the humbling intensity of it. I real-ise that this must be the place for the gar-den. The trouble was that this was not one of the designated places for a garden. It was to be an archaeological park and was not in the master plan. At that time, I had no idea of the signifi-cance of the place where I’d been stand-ing. I began to look at plans; I went twice to Paris to see the architect Michel Macary. (who had helped re-design the Louvre) and was at that time consultant to Solidere for various projects and an ar-chaeological trail around Beirut. We began to see that if the space were opened up and two proposed buildings were removed, that three cathedrals of different sects and three mosques would then be linked, cen-tral to which was the proposed shrine to the Virgin Mary, the Nourryee – the light, which had been destroyed and was to be rebuilt. The shrine had been equally vis-ited by Christians and Muslims, as the Virgin Mary is revered by both communi-ties. Forgiveness is the Key Well, that was the beginning of the second chapter of this story. I had many meetings with the team at Solidere, who were very professional, but who I felt were patiently humouring this rather crazy woman. Then the Prince of Wales heard of the garden plan through his Foundation, the

Urban Design Task Force, and indicated his wish to be a part of it. Since that time he has had an active representative on the Steering Committee. People sometimes imagine I must have fought long and hard for the Garden of Forgiveness. No, it hasn’t been like that. It was just that I knew and the knowing led me from step to step. It wasn’t easy: it isn’t easy. Sometimes it has seemed unbearably hard. Until very recently I felt that I had to be vigilant – night and day, as though holding a vast space balloon up with one finger. It was not heavy, but if I wasn’t careful to be in the right place at the right time, the “balloon” would either drop – or be taken away by a cross-wind. There are officially 16 different religious sects in Lebanon and religion is also iden-tity, tribe and community. One of the first things I did was to visit all the main reli-gious leaders, one by one. (Patriarchs, Bishops, Muftis and Sheikhs) I wanted to get their blessings for the Garden. Each visit was a little miracle in itself. I somehow had to explain what I was trying to do, whilst dropping out of the blue into their religious strongholds and explaining my vision in my inadequate Arabic. Visiting the Mufti One remarkable visit was to the Sunni Moslem Mufti. To gain access, my hus-band rang the prime minister, the ex-prime minister and finally a good friend, an ambassador, who told us that the Mufti’s office answered that the Mufti never received women alone and that my husband should come instead. The ambassador said that it was not my husband’s project and that I was someone in my own right. The reply then was that the Mufti would see me – in 15 minutes if I were accompanied by a man. I was at that moment in hospital visiting a friend; fortunately I had a scarf which I threw on my head, but I didn’t have a man! Husband was busy, ambassador was busy, but luckily husband’s Christian factory manager was available, though very hesi-tant as he, like so many, hadn’t ventured across what was called the green line – between Christian East and Moslem West Beirut – and so called because of the trees that had grown over no-man’s land. We had been given a 20 minute slot that turned into an hour and a half of intense discussion on religious subjects. I strug-gled to keep up. We left laden with 2 beau-tifully embossed Korans – in English and in French and, his blessing. (Recently, whilst visiting a young Shiite Moslem

leader and discussing reconciliation and forgiveness, he said, touchingly – “Count me as one of the trees of your garden”.) From the very start many people have tried to change the name of the garden to a “peace garden” a “remembrance garden”, etc. My response has always been that that is too easy, that it does not remind us that the way to peace is via forgiveness. I have also felt it is forgiveness that is the key to the grace I was given, and that I am some-how required to stay true to that. Translating “Forgiveness” How best to translate forgiveness into Ara-bic has also been a big debate - I met with many religious leaders and academics, had a discussion on the web about it and searched and searched for the right word. In Arabic, “forgiveness” is not one word but three, depending on who does the for-giving. In fact in Arabic forgiving is from God – Ghofran. In the Koran, there are hundreds of references to forgiveness us-ing the word Ghofran. However, eventu-ally, it was decided to use the word Samaah. Samaah, being a less controver-sial expression of forgiveness, which can be used at the human level. At the time of a public exhibition in 2000, when the competing designs and the con-cept of the Garden of Forgiveness were formally and publicly aired for the first time, some people, many of whom I knew, were against the name and made a petition to change it. It was a very difficult inner moment for me, and I struggled to stay firm in the face of it, especially as one of the major feudal/political leaders wagged his finger in my face and said “no forgive-ness, no forgiveness”. At the suggestion of a good friend, a professor at the American University of

Beirut, I attended her class, spoke of the garden, and her students were then asked to give their ideas on forgiveness. I was amazed and encouraged at how profound an understanding they had of it. I quote one of them “Forgiveness is an expression of tolerance and love. It is the subordination of hatred and vengeance. Forgiveness is, above all, a human necessity and a means to live. Without forgiveness friendships end, love terminates, and eventually the beauty of life ceases to refine our senses. Without forgiveness no one will ever learn from a mistake or bad luck but will be blinded by retaliation and killed by pride.” (Lebanese Student, May 1998) No Future without Forgiveness You may be asking when the garden will be finished. I dare not guess. 2 years? 3 years? It has its own timing. All I know is that the making of it is probably as impor-tant as the completing of it. Since the beginning many people have told me how it has changed their lives. One young architect re-directed her whole ca-reer, one of the competing landscape de-signers, Bob Murase a Japanese American, said at a peace conference he had helped initiate after working on the garden and which included the Dalai Lama and five Nobel Peace Prize winners – that although he had not won the competition, he felt that he had WON a better life, as a result of going deeper into forgiveness. My prayer is that by the Grace of God we will all win better lives as we forgive, heal and love – ourselves and the ‘other’. As Desmond Tutu said: “There is no future without forgiveness”. Alexandra Asseily, London, UK


Maquette of the Garden of Forgiveness.


Ibu Rahayu’s Talk 27th Night of Ramadhan Wisma Subud, Cilandak, 1st December 2002, Recording 02 CDK 3

Final Translation by Raymond Lee of the self, a clean-sing, a process of being dismantled, and then receiving guidance. This is so that finally, when you do receive something, you will not be shocked, it won’t disrupt your life. The walls are made up of your physical body, your feelings, your understanding, and your true self. When you reach the point that your lati-han comes from your true self, you will feel guided by your own self. Crisis But there are also members who, due to a strong desire, or because they are unstable, have a crisis. A crisis is not a form of men-tal illness or sickness; it is a state of imbal-ance in a person. But even when a person is in crisis, that too is a receiving. It is a receiving because they do not act from their own will; even if they want to they cannot stop. However, because a person in crisis is usu-ally unbalanced, their inner state is unsta-ble and they are hard to handle. But in fact a person in crisis is completely con-scious... they are fully aware of everything they do and everything they go through. There are three categories of crisis. The first is called sadap; this is a violent physi-cal kind of crisis. Then there is a crisis called murad, which means to be opened up. To be opened up means that the mind, or the imagination, is opened up and everything must come out. Then there is a crisis when God summons someone. To be summoned by God means that God permits you... it is God’s Will that you witness something, some part of the Great-ness of Almighty God. This kind of receiving really does happen in Subud. It is not a fiction, or some story Bapak told us. It really happens. So broth-ers and sisters, you receive all the time. The important thing to realise is that you cannot wish for any kind of receiving. Receiving happens if it is God’s Will, and if it is God’s Will, you cannot refuse it.

Brothers and sisters, good evening. May the Peace and Blessings of Almighty God be with you. Tonight is the 27th night so we have four days left to complete our obligation to fast before the end of this month of Ramadhan. Brothers and sisters, tonight I will give you an explanation to help you understand about receiving. It seems that many of you don’t understand, or your understanding about receiving is incomplete, when in fact, receiving is the essence of Subud. Brothers and sisters, I say that receiving is the essence of Subud because Subud came to be when Bapak received a Grace or Gift from the Power of Almighty God. So Subud is not a religion or a course of study – it is a receiving. We call it a re-ceiving because it did not come about through searching for it or hoping for it, it came about by God’s Will. Bapak was completely conscious when Bapak received it. And because it was God’s Will, Bapak was able to receive about every aspect of Subud or life in Subud, including the meaning of what Ba-pak received. As such, brothers and sisters, what we receive now flows from what Bapak received. So, you started to receive when you were opened, but many of you who have been opened, who are in Subud, still don’t un-derstand what receiving is. But if you re-call or remember the moment you were opened, you felt something move inside you. That movement meant that the Power of God had touched your soul. That was a receiving – it was independent of any hu-man action. The contact came direct from the Power of God that touched your soul. What happens to you in latihan, what goes on inside you, is also receiving. But, of course, you don’t feel this receiving be-cause it develops as you make spiritual progress, as you pass from one stage to the next, from one wall to another. This means that to begin with you don’t understand what God has given to you. At that stage many of you think, “Why, after doing latihan for so long, haven’t I received anything?” As I just said, it’s normal that you won’t be able to receive God’s Grace or Guidance overnight. Why not? Well, as I just explained, this received contact develops in stages. That is why you need to do latihan. By doing latihan you go through what we call an awakening

Brothers and sisters, this is why you must do latihan. So, this does not mean that you are guided just to move or to feel things – you are being guided to always feel close to God. Because as we know, the power of God is present in every creation. If you want to feel this for yourself, you can test the question: “Where is my I?” When you say “I” it refers to that move-ment inside you and that movement will grow and envelop your whole being. When that movement has completely spread through you, everything that you have inside you will be in contact with the Power of God that is all around you. This is why it is said that God is within every-thing that is inside and beyond everything that is outside. They become one. I am telling you this because someone said to me, “In Subud I want to receive direct from God. I don’t want to be guided by the helpers, or do testing.” Well, of course that is what every Subud member wants. As for whether you will receive this or not depends on you, be-cause there are no lessons, there are no tutors to show you how to have this direct contact with God. So, if you have this con-tact, go ahead. But if you think that way, your attitude can block you, because you still have a wish. But, it is only the soul that can worship in Subud through the lati-han, when we are in a state of surrender,


Ibu Yati, Ibu Rahayu, Daniel Cheiftez and Tuti Horthy in Brazil 2003. (Photo by Viktor Boehm)

January 2004

INNER VOICE - January 2004 7

Editor Ilaina Lennard Email: [email protected]

Dear Friends, Many of you have been financial and moral supporters of the Vittachi International Conference Program for Youth. As you know, the first one was held in June 2001, in Jakarta, Indonesia. The second took place the first week of August 2003. Of course, those of us who put on these conferences - in this last case, mainly Illene Pevec with help from many others, including me, never know exactly what the impact will be on the participants. Below is a fascinating report from one of them: Owen Riparetti, a youth from Santa Barbara, California. He and his younger brother had recently become Subud members, and the Santa Barbara, California, group raised money to send the boys to be part of the 45 from about 10 countries who spent a week together at the Subud-inspired Atalanta project in the high desert of Colorado. By the way, Chief Looking Horse's wonderful step-daughter, Grace Horne, whom Owen mentions below, is now working here in Honolulu. We are delighted to be able to spend time with this remarkable young woman. She herself is planning a gathering of several hundred Native youth from all over the world in May. Aloha and enjoy. - Reynold Feldman P.S. Rada Haleseh, the 19-year-old Jordanian woman Owen mentions, is now doing latihan with the Subud group in Louisville and occasionally in Cincinnati, OH. As far as we know, she is the first Subud member from Jordan. Mazel tov!

An Experience in Crestone I remember the first night my brother and I arrived in Colorado Springs, the two of us sleeping soundly in a rundown western inn, were suddenly shaken awake with a great surge of energy. Soundless Lighting had splashed the sky that entire evening and like a lightning’s flash so did the Latihan begin in rhythmic explosions. We lay back and let the spark pass from one to the other, laughing uncontrollably and in surprise. Afterward we lie there elated and in wonder, what was that all about? As I look back on this experience I feel as if it were a cleansing and source of protection for things to come. I have just recently been opened. I am exceedingly grateful for the gift of the Latihan, it has opened my eyes and soul to the grace of God. It will be very hard to express what occurred. As my brother said, while describing the experience to my parents, "You just had to be there." The day after the lightning storm we made the long drive into the great San Luis valley that held Crestone, the site of the 2nd Vittachi Youth Conference. We were greeted by some very warm and friendly people, among them Illene Pevec, who had been organizing the conference. Later, as I was walking up the hill, I was struck with the feeling of a very ominous and powerful presence. Something was emanating from all directions and I could feel it. I don't know how to explain it but I got a sense that the earth beneath my feet was deep, very deep, but also so light that it was like air or water. I also got the feeling that someone or something was watching me. That night I asked out loud "What's with this place? I got such a strange vibe coming up here." I was told that this was the "bloodless valley" and that strange was apparently what Crestone was all about, but in a good way. The next morning the induction ceremony began. We learned of the history of the valley, how the Native American tribes that frequented this region had agreed to set aside the valley as their sacred ceremonial and hunting grounds, and that no bloodshed or tribal warfare would be allowed.

How Atalanta began We learned of the events leading up to the diverse spiritual community at Crestone. I'll give you the short version. A man whose name I can't remember, who had been very active in establishing the community, prophesied that a rich foreign couple would enter the valley, buy a large portion of land and be instrumental in donating this land to various spiritual and religious groups. Sure enough the vision became a reality, and many spiritual groups and religions now have a home at Crestone, including Subud. One of the founders of Atalanta (the Subud project) also had an incredible vision. Each night, during the last ten days of Ramadan, she would leave the fireside of her living room and be taken to a specific place, and told to traverse and memorize the land in detail. For years she did not know where this place was, until one day she recognized the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the cover of an old National Geographic magazine. Upon visiting the region and recognizing the area she had navigated in her vision, she met with the foreign benefactors, and established the place where Atalanta stands. The workshops The next days were wonderful. People from all over the world (Poland, Indonesia, Jordan, Cambodia, New Zealand, East Coast, West Coast, etc.) joined in friendship, teaching and learning - sharing song, dance, and knowledge. Sadly the twenty or so from Africa couldn't make it, as they were unable to obtain visas. The workshops were challenging, both spiritually and emotionally. One workshop dealt with the forces in man, the material, vegetable, animal, and human, and how these forces could align to realize the noble human being. We also began to build an earth shelter constructed entirely of rice bags filled with soft earth and covered in papercrete. Brent and Hugh both offered inspiring presentations on 'starting your own business' and about the personal exploration of success.

Continued on Page 10.

A New Member’s Experiences at the Vittachi International Conference for Youth

At the Conference. Photos by Roland Rickus.

8 INNER VOICE - January 2004

Bapak himself is afraid to die. … This is the process of the latihan, the process of purification and development within your being. It is really a difficult journey for you. So the Subud latihan is not an easy course of training. It is difficult, really difficult. But we are assisted in this difficulty by the power of God we have received. With that it does not seem so difficult to us. Well, it is still difficult, but we do not feel it. Bapak has experienced this himself. In what way? I will give you another example. Sometimes I feel very sad. My heart feels sad, sad and anxious. The message behind this feeling is: ‘You are going to die’. That is the message: that I am going to die. Imagine how that feels. You already feel anxious and on top of that you believe that you are going to die. What can you do? Who is not afraid of dying? Bapak himself is afraid to die. You die once and that is it. What can you do? If only you could die two or three times and live again. But death is once and for all; and your children haven’t grown up yet and haven’t started working. Your wife is … Bapak will tell you straight out: your wife is still young – if you are a young woman, it is your husband who is still young – and she hasn’t had enough enjoyment in the world, she says. She hasn’t been anywhere; she hasn’t seen Naples, hasn’t seen Monte Carlo. It is indeed very sad. But, brothers and sisters, you feel these things only during your time of purification. So you experience such feelings only when you are being purified. And if you really surrender to God – ‘I don’t know, it is up to God, whatever God wants; if God wants me to die then I will die, if not, I won’t; I leave it to God’ – that will in fact help you to return to normal. So it is clear that through the process of purification and change that God works within you, guiding, leading and educating you, you will become a person whose heart is firm. This fits very closely with what Bapak has described – perhaps not here – as the state and individuality of the prophets or messengers in times long ago. So when your heart feels downcast or trembles, it is a lesson to teach you, so that when you are in trouble it will not affect you. It is God training you to make you into human beings who are firm, who obey God and surrender to God no matter what happens. Besides that, there is something else that Bapak needs to tell you. Sometimes your breathing is also trained. Breath is normally considered to be air; air that goes in and out to provide something for people to breathe. But in reality the air that constitutes human breath is different from the air out there.

Sometimes, Bapak is about to sleep – he is sleepy and wants to sleep – and his breathing goes. It stops. Bapak is just quiet. ‘What is this? I want to sleep and it stops. Am I going

to die?’ But the understanding is already there: ‘You are not going to die, you really need this. Your breath needs freedom too. It too needs to be purified, so that it too can become your companion on your journey to heaven, on your journey upwards until you are before God.’ That is how it is. Therefore Bapak advises you all, in case there are times, perhaps not now but later, when your breath disappears for a time – for quarter of an hour, an hour or, if necessary, for two hours – that you should not worry. Do not feel confused, for this is indeed the path of purification, the path of the soul, the path of the soul’s development that you all will experience in Subud. Bapak’s Talks Vol 11 San Francisco, 9 September 1963 – 63 SFO 2 Why there is no need to make propaganda for Subud … The helpers have of course understood for themselves that this heavy burden is the duty and responsibility of helpers. This is because you have received the Contact from the greatness of God and God’s will for human beings, which is that they should show the way to their fellows and set an example for their fellows by their life being in accordance with God’s will. Therefore the helpers should not feel that this is just a heavy burden from which they get no outer benefit. It is a very special burden, for no outer or financial reward could compare with the inner reward, the reward in the realm of the soul. So, if you helpers can truly help your fellow human beings, can really show the right way to those who do not know it yet, you will receive a prize, a boundless blessing and reward from God. This reward, blessing or prize that you get from God will continue to flow down to your descendants. Even if they do not make an effort themselves, they will spontaneously be helped by others and looked upon as people who are full of love and affection. However, in helping others and showing them the way so that they join Subud, we do not need to use propaganda. We do not need to boast to other people, because that would mean we were showing off our own goodness and rightness. Even if we really were right, to people who do not know or understand who we are and what we are doing, our actions, which are meant to help them and remind them, would appear as harmful and wrong. That is because to them it would look as if we were forcing people to join Subud. That is why Bapak has said to you, and to Subud members all over the world, that we do not need to make propaganda to the public. We are always willing to give if we are asked, but we do not force anybody who does not ask us. In reality, brothers and sisters, if your feeling and your soul are filled with that

conviction – meaning that you can really receive what God gives to each one of you, and you truly have faith and submit to the greatness of God – then God’s power, which always envelops all creatures, will change people’s nature and hearts so that they will notice Subud. Bapak’s experience is an example of this. Bapak has no intention of making propaganda, but he is willing to give to whoever has a need, and he has faith that it is God who has authority and wisdom and knows all things. So Subud has been able to spread everywhere, to places that Bapak himself never foresaw. Hence if each of the helpers has more or less the same attitude as Bapak, they will achieve at least a hundred times what Bapak has done. So if Subud has spread so far thanks to Bapak, it will spread even more thanks to so many helpers. That is why it is very important that the helpers can be real examples for society. It is not that the helpers have to make more of an effort, but they need to be attentive so that they can correct themselves. You need to correct your own mistakes and know what is good and what is bad. Then eventually you will be able to know: ‘This is the right way, the good way, and this is the wrong way.’ And the same will go for your character: you will spontaneously become an example to society. And people will certainly be attracted, thanks to your example as someone who is always loved and always loves his or her fellow human beings. If you were to ask, ‘Can the helpers really receive and do what Bapak just said?’ Certainly they can. Why? Because if Bapak can do it then certainly the helpers can do it; helpers are, in a way, candidate-Bapaks. And – as Bapak said earlier – the symbol of Subud, Susila Budhi Dharma, is within each of you, especially the helpers. Bapak’s Talks Vol 11 Vancouver, 21 Sept. 1963 – 63 YVR 2 These are just three of many interesting topics to be found in Volume 11. Others include: The illnesses and deaths we experience from the latihan, and their purpose...When Bapak feels sick. The reality behind feelings of anxiety about dying..Why it is so difficult to follow the talent of the soul, and why your heart and feelings no longer feel satisfied with the work you used to do.. If you blame Subud you are blaming yourself.. The symbolism of the story of David and Goliath. Price (inc p & p.): UK £13.00, Europe £14.00, Other £16.00. To receive your copy phone Leonard Hurd on +44 1727 762210. Or mail to: Subud Publications International Loudwater Farm, Loudwater Lane, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 4HG UK Or e-mail to: [email protected] Payment can be made by UK cheque/credit card.

Bapak himself is afraid to die... Extracts from Bapak's Talks Volume 11 31 August 1963 – 3 JUNE 1964

INNER VOICE - January 2004 9

One day during the Irish gathering in September 1968, I was listening, together with several others, to a tape of one of Bapak’s talks. I had in fact heard its kind often before and had therefore thought it a good opportunity to practise my Indonesian by trying to follow Bapak’s actual words. However, after a while the latihan took over notwithstanding, and I passed into what I usually describe to myself as a ‘latihan coma’, not thinking, not sleeping, but out of my ordinary self. From this rather blissful state I was suddenly jerked by a vivid vision of Mary Queen of Scots saying goodbye to three or four women, whom I took at first to be her daughters, before going to her execution.When I thought I realised they were her ladies for she had no daughters. With this vision there came an agonising sorrow, and it was this feeling that had jerked me back to my ordinary awareness, so strong was it. This seemed to be a purely personal experience, and as it had really hit me I didn’t feel like saying anything at that point to anyone. After the ten days at Kilmuckridge ended, Rosanna Marston and I spent a further week in Dublin, staying with Isabella Campbell. One day Isabella was hunting for something she wanted to show us, and incidentally came across some scraps of lace, one a part of a veil worn by Mary at her execution and another a part of some garment worn by Charles 1st at his, and a lock or two of Mary’s hair, given by her to one of her ladies. This again gave me a considerable shock and I then told the other two of my experience and speculated as to whether I really could somehow have reached back to Mary, from whom, I am in fact descended via Bonnie Prince Charlie via my paternal grandmother. I hadn’t thought one could get more than three or four generations back. Then Isabella said that she could also trace her descent back to Mary and maybe two of us combined had more significance than one. We left it at that and sometime during that day or the next did a more or less routine latihan in which Rosanna had a horrible time and felt that her head was being cut off. She was laid out completely for the next day and night undergoing a death experience. After that we checked on her ancestry too and there was the link with Mary. So then we decided that if she felt like it Isabella might ask Sudarto, who is the expert on experiences, about it while she was in Cilandak. She did in fact do so, and his verdict was that he thought we certainly were in touch with Mary, either helping in some way or purifying something inherited from her. It makes you think, doesn’t it? We really are responsible for our forbears. - Roseanna Sawrey Cookson (Roseanna died in 2003 .- Ed.).

In 1991 Richmond Shepard had some correspondence with a writer who speculated on manifestations of the Virgin Mary and he wrote to him a few times. The following comes from two of the letters, which are included in Richmond’s recent highly original autobiography. FROM LETTERS TO A CHRISTIAN Theology: There are spiritual forces that help us, and they tend to take the form that resonates in each of us personally. Christians will see Mary or Jesus, Buddhists will see Buddha, Moslems Mohammed, Hindus may see Shiva or Krishna. The particular manifestation is not what counts. It is the spiritual force that HELPS us, no matter what the form, that counts. God is everywhere, and is for all peoples. He is not sectarian, and is as real to a Buddhist as to a Christian. Jews never see Mary-- they see Isaiah or Moses (or maybe Ruth or Sarah or an angel). It doesn't matter what form the vision takes: it's all the same. There is only one God, and that God is kindly, and, in a vision, will show you a form you can relate to. The power is from God, not from the personage in the vision. Abraham said that there is one God, and demonstrated his surrender by being willing to sacrifice his son. The concept did not come from Mary or any other spiritual figure - it predated them by thousands of years. But-- all real receiving comes from The One Source, and it is natural that real receivers will receive the same message, no matter the form. Emmanuel means "Beloved of God" - and you are. So are we all. You need the confirmation - thus that.name was received for you. ("Jesus" also means the same thing. "Christ," as I'm sure you know, was not his name, but a title, meaning Messiah or Saviour, and given to him by Paul and other followers.) The “Christ” power is the God power-- called “Christ” by Christians, called other names, and manifesting differently for people in other religions. But it is the same power: The Holy Spirit, The Great Life Force, The Source. It comes through your own religious filter, and so comes out "Christ" for you, a Christian.

Jesus never said .. And-- I'm sorry to tell you that Jesus never said, "No man cometh unto the Father but by me." That quote was in John, and was written 300 years after Jesus died as part of a proselytizing tract for the new burgeoning Christian Religion started by Paul. If you read Mark (the earliest of The Gospels) you'll find no such claims. The truth is that ANY person can come to God without ANY intermediary. Manifestations of Our Lady As to manifestations of ‘Our Lady’ , I’m sure there was some manifestation, some vision, since so many people saw it, but -- how do you know it was Jesus’ mother? How do you know what Mary looked like? What female figure did it seem to be to the Moslems who were there before anyone told them what it was? I’m sure the feeling that came from it was full of love, and that many Moslems accepted it when the Christians said it was THE Mary. Why not? My point is that it doesn’t matter if it was Mary or some other holy figure or spirit - if it was a force for good in the world, for peace, for brotherhood in its truest sense, it doesn’t matter what you call it. It comes from the Divine Source. The Divine Source doesn’t care what means you use to become a true human being - it’s the Source behind the religions that guides us up. Sectarianism divides us. Religious sectarianism has provided more slaughter on Earth than anything else. Anyone who thinks his way is the only way hasn’t found”THE WAY”. The above extract is from HYPHEN, a Spiritual Adventure Between Two Dates. This is Richmond Shepard's book about his life and Subud experiences. For details of how to order contact [email protected] (for UK and EU), [email protected] (for US and Canada) or [email protected]

CONTACT WITH OUR ANCESTORS

From Letters to a Christian


Continued from page 7. Later in the week Chellie Kew talked about her photographic journey into the AIDs-torn continent of Africa and her struggle to share the undying spirit of the children there. Her book "African Journal" is very touching, and if you haven't seen it yet you should. One special guest came and spoke - one who may have sparked an even more incredible visitation, Chief Looking Horse, the nineteenth generation carrier of the Sacred Pipe of the White Buffalo. The carrier of the Sacred Pipe lineage extends further into the past than the Dalai Lama's, and Chief Looking Horse is regarded internationally as the most prominent and revered figure of indigenous tribes worldwide. He talked and showed a film that was made about his life, his tribe, and the significance of the Sacred Pipe and the White Buffalo. The story goes that long ago a woman appeared before his village and gave them the Sacred Pipe of Peace. She told them that she would return as a white buffalo in their time of need, when the world was in danger. After saying this she turned into the white buffalo, fell to the ground, and lay dead. I spoke more about the Sacred Pipe with Chief Looking Horse's daughter. She told me that her father is the last carrier and that in recent years white buffalo calves have reportedly been born all over the world. After the conference, two of our group happened upon a white buffalo on their travels in the Grand Canyon area and it had the same birthday as Chief Looking Horse. The ceremony Then we gathered in the garden and performed a ceremony. Chief Looking Horse led a prayer and began a drum and song. The sun was just setting and lit the mountains with fire, a brilliant red radiance. The most magnificent tones of light and water flowed in and out of a pastel sky. I could feel the Latihan ready to begin and had to stop it. Later someone told me they could feel horses descending from the sky and galloping around us. I slept very deeply that night. I don't remember any dreams but for others it was a remarkable night. A girl from Jordan joined me at breakfast and told me, quite matter-of-factly, that she had just been visited by a spirit. My eyes went from slits to saucers. "Really," I said "whoa, what happened!" She told me that she woke up to the alarm and a man with a bushy beard was hovering over her. She didn't feel fear or surprise, but just looked up at him. He said, "I am here to help you." The alarm went off again and he was gone. Keep in mind,

this girl was not in Subud, and in a talk I had with her earlier she said something like "right now I'm spiritually undeclared." After hearing this someone else spoke out, also not in Subud, and said he had gone to bed inside the yurt, but had woken up on the ground outside wearing a different pair of pants. In his dreams an old man with a bushy beard was trying to tell him something important for he couldn't understand what he was talking about. This person, who swears he is not a sleepwalker, had sleepwalked right through camp and various people had heard him. He had circled inside the yurt about four times before stepping out, apparently without stumbling over any of the nine people sleeping on the floor.

this valley, the spirits of people long ago stepped into the circle and began to speak. I will only say that their words had something to do with a plan for that valley. That the angels and the spirits and the ancients of that land were waiting to be called upon for their help, and they warned that there was a force there, a very powerful presence that did not want this exchange between humans and spirits. My grave mistake The next day we traveled to the Great Sand Dunes. It was nice to explore the magnificence of the San Luis Valley. We headed for a beautiful waterfall. After a short and freezing swim, we visited a ranch and went searching for bison. We came upon a large herd and finished off with a swim in a natural hot spring, complete with a diving board and searing hot saunas. It was here that I made a grave mistake. I plunged into the water onto the left side of my head. Water poured into my ear, and intense pain shot through my head. When I reached the surface I couldn't hear anything through my left ear. To let it drain was one of the most painful experiences of my life, and I was worried that it might be permanently damaged. One of the Subud members, a magnificent healer and cranial sacral doctor, did wonders for my ear and introduced me to a whole new exciting form of medicine that I had never experienced before. He would place his hands on my head for a few minutes, carrying on a conversation with whomever, and afterwards the world would seem intensely colorful and twice as bright. I would feel totally relaxed and it was hard to talk to anyone for at least an hour. Other amazing things Amazing things continued to happen. The girl who had seen the spirit of the old man above her was spontaneously opened into Subud while singing with the conference group in a Buddhist temple. She sort of broke down, because she didn't know what was happening. The women helpers took her to where they were staying and officially opened her the next day. She told me what had happened at her opening. During the Latihan she was visited by the same spirit that she had seen hovering above her two days earlier. The old bearded man greeted her, reached into her chest and pulled out her heart. He then left for a few minutes and again with her heart. He put it back in her chest and she felt as if something had been added, the peace and grace of God. What a wonderful opening.


The Real Fantastic Account ...

This story got the conversation really rolling. Someone was sure he saw someone in the bathroom but upon entering and calling "is anyone there," found it was empty. My brother later told me of a dream he had, in which he pulled up to our house and there were at least a hundred people standing in silence watching him and parting for him as he moved through them. A young girl in the front cried out "they're coming," and fell into his arms. He awoke with a surge of energy, like something had entered him, an event that kept reccurring in his sleep for days to come. The real fantastic account But the real fantastic account, the most incredible story I ever heard, came from the garden in Atalanta. After the ceremony with Chief Looking Horse, two Subud men were moved to stay in the garden. One brought out some Native American drums, and they began to sing and chant. After a couple of hours one of them opened his eyes and noticed that a large cloud was circling above them. He turned to the other man and said "Do you see that?" He saw it too. Suddenly from the center of the cloud a hoof began to appear until over a short period a white buffalo, perfectly shaped, graced the night sky. The crescent moon sat right between the buffalo's horns, lighting the being to a radiant magnificence. The Buffalo took a step toward them and then slowly vanished away. They then heard footsteps coming down the mountains, and the elders of

for me to be drawn in by the the spirit world - as something to explore and seek to understand, but what I've realized is that this is not the main purpose of the Latihan. The light of God is so much more. The San Luis Valley is a special place. Some say it is a chakra of the earth, like the Bermuda triangle or the infamous triangle in Russia. As I have talked to others and read material about it I have realized that the extraordinary nature of the conference was not limited to that time or place. The phenomenon of the valley is prevalent always, in a thousand stories. I feel that Crestone holds an important role in the future of Subud and the world. More and more, I feel like something incredible is about to happen, that will change the spiritual landscape and awareness of man forever. As of now I still don't know how to feel about all that happened, but I'm not vehemently in search of an answer. What I do know is that it was a special experience shared by all, those in Subud and those that weren't. It touched each of us in different ways, but it was all emanating from something very central. Through all that occurred we came together as family. The friendships made, the honesty and openness, the care to live sustainably, and the courage to face great impediments were all symbolic of something divine. Through the tears and hugs and words of the final circle came a realization of the treasure of human experience and the connectivity of life. This conference gave me hope, it opened my eyes to the immense complexity of the spiritual world, but it also reaffirmed to me something very essential, that the light of God is within everything and that the Latihan is a candle. - Owen Riparetti


Continued from page 10. At the same time the two men who had the vision of the buffalo, my brother, myself, and a few others returned to the Atalanta garden and began a ceremony. The sun had just gone down and I remember everything looked like it was traveling through a giant blue filter. A potent energy filled everywhere. With all the incredible experiences that were happening I found myself hoping that something would happen to me, some kind of verification of the spiritual presence in this land. I looked toward the mountains and a calm, but ominous awareness overcame me, as if something was there, watching us. We began our ceremony, and I fell into a deep state. We burned sage, a traditional rite to keep harmful spirits away, said a prayer, offered to the good spirits to enter the circle, and began to drum. For me this was very intense. It's kind of a blur now, but I remember two conflicting forces. Getting a strong feeling not to begin the Latihan, and a voice telling me that maybe I shouldn't be doing this, offset by an increasingly insatiable desire to have some sort of experience with the spirits of this land. There was a strange energy present, like some kind of spiritual wind blowing through us, but it was not the Latihan, it was something else. When the ceremony ended I felt that if I stayed something incredible would happen. It's almost as if I could feel the land calling me in some bizarre way, but as I was thinking about staying on, a voice or feeling extending from what I would call the Latihan state told me not to stay. Upon reflection, I'm glad I left the garden that night, and I wish I had been more careful about dabbling with such potent and unfamiliar forces. Increasingly bothered by my aching ear, to the effect that it was now oozing an infected fluid, and drained of all the powerful sensations and spiritual phenomenon of this place, I became more and more weary. The conference was spectacular, we always had new and wonderful activities and places to explore, but beneath the surface and affecting me always, were ideas and forces that I had never experienced before, outside of my imagination. I felt like something was building up to a kind of crescendo inside me, in everyone and everything around me. Visitations, stories of UFO's, strange enigmatic energies, I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. I remember thinking "What can possibly happen next?"

And then things started to get even more dramatic.. One of the conference members, the person who sleepwalked, found out that his cousin had been seriously injured in a car accident. His cousin was rushed to hospital and he left in tears to go and see him. The car accident total for the conference was now three: this accident, an accident where Illene Pevec had been injured, and another less serious accident with two Subud men. The two men who had had the vision of the buffalo, decided they must leave. But before they did the Subud men did a Latihan test, that sparked a new twist to our situation. I was not at Latihan for this particular testing, but was told what happened. The question was something referencing the accidents and dramatic incidents of the conference time, the car accidents, my ear and subsequent infection and why these things were happening. What they received was startling - that there was a presence, a force of antiquity that did not want us there. After testing the men found the specific nature of this force, and a story developed. A shaman or sorcerer from ancient times had died on this land, and over a long period had figured out how to gain power in the region. His presence extends across the entire San Luis valley like a giant bubble, and he has a certain degree of ability to manipulate this domain. The next day the men tested again, and I was present this time, unaware of the previous day's testing. We tested on the shamanistic force present in the valley. The room erupted with growls and a frenzied cacophony. Personally I felt a dark deep anger, a feeling of frustration and restlessness, like something trapped and buried waiting to be released. We then tested on the presence of God in the valley, and a beautiful harmony like angels singing in a cathedral filled the room. It was one of the most beautiful songs I ever heard, and a shiver resonated through my body, an ecstatic fountain that filled my being; whatever energy or desire, or the darkness felt from the previous question, were washed away by the grace of God. A special experience for all of us I've focused heavily on some pretty extraordinary experiences; I do so mostly because on some therapeutic level I need to. It helps me sort it all out, not in any logical sense, for the experience transcends rational reconstruction, but in some way it's just nice to tell the story, to shed the skin. This experience has taught me much about myself and the very fundamental nature of existence. Through the gift of Latihan we are opened to the ocean of our soul and the universe of God. With such an influence as this we are able to see and feel some pretty incredible things. It was easy

EXPERIENCES AT THE VITTACHI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR YOUTH

Bapak’s 53 Talks during Ramadan During Ramadan this year the International Subud Committee in association with the Tape Preservation Unit (TPU) released an audio DVD of 53 talks given by Bapak during Ramadan, from 1968 - 1987. This compilation has been made possible following decades of work by the TPU. Headed by Faisal Sillem in Achel, Belgium, it has converted all existing audio talks -- 1313 -- to digital files in mp3 format. This collection is being distributed on a single audio DVD, and requires a computer with a DVD player and mp3 software. Purchasing it is a great way to invest in a library of Bapak’s talks. They may be copied onto regular CDs for personal or group use. All profits will be used to support the TPU and the ongoing effort to make Bapak’s talks available to more members. This DVD is available for order online at www.subud.net/53talks.

I believe that there are Subud members who have begun to experience this; there are members who have had this kind of experience. So if you want to know what true receiving means– receiving that is not wrong. Well, as long as we receive in this world, sometimes it’s right and sometimes it’s wrong. Why? It’s because we receive in a world that by nature is wrong. But if you want to have a true receiving – God will not tell you here, not in this world. This is why you may leave your body and you are not in this world when you receive. You receive when you are completely free of this world. So if you ask, “Why is my testing sometimes right and sometimes wrong?” That’s all right. It’s not your fault. So brothers and sisters, this is about re-ceiving. Although this may be just a small matter, it can be the reason why people become impatient and cannot wait until they receive something from God. Subud is not fortune telling. So for instance, if someone asks me, “Ibu, what will I become?” Well, I don’t know! “Who is my marriage partner?” That’s hard for me to say! So don’t turn Subud into a fortune telling or paranormal activity – don’t do that. Subud is too high for that. You can say Subud is a high philosophy, a high phi-losophy of life. So even when I answer a question, I hope the answer is right, but I don’t insist that the answer I give must be right. Secondly, don’t mix Subud with anything else, with this theory or that theory. That’s all brothers and sisters; I won’t say more. This is already very deep. So now it’s up to you to feel and find this for your-self. So if you have an experience, don’t be shocked, don’t be afraid – many of you only get to the roof and you become afraid, you ask to go back. Well, if you only get to the roof you just see roofs! Some people even write to me to say, “I want to receive direct from God, I don’t want any help from the helpers because that is from the low forces”. That’s what they say! Well, of course if they can receive, that’s fine. But then they threaten, “If I don’t receive something I will leave Subud!” Well, if you want to leave, then leave. That has nothing to do with our promise to show you a way whereby you can have a direct contact with God. That’s all for tonight, brothers and sisters. What shall we do now – latihan or testing? It’s up to you. We can do latihan together or testing. You did testing last time. Test-ing? OK, if you want testing then we will take a short break.


Continued from page 6. of letting go, of acceptance. At that point there is no ‘self’ – there is no wish. It is only when we surrender that God will give us what we seek. This is the difficulty – to seek with a wish and to seek with surrender! But human beings forget, they think that knowledge from God can be acquired in the same way as normal human knowledge - by using the mind. Receiving Takes Many Forms But if it is God’s Will, there are many ways to receive; receiving takes many forms. But as I said earlier, you cannot study any of them. I cannot teach you, for instance, to have a direct contact with the Power of God. What I can tell you is: do latihan! Then you will be guided towards that. As I just said, there are many ways you can receive. If it is God’s Will, even if you sleep, even if you just sit, it will happen. There are many ways to receive; it can take many forms. But there are no ways to teach this! It is up to God. It is God Who will take you, it is God Who will wake you, it is God Who will make you realise. And when that happens you will be in a state of total surrender. So what Bapak told us about how Bapak received Subud over a period of one thou-sand days is true. If Bapak did not receive this by God’s Grace, how could he go without sleep for a thousand days? Every time he wanted to sleep he was taken away, so his body was always empty. Clearly this would be extremely difficult if it was not by God’s Will, because human capacity is limited, our physical strength is limited. But if it is God’s Will, we have strength beyond human comprehension. This is why, brothers and sisters, what Bapak received and has passed to us in Bapak’s advice and Bapak’s talks is not a fairy tale – it is real. So, if you really want to dedicate yourself to God through the latihan of Subud, follow what Bapak fol-lowed. I don’t mean that you have to be like Ba-pak. No – but take the path that Bapak took, that Bapak’s children should take. There are many paths to God. Whether they all get there or not is another matter, but there are many paths! It is up to you to choose one.

Announcing the Third Varindra T. Vittachi International Conference: August 24 - 31, 2004: Cornwallis Park, Nova Scotia, Can-ada Yeats: "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” We cordially invite students, faculty, ad-ministrators and government officials to participate in a process of structured group reflection on transformation and its impli-cations for educational practice. The aim is to define and taste how education can really transform who we are and what we do. The conference will provide the condi-tions for participants to undergo a personal experience of transformation and will help empower participants to effect changes afterwards. The conference questions will be: What would count as personal transforma-tion for me? What makes an educational experience transformative? What are the obstacles to, and the opportu-nities for, transformation in my educa-tional institution? How can we change our educational insti-tutions so that they become avenues for personal and societal transformation? In short, together we will define what makes education transformational and identify how our ideals can be put into practice back home in our own institu-tions. There will be about 235 participants from around the world, of which two-thirds will be current high-school and col-lege/university students. We will work in small groups, each of which will be coor-dinated by a trained facilitator, who will help create a safe and open space for hon-est and deep dialogue. The lead speaker will be Ms. Anuradha Vittachi, the Sri Lankan author, and award-winning television producer, who is Director of OneWorld, the world’s fastest-growing grass-roots online news network. To learn more about the conference, Please visit our website at: www. transforedu.org Scholarship funds will be limited and will be distributed on a competitive basis to those who can demonstrate need. Inquir-ies may be directed to Ms. Scherto Gill at the Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace at [email protected]

Ibu Rahayu’s Talk NEW VISIONS FOR EDUCATION

13

From Harris Again: The Response Of my own one to one session with Adrienne, I wrote at the time… “I did a private one to one session with Adrienne yesterday and found it really worthwhile. She works with voice but it is all about touching deeper energies and I found it tremendously uplifting in terms of well-being and life direction.” Other positive responses came in from all around Australia. Iljas Jamieson wrote: “I found depths and challenges further reaching and more ef-fective in removing blockages than any other therapy I have ever undertaken. “I found some of the underlying sources of a debilitating shyness and inability to sing anything but bad cowboy songs. “I hope this tour of Adrienne’s will lead on to other similar adventures, not only for Adrienne but also for the wealth of other talent of all kinds of Subud. “It can serve not only to bring something to ourselves in Subud but also to share what we have with the world.” Thank you to the many people all around Australia who supported the tour, extend-ing hospitality to Adrienne and arranging for her performances and workshops to take place, and thanks to the generous, anonymous donor who helped underwrite some of the costs of the tour. Harris Smart, Editor Subud Voice

SUBUD VOICE - January 2004

ADRIENNE DOWN UNDER In October and November 2003 I brought the English singer and workshop facilita-tor, Adrienne Thomas on a tour of Austra-lia. This tour had many aspects to it. I hoped it would be an enterprise, a SICA event, but it also had aspects of SIHA and Susila Dharma, and Youth. Adrienne gave performances, ran voice workshops and also did many individual sessions with people. The work Adrienne does is not just about singing in a technical sense, but more about personal develop-ment through the voice. Many people reported discovering new, or renewed, directions in life, talent and ca-reer through their encounter with her. It is about exploring the voice as a key to inner well-being and self-worth. Most of us probably are aware that we have psycho-spiritual issues around the voice. We feel we cannot sing because we lack confidence, or someone told us in childhood that we sounded horrible, and this negative message has lodged in our souls, blocking our potential. To liberate the voice is to unlock energy and liberate the whole being. Thus, her work can have particular value for young people seeking direction in life. How It All Began The idea for the tour began when I re-ceived an article for Subud Voice from the English theatre director, Sylvia Le Breton. She spoke in glowing terms of Adrienne’s work, particularly her religious songs, which had been performed in the context of religious dramas in several English Ca-thedrals. Then, soon after that, I received an article from Hermione Elliott, an old friend from England, who wrote about an experience she had had at a SIHA conference in Buce-las in Portugal. Immediately, on a wild impulse, I decided to bring Adrienne to Australia. My belief was that this could be an activity involving all the Wings in Australia. I called Adrienne in Portugal and she was keen to come and so began a long process, which eventually culminated in Adrienne’s arrival in Australia at the end of September 2003. Adrienne Takes up the Story… Sylvia wrote that article about me and sent it to Subud Voice because I had talked to

her about how I was feeling pretty low. I said to her, “What’s the point of all this talent if it doesn’t go anywhere, if it’s not recognised in the outside world?” So she decided to write the article to SV and then Hermione also wrote about her session with me. Then Harris called me at midnight in Por-tugal asking if I would be interested in doing a tour of Australia. It was encourag-ing that someone out there somewhere had recognised something about my work. I liked Australia. I liked the sense of space, the way Australians are open and receptive to experience and look to the future; the way they are prepared to “give it a go” My tour took me to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Bryon Bay, Sydney, Perth and Wollongong and I presented my perform-ance Passion, ran workshops, and also gave many individual sessions.

Adrienne Thomas in full voice.

“People discovered positive aspects of themselves they didn’t even know were there.”

The work has been intensive and I learned a lot from it. Certain patterns have repeated. People often seem to have lost a sense of who they are. Another pattern was the division be-tween work and being joyful. People have compartmentalized a dutiful part of themselves – what they feel they have to do to survive and to support their fami-lies – compared to what they would love to do but feel they can't because they are restricted by their “responsibilities”. So a lot of my work was helping them to integrate the separate aspects of them-selves, helping them to understand you can fulfill your needs and also live joy-fully. You don’t have to split yourself in two. People discovered positive aspects of themselves they didn’t even know were there. When you try to suppress your “negative” aspects you also push down the positive. One of the joys of this work is seeing people rediscovering power, energy and talent in themselves they didn't even know was there.


In the previous installment of my memoirs, I wrote that my mother was very sick with cervical cancer and she was having radia-tion treatment at the Public Hospital in Solo. That was in late 1967. When my wife and I were in Solo we met the doctors in the hospital. One of the doc-tors explained to us that the prognosis was not very good, my mother’s illness was very advanced, and there was only small chance that she would recover. In early 1968 my mother moved to Jakarta so that she could be near her children and to continue her radiation treatment at the Public Hospital in Jakarta. It was still early in the same year when my wife received a letter from her family in Adelaide, Australia, asking if we would return to Australia. The reason was that my wife's sister had a bad relapse of multiple sclerosis, and that they would like us to share with the family the burden of caring for her sick sister. I said to my wife, “It is a good opportunity to re-establish relations with your family. They obviously need our moral support. “But my mother is sick, and we don't know how long she has to live. If we decided to go to Australia now, and if my mother died soon after, I would not be able to forgive myself.” “Confronted with a difficult dilemma such as this, I would wait for an indication from above.” I would take the attitude of “blijf op de plaats rust” (stay put) as Bapak would advise. “It is beyond the domain of my intellect to make decision on a personal dilemma such as this.” My wife accepted my decision to wait for “Advice from Above”. I was not being indecisive, but rather deciding to be “indecisive” on this matter. Surrendering oneself to the Will of God is the most active action one can possibly take. It is far from being indifferent. Many other Subud members, confronted with a similar problem to mine, would rush to Bapak for advice as to what to do. I am not in that category of people. The Receiving One day, I think it was in August in the same year (1968), my wife and I were trav-elling from Jakarta to Jatiluhur, West Java

in a chauffeur driven car belonging to the Jatiluhur Hydro Electric Project. We were both in the back seat, I was on the right hand side and my wife on the left hand side. It was when I was falling into a dozing state that I heard a voice whispering into my right ear. (Incidentally I had suffered a hearing loss since childhood in my right ear.) The voice said in Javanese language, “Titipna Aku wae” which means “Just leave (her) to Me.” I woke up from my snooze and I knew with absolute certainty what the receiving was. I only had to leave my mother in the hands of God: she was going to recover completely from the cancer and it would be all right for my wife and I to go to Aus-tralia. From that moment on the concern that I had about my mother and my dilemma about going to Australia suddenly disap-peared. I told my wife what I had just experienced, that my mother was going to recover and it was all right for us to go to Australia. The Confirmation We started making preparation to go to Australia, and in November that year we flew back to Australia. My mother recov-ered fully soon after we were back in Aus-tralia. In 1974 when I took my young family to see my mother on her 80th birthday in Ja-karta I told my mother of my receiving about her, when she was supposed to be dying from cervical cancer. She lived a full natural life until 1996. And when she decided that she had enough of life, she got all her children and grandchil-dren together and told them not to be sad when she died. A couple of days later she switched off, and did not wake up from her sleep, with two of her grandchildren sitting beside her bed. This is one of many receivings I had, to which my wife is a witness and able to testify. Subagio, Adelaide, Australia

GOD KNOWS BETTER THAN THE DOCTORS

A Life in Subud is a new book from Raymond van Sommers. It is an intimate account of many of the most important moments in the development of Subud. Raymond, as a young engineer searching for the meaning of life, joined JG Bennett and the followers of the Gurdjieff system at Coombe Springs, England, where he supervised the construction of that striking building, the Djamichunatra. In June 1957 he was among the first to receive the latihan when Bapak arrived in England. Two years later he was invited by Bapak to come to Indonesia to help establish the International Subud Centre at Cilandak. He designed the ten-room guest-house which was Bapak's home until Ba-pak's own house was completed in 1966. Raymond was one of the original partners of the architectural and engineering firm PT International Design Consultants (IDC) which was a pioneering and successful enterprise in Jakarta. The memoir records spiritual experiences of great interest, and is illustrated with 115 photographs, most of which have never been published before. The Australian writer, Blanche d'Alpuget, comments: 'A fascinating story that begins in a painter's studio in Australia and finds its way through the jungles of New Guinea and Africa, to Europe and Indonesia, A Life in Subud recounts, without any shout-ing, the adventurousness of a man fully living the spiritual life. Raymond van Sommers, in a disarmingly gentle voice, has written a book that Subud members will find inspiring, as will many others who have never experienced the latihan.'

A LIFE IN SUBUD


On Thursday 20th November, a dear friend and Subud brother to many, Rasjid Lyle, departed this life. Due to his weak-ening physical condition, Rasjid was not able to say farewell to all his many friends in many countries, both Subud and otherwise. May I therefore, on behalf of Rasjid, send you his loving fare-well. I stayed with Rasjid at his home in Portu-gal, during his last days, before he was taken to the local hospital, where he died. Although his bodily functions were break-ing down, and he was enduring much physical discomfort, Rasjid retained his inner calm, and complete possession of all his mental and emotional faculties. In his last days, Rasjid stopped eating alto-gether, and hardly slept at night, but was in constant latihan. After his death, when looking through his diary to find telephone numbers for his next of kin, I found that Rasjid had been writing quotations for the beginning of each week. One quotation that caught my eye seemed to sum up his attitude during his last days: “You cannot bargain with God. If you can leave yourself entirely in His hands, He will do whatever is best for you.” - Bapak, 1957. Just before he lost all physical capacity to get up from his bed, Rasjid went out for a last time, on a beautiful sunny day, to see, hear and feed the domestic and wild birds and animals that he loved, who were an important part of his life on the small farm where he stayed. Looking back, it is now clear that this, and many other things he did and said during his remaining days, were a bidding of farewell to those he loved, and a preparation for his final departure. One of the many accomplishments of Ras-jid's life was his outstanding and original work for the conservation of the Iberian wolf in Portugal, which he documented in a book that was published in English. Re-cently, a Portuguese journalist began working with Rasjid to produce a Portu-guese translation of his book, which, unlike the English version, will be illus-trated with beautiful professionally taken photographs of Rasjid working with the wolves. In the short time they worked with Rasjid, this journalist and her friends became very close friends. They provided him with special medical care, and refused to allow Rasjid to reimburse their expenses.

When Rasjid died, this journalist, who is also a professional artist, made a beautiful little clay model of a wolf. Her friend then placed this little wolf into the hands of Rasjid's body, just before the funeral, which was on Sunday 23rd. Not long ago, Rasjid told a friend that the wolves had taught him something very important, which I quote: “The purpose of Life is to be what one is. On this, all our ethics and morality should be based. For most of us this means a life dedicated to becoming what one is, but the animals are not required to make this inner journey, they are already there.” Rasjid died in the hospital without any of his loved ones being able to be present. My feeling is that this was arranged by some Unseen Hand, so that he could more easily allow his Soul to be in contact with its Creator, and liberate itself without any distraction. The date of Rasjid's death is exactly the first anniversary of the death of his wife. The date of Rasjid's funeral was also the last day of Ramadan, a Fast that he always loved to do when he wasn't ill. Rasjid had a tremendous respect for the culture of some American Indian peoples, especially with regard to how they lived their daily lives, in fraternal respect for all other creatures, and as a natural worship of the Creator. Another quote from Rasjid's diary was by an American Indian. To me it seems to express the concluding spirit of Rama-dan: “True healing is coming into reso-nance with the Creator's One Law: you shall be in good relationship with each other and with all things in the Great Circle of Life.” - Brook Medicine Eagle. Raymond Aitken, Portugal

PASSING OF RASJID LYLE

Reports from a recent gathering at La Source in the French Pyrenees, speak of the incredible amount of work Halim Korzybski has already put into the prop-erty, and of a wonderful feeling of possi-bility that something real can happen there. Halim would like to propose La Source as a kind of “refuge” to any visitors who might like to come to it as a place that they can use as a base for hikes, skiing and other activities. The area is called Barronies and is accessi-ble to the Lourdes and Tarbes airport. The surroundings of the village of Asque where La Source is located, is particularly calm and quiet, with springs, lakes and such rich vegetation that it is known as ‘the little Amazon’. Ski resorts and na-tional parks are within close driving dis-tance. The easiest way to reach Halim in France is by telephone at +33-562 40 98 57. The snail-mail address is: Loubetas," La Source," Asque 65 130 France, and Halim’s email address is: [email protected]

LA SOURCE

Rasjid Lyle.

HOW TO ORDER The price is AUD$30 posted anywhere in the world. There is a 10% discount for Subud Voice subscribers, bringing the price to AUD$27. People ordering from within Australia: Should direct their orders by mail to DAWN BOOKS, PO Box 531, Northbridge, NSW, 1560, Australia, enclosing a cheque or money order. People ordering from outside Australia: Can order and pay by credit card through our web site www.subudvoice.net. Click on the SUBUD VOICE BOOKS AND VIDEOS tag on our home page to access the ordering facility. Or fax your order (an order form can be downloaded from the ordering facility) including return address and credit card information to +61 2 4262 1725. Card information should include Card Type (VISA or MASTERCARD), Card Num-ber, Expiry Date, Name on Card and Sig-nature. Or mail your order to PO Box 311, Dapto, NSW, 2530, Australia, enclosing interna-tional bank cheque or money order. (No personal cheques please.) Make sure to include return address.


EVENTS 2004 MUSIC BY SUBUD ARTISTS

Robert Millard ‘Piano Recital’ £11.00 Hamilton Camp ‘Mardi’s Bard’ £12.50 Mira’nda ‘So Bravely Human’ £12.50 Marius Kahan ‘Tomorrow’s Memories’ £10.00 Isles Theatre Co ‘The Isles’ £10.00 Hamish Barker ‘Natural Culture’ £10.00 Malarky ‘The Band that Plays at Night’ £10.00 Lucas Hille ‘Lost and Found’ £10.00 Musica - The SICA CD £10.00 The DJC Collection - 16 Track Sampler £5.00 Prices include postage anywhere. DJC Records, 104 Constitution Hill, Norwich, NR34 BB UK. [email protected] www.djcrecords.co.uk

JANUARY 1-10: Kalimantan Basara IV - Youth Gathering. Contact: [email protected] 10-17: Subud Australia Congress in Sydney. Contact Gavin Smith Tel: 02 9568 2331. Mobile: 0438 686 696. Email: [email protected] 16-18: Our Bodies Tell Us Stories. A workshop with Hannah Bartelt and Lazi-mah Ziesel at the Munich Subud house. Language is not an issue here! Deadline, January 6th. Contribution expected to-wards costs. Contact [email protected] 16-19: International Kejiwaan Gather-ing in Lithuania. Contact Jelena Jashina at [email protected] 24-27: Kejiwaan Gathering in India. Asian Zone Kejiwaan Conference 2004 and Subud India National Conference at Bangalore. Email: [email protected]

FEBRUARY 13-15: Family Constellation Workshop at Loudwater Farm, UK. www.constellation.org.uk MARCH 5-7: Caring for Ourselves and Caring for each Other. A conference at the Menucha Centre in Oregon sponsored by the Subud USA Wings. Contact: [email protected] 27-28: Co-operation Games at the Ham-burg Subud house. It's about having fun and communicating. For all ages. There is a contribution requested for costs. Contact [email protected] JUNE 24-July 2: International Youth Gather-ing at Amanecer in Colombia. Contact [email protected] 25–27: Hiking in the Alps . Markus Baumann-Bilger leads the way from Althausen (Germany) for a day hike in beautiful surroundings. Contact [email protected] 27-July 3: Zone 4 Meeting and Gathering in Oslo, Norway AUGUST 1-6: Baroque Tour - Pieter Killes and Markus Baumann-Bilger take you on a cycling tour in Oberschwaben, Germany. Contact [email protected] 24-31: Creating New Visions for Educa-tion. The third Varindra T. Vittachi Inter-national Conference at the Pearson Peace-keeping Centre in Nova Scotia, Canada. Contact [email protected]

WORLD LATIHANS

Jan 4: 4:00 (CET) 3.00 (GMT) Feb 1: 11:00 (CET) 10:00 (GMT) Mar 6: 21:00 (CET) 20:00 (GMT)

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

www.timeanddate.com/worldclock)

Stephen Hancock writes that the first global “Spirit of Enterprise Meeting” will be held in Cape Town March 28 (arrival) - April 2, 2004. This is a joint venture between SESI (now called The Spirit of Enterprise) and dedicated Subud members.

Go to the web site www.globalenterprisemeeting.com

for further details.

“Getting On” is a new periodical for the “over sixties” edited by Hermia Brockway. Subscriptions are £20 or £15 if downloaded from email. Con-tact Hermia at PO Box 3080, Norwich, UK NR1 4ZB. Contributions by mail, fax, email or tape recording to [email protected] or fax (44/0) 163-661846, The first issue is a substantial 48 pages with many interesting articles includ-ing many with a Japanese theme.

AMANECER

Members involved in the Amanecer pro-ject near Armenia in Colombia have re-cently taken important steps in promoting the place as a conference, meeting and retreat centre. The first was to produce a brochure with clear and to-the-point infor-mation, as well as photos that effectively capture the feel of the place. As the brochure says: The International Centre at Amanecer is a beautiful, natural complex, considered a monument to the highest use and expression of guadua (giant bamboo), with an architectural de-sign which is unique in Colombia. It is a cultural, recreational and tourístic centre without equal along the 'Coffee Route', located at four kilometres from the La Tebaida community, ten minutes from Edén airport and 100 metres from the Panamerican road that links the city of Armenia to the Valle del Cauca region.

GETTING ON

ENTERPRISE

SUBUD VOICE is published monthly.

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE:

15 January 2004 ARTICLES & PHOTOS: Send to Harris Smart, Editor Subud Voice, preferably by email to [email protected] or PO Box 194, Moorabbin, VIC, 3189, Australia. Tel: + 61 3 9551 0477 SUBSCRIPTIONS: Bradford Temple, PO Box 311, Dapto, NSW, 2530, Australia Email: [email protected] Fax: + 61 2 4262 1725 RATES WORLDWIDE per 12 : AUD$50.00 groups, AUD$60.00 mailed individually. (10% discount for pensioners over 60 years), AUD$35 OnLine. PAYMENTS: (Australian Dollars only) preferably by Credit Card - please provide your name, address, card number, card expiry date and your signature as on card and fax to the subscription fax above. International Bank Drafts and Money Orders should be made payable to SUBUD VOICE and sent to the subscription address above. ADVERTISEMENTS: 50 cents a word. Minimum charge AUD$15.00. (Third World countries - no charge). Rate for INSERTS available from: [email protected] SUBMISSIONS MAY BE EDITED: Submissions to Subud Voice may be edited for a variety of reasons including the need to shorten them or improve expression. If you do not want your submission to be edited in any way, please mark it clearly NOT TO BE EDITED.

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