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SUBUDVOICE JANUARY 2009

What’s Happening with World Congress?

Well here we are, at just one year (January 4-18, 2010) from to come for the full two weeks. We have worked together to
our great meeting together in Christchurch, New Zealand. reach a registration fee that is close to the fee paid in Innsbruck.
This will be a busy and challenging year, but the whole con- As usual, there are lower fees for youth and families, plus dis-
gress organizing team, both local and international, has counts on fees for early payment of registrations, which makes
now become more structured and coherent and ready to the planning much easier. Payment can be made by credit
host all of you. card or by electronic transfer. Members can register, and
then pay later, as long as they are within the specific time
In 2008 the Congress Organizing Team and the WSA deadlines in order to get the discounted registration fee.
Executive and Council worked together to establish the foun-
dations for the congress. This includes setting up a legal struc- World Congresses are large scale events which require suit-
ture in New Zealand to provide a local vehicle to organize the able facilities to provide for the needs of the members and
congress, working to finalize the budget and the registration their programs. It also includes helping as many as possible to
fee, and starting to look at come including those from
the congress content and countries with lower average
direction that we hope to incomes.
take during the congress.
It is largely thanks to the
Gradually the team has extensive volunteer work
gelled into a close knit work- done by many, that registra-
ing group. It works in a dem- tion fees can be kept down
ocratic and harmonious low. We are counting on
manner, supported by local everyone’s generosity to help
and international helpers, make the congress a success,
the Christchurch group and so please add a donation to
the national committee of your registration fee if possi-
Subud New Zealand. ble. Donations to support
members to attend the con-
It is a great experience, gress, by those not attending
Amongst its many other delights, the World Congress in Christchurch is
helped by the extensive use the congress, can also be
promising “tramping” with Arif Matthee in New Zealand’s spectacular scenery.
of the internet and Skype made on the website.
See story Page 2.
conference calling. One
highlight happened in May, when Stewart Horthy in the UK Accommodation
‘hacked into’ Arif Matthee’s computer in The accommodation project leader has worked
Christchurch, to give the international team
present an on-line demonstration of the func-
tioning of the website and registration form.

The World Congress website and registration

form can be accessed at www.subudworld-
“
We hope that
many will come
hard finding the best accommodation and
negotiating the best prices, which are low by
international standards.

We have found a good range of accommoda-

tion for you close to the main venues, including
congress2010.com and through links on the to express their hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, backpack-
major Subud websites. ers, and camping options.
ideas and
Two Options When you register you can book meals (lunch
After discussions back and forth, the final deci- visions for the
“ and dinner) at the convention centre, or simply
sion was made by the World Subud Council at choose, once in Christchurch, from the numer-
their meeting in Amanecer, Colombia, that future… ous choices of restaurants and cafes available
there would be two registration fee options: one nearby. Another important feature on the web-
for the full two weeks, the other a daily option for site is the extensive information concerning visas.
members who may only be able to come for a few days.
Samara Schionning from Australia is now living in Christchurch
The major costs incurred by World Congress for the full 2 and has become secretary to the congress team, and
weeks: venue rentals, country delegate support (approx. 30 Marianne Kay has been working since November 1 as
countries will need help), Ibu Rahayu's attendance, support Congress Co-Ordinator.
for working staff and volunteers. Smaller costs include, techni-
cal translation equipment, security and medical support Hammond Peek has volunteered to become the local web-
requirements, and other such needs. site editor and is working with Stewart Horthy who is develop-
ing the website for the congress. The Congress Organizing
As most members will come from far away, we hope they will plan Team will appear on the website.. cont on P2 >
SUBUDVOICE PAGE 1
The team needs others from around the world to help fill all the
roles involved. For example, Marston Gregory from the US is
working with Stephen Woodruff from NZ coordinating a num-
ber of cultural events.
There will be an on-site volunteering program, which will func-
tion similar to the Innsbruck Congress. The intention is that
working hours will be of a reasonable length so that all mem-
bers may participate in the activities of the congress.
To finish, please remember that this is a World Congress of all
Subud members. We hope and trust that many will come to
Christchurch, to join in the latihans, as well as express their
ideas and visions for the future, through workshops, forums
and dialogue.
We are investigating the possibility and costs of streaming cer-
tain parts of the Congress onto the web, thus creating a virtu-
al on-line congress for those who are unable to come to NZ.
Thanks to the support of Harlan Cockburn, Congress TV will
again be a major feature, allowing events to be shared at
congress and around the world.
Most importantly, Ibu Rahayu has confirmed her hope to
come to congress in New Zealand. Any talks she gives will be
•
filmed and become available as soon as possible.
Christchurch Group –
the Local Hosts of the
World Congress
Arif Mathee writes…
The members of the Christchurch group, who bought a
hectare of land where the current Subud house and lati-
han hall are now built, had great foresight and courage
when they got this off the ground.
The large Subud hall was built on this land. Later on a
further block adjoining this was bought by individual
Subud members , who recently separated off part of
this land, subdividing it into a number of residential
blocks, many of which were bought by
Subud members who now live there in
their own houses.
The Christchurch Subud group has about
70 – 80 members which is large for a city of
We do not “
380,000 people. We are very lucky to have
our own premises, and because of our
want anyone
financial security we are not obliged to
rent them to cover costs. to feel they
This means that we can use our premises
at any time for our own purposes. This is missed out
“ attend. Many members volunteer much of
truly a blessing which not many other
Subud groups in the world enjoy. Our
group is in the process of building a second hall, with
construction due to begin once a council building
permit has been issued.
. We hope there will be a lot more attendees than the
The Congress organizing team is looking to set up an
office at the Subud House. There may also be accom-
modation possibilities for members at the Christchurch
Subud Property.
PAGE 2 JAN 09
Several of us will be attending the Australian Congress to
update members and to provide them with an opportu-
nity to get involved as there are still many responsibilities
that need to be filled on site such as registration, catering,
welcoming, translations etc… We hope many of the vol-
unteers will come from our neighboring countries, as well
as from further afield.
I am attempting to organize a significantly reduced price
tramping (read walking) trip to the Milford Track before or
after the congress. The Milford Track is considered to be
one of the most famous tracks in the world, so this will be
a tremendous opportunity for members to appreciate the
magnificent scenery New Zealand, the home of middle
Middle Earth, is blessed with.
Many Excursions
Of course there will be many excursions and trips during
the congress that the members in Christchurch are
preparing for you all to experience and enjoy. These
might include watching the whales or dolphins in
Kaikoura, visiting the Thermal Reserve in Hamner Springs
and others.
As Christchurch is a modest sized city, the impact of our
congress on our home city will be considerable. Our con-
gress is exceptional because of its length. Most confer-
ences of up to 2,500 people held in Christchurch usually
only last for about three days – thus at two weeks long,
ours is extraordinary.
We understand that it will actually be the largest event to
be held at the convention centre, so we need to show
ourselves at our best! January will be a busy time with
many tourists and events like the World Buskers Festival
which is always very well attended, beginning directly
after the end of our congress. Street performers who
would like to apply to participate in this festival can find
the information at www.worldbuskersfestival.com
We hope you can make it here. At the end of the day
If you are not able to achieve it, we hope that you will
still find a way to participate in this four-yearly Subud
event. Streaming of the congress is being looked into
and hopefully congress TV will be as successful as it was
last time. We do not want anyone to feel they missed
out, rather we want you all to feel that
you are part of it.
Could you please consider making a dona-
tion in addition to your registration fee? The
NZ dollar remains weak against most major
currencies and this makes it very attractive
for overseas members to attend congress.
Your generosity will support members from
countries with lower average incomes to
their time towards the congress. Your dona-
tions will allow them to also participate in
our congress. Thank you very much for your
generosity in advance.
Although we are still more than a year away from the
congress, we are all looking forward to welcoming you.
1,200 we are using for our break even budget figures.
•
From Arif Matthee (you guessed it right, I am looking after
the financial side AND I am a keen tramper)
SUBUDVOICE

The External Relations
Co-ordinator
We welcome Amalia
Rasheed in the new
position of WSA External
Relations Coordinator.
We are happy that
there was a good
response from well qual-
ified members to our
recent letter seeking
someone for this role.
This position has been
evolving for several
years, and Amalia has
been involved, for the most
part, all along the way.
Amalia Rasheed – WSA External Relations
Coordinator Amalia facilitated Peace
Workshops at the Bali World Congress and more recently
has served on the External Relations Committee along
with Victor Margolin, Rohana Laing, and Taufik Waage
with Samuel Simonsson and Frederic Richard as co-chairs.
Amalia and Rohana Laing wrote a newsletter on the
activities of the committee and it was widely distrib-
uted in the Subud community.
among so many brothers and sisters flowering everywhere,
tells me I must be on to something. I have written verse over
the years and a favourite of mine is –
•
"With harmony, comes light. / With love, there's life. / And,
with each other, / A world, / That can be right."
The First Latihan
Anthony Bright-Paul, UK, writes…
This letter from John Godolphin Bennett may be of interest
to you, since it establishes the date of the first latihan in the
dining room at Coombe Springs on Monday 10th June.
This was the first big latihan, or series of latihans as they
went on all evening, 15 people at a time. Those who had
far to travel were in the first one. Of course some people
had been opened earlier, like Bob Prestie, who was
opened up at Rofe's flat together with some of the
Gurdjieff and Ouspensky old guard.
I have scanned a number of very old letters and sent
them to Ben Bennett, who has reciprocated
by sending me an irate letter
from Rofe to JGB!

In 2007 the committee fulfilled its objectives and

summed up their activities in a report to the World
Subud Council that summer.

In this new phase with a coordinator for external rela-

tions, Amalia has accepted a four-year volunteer consul-
tancy and coordinating role as part of the WSA executive
function. She will build and coordinate a team to com-
plete the various aspects of this work.

This includes such things as WSA's participation in inter-spiritu-

al activities, the WSA 'forum,' the UN and related activities
along with SDIA and she will serve in an advisory capacity
regarding the public image of

“
been evolving for
several years, and
Subud, including in respect to peo-
This position has ple who are interested in Subud and
our attitudes to some of the above.

Amalia brings depth, understand-

•
An historic letter
from John Bennett

ing, and experience to this position.

Amalia has been
“ We send a big thank you and
hearty welcome to her, as well as
News from the Top of
involved all along
the way
much appreciation for her past
efforts! We also extend warm thanks the Hill
to the former members of the ERC Abdullah Pope writes from Perth, Western Australia…

•
for their efforts and successes.
Garrett, Maya, Samuel, and Julia
New International Helper
Welcome to Dahlan Simpson! dahlan7@optusnet.com.au,
new Area 1 International Helper. (Mason Cook has resigned
– and so we wish him well and thank him for his dedication
and service.) Dahlan lives in Sydney with his wife Mardiah
and their 2 children. He writes…
I owe my life to Subud and the latihan. Thank you Bapak! I
remember when just 6 years old wondering (worrying, actu-
ally) when I would know about God and heaven. What has
become a flood of laughter and joyful tears in Subud,
SUBUDVOICE
In October, three of our Australian National Helpers came
to visit us in Perth. They spent the night of Saturday 11th
at Hilltop, our SICA project, a small conference and
retreat centre 60 kms from downtown Perth, in the rolling
hills and pastoral country of Western Australia.
The rest of the time they spent staying with various mem-
bers of the Perth group, and seeing the city and its
beaches, as well as attending latihans at the hall in town
.
On the Saturday, thirty members came for latihan and test-
ing in the dome throughout the day, and were joined by a
gaggle of children in the evening for a barbeque on the big
terrace, many people staying overnight. cont on p4 >
JAN 09 PAGE 3
 Hilltop has also been busy recently funds to be sent. As well we are making vigorous effects

“
Self-sustaining
communities
will be the
with a spiritual, a church, a family
or school group visiting every
weekend in September and
October. This has been quite a
strain for Salamah and me, as we
to source the balance of the $1 million.

- To preserve cash, we have ceased all work on on our

are now 75 and 80, but our prayers
development have been answered and Bereny
Hadley, until recently the Chair of
Jelai property and retrenched 100+ permanent and
casual staff. Should we get the $1 million we will recom-
mence a limited work program at Jelai because, of
recent months, drilling results have been outstanding.

pattern of the
“ the Subud Sunshine Coast group in - As previously advised we have acquired an option over
Queensland, has just arrived in a near-production coal area in East Kal and are in discus-
future Perth to take over as our new sion with potential partners/off-takers (companies that
Manager! contract to purchase the coal).

She plans to expand the business to include more busi-
ness groups, especially mid-week, and also to work with
Salim Ismail (one of the four medical doctors in our group)
to set up a natural health clinic for weekend, or week-long
retreats. Salim has a large and successful alternative
health clinic in Perth, and his staff will, we hope, be able
to manage and run these retreats for their clients.
This will give Salamah more time to do her lectures and
workshops on Bapak’s ideas, presenting her book “The
Pattern of the World” with its holistic cosmology, and me
more time to follow up on our original plans to develop a
Subud community of 7 or 8 houses in a cluster around the
conference centre.
I also want to market the third and final edition of my
memoir, “Reminiscences of Bapak”. I have added 40
pages of text since the first edition, and 16 since the sec-
ond edition was published.
It now contains a section on self-sustaining communities,
which I believe will be the development pattern of the
future, and which, like Hilltop here, and Gunnabah over
•
in the East of Australia, are already appearing in the
Subud world.
- Close to securing a deal on a producing mine, for which
we would seek funding from Macquarie Bank.
This will be my last note to this listserver as it is evident and
understandable that many people don't want their mail
boxes filled with discussion on KGC. Therefore, any of you
that wish to receive updates from the Subud team work-
ing in the project, please advise me by return email and I
will also include you on our press release email list.
Suggestions for an Advisory Board of Subud members won't
work in the context of a public company, but we acknowl-
edge that some vehicle for communication, feedback,
suggestions, support etc to the Subud team in the project
might have validity. Therefore I suggest that those of you
with a specific interest in the matter form yourselves into a
discussion group outside of this listserver to develop your
ideas, and let's see where we go from there.
Rahman Connelly’s email is rconnelly@ozemail.com.au
The KGC web site where press releases may be read is
www.kalimantan.com
•
Making a Profit with KGC
Michael Rosa writes of his experience with KGC…

Kalimantan Gold This story is a call of help for Kalimantan Gold Corporation
to support Bapak’s vision for the world. I will try and make
As most of you will know, there was something of a crisis it as short as possible with out leaving any thing out.
with Kalimantan Gold Corporation in November 2008
when CEO, Rahman Connelly, announced that the com- The story begins with the Widjojo Building which I of course
pany might have to suspend operations as a Private invested in, I only ever received two dividends which I
Placement seeking US$1 million had been undersub- invested in what is now known as KGC. Some years later I
scribed because equity markets had dried up due to the invested more money giving me a few thousand shares
global financial downturn. at a higher price than they are now.

The positive in this was that many Subud members were And then I forgot about them for some years. Much later
re-inspired to support the venture and a significant when the company had by this time developed into the
amount was forthcoming into the Private Placement from name of KGC, I was informed that Widjojo had been sold
“small” Subud investors all around the world. It was like and that I would be receiving a money wire for over
the financial crisis re-awoke concern for KGC and £2000 and where would I like to invest it?
renewed the project’s connection to its roots in Subud
members. So I decided it had to go to KGC, I was told to contact
Rahman Connelly who in turn advised me at the time that
As we go to press, the most recent communication we there was no Placement available and that I should
have from Rahman Connelly about the situation is this invest in Aim or the Canadian Stock market.
message posted on the SES INTERNATIONAL listserver.
Rahman writes… I contacted my broker who got me a good deal and pur-
chased another 34.000 shares on Aim. Since that time a new
Further to my note of 15 November: placement has arrived and I believe it will be at a fair price.
- The fundraising stands at around $450,000 with some
people yet to send the funds committed. We have My investment was beginning to mount up, I then had a
extended the Placement closing date till 15 Dec for those strong feeling I should buy more, once again cont on p5 >

PAGE 4 JAN 09 SUBUDVOICE

I decided to buy a further 40.000 at a very reasonable
price purchased by my broker at 4p, bringing my total
investment to 90.000.
While doing my latihan a day later I received a strong
urge to buy more. The next day the price had gone up so
I decided to give it a miss. I should also mention that my
two sons have a small part of this investment. My eldest
son, who is the most cautious member of our family,
came to my house and during our conversation asked
me how our investment was doing.
This was just a few days ago and I told him that we had
cleared off all the payment for the shares and were
£440 in profit. My son could not believe it. He said,
“Everything is going through the floor through the cred-
it crunch, and we are making profit!” He then implored
me to buy more.
At this stage I thought the price too high at 7p but he
insisted and I finally gave in. We purchased another
14.000 giving me a total over100.400. The next day the
price had moved up slightly I and we were more than
£800 in profit, I decided this was as far as I wanted to go.
Last night I could not sleep. I got up and started doing an
exercise during which it came to me that some years ago
a psychic had told me that I would invest in a gold mine
and indicated I would make a lot of money from this
investment.
I had completely forgotten this, and I also felt strongly I
should write an article about these incidents.
The point I am trying to make is that I feel strongly through
my experience that our enterprise is ready to take off and
for a lot of people the price will be out of their reach.
But of course this will not apply to the people with money
so this could be the last chance for many members.
Rahman Connelly has asked for our support to fuel
Bapak’s vision for Kalimantan, I feel he is the right man
with the team to lead our enterprise into success. So I
hope we will all come up with some money to support this
enterprise.
•
People wishing to contact Rahman Connelly, CEO of
KGC, can do so at rconnelly@ozemail.com.au
A Celebration of Restored Vision
We have carried several articles about Aisha Holm in
Subud voice. Her story has been a breakable one of
struggle, courage and persistence following an incident
that severely damaged her vision.
We also told how she produced a CD of her own music
under the most difficult conditions. Now we bring a new
and happy chapter. On November 2nd 2008 Aisha per-
formed a concert in Hawaii celebrating the substantial
restoration of her vision. At the concert she said…
The music I play comes from my heart and from all the
places I have lived throughout my life. I don’t know what
to call it and it does not matter. Music is music and peo-
ple are the same all over the world. I am Danish and took
a Music Conservatory education in Copenhagen
Denmark. But I played with people from many cultures
and worked in Paris with Berber people and in Nicaragua
SUBUDVOICE JAN 09
with street children and in Indonesia at an American high
school and in Denmark with all kinds of musical education
and with various bands.
From 2001 to 2003 I was in Jakarta Indonesia where I felt
happy. Someone not so happy assaulted me and my reti-
na fell off the left eye. The next almost five years I was in
and out of eye surgery in Denmark and in the end the eye
doctors and the Danish health system gave up on me
and told me I would have to live with the lack of vision.
There was nothing they could do.
I made a CD called “Songs from the Heart” to try to earn
money enough to find a place abroad where especially
my left eye could be repaired somewhat. It was a long
and slow process till Reynold Feldman, retired professor
from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu came along and
started fundraising for an operation among his friends
and among Subud members around the world.
Subud is a spiritual organization where people from all reli-
gions (and many countries) worship God together and try
to become better people and also to act in a socially
and “communitarial” responsible way. I have been in
Subud since 2000.
Reynold Feldman’s dear wife Simone passed away in
September 2006, and this was the reason he decided to trav-
el around the world and chose his first destination as Denmark.
A Surprising Happening
While he was there the surprising thing happened that
one day a mail came from Hawaii of all places! An eye
surgeon responded to Reynold’s call for helping me find
someone who could operate on my eyes.
Dr. Mike Bennett from The Retina Institute of Hawaii,
Honolulu, wrote to me that he would do the operation for
free if only I would wait till the Mobile Eye Clinic had been
constituted and that PROJECT VISION would be working
in the fall of 2008. This is now and I am here, miracle of mir-
acles, in this beautiful place called Hawaii. From one
island in the Pacific (Java) to another (Oahu).
And the greatest miracle is that by now my two eyes
have been operated successfully and I can see things
which I have not seen in years. The first operation hap-
pened on September 24 and the second one ten days
later. This is the reason for this celebration of happiness
and joy and new life and new eyes.
There is only little I can give back to the people who
saved my eyes. And at the time being that is my music.
I apologize beforehand for mistakes I might make on the
piano because I have not really seen it for the last five years.
I am grateful and extremely happy to play for you this
afternoon and to be part of this celebration. And I pray
that Project Vision may have great success and help
many people in Hawaii and around the world. I thank you
all for the awesome help I have received.
For the love for the sweetness and for the professional skill
of Michael Bennett and his whole staff. For the fundraising
and help that Reynold Feldman gave me. And for the
love and friendship I have found in Hawaii. This is a won-
derful place on Earth. I wish the aloha spirit will spread all
•
over the world. Mahalo, Aisha
PAGE 5
Why Don’t Young People has seen Subud change and the direction in which he
sees it going (big question!). One of my concerns is why
young people, unless they grew up in Subud, are not
Come into Subud? coming to Subud?

Usually we have a talk by Bapak or Ibu Rahayu in this part Answer: I am glad you asked that. It is a big question, as
of Subud Voice but we thought we would vary it for once you said. So let me take a little time answering it. I have
by publishing this very interesting talk by Varindra Vittachi five children. Four of them do the latihan. Two of them
which addresses a “problem” in Subud. Why aren’t more never go to a group. They loathe going to a group. And
young people coming in? yet they practise the latihan. And I have seen that Subud
has made them really mellow at a very young age –
The talk was given by Varindra Vittachi to young Subud mature, but not precocious.
members at a Zone 7 gathering. Varindra was the
Chairman of the World Subud Association, a job he held One of my children evolved into a groupie. He is now a
for thirty years, from l963 to l993. budding journalist. He likes congregation. In fact, at one
stage while he was at school, he wanted to become a
The gathering, hosted by Subud Montreal, was held in the Christian minister. I know of no one, no priest, no clergy-
first week of July 1992 at a convention centre just outside man, who knows the Bible better than he does. He is
Montreal, Canada. (Editor's note: Because of sound prob- inclined that way; he understands the meaning, the
lems in the tape, small portions of Varindra's talk proved value of congregation.
inaudible and have been left out of this transcription.)
Many of us are not joiners. It takes a special kind of expe-
Benefits of the Latihan rience and a kind of need, I guess, for people to want to
A young member asked Varindra what benefits are belong to a group. That is the way Subud grows. But the
brought about by doing the latihan. question you are really asking is, I think, why more young
people don't come to Subud?
In reply, Varindra said the following:
After years of doing latihan, when the latihan starts bear- One of the simplest reasons is that many Subud young
ing fruit, then you ask yourself, for example: "What has people don't come to Subud – children of Subud mem-
happened to me within the last three years? Has the lati- bers don't come to Subud. One of my five children, my
han been beneficial to me or not?" While it may take a son, he stays out. He is a very sincere young man – 37
long time for a person to be sure that the latihan has years of age.
been beneficial, you recognize that clearly something
has happened to you. He tells me things that indicate to me why he stays out. I
don't probe, but sometimes he tells me why he stays
I will give you an example of that. I used to be terrified of away from his local group. He thinks that his mother's
public speaking. Now, I don't mind talking to friends, some of them, are a bit balmy. All

10,000 or 20,000 people. But before that,
before I came to Subud, I really was terrified
of public speaking. As a newspaper reporter,
I clearly had to do something about that. So I
used to write my speech down, word for
word, and then learn it by heart.
“
their dogmatic talk; they are absolutely sure
of the dimensions of God, and that God talks
We have to them every day. Of course, any young
man would consider this absolute rubbish.
no authority, And why do two of my other children who

Then one evening, not too long after I came but we have do the latihan, why don't they go to groups?
My daughter, who is of the younger set in
to Subud, I was putting on my necktie
preparatory to making a speech, the most a great
“ Subud, was in really bad trouble with her first
husband. He used to bash her around, you
important speech I had yet made in my life –
I was giving the Prize Day speech at my col- responsibility know, really maul her; she was in really des-
perate trouble. She didn't tell me this.
lege. I had been expelled from that college,
but events over the years had turned me into Instead, she went to the group helpers who
a Distinguished Old Boy of the college. gave her this stuff, you know – you must submit to your
husband. That kind of stuff. As a result, she walked out
Just before entering the hall, my wife said, "You haven't and never came back [to the group]. She does the lati-
prepared your speech, have you?" han [on her own]. "God gave the latihan to me," she said.
"I do the latihan [rest inaudible]."
"No, I haven't, have I!"
These are the reasons why lots of people do not come to
When the time came to make the speech, I made the Subud. We can't generalize: many helpers are very good.
best speech in my life because the great burden of want-
ing to be good, wanting to stand first, had fallen off my Subud is not a Hierarchy
shoulders. I no longer cared if people liked what I said or I would really like to see all of us who call ourselves helpers
not; I didn't have to be admired. That's a fantastic to remember, to realize that Subud, as Bapak saw it, is not
release, you know – never getting stage fright, or any- a hierarchy, meaning a vertical hierarchy, with
thing like that. That was the first actual proof I had that the International Helpers, followed by National Helpers, then
latihan had benefited me. That Kind of Stuff Regional Helpers, and finally group helpers. It is not at all
Is there any other question you would like to put forward? like that.

Question: I would like to ask Varindra about the ways he Rather it is a matter of scale; it is a horizontal cont on p7 >

PAGE 6 JAN 09 SUBUDVOICE

 scale of responsibilities, with the local helper as a kind of
general practitioner, the home doctor, who actually
associates with people [inaudible]. It is absurd to think in
terms of vertical hierarchies [inaudible].
The group helpers are the most important of the helpers
because they actually deal directly with individuals rather
than institutions.
Authority and Responsibility
The point is that none of us in Subud, and this
is a point you young guys should perhaps
appreciate, none of us in Subud has any
authority whatever.
“
Most of the
arguments
Bapak was a great political scientist; he was
a radical political scientist. One of the things about God's
he said was that Subud is not a teaching,
that all the teachings that are needed have existence is a
been given by the great prophets. As I
understood it from him, Subud is not a teach- setting up of a
ing; rather, it is a great learning.
straw man
What I learned from Bapak and his explana-
tions is really that we have no authority, but and then
we have a great responsibility.
knocking him
During my thirty years in Subud [as WSA
Chair], I have never had any authority what-
ever. I can't fire anybody, I can't demote
down
“ I was talking at a meeting at Oxford
anyone, I can't fine somebody. There is no
authority in my position [as WSA Chair]. It is
the same with the helpers. None of them has any author-
ity. And if they claim authority, they are misclaiming it.
I have said two things there. I have said that the helpers
have no authority, but they do have responsibility. I think
that when responsibility is carried out well, really carried
out well, it has an authority of its own. Responsibility that is
carried out well gives that person credibility.
Now, for instance, I am a journalist. When I was a very
young journalist, I talked often about the freedom of the
press, about my right – the freedom of a journalist. It was
only after a while that I realized I also have obligations. I
have the responsibilities accrued to being a journalist,
and that unless I carry out those responsibilities, I have no
right to that freedom.
If there is a helper who does not appear to be carrying
out his responsibilities, he will be in a lot of trouble
because he is claiming an authority that he may actually
have spoiled. In Subud we really should have no occa-
sions like that.
We can talk about it, we can test about it, we have ways
to resolve problems between members and helpers and
between helpers and helpers without resorting to all kinds
of [inaudible]. There are ways to do these things in a way
that does not hurt anybody. Why should we hurt people?
Man of Straw
Question: You were talking about your son, that his intelli-
gence made him skeptical about Subud. You asked how
have we changed. I think it was that the era in which
most of our parents joined Subud was a lot freer, and that
there has been a lot more logic in today's generation. I
mean the more human beings figure out the answers to
mysteries, the harder it is to believe in God.
SUBUDVOICE JAN 09
People believe in themselves more than they believe in
God. And so the further along we go, the more logic
comes into it, and less the supernatural or a higher being.
And so I wonder [inaudible] if the older generation had a
need for spiritual guidance, a need which seems to have
been lost in our generation."
Varindra: I see we are now into theology. Let's see if we can
handle this one. You see it is very easy to set up a straw man
and then knock him down. That is what so
many so-called scientists do. They set up an
old gentleman with a white beard in the sky,
and then they knock him down.
Most of the arguments about God's existence
or non-existence is a setting up of a straw man
and then knocking him down. Bapak once
said to us that we look for God in the clouds,
we look for God on mountaintops, in caves, in
temples, in mosques, and in churches.
We are so busy looking for God that when
God knocks on our door, we are not at the
door to receive Him. Think about that one.
Bapak also said that God is nearer to each of
us than the vein in our neck.
University a couple of years ago. On the
same panel as me was Carl Sagan, the
astronomer. He switched seats with the guy
next to me, and he said, "I have never heard
a journalist speak like that. Where does it come from?"
And I said, "Subud". He said, "Is it a spiritual movement?";
and I said, "Yes". He said, "I have not heard of it". I replied,
"It is the smallest international spiritual group in the world".
He went on to say, "That was very interesting, that talk;
you can't be a theist, you can't be a God-believer."
I replied, "I know you are an atheist, and that you are sure
of your position as an atheist, but I am not sure about any-
thing, I always question everything. I thought that was the
scientific attitude, not to be sure but to question."
He saw the logic of that because I was talking at the level
of his logic. So he asked me if I would speak to his class at
Ithaca, which I did, and he was very surprised to find that
many of his students were asking questions just like you
[the audience] are; that they are now more open to the
possibility of another kind of world, another kind of reality,
than my generation, which claimed to know the answers
to everything. And look at the mess we have made of our
world by these absolute certitudes of ours.
The Nature of Forces
Once Bapak told me that when the universe was first cre-
ated, there was nothing except emptiness. You don't
know what this emptiness is, he said, because you have
never experienced it. He said that in this emptiness there
was no light because there was no darkness.
There was this emptiness and God. He said that you will
never be able to understand how there can be nothing –
and something.
God created the light and designed it as a vibration. This
is the primary vibration that we receive in the cont on p8 >
PAGE 7
latihan. Now this vibrating light creates material things,
vegetable things, animal things, and human things. And
these secondary vibrations have their own vibrations.
As we progress in the latihan, we should be able to distin-
guish in us this primary vibration that I describe to myself
as 'butterfly wings' – very, very gentle.
And since we are composed of material things, straight
out of the earth, these outer vibrations are rel-
atively much closer; and those are the vibra-
tions that lead to anger, jealousy, all those pas-
sions in us… [But] we need these lower forces,
because without these material forces we can-
not move, we cannot think, we cannot any-
thing. We cannot make a table, etc.
“
For me,
living in the
age of
All that is being done by the latihan is to
arrange and re-arrange these forces so that Bapak was
they serve human beings, rather than over-
whelm human beings and use human beings. like living in
So that is why I explain to people that you can- the land of
not help the latihan by other things you do.
Jesus, or
I think it is very important to realize that recent-
ly – two months ago – some astrophysicists living in
gave a story that British newspapers really
understood the importance of. Indeed, the Mecca with
Independent, probably the greatest English
newspaper in the world, gave their whole the Prophet
page one to this story.
The story is that the astrophysicists had discov-
“
Muhammad
ered the 'ripples', as they called it, that is, the
vibrations that followed what they called the
'Big Bang'.
Astrophysicists had been looking for these 'ripples' or
vibrations all the time. This is the same story that Bapak
told, which is now being discovered by scientists. The
astrophysicists actually went on to describe how these
'ripples' created materiality. So now it appears that sci-
ence and spiritual truth are coming together.
Question: My question is about the word nafsu. Some
people say that they don't like to use this word, to talk
about this word. [Rest of the question inaudible]
Nafsu means lower forces. You guys, chaps of your age,
are coming into a really different Subud world than the
one we inherited. You must remember that we lived in the
age of Bapak, the age of Pak Subuh, the human being.
We were very lucky in many ways. Maybe you are lucky
in many other ways.
For us Bapak was a reality, a live reality that we used to con-
stantly meet. Let me say something that for me is true, which
is that I used always to wonder why a guy like me who by no
means is any kind of saint or a holy man of any kind lived in
the age of Pak Subuh. For me, it was like living in the land of
Jesus, in the Palestine of Jesus, or living in Mecca with the
Prophet Muhammad. It was like that for me.
Problems of Translation
Now remember that Bapak was an Indonesian and he
received in his language. It was a problem for me in the
beginning, I must admit. I once had the effrontery to sug-
gest to Bapak, "Bapak, why don't you learn some English?
PAGE 8 JAN 09
It would be so much easier for all of us." (I was always ask-
ing stupid questions like that.)
And Bapak replied, "Ja, except that it would be second-
hand." He received in his language, and he did not want
any obstacles to that receiving.
We used some Indonesian words at that time because
they proved useful. For instance, the word ‘latihan’, which
simply means training. I remember once pick-
ing up some English people at the Jakarta air-
port to drive them to Bapak's house. On the
way there they saw a large building with the
notice that said Sekolah Latihan Polisi. "My
God", they said, "In Indonesia the police also
do latihan!"
Mr. Bennett (or Mr. B as we used to call him)
was a brilliant linguist. He picked up Russian
in two weeks, and shortly after began speak-
ing to his teacher in Russian. He also picked
up Indonesian in two weeks, and shortly after
began translating for Bapak when Bapak
gave talks.
He made many mistakes. You can become
adept in a language in two weeks, but you also
are very liable to make mistakes. For example,
the word Bapak used for helper was berlatihan
perantin – which means assistant, or servant if
you like, a service person.
This word was translated into English as helper,
which linguistically is not wrong, because of
course an assistant helps. But the word has all
kinds of connotations: a person needs help,
and you help. The stronger helps the weaker. You can
help someone beneath you. All of these kinds of conno-
tations. So this is where the hierarchical ideas came in sur-
rounding the word.
Or take the word "testing". In its Indonesian sense this word
has nothing to do with the English word "testing". When
Bapak used to test with us, he used the word "terima",
which means "receive". The phrase "Thank you" is "terima
kasih", which literally means "receive my thanks". Pretty
soon, "testing" with all its connotations of "examining"
came into being. Testing someone's performance, for
example.
All of these misunderstandings came about because of
wrong translation. And we have used these wrong trans-
lations constantly for two generations. I am not suggest-
ing that we should change these words; just understand
what they really mean. [Varindra turns to the person who
raised the problem of using the word "nafsu" and tells him
that his good friend Fritz von Kahler had his own word for
"nafsu" – "snafu"! ‘Situation normal, all fouled up’]
I Was Brash
In my very early days in Subud, I was very brash with
Bapak – man-to-man, you know. So insensitive you can't
imagine! I would sit beside Bapak night after night, smok-
ing one cigarette after another. But then, after a while, I
began to notice everyone sitting well behind Bapak, and
I began to guess what Bapak might be.
I once asked him, "Bapak, I understood you have said that
drinking is bad. What's wrong with drinking?"
cont on
cont on p9
p9 >>
SUBUDVOICE
(I used to be a soak. I am a journalist, and over-drinking is an
occupational disease. A quarter of a bottle of whiskey a day
was standard form; and being a good, well-trained British
colonial, I knew how to carry one's liquor as a gentleman.)
And Bapak said, "Do you drink?" I replied, "Sure". He said,
"What do you drink?"
I replied, "Scotch whiskey".
"Do you like?' Bapak queried.
"Yes, very much."
And Bapak on hearing me say this did not slap his head
and say, What a terrible fellow – out of Subud, and so on.
He was interested in this character – me.
"Do you drink a lot?" Bapak asked.
I said, "Sure".
He said, "Good Scotch whiskey also given by God. But
you must be sure that you are drinking the Scotch, and
that the Scotch is not drinking you." It was then I realized,
My God, it's not just a case of the Scotch just drinking me
– it is pickling me.
This nafsu you were asking about. We are supposed to be
human; we are supposed to be in charge of these forces.
But, actually, the whole thing is up-ended. So it is a case
of having to turn it around. That is what the latihan is sup-
posed to do. It's rather like the receptionist in your office
taking all the calls and giving all the answers to your
clients. It's absurd."
When Women Come Into Subud…
Question: "Is it true that a woman has to ask a man to be
in Subud. Why?"
You assume my answer to the question is going to be
"Yes". Well, now, let me tell you that in Indonesia the
woman's role is very much one of obedience to the man.
The man runs the show, he makes the decisions. I believe
that this situation also exists in parts of modern Europe.
The men there make the decisions, even at home, while
most of the work is done by the women. Over there,
women who came to Subud without their husband's per-
mission – why the men took a strong stand, even taking
the matter to court on the grounds that Subud was
seducing people away from the normal order.
That was how it came about that women had to ask their
husband's permission in order to join Subud. But we don't
need to do this any longer.
There is no reason to do that stuff any longer. I am telling
you guys, insist that you be put on the Canadian and U.S.
delegations to Congress. [Applause from the audience.]
We want Subud to expand. Your voice must be heard.
You just cannot protest, throw bombs and the like! I chal-
lenge you. Please be on the next delegation.
You know, at previous Congresses young members were
given a big house far away from the centre of things, a
wonderful ghetto… [inaudible].
We intend to publish the remainder of this talk in the next
SUBUDVOICE JAN 09
issue of Subud Voice.Thanks to Subud USA from whom we
got this talk. They suggested…
‘While you read this 1992 talk given by our brother
Varindra Vittachi to young Subud members, feel free to
go to Benjamin Drazen's website and listen to some jazz!
http://www.benjamindrazen.com
I N N E R
•
V O I C E
Inner Voice welcomes stories and letters. Please send to Ilaina
Lennard, ilaine.l@hotmail.co.uk
Ilaina (Ilaine for the e-mail) can be contacted at her new
address: 8 Sissinghurst Grove, Up Hatherley, Cheltenham, Glos.
GL51 3FA UK.
“THE ARROW THAT PIERCED MY
HEART...”
Rozak Tatebe continues his memoirs of spiritual experience...
There are events in people’s lives that even though rare,
can radically transform a person’s destiny in an instant.
The event I am about to relate to you now was one of
those. It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience in
that it literally changed my life’s direction from that
moment on.
That morning was a normal summer’s day for me. I had
gone to the office as usual and started my work. At ten
o’clock, I finished the first lot of work and paused to smoke
a cigarette.
It was just when I was about to start on my next task that, com-
pletely without warning, the right side of my chest was pierced
by an arrow from the spiritual world that came straight towards
me. It penetrated my heart, exited from the left side of my
chest, and then disappeared into empty space.
It was over in an instant. I felt a sharp pain in my heart and
at the same time, the wound poured not blood, but a liq-
uid that was filled with a sweetness that permeated my
entire body. My consciousness was filled with a sudden,
instinctive understanding. This too lasted only an instant but
in this case it revealed to me the eternal purpose of my soul.
I am not in the habit of keeping a diary. But because the
revelation that had filled my consciousness was so unex-
pected, I wrote it down in English in a memo. (The reason
I wrote it in English is because the content seemed so far
removed from reality that I did not want anyone who
came across it to understand it.) It was in the form of a
prose poem that expressed the shock and emotion that I
had experienced. It went something like this:
Finally I understand! From the very beginning, my soul has
been continually searching for its supreme goal.
This supreme goal will remain unchanged whether it is in this
world or the next. For as long as God allows my existence to
continue, this goal will remain unchanged until the end of time.
Now, it is revealed to me: I am to become the lowly – lowli-
est – servant of God.
Until then, the thought of aspiring to be God’s servant had
never entered my head. To my mind, the cont on p10>
PAGE 9
concept was strongly related to Christianity and
the thoughts of a priest or minister – not something
that had a connection to me personally. Not only
that, but the method of this revelation had
been so extraordinary: the thought of an invisi-
ble arrow reminded me of the Greek legend of
“
It lasted only an
instant but it
revealed to me
Cupid whose arrows cause their targets to fall in
love. That is a legend of course; but I came to the eternal
realize that there was such a spiritual reality,
that it did exist and that it was no mere fancy. It
was clear from the pain I had felt in my heart
“
purpose of my
soul
and the liquid sweetness that had filled my
body, that this was not a delusion.
Later, I found out that St. Theresa of Avila in the 16th centu-
ry had described being pierced in the heart by an invisible
arrow and of entering a state of ecstasy; but I was not
aware of this at that time. It is not my intention to compare
my experience with hers’ but only to show that such an
experience has a reality to it.
I was overwhelmed for a while. But then the pain in my
chest began to ease leaving only a feeling of bliss. This
lasted all day and on the following morning it still reverber-
ated faintly within me.
The understanding I had been given from this experience
had an immeasurable effect on me. I was shown with
absolute clarity, the reason for my existence. To become
the servant of God had been until then, an unfamiliar con-
cept but now it became the whole purpose of my life.
From then on, my chief preoccupation was how I could
become God’s servant. This was because while I had
been shown my soul’s purpose, I had not been shown how
to go about realising it. All I knew then was that it was no
good just calling myself, ‘the servant of God.’
Also, while it is possible that without being aware of it
someone is used by God as an instrument for His purpose,
to be a servant of God should be different from such
cases. First, God Himself had to acknowledge me as such
and then if He did so, I had to be in such a state that I
could correctly receive His will and instruction.
Looking back now, I can see that I had absolutely no idea
at the time just how nigh impossible a task this was. To
become a servant of God is the highest goal a human
being can pursue. While of course, I did not think that its
achievement was an easy task, I was secretly hoping for
the next sign from God. But instead I had to wait a long,
long time. Thirty years later, I finally had an experience
related to this goal, which I will elaborate on later.
Pertinent to the experience was the fact that the memo I
had written had not simply stated that my goal was to
become a servant of God, but that I had to become the
lowliest servant of God – and this word ‘lowly’ was repeat-
ed in order to stress that to become the lowliest servant of
God would be my supreme goal.
I understood just how small I was before God and simulta-
neously, was painfully aware that no matter how much
time passed, I would remain this microscopic existence for
all eternity.
This was a valuable realisation as it helped me to sup-
press any arrogance in my life. I also discovered that the
feeling of utter humility – as though one is nothing – is
PAGE 10 JAN 09
always present when one is given a glimpse of
God’s existence.
This feeling is like a litmus test that lets you know
if you have actually had an experience of God,
or not. If you do not feel that emotion, I think it
can be said that you have not had a true expe-
rience of Him.
Several months later, I discovered that on the
day I had that experience, the 9th July 1963, the
second World Congress of Subud had opened
in Briarcliff, a suburb of New York.
I had not been able to attend and so had forgotten all about
it. But it was interesting to me that on the evening of the 8th
July, Bapak had given his first talk. I had received this experi-
ence some time in the middle of his talk – despite the fact
that he was thousands of miles away.
Of course, this could be dismissed as coincidence, but the
experience had come to me like a bolt from the blue and
the fact that it happened at the same time as the World
Congress suggested there was some significance in this.
SUBUD – A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
Rozak Tatebe’s complete story
Those of you who subscribe to SUBUD VOICE, please
don't assume that the extracts in SV are all there is to
Rozak's book, because you will miss a lot unless you
read the full account. For proofreading purposes I had
to check through the book five times, and each time
it held something fresh for me.
This is because Rozak was a former chairman of ISC,
and later an International Helper, and has written very
clearly about Subud itself, in a way that is easy for
those not in Subud to understand.
It is a book to give your friends, as well as to read for
yourself, because whilst he begins his life with consider-
able doubts as to the existence of God, he still – like so
many of us – had a very strong wish to find a way to
make contact with the Supreme Being.
When he eventually finds Subud, he is then gradually
convinced from his own experience, that this Almighty
Being really does exist.
For those of you who have not until now read about his
experiences, you are in for a treat. In my opinion, this is
one of the best personal stories about life in Subud that
has yet been written. – Ilaina Lennard
The book will be available from SPI or AMAZON. For
those of you with access to the Internet, just type
www.amazon.com and give the title or author name.
The book costs $14.00. Otherwise you can order from
SPI @ sterling £10.00 plus p&p.
To order, e-mail spi@subudbooks.co.uk or pay by UK
bank cheque or credit card to: SPI, Loudwater Farm,
Loudwater Lane, Rickmansworth, Herts. WD3 4HG, UK.
Tel +44 (0)1727 762210
•
SUBUDVOICE

What I Like About Subud
Marcus Bolt, UK, writes…
‘Throw yourself wholeheartedly into any spiritual group
that appeals to you, whether you believe in it or not, and
hope that in your case a miracle may occur...”
(Carl Jung in a letter of advice to Rowland H.)
Intuitively, I did exactly that forty years ago, and a miracle
did occur – I am now sane.
During my forty years' Subud membership, I have often
been exasperated by the belief systems and
“A
attitudes of many members, as well as being
frustrated – even hurt – by the organisation’s
actions, almost to the point of handing in my
membership card. But I have never ever once
considered stopping practising the latihan. In
fact, I plan to be doing it on my deathbed –
come what may.
miracle
And that’s the first and the main thing I like did occur
about Subud – the latihan and its process.
As an example, last Monday there were just
– I am
two of us at latihan in a rather large, rented
hall. For the first fifteen minutes I sashayed
around the floor, doing the most remarkable
now sane “
ballroom dance movements.
'Wahey! Not bad for a 66-year old dude,' I observed to
myself, as the day’s stresses were sloughed off.
Now, the moves may not have looked much to a profes-
sional dancer, but inwardly they felt authentic and
graceful – quite the light fantastic. Then my latihan
changed as my mind began to be ‘creatively worked’ –
a whole chapter of the book I’m rewriting smoothly
downloading, solving many of the structural problems I’d
encountered earlier in the day.
For the last five minutes, I stood thoughtless at the centre
of a huge inner space, grateful to be sentient and alive.
Then I sat down feeling refreshed and satisfied, had a
chat with my co-exerciser and went home. Whatever it is,
wherever it comes from, however the latihan works, “I’ll
have what she’s having.”
Apart from more creative, the latihan process has made
me, over time, more open-minded, more compassionate
– even a little wiser – and definitely saner. Of course, a
cynic may say all that’s merely the side effects of growing
up. But I’m not so sure when I think back to the place of
drug-induced anxiety-depression I started from.
The second thing I like about Subud is how simple it is
to do the latihan. You don't have to prepare for it
before you join, or pass any exams after. In fact, the
latihan process doesn’t depend on anything, be that
belonging to a group, becoming a helper, or reading
Bapak's talks; neither do you need to study Indonesian,
have a religion, change your name, get circumcised,
visit Bapak's grave, do charity work, run an enterprise,
or worry about your ancestors, for the latihan to work.
All you have to do is practise it regularly, follow where
it leads and, en route, ‘do unto others as you would be
done by’.
SUBUDVOICE JAN 09
Contrariwise, the third thing I like about Subud is that you
can, if you feel so inclined, pick’n’mix from all of the
above (and more) cultural idiosyncrasies and make up
your own belief system (but please, try not to foist yours
onto me – I have my own). And the fourth thing I like is
that, although there is tacit pressure to embrace a corporate
doctrine (fundamentalists are everywhere), no one can
actually stop you doing the latihan, or even expel you, if
you don’t toe the party line.
The fifth thing I like about Subud is that members of all reli-
gions, as well as agnostics and atheists, can and do latihan
together without ripping each other’s heads off. This also
goes for all races, all ages, all sexual orientations, rich and
poor, clever and stupid. (And, as a bonus, I
like the fact that men and women don’t do it
together – inter-gender relationships are
difficult enough, thanks.)
The sixth thing I like about Subud is its social
life. At any gathering of any size that I have
attended over the last forty years, the
absence of heavy alcohol consumption
means there’s far less aggression and sexual
predation than at, say, my local golf club’s
social evenings.
More importantly, I treasure the endearing
friendships I’ve made, deeply enjoy the
warmth generated in close-knit groups and
love (and need) the sense of belonging –
while being aware none of these things are
unique to Subud.
The final thing I like about Subud is its internationality.
Subud has given me the opportunity and the motivation
to travel all over the world – not bad for someone who
has never lived more than thirty miles from his birthplace.
And these are the reasons why I've stuck with Subud, its
warts and all, for forty years.
•
This article first appeared on www.subudvision.org
Celebrating the Mastery
of Paint
‘Restorative Dragons’, works by Riduan Tomkins at SoFA
Gallery, Arts Centre, reviewed by Jamie Hanton.
Dragons are not often referred to as restorative; in fact, in
the vast majority of European cultures and mythologies,
dragons were seen as nefarious monsters with violent ten-
dencies and were ultimately regarded as enemies of
humankind. In Western art history, too, dragons are given
a bad rap.
However, skip continents and an entirely different por-
trayal abounds. Asian cultures venerate the dragon as
a benevolent and wise beast, more likely to lead
humans to enlightenment and wellbeing than unleash
fiery destruction.
The dragons in Riduan Tomkins’ recent paintings are definite-
ly Eastern in nature and represent the significant meeting
point between Western artistic tradition and the ethereal In
his work. Tomkins employs painterly abstraction and meas-
ured space to convey deep visual harmony. cont on p12>
PAGE 11
 “
Although Tomkins has been
painting for the last four
The exhibition alludes decades, it is in his current work
that hints of spirituality are most
to how we often wrongly noticeable. Tomkins began his
and hastily dismiss that painting career in London,
where he gained his MA from
“
which we cannot
understand
the Royal College of Arts.

After studying, Tomkins began

a successful career as a prac-
tising and exhibiting artist, showing in a wide range of coun-
tries and galleries. In 1984 he was selected as the Canadian
entry for An International Survey of Recent Painting and Working at Loudwater Farm 40 years ago
Sculpture at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. outwardly) to the members of Loudwater.

A year later Tomkins arrived in New Zealand to take up Please go to the website and click the button at
the position of senior lecturer in painting at the University the bottom of the home page "Become a Friend of
of Canterbury, a term that lasted 10 years. Loudwater Farm." Please pass this on.

Because he is an environmentally dynamic artist, one

might expect to see a number of drastic trajectory
changes over the course of Tomkins’ career, but instead
he has maintained a core practice that has developed
God willing we will be able to enjoy it for another 40 years.

Finding the Right Path

subtly and purposefully.
The emphatic geometric framing within the pictorial
space has remained, as have the Lilliputian figures, seem-
ingly swamped by the world around them. Yet there is no
despair in those that populate Tomkins’ paintings. Rather
than dwell on their place in the world, the figures seem to
have taken the other option, the peaceful and tranquil
acceptance of life’s hugeness.
Together with the unerringly bright palette of golden sum-
mer yellows and rhythmic layering, Tomkins’ work could
almost be a mantra for the viewer. It is here that the
Restorative Dragons assume their full relevance as heralds
of serendipity, hovering in the horizon where highly
stylised clouds float, sensual curves and spirals declaring
their weightlessness.
•
During the recent National Congress in Wolverhampton, I
was one of several oldies who were invited to a meeting
for the benefit of young people, in which we were asked
to say how we arrived at our present occupations. It
became clear that we had all wandered about, trying
this and that until we found occupations that were suit-
able for us. This prompted me to mention my acronym
SMOCK:
S – start anywhere
M – move in any direction
O – observe the consequences
C – change start point and/or direction
K – keep going until a pattern emerges
This inspired one woman immediately to use SMOCK to
help her to find her right path.

Cloud of Unknowing is a particular joy: Tomkins uses
translucent layers of colour to spin and almost gossamer
weave across the surface of the paitning as rays of light
break behind a central cloud.
This piece and the exhibition, allude to how we often wrong-
ly and hastily dismiss that which we cannot understand.
Restorative Dragons celebrates both a mastery of paint by
an exceptional artists and the willingness to believe in the
uplifting space between knowledge and faith.
During the next two days I was involved in kejiwaan ses-
sions with other people who were uncertain about their
direction in life. Without boasting, they felt that they had
the talent to go in any of several directions. My answer
was that they should SMOCK, which gave them the
courage to try it for themselves.
You too can SMOCK!

Friends of Loudwater Farm

• Finding the Right Work
(Hear ye, hear ye, let it be known that the acronym
SMOCK was first coined by Samuel Lesley in 1986.)
•
Dahlan Fraval writes… Leonard Wells, UK, writes...
I am reading a book which should be issued to all new
Just sending a quick email to let you know about members. It is called Finding Your Perfect Work by Paul &
the Loudwater Farm support website: Sarah Edwards (ISBN 0-87477-795-X)
www.loudwaterfarm.org
It simply HAS to be the definitive guide to doing your own
After a recent visit from a member of Loudwater Farm I was thing – it is masterly and I wish I had read it back in 1963
reminded of my childhood memories of the farm. Hearing when I was opened. It is published in the USA but easily
about the strong possibility of losing the farm and the effort purchased through Amazon online. I have no shares in
that has gone into trying to prevent this from happening Amazon.
made me want to get involved and show support.
Leonard Wells, 8 Rudd Street, HASLINGDEN, Lancs.,

•
I wanted to pass on this website to give people BB4 5DG UK – Tel: +44 (0) 1706 396455 – Fax: +44 (0) 161
the opportunity to show their support (inwardly or 662 7268 – Mob: +44 (0) 07963 224617

PAGE 12 JAN 09 SUBUDVOICE

‘Loving’
Truths about sex no one ever told you
Ilaine Lennard, UK, reviews a book about love and sex…
This book is a gem for any young people who are open to
guidance about their sexual relationships.
The author, Emmanuel Williams, grew up in the heady atmos-
phere of the 1960’s, and in his own young days enjoyed many
sexual relationships. It was only when he joined Subud, and
then spent seven years in Cilandak, that things started to
change. A long period of purification began, as he gradually
became aware that his old life and habits were being peeled
away, much as a snake skin peels off a snake.
During this time of purification he did very little except spend
many hours sitting outside his ‘hot little room, where there was
an open veranda and a white wall with scarlet bougainvillea.’
Someone he knew had advised: “Sit. Just sit. Don’t even read.”
And then one day he took a pen and made a list of all his past
loves, and started to realise, deeply and profoundly, just what
an effect they had had on him: “I could feel them all in me,
like presences ..I could feel how sex had loaded their feelings
into me, how full my being was with their energies.’
With this understanding came a turning point. He writes: ‘in my
soul, in my guts, in my mind and my heart, in my toenails and
in the lobes of my ears this truth: sex harms me if I abuse it.’ He
gives many vivid examples from others who wrote to him, con-
firming his own realisation through their personal experiences.
For those who have read Susila Budhi Dharma, Emmanuel’s
book will be no revelation; quite simply, he is just putting some
of the truths that Bapak received into a teenagers’ idiom,
together with many graphic, real life stories from others. But this
is where the book is so valuable. Many parents will have won-
dered how in today’s world, they can explain to their children
or grandchildren, the truths about sex that they have
absorbed and tried to follow, through SBD.
There is almost no mention of Subud in ‘Loving’, and none at
all as to what Bapak actually received about sexual relation-
ships, but nevertheless Susila Budhi Dharma’s powerful and
amazing message is all there. The chapter on Abortion, and
the one on Celibacy are particularly moving and helpful.
‘Loving’ would not be appropriate for all cultures, as its style
and idiom is primarily for American teenagers, but it could still
be a milestone for young people in any other country with a
Western culture.
Emmanuel shows great humanity, honesty and courage as he
shares his own past, and in doing so, he becomes both confi-
dant and friend. He never preaches. but as you make your
own journey, you feel he’s right there beside you, all the time.
The book is available from www.amazon.com
WORLD LATIHAN
JANUARY 03/04
03.00 GMT ON THE 4th
FEBRUARY 01
10.00 GMT
To find the corresponding time in your part of the world go to
www.timeanddate.com/worldclock
SUBUDVOICE
Rachmat Fisher
February 2, 1947 to September 27, 2008
Rachmat was born Edward
Keith Fisher in Stockton,
Newcastle, NSW, on 2nd
February 1947. He was
opened on 2nd April 1970
in Ottawa. He graduated
from Carlton with a Ph.D. in
Pure Mathematics in 1972
at the age of 23.
Rachmat’s sense of
humor was wide-rang-
ing, subtle through
absurdist, with a pen-
chant for the finest of
details, and curiously
he could be relied upon
Rachmat Fisher to provide information
surrounding every conceivable topic.
Those closest to Rachmat were in no doubt that he was a
genius. The closest friends of “Captain Midnight” from early
days in Subud were Evan and Rohiid Gamblin and Michael
Widdicombe in his self-proclaimed fraternity known as the
“Venerable Degenerates”.
After a few years in Ottawa and the Subud World Congress in
Indonesia in August 1971, Vancouver, Australia and then
Jakarta, Rachmat became a Muslim in Jakarta in 1974.
There followed a move to Vancouver in 1975, Australia in
September 76 where he changed his name by legal deed to
Rachmat Keith Fisher. In the late 70's he worked for the
Australian and New Zealand Association for the
Advancement of Science (ANZAAS) in Sydney, running their
huge annual conferences for them.
Rachmat married Mieke Sudarsono in Jakarta on 27th August
1980. They moved to Jogja and back again to Jakarta in
January 1982, when Ami Rachmi Martini was a couple of
weeks old, and lived outside Wisma Subud. In 1985 they
returned to Wisma Subud, and Richard Evan Roosdy Fisher was
born on 7th October.
Salamah Pope remembers getting to know Rachmat properly
about 1996, when he and his family moved down to Perth, to
acclimatize/acculturate the children.
They lived in a small apartment in Subiaco, a nice, busy, hum-
ming, central suburb of Perth, with several excellent book-
shops. His children went to Perth Modern (the tops of the Govt.
schools in Perth) although it was a time when Rachmat found
it difficult to find a job.
Many know that Rachmat, deeply committed to the latihan,
was an absolutely dedicated father and husband with a great
• love, acceptance and appreciation of all people.
The water bearer – an aquarius – sometimes moody (rather
than depressive) Rachmat was an extremely sensitive, peace-
ful and gentle person.
He was also a naturally serious, hugely inquisitive, sometimes
childish, independent thinker who was engaged over the past
10 years or so of his life in writing a magnum opus – a history of
the world from the non-euro-american point of view.
Rachmat was also extremely humble, yet with an astonishing,
breath-taking grasp of knowledge systems, theoretical tenets
cont on p14>
JAN 09 PAGE 13

“ “
and philosophies which wound through
several disciplines in great depth – physics,
His history chemistry, biology, languages, sociology,
anthropology, politics, theology, meta-
can be physics, you name it – far beyond his
years.
considered
His history, not quite finished at time of his
a “Great
“ passing, covered development and
impact of civilizations, migrations, leaders
Work!” and continents in sweep – over centuries!
It is what can be considered “A Great
Work”.
In its style of chronicle or letters it is similar to some of the works
of Galeano and other literary giants,. He was able to illuminate
historical characters, dynasties, kingships and eras through
incisive and accurate research, dealing with ideas, theories
and world views as though they were playthings.
For a while much of his work was available on the internet for
purposes of attracting a publisher, but I imagine that as it was
not a priority of his to manage it, eventually he let it go.
Rachmat?s friends received many short notes from Rachmat
over the years. Here are only a very few one liners: “My world
doesn’t have things like news and newspapers in it.”
“The nature of a human being is worship and quest. When you
figure out that eating is not all there is to life, then you are dis-
satisfied.”
“The saying of the Buddha, ‘With our thoughts we make the
world’ is a literal truth.”
“Of all the predators dangerous to man, I like women
best.”
“Before you criticize anyone, walk a mile in their shoes...That
way, when you start to criticize them, you've got a mile head-
start – and you've got their shoes!”
Written by friends of Rachmat’s from Subud Ottawa and
Salamah Pope. A fuller account of Rachmat’s life can be
obtained from Rasunah Marsden. Email: rasunah@shaw.ca
Michele von Royk-Lewinski
•
Rasunah also has a collection of writing about Mas Adji.
Helena Casbolt writes…
On October 31, 2008, at about
4pm, Michele von Royk-Lewinski
passed away in Sydney, peace-
fully, after a long illness.
Michele led an extraordinary life.
She was born in Germany in 1928,
an only child. She was a
Baroness, a title she rarely used.
Her young life was severely dis-
rupted by the Second World War
when she and her family had to
flee the advancing Russians.
Michele von Royk-Lewinski They eventually settled in more
modest circumstances in Munich.
Michele had many talents & interests - past and present. She was a
gifted violinist as a young woman, studying to become a concert
professional - until derailed by an automobile accident.
She was an actress, on the stage for 4 years in Germany and a voice-
PAGE 14 JAN 09
over translator and performing artist for
another decade. She nearly became a film
actress in Hollywood, but detoured after
meeting Ludwig, to marry and help him in his
Michele was a
campaign to re-build the churches of lady of fine
Europe. She was an early and clever
character and
adopter of computer technology, an opera
and classical music enthusiast and an ani- “
an example to
mal lover through and through.
us all
Michele’s uncle introduced her to Subud
and she joined during Bapak’s first visit to the
West – in Munich on January 3rd, 1958,
opened by Ibu Siti Sumari with Ibu Rahayu, Ibu Ismana and Eva
Bartok present. Her husband, Ludwig, was opened 2 days later.
After her parents died in ’66 and ’67, she left Europe and lived in the
United States, with her husband Ludwig, in Hawaii where they had
an Anthurium plantation business. After he died of cancer in 1981,
she visited Australia and came here to live permanently in 1984.
She was always a devoted worker for Subud, including stints as a
local, regional and international helper, during her 50 years as a
member. She often said, ‘Subud is my life.” She was an ideal ambas-
sador for Subud – and a wonderful sister to so many around the
world.
The families that she counted as her own in the northern suburbs of
Sydney, were also encouraged by Michele to establish an addition-
al Subud group in the area in 2007, in an harmonious growth of
Subud in the region… another Subud accomplishment.
In later years, Michele saw the content and immediacy of Ibu
Rahayu’s words as something that she could help distribute to many
members. She kept up this self-less act of typing translations and
emailing them to about 800 people globally for several years. Many
of us are grateful to her for this thoughtful service.
You know, Michele once had a near death experience, during a car
accident as a young woman. She found it to be most beautiful and
wondrous. At the time she felt she ‘had’ to come back for her
beloved parents – to whom she was always dedicated and dutiful.
But she would have loved to stay.
Well now, with God’s Grace & Guidance, Michele can go on to this
wondrous place, and start her new life in God’s hands.
May God always bless you, Michele.
And Ibu Rahayu writes…
All of us in Subud, including myself, feel a great loss now that Michele
von Royk Lewinski has left us forever. Michele was a lady of fine char-
acter and an example to us all, because she carried out her duties
in this life with a sense of acceptance, love, and faith in the great-
ness of Almighty God.
I set out below some words for Michele, whom I was close to as we
often worked for Subud together.
Dear Michelle, I still recall and feel the close relationship we enjoyed
for fifty years, especially when we worked and worshipped together
as we travelled with Bapak when Bapak spread Subud to people
who needed it all over the world..
To accept life’s trials in Subud is never easy, but thanks to your strong
sense of self and nobility, you faced them with surrender and
acceptance.
And now, after being born and living your life in this world, the time
has come when you have been called to go back to God. To
accompany you on your journey, we send our prayers so that your
journey will be filled with light and guidance from Almighty God.
And we sincerely pray that your soul will receive cont on p15>
SUBUDVOICE
God’s grace, and be given a fine and peaceful place in keeping
with your service and worship.

Amen.

Eulogy for Istimah Week

•
Istimah Week passed away on Thursday 13th November
in the early afternoon. Raymond van Sommers deliv-
ered this eulogy for Istimah at her funeral on 17
November 2008…

David, Erica, Sandra and friends of Istimah,

I’d like to recall with you some of the major events in Istimah’s
long and rich life which we are here today to commemorate.

Istimah was born in Chile into a Catholic family and from

her earliest years was devoted to the Church. She was
educated in an English-speaking school and later at a
Spanish language college where her bilingual skill
launched her into a successful career.
Istimah Week with Bapak and Ibu
She became private secretary to one of the most important
businessmen in the country. This led to her travel to New York twenty cities in many countries often of different reli-
where she met and married Erling, known now to us as Mark. gions. Everywhere members of Subud were joyfully
In the summer of 1958, Istimah received a letter from her celebrating their worship of God through the latihan
brother Latif with the news from John Bennett in England: and showered their hospitality on the touring party.
‘Something new in the spiritual search has come. It is a
direct experience of the power of God, available When the group returned to Jakarta Istimah, whose birth
through a man from the East.’ name was Irma, was given her new name: ‘Istimah’.
Bapak explained that it meant ‘Always obedient to the
Istimah said that she felt immediately the truth of this and commandments of God’. In Javanese, he said, ‘it
this was the most important moment of her life. The expe- acknowledged her gracefulness.’
rience Bennett referred to was the latihan, the spiritual
exercise of Subud. Mark and Istimah became members of Istimah – as we all knew her – was quick to smile, and
Subud soon afterwards. always ready with a humorous or wise Chilean saying
appropriate to the moment. She had a beautiful singing
When Bapak, the founder of Subud, came to the USA the voice, and a passion for music. Bapak often asked her to
following year he stayed with Mark and Istimah sing at celebrations in Indonesia.
at their home in Briarcliff, near New York. During
that stay he invited them and their two small
children, David and Erica, to join him and live in
Indonesia.

Mark sold his business interests and in January

1965 the family moved to Jakarta. Living condi-
tions in Indonesia were primitive compared with
upstate New York and life for Istimah often dra-
matic as she vividly describes in her book, ‘The
Man From The East’. Political turmoil added to
the difficulties and only six months after arriving
they had to leave the country.
“
Bapak
said that
one day
Her memory of all things, including the words of
numerous songs, was exceptionally good most
of her life, and she was meticulously accurate
about things she quoted. This made her writing
alive and interesting.
Istimah’s In 1985 Istimah and her family moved to
Australia, where she became an active Subud
humanity helper, greatly loved and respected by the
members. Being a helper involved introducing
would new people to Subud and accompanying oth-

They chose to live in New Zealand and following

“
become
saintly
a year in Takapuna, where Sandra was born,
they moved to Church Bay Farm, on Waiheke
Island.
These were happy times for the family but when the situ-
ation in Indonesia had become safe they let their house
and moved back to Jakarta.
Istimah described the following seven years as a most
wonderful time. The Subud community attracted mem-
bers from all over the world who wanted to live near
Bapak and participate in the rapid growth of the move-
ment. Istimah became close to Ibu, Bapak’s wife, and
with her and other women took part in the many exotic
cultural activities of Javanese life.
In 1970 Bapak invited Istimah and David to accompa-
ers in the latihan. Bapak appointed her
Kejiwaan Councillor, representing Australian
women in Subud World affairs.
In her later years in New Zealand Istimah’s life
was taken up with her own spiritual process. Bapak said
that one day Istimah’s humanity would become saintly.
For those privileged to know her at this time, this was
plain to see.
In her own words, Istimah had this to say of life:
Love and respect your body, it has carried you through your
life and provided you with all the senses of this world.
Love and respect your Self, it has taken you through
many experiences and perceptions.
Love and respect your Soul, it is your true goal and knows
everything, therefore trust it completely and utterly.
May Istimah’s beautiful soul continue in the peace and
love of God.

•
ny him and Ibu on his fourth around-the-world jour-
ney. It took three months and included visits to over Amen

SUBUDVOICE JAN 09 PAGE 15

 Advertisements
REMINISCENCES OF BAPAK
AND OF MY LIFE
MUSIC BY
BAPAK’S TALKS
VOLUME
NOW AVAILABLE
18
PRICES (Incl p&p) UK £13 • Europe £14
By Arthur Abdullah Pope.
Third edition with 20 extra pages of text SUBUD ARTISTS • Other £16
Pay by UK bank cheque or Credit Card SPI
now available from • Yamba Yamba Orchestra
Subud Publications International
abdandsal@ozemail.com.au Rainstorm £11.00 Loudwater Farm, Loudwater Lane
or after 1st January from amazon.com • Robert Millard Rickmansworth
Also Salamah Pope’s book on Bapak’s
Piano Recital 2 (Chopin) £11.00 Herts WD3 4HG Subud
cosmological ideas,
• Adrienne Thomas
tel: +44 (0) 1727 762210 Publications
THE PATTERN OF THE WORLD fax: +44 (0) 1727 858080 International
is now available from Speaking In Tongues £11.00
e-mail: spi@subudbooks.co.uk
www.amazon.com • Harlan Cockburn
NEW! www.subudbooks.net
Ship Without Rudder £11.00
ILAINA LOOKING FOR WORK • Leonard Paice
Ilaina Lennard, former editor of SUBUD The Ashgrove £11.00 SUBUDVOICE
VOICE, is looking for paid work, proof read- Prices include postage anywhere.
ing / editing. Reasonable rates, excellent
is published monthly.
(Credit Card option on website)
references. DJC Records DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE:
E-mail Ilaine.l@hotmail.co.uk 104 Constitution Hill, 31 JANUARY 2009
Norwich, NR34 BB UK.
Would You Like to clague@paston.co.uk
ARTICLES & PHOTOS:

Support this project? www.djcrecords.co.uk

Send to Harris Smart, Editor Subud Voice,
preferably by email to
Dear Harris, editor@subudvoice.net or by post to:
22 Holland Ave, Dingley,
I’m writing to you in connection with the If you feel moved to contribute direct to VIC, 3172, Australia.
Appeal by Emmanuel Williams in a Emmanuel Williams, (and it doesn't have Tel: + 61 3 95118122
recent Subud Voice, for articles and sto- to be a lot!) please send a check ear-
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
ries – personal reminiscences of Bapak. marked "Bapak Stories Project" to: Subud
Bradford Temple, PO Box 311,
USA National Office, 14019 N E 8th ST #A
As he says, as time goes by fewer and Bellevue, WA 98007. Donations are Dapto, NSW, 2530, Australia
fewer people will have met Bapak and accepted by credit card as well – Master Email: admin@subudvoice.net
this is an opportunity to remember not card, VISA or AmEx. Tel: +61 2 42615566
only the spiritual being who brought us Fax: + 61 2 42621725
Subud, but the essentially human, com- Feel free to call 00-1-425-643-1904 to RATES WORLDWIDE per 12 issues:
passionate and wise man.
I for one received from him life-chang-
ing advice for which I will be forever
grateful.
donate.

Thailand’s Northern Skies

• Groups AUD$70* (incl mailing)
Individuals AUD$80* (incl mailing)
OnLine AUD$50*
*10% discount for pensioners over 60
THAILAND’S NORTHERN SKIES is the PAYMENTS: (Australian Dollars only)
I was talking to Ilaina Lennard, initiator of
brainchild of Hannah Tiano (opened preferably by Credit Card – please provide
Subud Voice and first Editor, about this,
May 2004), a Subud Member from
and she told me she had been given a your name, address, card number, card
Lampang, a small city in the North,
complete set (around 300 copies, a lot of expiry date and your signature
near Chiang Mai.
them 16 pages each) and she was going as on card and fax to the
through them for relevant stories and arti- Her Thai batiks carry a style unlike the subscription fax above. International Bank
cles, and typing them up to send to Indonesian. They are drawn from plants Drafts and Money Orders should be made
Emmanuel. and animals unique to Thailand as well
payable to SUBUD VOICE and sent to the
as from various Thai sub-cultures.
This is time consuming and as one of the subscription address above.
stories is mine – written a long time ago, I Hannah has been exploring graphic arts ADVERTISEMENTS: 50 cents a word.
said I would pay for her work in connec- since primary school. As a second grad- Minimum charge AUD$15.00.
tion with my story, I would like to encour- er, she transformed leaves and ferns into (Third World countries – no charge).
age others to do the same, whose valu- butterflies, mountain homes, and rice SUBMISSIONS MAY BE EDITED:
able stories might also find their way into farms. In her university days, multi-color
Submissions to Subud Voice may be
Emmanuel Williams’ book. Emmanuel bus tickets became birds, boats, fish,
edited for a variety of reasons including
too needs funding. For instance recently and frogs.
the need to shorten them or improve
he received 8 boxes of cassettes record- She puts pencil to paper and little miracles
ing the memories of people close to appear. expression. If you do not want your
Bapak; he has to listen to each tape and submission to be edited in any way,
decide what is relevant, and then get it Email her at modtiano@yahoo.co.th and please mark it clearly NOT TO BE EDITED.
transcribed and edited. A huge task. she will email photos of her work to you.
www.subudvoice.net
Could we start a fund for this excellent She has done Subud symbol banners for
project? For instance a moneygram Switzerland and for Thailand. She could The opinions expressed in the various articles are the
sole responsibility of their authors and can not be seen as
could be sent c/o Subud USA office, to do one for your center and country. representing the opinion of the World Subud Association.
be divided between them. Consider Thailand’s Northern Skies for
The name Subud ® and the Seven Circles Symbol are

•
holiday gifts, housewarmings, birth-
registered marks of the World Subud Association.
Alicia Moss, UK. Tel. (44) (0)208 954 1919 days and so on.

PAGE 16 JAN 09 SUBUDVOICE