Issue 55

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Subud USA Latest News 15 December 2015
Bapak Quotes
Contents
A WORLD OF PROSPERITY
AND PEACE
NATIONAL NEWS
So, eventually, the world can be put in order by
human beings with human souls. The state of the
world will then become prosperous and peaceful
by itself, and there will be a bond between
human beings that will truly unite them: one
humanity, one God ­ meaning that human beings
will be united in turning to the one God. These
ON THE SPIRITUAL SIDE
Pledge Commitments & Donations for 2016
Bapak "Tests" Me in Latihan
REGIONAL NEWS
Subud Pacific Islands Regional Congress
An Extraordinary Journey
Subud PNW Menucha 2015
Jim Dehner, New Subud South Chair
words correspond to what the prophets said in
times long ago. They said that if human beings ­
people of different nationalities ­ could really feel
they are one family, then the world would become
a place for human beings, an excellent place
where they could worship God. It would become a
world of prosperity and peace.
FEATURING CENTERS
Birmingham (59 BHX 1)
26 September 1959
Recruiting WSA Archivists in USA
Forming Subud World Congress Team in Early
2016
Subud Portland Hosts Elderberry Presentation
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Letter from IHs & WSA About Translations
World Congress 2018 in Freiburg Germany
Celebrating 50th Anniversary Subud Puebla
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
MEMBERS & THEIR PROJECTS
STATE OF THE WORLD
Hoja Seed Balls: A Gift Made to Be Broken
The atmosphere of the world today, the situation
LIFE CYCLES
of the world today, is hot. Bapak doesn't mean hot
Farewell to Michael Thomas
Farewell to Lorenza Carias
Welcome Baby Hanif!
in terms of degrees Fahrenheit. Bapak isn't
talking about the weather. Bapak is talking about
people's hearts. Who is not upset today by
inflation, by their economic circumstances, by the
uncertainty that they are facing, by the fact that
what they could afford last week they cannot
afford this week. All of this creates a tension,
creates a heat in people's hearts today. This state
of the world is not at all God's will. This state of
the world is the result of man's own mistake. It is
the result of the nafsu which has run wild. And
this state of the world today reflects man's need
for the latihan kejiwaan. It shows the importance
MEDIA AND LITERATURE
New Anthology of Bapak's Talks by Ilaine
Lennard
December Issue of Subud Voice
Welcome to SWIM Issue 2
WEBSITE LINKS
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
Subud USA National Office
4216 Howard Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
(p) 301.595.0626; (f) 301.595­0620
(e) subudusa@subudusa.org
of the latihan spreading throughout the world.
This is the one thing that can reduce this
Submissions of News & Events:
temperature and cool down this heat within
communications@subudusa.org
man's heart and nafsu.
Los Angeles (81 LAX 5)
DONATE NOW
28 July 1981
2015­16 CALENDAR
SUBUD PORTLAND: December 17, 7:15 pm, Elderberry Presentation by
Mardiyah Tarantino at Subud Portland house
WORLD LATIHAN: January 2, 2016, 19:00 (Los Angeles); 21:00 (Mexico
City); 22:00 (New York)
SUBUD EAST COAST REGIONAL CONGRESS: May 27­30, 2016 Durham,
NC
SUBUD CALIFORNIA REGIONAL GATHERING: May 27­30, 2016 at
Lion's Gate in Sacramento, CA
NATIONAL CONGRESS: July 6­10, 2016, Wyndham West Hotel,
Indianapolis, IN
National News
Have You Made Your Donation to Our
Annual Fundraising Drive?
DEAR SUBUD USA MEMBERS:
We are truly grateful for the gifts of the Latihan which allows each of us to find our own guidance from
within and to help us help others. Our aim in Subud is to ensure the Latihan is available for all those who
wish to receive it. We are able to do that through your active participation and financial support.
Your pledge and donations to Subud USA help us stay connected by bringing the National Helpers to
your local or regional area, funding youth activities and eldercare, and providing communications such
as the website, news updates, quarterly summaries, and the directory. Your support helps to “keep the
lights on” at our national office and funds staff who provides administrative services for the entire
Subud community. Finally, we support a larger international presence through Subud USA’s
contribution to the World Subud Association, Zone 7 (Mexico, Suriname, Canada, the Caribbean, and
Cuba) and the collection and preservation of Subud’s international archives.
Click here for more information and our Donation Page
On the Spiritual Side
BAPAK "TESTS" ME IN LATIHAN
In late 1998, miraculous happenings conjoined to set me on an
amazing journey. I was heading off for a trip around the globe to
visit four Subud schools both as a researcher to gather field data
for my dissertation, and as a representative of the Subud
Educators Association to invite and prepare these four schools for
a Subud Educators Gathering to be held in Mexico in late June of
1999.
In the midst of all these whirlwind preparations, I was attending latihan as usual at the church where our
Claremont Subud group met twice a week when Bapak appeared and stood watching my latihan for a bit.
Next, he stood side by side with me almost shoulder to shoulder. He looked over to me and moved his
right leg—indicating that I was to follow and move my right leg. Oops, my right leg DID NOT BUDGE.
Then Bapak moved his left leg, looked at me and waited. Still, I COULDN’T MOVE my left leg. Bapak stood
beside me quietly examining me inwardly—and after a moment he said (in what seemed a slightly
disappointed voice), “Well, you can probably be of some help in this work you are undertaking.” Then he
left.
READ MORE...
Regional News
SUBUD PACIFIC ISLANDS REGIONAL CONGRESS
Regional Congress, December 4­6, 2015
From Left to Right: Hamid and Masnafiyah Versteeg, Ruben Albornoz Betts, Hikayah Versteeg,
Daniel, Sarah and Rozaria Stralberg, Sofia Nicoletti, Djahariyah Versteeg, Mariam Salzmann,
Hardwin Blanchard, and Stephanie Albornoz
AN EXTRAORDINARY SUBUD JOURNEY
The Pacific Islands Regional Congress (December 4­6, 2015) was
my favorite Congress of all time! The Hilo group was so gracious
and generous. I have never felt more welcomed anywhere on the
planet. I think the Pacific Islands were made for the Latihan.
Hardwin Blanchard and Hamid Versteeg have now become two
most treasured Subud brothers. I was a grateful student as my
brothers and sisters and the Islands instructed me in the art of worshiping God. There are few words worthy of the experience in
the latihan and fewer still that can express my gratitude to
Hardwin, Hamid and the beautiful women who so graciously.
..with much laughter...helped Sofia and I to an extraordinary
Subud journey. Thank you for allowing me to be a National Helper. ―Marius Harold, Subud USA National Helper SUBUD PACIFIC NORTHWEST MENUCHA 2015
Over 120 Subud members attended the annual PNW gathering at Menucha in November. We were
especially delighted to welcome many of our Canadian brothers and sisters for this event, which
also included three generations of one family. In keeping with a longstanding tradition, member
talents in music, poetry, song and more were showcased Friday and Saturday evenings, including
an inspiring solo by SICA Chair Hamilton Cheifetz. For over 27 years, Subud members have
gathered each November in the magnificent Columbia River Gorge area to experience an
unforgettable weekend of latihan, testing and fellowship.
―Alexandra ter Horst, Subud Pacific Northwest Chair JIM DEHNER, NEW SUBUD SOUTH CHAIR
I was born in Burlington, Iowa and enjoyed growing up with the
Mississippi River as my playground. After earning a B.A. in
anthropology from Iowa State, I moved to Colorado where I met
my future wife, Haidee. Shortly after we were married, we joined
the Peace Corps and were posted to Afghanistan, where we taught
at Kabul University. Unfortunately, the pending Soviet invasion
caused our jobs to be terminated, and thus began our trek back to
the United States.
READ MORE...
Featuring Centers
ELDERBERRY PRESENTATION AT SUBUD PORTLAND CENTER
Mardiyah Tarantino, Elderberry Founder, will be giving an informative talk on this inspiring Susila
Dharma project at the Subud Center in Portland on Thursday, December 17, 2015 at 7:15
p.m. Come and hear a short presentation on Elderberry and share in a Q & A with
Mardiyah. Elderberry was launched two years ago after Mardiyah received a direct request from
Ibu Rahayu. Mardiyah served as Ibu’s personal secretary from 1971– 1974 in Cilandak,
Indonesia. If you are planning to attend, please email Marilyn Schirk at mysusila@comcast.net.
READ MORE...
International News
LETTER FROM AREA III INTERNATIONAL HELPERS,
WSA EXECUTIVE AND TRANSLATION TEAM
During the World Subud Council meeting in Chile, Elisa Sanchez­Caballero, as Coordinator of the
World Subud Association Translation Team, explained the process for translating Bapak's and Ibu’s
talks. She explained that the provisional translations were done under the pressure of the moment
in which Bapak was addressing an audience. The words are what the translator remembered or
thought he understood in that moment, whereas the final translations are taken from the
recordings of Bapak's actual words. She explained how important it is to only share talks from
the final translation , not the provisional. The reason for this is clear. Suppose you receive a
wonderful talk or quote that is not from a final translation. You send it to someone who may know
Spanish or French or any other language. They want to share it so they translate it into the language
they know. Slowly, Bapak’s or Ibu’s words get farther away from the original words. We all know
how fast these words and quotes can travel and how easy it is to spread words that may not be
accurate. This has already happened through the best of intentions and, as we are learning, it is
difficult to clear up misconceptions.
READ MORE...
WORLD CONGRESS 2018 IN FREIBURG, GERMANY
When Germany was selected to host the next world congress, the first option was Bonn. When the
ultramodern venue opened for business in June, 2015, the congress team learned about new
conditions (contract, latihan spaces, cost, flexibility of space for children, catering options, etc.). The
team realized that Freiburg, their second option, was offering better conditions. Testing confirmed
that Freiburg (close to the Black Forest) was the right choice in terms of inner quality. It would also
cost a lot less. Starting in January of 2016, the international dewan will focus on forming the
congress organizing team. If you feel inspired to contribute to this team, contact Salamah LeClaire
at wsa@subud.org.
READ MORE...
CELEBRATING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUBUD PUEBLA HOUSE
Volunteer Opportunities
RECRUITING WSA ARCHIVISTS IN USA
The job of organizing the archives and collecting what documents are missing takes a lot of love and
dedication to organize and process this material and there is a lot of collecting and cataloging that still
needs to be done. If you would like to help in this effort, please review the volunteer description posted on
the National website blog page by clicking the Read More link below. I am a professional archivist that
has worked in Subud archives since 1987; I would like to share what I have learned with others in this
training opportunity the WSA Archives team envisions. It is my hope to retire from working on Subud
archives sometime before the next World Congress in 2018. At that time, there will be a vacancy for the
WSA Archivist for Area III. This is a position that is tested in by the International Helpers. I can tell you
from experience that working in the archives is very rewarding work.
READ MORE...
SUBUD WORLD CONGRESS ORGANIZING TEAM FOR 2018
From January 2016, the World Subud Association will start to focus on forming the congress organizing
team aimed at providing a wonderful Congress for our World Subud Association. So if you feel inspired to
contribute to this team, please contact the WSA secretary, Salamah LeClaire at wsa@subud.org. Members & Their Projects
HOJA SEED BALLS ... MADE TO BE BROKEN
FROM ANDREW MORGAN, DESIGNER
A "Hoja" is a softball­sized ball of clay, dirt and drought­tolerant
seeds that are ready to grow in a variety of tough environments
without any tending. The original seed bombs were nothing more
than a bit of clay and seeds, each one no bigger than a grape. I
made a few, but throwing them was a bit underwhelming. So I
started to scale up, using trial and error to get more and more
seeds, and more types of seeds, into each ball. Once I started
painting them, I knew they were no longer seed bombs, but
something else. I gave them the name, Hoja, which means leaf in
Spanish. Hojas continue to grow and develop, but now throwing
one feels more like a celebration of life, rather than an act of war.
But maybe that's just because they remind me of piñatas.
READ MORE...
Life Cycles
FAREWELL TO SUBUD BROTHER, MICHAEL THOMAS
MARIA THOMAS SHARES:
Michael Thomas, was born in Wollongong,
Australia on November 29, 1945. I was born in
Tel Aviv, Israel on November 29, 1944. We met
at the Subud World Congress in Toronto in
August, 1979 and got married in Australia in the
Subud community in Wollongong on December
14, 1979 having only met each other four times at
the Congress. From the moment we met, we
never wanted to part. Michael passed away
on November 4th surviving one year of cancer.
FAREWELL LORENZA CARIAS
We have just received the news from Subud Zone 7 Representative,
Fernando Nieva, of the passing of Lorenza Carias, Subud Mexico at
Veracruz, who served as a helper in this community. A lot of you may
remember Lorenza because she, along with her family, hosted a large
group of Subud members from all over the world during the Subud World
Congress in Puebla. Our prayers are with her and her family. BIENVENIDO BEBÉ HANIF!
The proud parents, Arif Rivero and Rashidah
Flores (Subud México) share news of Hanif's
birth: "This little fellow has stolen our hearts,
welcome to our lives Hanif, thanks for
choosing us to share it with you!"
Espanol: Este chiquitin se robo nuestros
corazones, bienvenido a nuestra vida Hanif,
gracias por elegirnos para compartirla
contigo!
Media & Literature
PURCHASE COPIES DIRECTLY FROM:
lulu.com
All profits will be donated to the
Muhammad Subuh Foundation (MSF)
INSPIRATION TO PREPARE THE ANTHOLOGY
From Ilaine Lennard.
I have always been fascinated by our mysterious universe, and
this made me want to find out what Bapak had said about it in
some of his talks. He mentions some things that are still beyond
our present knowledge, and I found that there were also a few
instances when his words differed from those of our scientists.
This intrigued me, too, but it was the sheer majesty of Bapak's
words that deeply touched me, the majesty that he conveyed
about our extraordinary universe. This is what I hope to share
with those of you who might not yet have read those talks.
READ MORE...
DECEMBER ISSUE OF SUBUD VOICE
That was the year that was... From the Editor ... Christmas Story by Marcus Bolt ... Subud
'Lite' and Subud 'Full Fat' Different approaches to presenting Subud ... God, Use Me Now!
Harris Smart writes about a contact with Christianity ... Jesus and Socrates by Tony Bright­Paul
... Walnuts and Goat Cheese New book from Leonard Lassalle ... The Beginnings of Subud
Mexico by Karimah Towle ... The True Self, Reflection by Mursalin Fiala ... Obituary for
Raymond Cooray ... Will Subud Soon be Without Its Subud Voice? by Ilaina Lennard ...
A Man­Made Disaster Solen Lees writes about the Kalimantan fire ... Amazing Escape in the
Paris Attacks by Subud member, Dexter Sillem ... The Paris Tragedy, An Experience from
Leonard Lassalle ... Update on Ogiva by Leonard Hitchcock.
Click on the link below to read online or download to print and share. SVO December 2015 SUBUD WRITERS
INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE
From the Editor, Emmanuel Williams:
Welcome to Issue 2 of SWIM.
I'm happy to say that the creativity of over 20 Subud members is
celebrated in these pages and that people are sending me work
simply because they read and enjoyed SWIM Issue 1 and wanted
to be "part of the community" as one writer put
it. Download: SWIM issue 2
READ MORE...
Spotlight on This Issue's Featured Artist
PHOTOGRAPHER ISABEL GATES
I began working in the Pacific Northwest shooting portraits, weddings
and events in 2000. ... I came to realize that my special niche was
people photography. People have stories to tell, and so I believe in an
approach that is authentic, timeless and artistic. My style is
photojournalistic and reflective of the special moments I am
witnessing. My website is designed to show you a sampling of some of
the moments and stories I have captured over the years. Visit Isabel's Website.
Website Links
www.bythewaybooks.com has books about Subud and by Subud authors.
www.bythewaybooks.com/private is a link for books of Bapak and Ibu Rahayu
talks.
www.subudbooks.net ­ SPI is another source to purchase/download Bapak and
Ibu Rahayu talks
www.subudbooks.com ­ Subud books by Subud authors from SPI including
DVDs,MP3 and e­Talks by Bapak and Ibu Rahayu.
list.web.net/lists/listinfo/subud­bapaktalks ­ to subscribe to receive a free
weekly Bapak talk via email or, via email, send a message for help to: subud­bapaktalks­l­request@list.web.net.
www.subudlibrary.net provides access to over 1,700 talks, audiotapes, books
and articles by Bapak, Ibu Rahayu and others with translations.
subudprayer@googlegroups.com ­ an online Subud Prayer Network where
prayers and requests for prayers can be shared. Subscribe to Moderator,
Malama at subudprayer@gmail.com.
www.subudusa.org ­ Subud USA website.
communications@subudusa.org ­ for submitting articles, posting news and
events to the National website, blog/e­Blast and newsletter.
www.SusilaDharmaUSA.org ­ Susila Dharma­USA website.
www.sica­usa.org ­ Subud International Cultural Association­USA website.
www.sesusa.biz ­ Subud Enterprise Services­USA website.
www.subud.org ­ World Subud Association official website.
www.subud.com ­ World Subud Association website for the general public.
www.SusilaDharma.org ­ Susila Dharma International website.
www.subud­sica.org ­ Subud International Cultural Association website.
www.subudenterprise.com ­ Subud Enterprise Services International website.
www.subudyouth.wordpress.com ­ Subud Youth Activities International
website.
www.subudvoice.net ­ links to Subud Voice, an online, independent monthly
Subud magazine available for free.
www.subudworldnews.com ­ provides the latest International Subud news,
contact information and more.
www.MSubuhFoundation.org ­ Muhammad Subuh Foundation website holds
and maintains the assets of the World Subud Association.
www.subudprojects.net ­ lists projects, artistic endeavors and businesses of
Subud members.
www.YesQuest.org ­ describes residential youth programs that take place in
different parts of the world.
List of Contributors
Thanks to all our contributors:
Featured Artist: Photographer, Isabel Gates. Two Photos: (1) e­Blast Banner photo: Beach
Reflections, and (2) Photo following Website Links: Waiting for the Ferry.
News Contributors: Hardwin Blanchard, Jim Dehner, Marius Harold, Alexandra ter Horst,
Illaine Lennard, Shoshanah Margolin, Daniela Moneta, Andrew Morgan, Rosetta
Narvaez, Fernando Fatah Nieva, Halimah Polk, Marilyn Schirk, Daniel Stralberg, Mardiyah
Tarantino, Sebastian Tedrow, Maria Thomas, Emmanuel Williams, International Helpers Area III,
WSA Executive & Translation Team, Editor/Designer: Mary Wold.
Communications Advisory Board: Alexandra Boyer, Melanie Branchflower, Shoshanah
Margolin, Sebastian Tedrow, Humphrey Williams, Mary Wold
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