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Subud Vision essays now in a printed four-volume set

The Articles

To read more, click on an article title

The Subud Inspector

If Subud appointed an external inspector would we ignore her recommendations just like we ignore the recommendations of our own members?

Towards a Subud Renewal

Suggesting that there is a dissatisfaction with what Subud currently has to offer.

Our Cunning Plans

Plans that we have been following for 50 years that haven't worked out yet.

Confession of an ex-Latihaneer

Ex-member John Elwyn Kimber is a man with a hyperactive Latihan. So why could he not come back to Subud?

How Not to Be a Cult

Most cults are not intended, not planned; they grow.

 

Subud and Sufism

What does Subud owe to Sufism?

A Spiritual Democracy

Democracy is not just a political ideal.

Being and Doing

Getting the balance right.

Was Pak Subuh a Dukun?

Subud’s connections to a traditional Indonesian role.

A Dead Parrot

Has the life gone out of the Subud organisation?

A Mevlevi Shaykh’s Experience of Subud

How others see us – in the eyes of a Mevlevi Shaykh, the latihan is one more spiritual technique.

A Necessary Reappraisal

A reorientation of Subud must include a reappraisal of its founder.

A View of Arcadia

Leave it to God. How is that strategy working for us?

Can We Fix It?

‘Establishment’ Subud and ‘visionary’ Subud seem to be at odds. But perhaps there are some things they can agree on...

On Judging

If spiritual people are compassionate and loving, why do we treat each other the way we do?

Pulling Together or Pulling Apart

Are you a mountain or a river? A thought-provoking report for WSC on the present state of Subud.

Anwar, Anwas and Subud Prejudice

How Subud became infected with a religious bias.

Why Subud Groups Should Not Present Bapak’s Talks

Is Subud equally open to people of all beliefs, as it claims?

It Was the Vicar Who Did It

Why we would be better off without Subud membership.

An Atheist View

With Subud Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, why not Subud Atheists?

My Non-Opening

What do you do when they tell you you’re opened... but you don’t believe them?

Change vs. Authority

A conversation about the stifling effects of authority in Subud.

The Imprisonment of the Latihan

The downside of brotherhood. Maybe Subud should give up its monopoly of the latihan.

Latihan for All of Humanity

Breaking free of old norms to make the latihan more accessible.

What I Like about Subud

Seven reasons to stay in Subud

Subud Is a Bud

A lively report on the challenges facing today’s Subud.

Alternative?

How can we best support new members? Let’s consider new options.

The Role of the Subud Press

Towards more open, honest, and objective reporting in Subud.

The Impossibility of Subud Enterprises

Inherent flaws in the enterprise concept.

Absurd Subud

We could make Subud a religion. Or dream of the ideal latihan world. Or we could start hauling Subud down to earth.

Back on the Road Again

Let’s stop confusing the end and the means.

Subud-think

Spiritual understanding? Or just poor quality thinking?

Can Subud Grow without Faith?

Could Bapak have been right about the importance of enterprises?

The Introductory Period

Is three months too long to wait? The arguments pro and con.

Opening Up the Future

The numbers just don’t add up. What needs to change?

Why Only Subud?

As custodian of the latihan, Subud hasn’t done so well. Why not give others a chance?

Belief and Unbelief

Why do we assume that belief is preferable to unbelief?

Subud without Theology

Avoiding the ‘G’-word in talking about Subud.

How to Read Bapak’s Talks and How Not To?

Reading the talks is like doing latihan with Bapak.

The Visionary Approach

‘Where there is no vision the people perish.’ (Book of Proverbs)

Subud and Buddhism

Finding connections between the two paths.

God’s Work

A new member shares her candid impressions of Subud and the latihan.

Does the Concept of Enterprise Still Have Legs?

Past delusions and future prospects.

I Asked for Milk

How I found Subud – with some thoughts on Subud enterprise.

Subud at Middle East Spirituality and Peace Festival

How a member met the challenge of giving an interactive intro.

The Problems with Enterprise

Questioning the assumptions behind the concept.

Tribute to Husein Rofé

The remarkable life of one of Subud’s most influential members.

When You Graduate

A counter-intuitive modest proposal.

Towards a Bigger Subud

We have the potential to evolve...

Do We Really Need a New Explanation of the Latihan?

Any explanation needs to include seven core assumptions...

Why Did It Go Wrong?

Looking at the roots of enterprise failure.

The Mystery of the Vanishing Applicants

Talking (and really listening) to enquirers.

Is Subud a Cult?

A Working Party report from the Bali Congress.

Our Internet Rights

Weighing risks against rights.

The Rise and Fall of the AntiSubud Site

What we can learn from Subud critics.

Ten Misconceptions about Subud Enterprise

Are we negative about Subud Enterprise because we never understood the concept properly?

After Fifty Years: What I Think Is Needed

Why isn't Subud spreading? Has it turned into a secret society? Eight things we can do.

An Alternative Introduction

Looking for a different kind of intro to give your friend to read?

Seven Questions about Subud Culture

Subud culture involves certain beliefs and assumptions. But do they serve us well?

Answers on a Postcard

We need answers to a very important question.

The Fifty/Fifty Rule

Sometimes a 50/50 split is not the way to go.

Subud: The Religion

Why we should resist the tendency to turn Subud into a religion.

Bait and Switch

Not living up to its promises can have consequences for Subud.

Presence in the World

What is holding us back from manifesting the latihan in the world?

Bridging the Divide

Two kinds of Subud members; can they co-exist?

What to Do with Bapak’s Advice

Becoming wider, and finding strength in diversity.

Clear the Path to the Latihan

If you are a seeker, what are the odds that you will find Subud? How can we improve those odds?

Genuinely Open

Is Subud culture an embarrassment for its members?

Testing the Committee

Four editors argue that we should change the way we select the committee.

The Good Reputation of Subud

How to protect it? Some suggest by using censorship....

Blueprint for Change

A checklist of the changes Subud must make in order to (a) survive and (b) grow.

Testing or Testosis

Some say we test too much. But testing is an important tool.

Redefining Success

In its own terms Subud may be a failure, but the latihan is quite possibly a success.

Fifty Years of Doubts and Reservations

How has Subud evolved? A unique, historical perspective.

How I Latihan

A detailed account of one man's experience of the latihan.

What Lies Ahead

Subud people are not necessarily Subud members. Paring down to the essentials.

The Latihan Place

Let’s look at our latihan premises through the eyes of a visitor or possible applicant.

Beyond Words and Images

The latihan is beyond words, but the words we use to describe it are putting people off.

Reading Bapak’s Talks

What happens when you strongly disagree with something Bapak said?

History and Myth

Two very different ways of looking at Subud's origins.

Process, Not Prozac

The importance of susila. The need to be heard and be healed.

The Closings

'Nobody knows for certain when the closings started.'

Notes from an Old-timer

Time to let the young take the lead, and create a new Subud culture.

But What Is Subud?

We need to get clear about who we really are.

Handling Hot Issues

Let’s talk. We can’t evolve by avoiding controversy.

Becoming Normal

How we can break free of the ‘cult’ dynamic.

Making Claims

Deconstructing Subud hype.

Awaiting My Opening

Making sense of a long wait.

Trial by Feelings

The inside story of how we lost Anugraha and what we can learn from it.

My Search for Spiritual Guidance

How different methods have brought healing in the course of one woman’s spiritual journey.

Boushma Is Too Deep to Understand:Just Do It

Have we brain-washed ourselves into believing that we’re special?

The Case for Not Having Helpers

Looking for an alternative that is more inclusive, egalitarian and empowering.

Open to Whom? That is the Question

Being open ought to mean accepting each other.

Psychology and Subud

When the latihan is not enough, why ignore the rich resource of modern psychology?

Responding to the Helpers

Taken aback by the judgmentalism in an International Helper report.

Subud at Crossroads (reprint)

A manifesto for change written twenty years ago but just as relevant today.

Buddhism and Subud

Subud doesn’t require you to stop practising your religion. Unless you’re a Buddhist.

Subud as University

Are we ready to move on from high school? A model for the next stage.

Both Simple and Complex

Basing Subud culture on the latihan.

A Proposal for an International Subud Survey

We know very little about what members think of their Subud experience. Shouldn’t we be trying to find out?

Subud: The Tribe

Subud claims to support individual growth, but does it? Where we rank in the ‘Stages of Faith’.

Peace and Subud

Does Subud have a contribution to make in the area of conflict resolution?

What Happened?

The little-known story of Mas Totok in Australia; and how to revitalize Subud.

The Latihan of Subud, Dissociation and the Neurology of Spiritual Experience

Essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about the psychological effects of the latihan.

Subud and Sumarah

Comparing Subud to its ‘close cousin’, Sumarah.

Forget About Outreach

Is outreach the priority or not?