An independent journal about Subud



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Subud Vision essays now in a printed four-volume set

Subud Vision Articles

To read more from the Subud Vision pages, click on any article title

Whatever Happened to Subud Vision?    

A brief history of the Subud Vision web site and why it is no longer active.

Keeping Track of Reality     (pdf)

Again and again I hear it said that Pak Subuh is the 'Spiritual Guide' of Subud. Funny: it's not stated in the WSA constitution

Epilogue

The beginning of the end for Subud

Subud Sounds A Good Idea     (pdf)

Why don't we try it some time?

Walking on Air     (pdf)

The possible successor to Subud?

An Adequate Humanity

Do we need more than just the latihan?

Certainty

Let go and watch; then keep watching

Designing the New

An outline for a new latihan organization

The End of the Road

Three fatal flaws that could doom Subud

From Subud to YouBud

Is Subud trapped in a time warp?

Frozen in Time

A stage play- for Subud members only

The Naked Subud

Stripping off Subud's unnecessary accessories

Preachy Testing

Ways in which preaching sneaks into testing

Promoting the Latihan

How to open the gate for those who are willing

Questioning Oneself

Growing up in Subud and after

Religion Without Belief - God as Metaphor

Should we consciously abandon religious belief?

Subud Vision Assessments

Invited assessments of 5 years of Subud Vision

This Silly Poor Gospel

Imperfection is no excuse for Inaction

Triptych

The need to step outside our comfort zone

Are You Brainwashed?

Seven ways that Subud shapes your thinking

Danger of the Kejiwaan Event

Could kejiwaan events be a bad idea?

God's Teeth

Ours is the One Way

The Latihan as Spiritual Adventure

A Bapak-free way of describing the latihan

No Reason to Be Disappointed

An end to the Subud monopoly

People Power

Putting the pieces together

Sailing to Ithaka

A 43 years journey

An Alternative Explanation of the Subud Exercise in Psychological Terms

There's more than one way to understand the latihan.

Being Safe in Subud

What does it mean to be safe in Subud and how do we get there?

Mind- Friend or Fiend?

To do the undoable we need to think the unthinkable.

Outside View

A Review of Bei Dawei's "Baha'i and Subud Dissent: Developments in the 2000s"

Still Crazy after All These Years

The story of a Subud pioneer who broke all the rules.

A Question for the WSA

To be or not to be... a religion

Stories

Spiritual wisdom or spiritual make-believe?

Subud Spoofed

Oddly familiar content in a 1966 novel....

Subud- Spirituality and the Body Electric

Maybe what your latihan needs is a re-charge.

About the Latihan

An introduction that puts the latihan first.

In Subud We Have No Beliefs

That's our claim. But what is the reality?

Latihan Communities and Organization: a Dialogue

Two editors explore innovative possibilities.

The Role of Subud

Maybe we're wrong to try to promote the Subud organization.

The Transformation of the Subud Organization

Is Subud leading the way towards leaderless communities?

The Wayward Way of Enterprise

The future reveals an exciting new concept that might actually work.

What We Do and How We Do it

In defence of the WSA - an insider's viewpoint

Will the Real Bapak Please Stand Up

Who was Bapak? The question matters- even if it is unanswerable.

An Open Letter about Youth and Helpers

About one of the reasons groups don't grow

Self-healing- the Search for Community and Why I Left Subud

True community: how to get there from here

Subud and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

A petrolhead's perspective on the future of Subud

W(h)ither Subud

We don't have to continue on a dead-end path

A Wayward Club Experience

Opening the door to the 'deep stuff'

Worshipping in Beauty

Should we take Subud in an entirely new direction?

Conundrum

What will happen when a new organisation offers only the latihan?

Reflections on Rejoining Subud

From the perspective of twenty years away

Unthinkable Decision-Making

How Subud conventions discourage democracy

Watch Your Language

Are we projecting the wrong image to the world?

Wayward

A Subud group with a difference.

What the...?!

Testing... testing... testing...

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.

Our Cunning Plans

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

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.

Being and Doing

Getting the balance right.

A Spiritual Democracy

Democracy is not just a political ideal.

Subud and Sufism

What does Subud owe to Sufism?

Was Pak Subuh a Dukun?

Subud's connections to a traditional Indonesian role.

Anwar- Anwas and Subud Prejudice

How Subud became infected with a religious bias.

Can We Fix It?

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

A Dead Parrot

Has the life gone out of the Subud organisation?

It Was the Vicar Who Did It

Why we would be better off without Subud membership.

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.

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.

A View of Arcadia

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

Why Subud Groups Should Not Present Bapak's Talks

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

An Atheist View

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

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.

My Non-Opening

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

What I Like about Subud

Seven reasons to stay in Subud

Belief and Unbelief

Why do we assume that belief is preferable to unbelief?

Can Subud Grow without Faith?

Could Bapak have been right about the importance of enterprises?

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

Reading the talks is like doing latihan with Bapak.

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?

Subud and Buddhism

Finding connections between the two paths.

Subud without Theology

Avoiding the 'G'-word in talking about Subud.

Subud-think

Spiritual understanding? Or just poor quality thinking?

The Visionary Approach

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

Why Only Subud?

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

Absurd Subud

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

Alternative?

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

Back on the Road Again

Let's stop confusing the end and the means.

Does the Concept of Enterprise Still Have Legs?

Past delusions and future prospects.

God's Work

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

I Asked for Milk

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

The Impossibility of Subud Enterprises

Inherent flaws in the enterprise concept.

The Problems with Enterprise

Questioning the assumptions behind the concept.

The Role of the Subud Press

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

Subud at Middle East Spirituality and Peace Festival

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

Subud Is a Bud

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

Towards a Bigger Subud

We have the potential to evolve...

Tribute to Husein Rofe

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

When You Graduate

A counter-intuitive modest proposal.

Do We Really Need a New Explanation of the Latihan?

Any explanation needs to include seven core assumptions...

Is Subud a Cult?

A Working Party report from the Bali Congress.

The Mystery of the Vanishing Applicants

Talking (and really listening) to enquirers.

Our Internet Rights

Weighing risks against rights.

The Rise and Fall of the AntiSubud Site

What we can learn from Subud critics.

Why Did It Go Wrong?

Looking at the roots of enterprise failure.

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?

Answers on a Postcard

We need answers to a very important question.

Awaiting My Opening

Making sense of a long wait.

Bait and Switch

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

Becoming Normal

How we can break free of the 'cult' dynamic.

Beyond Words and Images

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

Blueprint for Change

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

Both Simple and Complex

Basing Subud culture on the latihan.

Boushma Is Too Deep to Understand:Just Do It

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

Bridging the Divide

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

Buddhism and Subud

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

But What Is Subud?

We need to get clear about who we really are.

The Case for Not Having Helpers

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

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?

The Closings

'Nobody knows for certain when the closings started.'

Fifty Years of Doubts and Reservations

How has Subud evolved? A unique- historical perspective.

The Fifty/Fifty Rule

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

Forget About Outreach

Is outreach the priority or not?

Genuinely Open

Is Subud culture an embarrassment for its members?

The Good Reputation of Subud

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

Handling Hot Issues

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

History and Myth

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

How I Latihan

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

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.

The Latihan Place

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

Making Claims

Deconstructing Subud hype.

My Search for Spiritual Guidance

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

Notes from an Old-timer

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

Open to Whom? That is the Question

Being open ought to mean accepting each other.

Peace and Subud

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

Presence in the World

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

Process- Not Prozac

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

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?

Psychology and Subud

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

Reading Bapak's Talks

What happens when you strongly disagree with something Bapak said?

Redefining Success

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

Responding to the Helpers

Taken aback by the judgmentalism in an International Helper report.

Seven Questions about Subud Culture

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

Subud and Sumarah

Comparing Subud to its 'close cousin' - Sumarah.

Subud as University

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

Subud at Crossroads (reprint)

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

Subud: The Religion

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

Subud: The Tribe

Subud claims to support individual growth- but does it? Where we rank in the 'Stages of Faith'.

Ten Misconceptions about Subud Enterprise

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

Testing or Testosis

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

Testing the Committee

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

Trial by Feelings

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

What Happened?

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

What Lies Ahead

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

What to Do with Bapak's Advice

Becoming wider- and finding strength in diversity.



    Subud Vision is mentioned on the Wikipedia page about Subud

    Subud Vision is an independent venture of some Subud members. It has no official Subud status.