Towards Spiritual Maturity
By Stefan Freedman
The Problem:
It is difficult for most Subud members to talk about
the latihan in a way that connects with young people. The new millennium has
seen a surge of interest in spiritual practice. But young people are bypassing
Subud because today’s spiritual seekers have different priorities from
those in the past.
The Solution:
Catch up with new literature relating to spiritual
development in order to communicate more clearly about the process we
experience in the latihan.
The Details:
Gurdjieff’s students wanted to awaken from an
automatic, conditioned half-life to a deeper experience of consciousness. This
meshed very well with the way Subud was perceived in the 1950s: a direct
link with the Great Life Force (as John Bennett sometimes explained it). In the
1960s and 70s, a lot of Westerners were looking for self-directed ways to
expand consciousness. Subud, as a spiritual exercise open to people of all
beliefs, was perfect for some of them.
There are some terrific books around on spiritual
intelligence, spiritual maturity, etc. These show me that my own journey over
several decades mirrors the development path many non-Subud
people are charting. Most people now who are spiritually orientated
are getting passionate about the environment, about understanding
between different peoples and faiths. In general the aim is
integration (of mental, emotional and intuitive
development). Communicating honestly, listening to feedback, developing
flexibility. Inclusiveness and diversity are keynotes. Some Buddhist ideas
are being absorbed into multi-faith and secular circles: notably, mindfulness
(being centred and inwardly aware during everyday actions) and developing inner
peace.
Though not all seen as end-points for a spiritual
journey, these are widely accepted indications that a spiritual maturing is in
process. Read any of Bapak’s talks and you’ll find that inner peace,
mindfulness and balancing inner development with compassionate actions are all
strongly present. The basis and aims Subud’s founder set out in the 1950s are
contemporary and relevant today, but only if expressed in a contemporary way. The old
translations unfortunately have a ‘period’ resonance.
Outside the largest London group a sign advertises
times of ‘worship’. The promise which drew many people to Subud was of
an inner development path which fosters individuality. But
religious terms suggest a path of conformity. For freethinking people this is a
turn off. And for religious people too, since there are hundreds of well known
religions which already meet this need.
My experience of Subud over thirty-eight years
has been about discovering what is hidden and beginning to
integrate it, finding courage and stretching all of my
capacities. When I hear Subud described using the same familiar terms
— and especially when many members use the same pattern of words — I can’t
find any sense of Subud as something relevant for today. This
impression is exaggerated by the fact that many helpers (our ‘reps’) are not
apparently interested in current issues — the very issues which
spiritually inclined young people are passionate to explore. So please, dear
fellow members, recommend books and articles to one another. This will enable
us to embrace the language and questions of young people today.