Editorial:

Subud's Best Kept Secret

by the Subud Vision Editors


Many, if not most, Subud members seem to be unaware of the Subud Vision website, which has been publishing free-thinking, wide-ranging articles relating to Subud for nearly four years.

This is a pity, because:

1) an independent journal is a healthy phenomenon in an organization that wants to avoid being labelled a cult;

2) most of us have had questions, doubts, and concerns about the Subud experience, and it is hugely liberating to be able to discuss them freely;

3) our organization is not thriving; there’s a need for a wholesale re-evaluation of how we function, but the ordinary channels are obviously ineffective for change;


 

 


4) Subud tends to be a top-down, patriarchal organization in which there is little scope for expression at the grass roots level unless it supports the accepted wisdom;

5) Subud is good at burying conflict and differences; Subud Vision provides a space for ‘disruptive’ viewpoints that need to be aired before we can move on;

6) Subud Vision examines Subud culture, which may feel cozy and familiar to long-term members but can be experienced by newcomers as alien and off-putting;

7) Subud Vision counters the Subud tendency to dismiss the mind and recognizes the vital importance of critical thinking;

8) Subud Vision authors, some of whom are ex-members, have learned to look at Subud with some detachment and objectivity — a perspective which can be valuable to those who only see the insider view;

9) if Subud members can accept those among themselves who ask awkward questions and imagine new possibilities, that opens the door to all those enquirers who are looking for a new experience while still retaining the right to question and think for themselves.



Subud Vision has now published roughly 125 articles by over fifty authors, with more than 20,000 article hits. Even if the contents are sometimes controversial, it deserves recognition as a Subud members’ initiative. We invite you to visit with an open mind, read a variety of articles and judge for yourselves.

Click here if you are interested in reading the other editorials, or sending feedback on any editorial.