BOOK: ‘THEY WERE THERE’ – the best articles from SUBUD VOICE
 |
These are a selection of the best Subud stories – as published in SUBUD VOICE.
For the benefit of newer members, this first volume provides valuable background, and tells quite extensively about the early days, and Bapak’s death.
Here are a few extracts from it, as collected for THEY WERE THERE:
Bapak gathered us into a circle..
“..We were at Alexandra Palace. Bapak gathered us into a circle, and stood in the centre. Then he said "You have always heard about Jesus and who he is. Well - look at Bapak now.” Bapak's appearance changed as he became like Jesus, more feminine and delicate in his movements. We all saw him like this. Some of us began to cry, and Bapak came and touched each one of us with his hand as Jesus did. Then Bapak changed again and we knew we were seeing him as Mohammed." - Leonard Lassalle
Bapak’s meals
“It turned out that Bapak was sensitive to the way the food was cooked. Meaning..? Well, the state of the cooks was important. Instantly extra latihans were ordained for the poor cooks. As one found later, it was not really "the spiritual state of the cooks" - for instance, I have given Bapak a steak at New York airport, where it was cooked by a professional into whose spiritual state we did not enquire - with no ill effects. What is perhaps the worst ingredient is passionate devotion with attendant anxiety.”
– Hubert von Bissing
It is Jesus!
“..Again I touched the floor with my forehead and there came a dawning (and unbearable) realisation – that I was at the feet of Jesus. There, in front of me, within touch, yet I dare not. I was lifted up, and my arms were outstretched. Then I passed out.
“When I was able eventually to tell Bapak something of what took place during that early latihan at home, his reply put my poor head and heart to rest: ‘You see Jesus when you are truly repentant’.” – Hartley Ramsay
Life with Bapak and Ibu
“Bapak had bought a cottage in the mountains and one day quite soon after my arrival, Ibu wasn't very well, so Bapak, Ibu and I - together with two servants, went up to the mountains to stay at the cottage. It was cold so the servants built a nice fire and Bapak and Ibu sat on a couch and I sat near the fire. Bapak was sitting with his arm round Ibu's shoulders, massaging her and singing to her. I just couldn't believe it - two months before, I had been in New York, and now here we were, just the three of us, and I was Ibu's companion. It was quite overwhelming.” – Lusana Faliks
A profound sense of reconnection
Although I must have read all these pieces in decades past, it was a joy to immerse myself in this moving collection of personal reminiscences of the earliest days of Subud, many of them Reminders of Reality in their own right and many of them contributing to a profound sense of reconnection to Bapak. – Emmanuel Elliott
"Have to agree with you re Ilaina’s “They were There”. Great read!" – Hussein Rawlings to Emmanuel Elliott
BUY THE BOOK ONLINE : http://bit.ly/L1L6ye
Paperback: 186 pages: price £10 plus postage. Follow the on-screen links to the shopping basket, setting preferred payment method, delivery and billing address(es) and postage rate. Books normally take 3 – 5 days to arrive depending on postage price paid.
FOR MEMBERS IN THE UK ONLY. As a special offer to UK members, the book can be ordered direct from Ilaina at a cost of £12.50 (including postage). Add £1.50 for each additional copy. Send orders (with cheques payable to I. Lennard) to I. Lennard, 8 Sissinghurst Grove, Cheltenham, Glos. GL51 3FA. or direct to bank a/c 14891360. Sort code 30 63 54
Any queries by phone 01242 707701 or e-mail to ilaine.l@blueyonder.co.uk.
UK members can also order the book from Lulu.com. The special offer above is made to help older members who have trouble using computers.
Profits from sales will help keep Subud Voice FREE and ongoing for another 25 years.