Panelists' Stories

By the “Subud Success Panels” Organizing Team (Rahman Connelly, Livingston Arymtage, Rosanna Hille, Stephen Bryson-Haines, and Kenneth Clark)

Prior to the International Congress held in Puebla, Mexico, a small team of members identified a number of Subud members from around the world who might speak about the effect of the latihan on their careers and lives. They found a vast overabundance of possible speakers from many countries. In the months before the Congress, the organizing team spent many hours arranging panels of speakers to reflect the diversity of countries, ages, and types of work of our members. The program, called the “Subud Success Program” encouraged us to recognize and celebrate our “successes” (however that term is very loosely defined), appreciate the importance of our spiritual practice in our daily lives, and engage in enterprises. Speakers included filmmakers, entrepreneurs, founders of charities, teachers, lawyers, and others from many different fields of work. Each speaker spoke for 15 minutes or so about their lives and then answered questions from the audience.

Some time after the Puebla Congress, Rosanna Hille, one of the members of the organizing team reflected on the event: “It seems to me in Subud we tend to be reluctant to tell the story of how being Subud members impacts our daily lives. When we talk to friends or applicants about Subud it is usually about what is the latihan, where did it come from, how do we do it and why is it important in terms of spiritual options? What interested me to help with planning the Success and the Subud Experience Panels at Congress was the opportunity to capture some real life stories about the practical value of the latihan. I believe we each need to learn how to assess the influence being in Subud has on our daily lives and the people in our communities.”

“One of the most touching and affirming moments for me,” Rosanna said, “was when a good friend explained her experience as an audience member. She had gone to the Success Panels with her husband who is not a Subud member and felt so happy with the outcome. This was a fabulous way, she explained, to demonstrate the reasons we choose Subud as our spiritual path… providing concrete examples of how to navigate life challenges, crisis, incorporate inspiration, find courage, hold inner awareness, make decision and build relationships.”

The organizing team hopes that the Subud Success Program will encourage members around the world to organize programs at Subud events that will facilitate Subud members telling their stories. We recognize that there is no single definition of “success” and that the guidance we receive in our daily lives can manifest in many ways. We also believe that when we share stories about our lives and the effect of the latihan we increase our connections and collectively recognize more deeply the value of the great gift we have been given.

After the Puebla event, Harris Smart of Australia listened to the tapes of the speakers and extracted some of their remarks. His aim was to give some of the flavor of the individual stories. We reprint below some of the comments that caught Harris’s attention, largely extracted by Harris, with some corrections by the speakers.

Isaac Goff, Business, USA

Isaac is an American entrepreneur and businessman with decades of Subud related business experience. In 1969 he opened Dharma Trading Co. in Berkeley that has grown to be one of the largest e‐commerce suppliers of Textile Craft Supplies in the USA. Over the last 15 years, Dharma Trading has initiated and supported a variety of Social Projects in Bolivia and elsewhere including Fair Trade Sewing Co‐ops, free Cataract Surgeries, a children’s Vision Testing & Eyeglass program and most significantly, this year, Dharma’s “Kid’s Heart Repair” program reached a milestone when the 100th children’s open heart surgery was made possible through Dharma’s financial support.

“Soon after I was opened, way back in the 1960s, Bapak came to California, and I had an epiphany. It was a sudden burst of understanding about the gifts and talents I had been born with. These had come to me with no effort on my part. I had done nothing to deserve it, but I saw I had business sense and organizational ability.

“Along with this understanding came the knowledge that it was my obligation to use those talents for the benefit of all mankind as well as for the benefit of myself and my family. So that is how I became a businessman. It was a very effective Bapak visit.

“At school we did a science experiment. You put a bunch of iron filings on a sheet of paper and then underneath you place a magnet. As if by magic, the iron filings align themselves with the lines of the magnetic patterns. I feel it is the same thing if you know what your talents are. Everything in your life lines up and the guidance of God can move through without obstruction.

“That was 45 years ago. Now I have a successful business with 70 employees and we ship 12,000 orders a month. I have also been involved over the years in many other businesses and Subud projects.

“About ten years ago I set up sewing co-operatives in Bolivia. That’s what presented itself to me at the time and it has led on to the other projects there, including the medical projects with vision and heart surgery.

“Success is an individual thing. I have my truth based on my experience and understanding. Your truth will be based on your experience and understanding.

“Success cannot just be measured in terms of money. The newspapers are full of stories of people who made a lot of money by ripping off other people. Financial success must have an ethical basis.

“The other night we listened to a concert by some great musicians. They have spent decades developing their gifts. They may not always make a lot of money, but these guys are successful.

“The other day I talked to Livingston Armytage about governance to improve justice systems. What could be more successful than that?”

David Anderson, Filmmaker/Entrepreneur, England

David, a filmmaker and entrepreneur, who passed away in 2015, wrote and directed short films and TV commercials. His first animated film, “Dreamland Express” won a British Academy Award. David had been involved in projects near Lewes where he lived, including the Lewes New School, the Pelham House Hotel and the St Anne’s project.

“I believe that people are successful when they are close to their real talent. I hated school. My brain felt too full and I couldn’t take any more in. At 16, the only thing I was good at was art and so I went to art school. After art school, I travelled to Indonesia and immersed myself in that rich culture, particularly its theatre, especially the theatre of shadow puppets. I was like a sponge absorbing everything. I also became interested in film and photography.

“I started doing shadow puppetry with my wife, Louise. The question became how could we make money doing this. Through a combination of testing and my own receiving, I went to the National Film School where I began to find my own voice. An animated film I made, “Dreamland Express” which drew on my love of the shadow puppetry, won the British Academy Award and opened up a career in film.

“But we have the potential for multiple careers and lately I have been moving into other areas such as the development of the Lewes New School and other projects. We have lived in Lewes for 18 years now and being settled has enabled these other things to develop. It has given us a sense of place and provided relationships which have been the foundations of these projects.”

Ismana Haryono, Education, Indonesia

Ibu Ismana founded the ‘Cita Buana School’, which opened in 1995. Today it has nearly 400 students and is housed in a brand new purpose built school. Cita Buana means “ideal world” embracing the hope that students will go on to contribute to the betterment of mankind. It was the first school in Jakarta to implement a program of education for special needs children.

Sekolah Cita Buana began with nine pupils in Bapak’s former bedroom in his house in Wisma Subud, mostly catering to the children of Subud members living in the compound. Today it is a flourishing National Plus school ranging from preschool to the final year of high school, and with special attention to children with special needs.

Ibu Ismana, President Director of the school, says, “I wanted a school which could meet both international standards and Indonesian requirements. I also wanted children to be able to learn about their own Indonesian culture. And from the beginning, our aim was that it should be a school which could really help children, not just be a moneymaking venture.”

The school’s name, given by Ibu Rahayu, can also be understood to mean “global education” and the school’s motto is “excellence and equality” and “bringing cultures together in bilingual harmony”.

Three years ago the school was able to obtain a large piece of land about 9 km from Wisma Subud. On this land it has built excellent facilities for both primary and secondary children in modern custom-built multi-storey buildings, one for the secondary school, and another for the primary school, and a building for children with special needs. There are also sporting facilities including a swimming pool.

The school prides itself on integrating the Australian-based curriculum, with the Indonesian national curriculum, providing students with an innovative and dynamic experience.

The teachers and students at the school come from all over the world and bring a richness of cultural diversity to the campus. This diversity brings richness of ideas, respect for others and ultimately develops a deeper appreciation of unity in diversity.

The school’s Special Education department accept students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and learning difficulties. Dedicated and skilful teaching staff educate students to achieve independence and to make a meaningful contribution to the community.

“I feel that the school is one big family,” says Ibu Ismana. “The principal of the school is a Subud member and we have a couple of other Subud teachers. But Subud is now becoming so normal in life and everyone, Subud and non-Subud, works together well. At the same time, of course, we are guided by God.

“We seem to have some quality that attracts and holds people. One of the non-Subud teachers said to me, ‘I don’t know why, but I just can’t leave this school.’ Knowledge of the school spreads by word-of-mouth. The parents are also very involved and supportive. For instance, contributions from the parents have enabled us to build a library.

“Twice a year we send our teachers to Australia for further training. Our students have been extremely successful in getting into universities, not only in Indonesia, but also in Australia and the United States.

“I am especially proud of the attention we give to special education. We are generally recognized as having the best special education program in Jakarta. Often still in Indonesia there is a stigma against these children and it is especially pleasing that in our school there is real care for them. The other children accept them fully and often volunteer to help them. Respect and tolerance grow naturally amongst both mainstream students and those with special needs. They learn, play, laugh, care and hug each other like brothers and sisters.”

Kenneth Clark, Lawyer, USA

Kenneth Clark began his legal career on Wall Street, then moved to Silicon Valley in the computer revolution’s early stages. He is a senior partner at Fenwick & West, LLP, recently named the top U.S. technology firm. He is head of his firm’s Tax Litigation group and part of his firm’s Tax department, which has represented almost half of the world’s Fortune 100 companies.

“I started my legal career in New York at the center of the legal industry. From a worldly point of view it was a great job but according to my guidance, if I continued with it, my body would fall apart.

“What motivates me is for my decisions to be based on guidance.

“I went to the World Congress that was held in Toronto. It was the month of Ramadan. At the end of the Congress and the end of Ramadan I had a revelation. I had to leave my present work and move to San Francisco.

“I went to the library and looked up law firms on the West Coast. There was something about a small firm located in Palo Alto near San Francisco that prompted me to write to them. When I went to them for an interview, the founding partner told me that this small firm was “going to be the Wall Street of Silicon Valley.”

“And so it proved to be. I moved from New York to Palo Alto. I learned quickly on my feet. I began to see myself as a problem solver, not a trial lawyer. We were representing major firms in Silicon Valley and I felt I needed to learn more about business studies, so I went back to graduate school to do that. All of this was following guidance.

“At one point in my life, I wanted to publish two books, but then things began to go wrong with them, and testing showed that I should have more balance in my life. I should spend more time with my family. My family is an essential part of my success story.”

Chellie Kew, Social Welfare/Photojournalist, USA

While living in South Africa in 1997, she came face‐to‐face with the plight of millions of orphaned African children. She used her skills as a photo journalist to recount their heartrending story in her book, African Journal: A Child’s Continent. Chellie went on to establish schools and other projects in Africa impacting the lives of tens of thousands of children.

“In the late 60’s my father worked in North, and Southern Africa as a civil engineer. Returning home to tell his six children spellbinding stories of the people, the beauty of the animals, the unimaginable colours of sky and land. In 1997 I, my husband Kevin, and our two children moved to Johannesburg as expats. Quickly I befriended one of the gardeners. One day he didn’t turn up to work and I found out that he had died of AIDS. I become aware of the tremendous swath and impact of AIDS in Africa, particularly of the many children orphaned by AIDS.

“I returned home in 2000 knowing that I had left half of my heart in Sub-Saharan Africa. One night as I was turning off my bedside light, I had a vision of a little girl. A little child from Africa, she pulled me into her spirit and begging me to come back to Africa with my camera to focus on the beauty of each child, not their disease.

“The challenge was to change the face of death and disease to life and innocence. So I went back to Africa alone, my path was illuminated every step of the way. I always met the right people to help me. For three years whatever I needed was provided to me.

Chellie tells a story of how the truck she was driving broke down while she was travelling in the deserts of Namibia. Driving on a dirt track, coming round a bend, she swerved to avoid an impala, hit a boulder and flipped over.

“It was leopard country. I was miles from anywhere, I was bleeding. A seductive inner voice was telling me to sleep. This was a situation where if you surrender to fear there will be dire consequences. I kept saying to myself, ‘Trust, trust, faith, faith.’

“The night sky was like a giant upturned bowl of stars. My father had once told me that there was a star with my name wrapped around it, and if I was ever in need, I should call upon that star. I did so and it gave me the courage to leave my vehicle. I began to walk, drifting in and out of consciousness.

“I became aware that there was a baboon following me. He was like my guardian angel, protecting me from wild animals that might have come to prey on me. I walked for hours and the miracle was that I came upon a farmer who was inoculating his sheep.

“I made a promise that day that if I survived, I would write a book that would speak of the beauty and courage of these children orphaned by AIDS. I would change for the better the face of AIDS-affected children in Africa.

“This work has become my life. I believe these children are successful. They recieve better grades than any other school in Zambia. I believe this is because of love. I have loved every one of the children.

“Usually, these children never cry. Once when I was leaving Ndola, I had my daughter by my side, the African children wanted to give us a gift, and each class performed songs and poems for us.

“I looked at their beautiful faces and Jeannette and I noticed luminous lines running down their cheeks. There was no sound, but they were crying. What that meant was that their hearts had been sufficiently touched by love that they could begin to grieve for their lost families.”

Simon Guerrand‐Hermès, Business/Interfaith/Philanthropy, France/Morocco

Simon completed his graduate studies at the Harvard Divinity School and has a strong interest in inter-faith dialogue. He has been Vice Chairman of Hermes in Paris and in 1995 founded the Guerrand‐Hermès Foundation for Peace. He has supported many major Subud projects.

“In life, in order to grow, in order to transform yourself and become the person you are meant to be, you have to go through ordeals. One of the major learning experiences in my life has been my relationship with my twin brother, Hubert. In learning to live together with him, we became incredibly close and shared everything and were always there for each other.

“Life is always hanging by a thread. We should value every moment because we never know what is going to happen next. I was in the army in Algeria and I was put with the most difficult group which had to go out at night into enemy territory and was often ambushed. When I returned from a mission, my group had already left. My group of 30 men was ambushed and all were killed.

“I experienced terrible pain, but it also gave me a feeling that we all have a purpose in life and that my role was to help others.”

Emilia Mariana Galarza Garzon, Social Entrepreneur, Ecuador

Emilia Mariana Galarza founded Asociación Vivir in 1989, which enables people to “create their own health.” She is now rebuilding Ecuador’s health system and empowering its citizens to take control over their health. The UN World Health Organization recognized Asociación Vivir’s work as a top model of health promotion in 2000. (translation Benajmin Garzon)

“I had an organization with some methodologies and some experience but we were up against big institutions like universities. I was really surprised when we were selected to be one of the fifteen models of health for the 21^st century.

“We can call this a success, but then you have to get on with it, and right now I am working on a new model of health for each individual. We have become associated with the Ashoka Foundation in the United States who are social entrepreneurs.

“Now the government of Ecuador has asked us to apply this as a social policy across the whole nation. We have been able to change the lives of half a million children. We have reduced child anaemia. We have been able to change people’s attitudes about caring for children; for instance, by giving them better nutrition.

“But I don’t believe in helping only the economically poor. There are three kinds of poverty: economic poverty and also poverty of knowledge and poverty of values. I try to connect with the potential in people, not just with what they lack.”

Rowland Weinstein, Gallerist, USA

Rowland founded Weinstein Gallery, Inc. in San Francisco in the 1990s. It became one of the leading art galleries on the West Coast of the United States, specializing in non-objective and surrealist art from pre-war Europe through the birth of abstract expressionism. Artist represented included Rudolf Bauer, Enrico Donati, and Leonor Fini, as well as Modern Masters Picasso, Chagall, and Miro. Rowland recently co-produced both a play based on the life of the German pioneer of abstract art, Rudolf Bauer, which made it’s New York debut off Broadway in 2014.

Rowland began his working life as a tax accountant. He didn’t like it. And though it was a safe and secure position, he went on a journey to find a profession that would both inspire him and better use his talents. He says, “Sometimes you need to take a blind leap to discover what you’re looking for.”

A crucial event that followed was that his mother became ill. He decided to devote his life to being near her at this time. But he needed a job. While walking past some art galleries in San Francisco, on a sudden impulse, he walked into one and asked for a job and got one. Immediately he became successful selling art. So like many of the stories that were told by people on these panels, it is a story of something good emerging from what looks bad. “But for my mother’s illness, I might never have discovered how much I loved art or that I had an ability to connect deeply with people through art”.

He started his own first gallery with no money, just a credit card debt of $30,000. Furthermore, it was a time of recession. Rowland found opportunities that may not have been available in more prosperous times. He says, “Recession is a good time to start a business because there are lots of opportunities – both in locations and in representation of artists.”

Nevertheless, it was a risk, and took great courage. If he didn’t make sales straightaway he would go under. On the first day he sold a painting for $35,000.

There is selling and there is selling. Rowland talks about the kind of salesmanship he uses in his galleries. He found that by focusing on clients needs, rather than closing sales, he was able to achieve greater success both in material terms and self fulfillment.

He tells a long story about how he came to represent the artist Rudolf Bauer. Rowland tells how he was torn at a certain point. On the one hand he wanted to go to the Subud World Congress in Innsbruck, on the other hand he was supposed to meet with representatives of the Bauer estate. Which one to choose? He discovered the day before the Congress started that the representatives of the Bauer estate were based in Austria, so, miraculously he was able to do both.

Two days in to the congress Rowland happened to meet a woman at the Stadtsalle (congress music venue). They hit it off and decided to hike the next day. After nine hours of walking down the alps together, they knew they had chanced upon something special.

When Rowland went to meet with the Bauer people, he couldn’t talk about art. All he could talk about was the nine hour hike he had taken down the mountain and how he had fallen in love.

The estate representatives must have liked the story because they agreed for him to represent Bauer, which has led to all kinds of spin-offs, including the play, a book and a documentary film.

“Bauer was condemned to a Nazi concentration camp as a degenerate artist, yet even in prison he continued to draw ‘degenerate art’ on scraps of paper, defying the Nazi’s and risking his life. He was prepared to die for his art.”

How committed are we?

Hamid da Silva, Entrepreneur/Diplomat, Portugal/Indonesia

Hamid heads the Altar Group of companies, a family company managing a portfolio of holdings in real estate, health, agriculture, tourism, oil & gas and new technologies, located mostly in Portugal and Indonesia. He has held roles in various social and cultural organisations particularly developing relationships between Portugal and Indonesia. He is an Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia. He has supported many Subud projects including Rungan Sari in Kalimantan.

“I was opened at 18 and my life has been entangled with Subud ever since. Bapak was alive then. It was an exciting time. There were the challenges of the big international projects like S. Widjojo and Anugraha. I first learned by doing committee positions.

“You have to go for it. Without challenges you cannot grow. I became involved in Kalimantan because it makes your inner grow. It is a training to be able to take on bigger and bigger projects.

“The way to make a deal is not to care whether you make it or not. If you want to make it very much, you will probably make a bad one.”

Uraidah Hassani, Social Welfare, USA

Uraidah Hassani envisions a global community of women and girls who believe in their self‐worth, are smart decision‐makers, and are motivated to be leaders. In 2011, Uraidah founded The Women Worldwide Initiative (TWWI). She is Executive Director of this not‐for‐profit organization, which works to empower women and girls from marginalized communities.

“For me, success is a journey with no end point. There will be setbacks but you just keep going.

“I was studying in journalism when I agreed to monitor some girls in Brooklyn. But then I saw that what I wanted to do was not just tell their stories but impact their lives in a positive way.

“Mostly I work with Latino and Afro-American girls aged 12-14. Many of them have seen the harsh side of life…sex, alcohol and violence, including gang violence.

“I started a non-profit organization with support from SICA. Online communication does not replace personal contact. You have to be on the ground. You have to be involved in a community participatory way. The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference.

“Women bear the brunt of violence. Before someone can reach their full potential they have to be able to love and respect themselves. I started to develop a program to empower girls by building up their self-confidence to realize their potential. I was often working with girls who had been raped or assaulted. I was also working on developing their leadership skills.

“I saw a need and felt I had to do something about it. I felt a deep responsibility. I let the work teach me. I didn’t do that much planning. I wanted to empower marginalized women and girls to strengthen their own capacity as decision-makers. To enable them to feel that they had the power to make the changes they needed to make.

“I felt I had been directed from within to do this. The next step falls in place as I go along. Whenever I have doubts, the community would inspire me to keep going. The program is a sisterhood. I feel joy at seeing these girls overcome their circumstances.

“My advice? When the spirit moves you, you had better move. Follow your passion, follow what excites you. Don’t wait until you have enough knowledge or power. Just start. That’s the first step. With hard work and the right intention good things will follow.”

Hammond Peek, Sound Recordist/Production Sound Mixer, New Zealand

With no formal training, Hammond learnt his profession on the job, which led to him being nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Sound Mixing. He has won two, for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and for King Kong. In the Subud context, he has held many Subud positions including Treasurer of the World Subud Association.

“Take action now. Just begin. The perfect is the enemy of the good. Learn what you need to know as you go along. If you wait until everything is perfect, you become paralysed.

“Have confidence. Everyone has doubts. Just keep pushing ahead with a positive attitude. God will guide you. You just need to fine tune your gifts and feelings in order to be able to recognise the guidance. Guidance doesn’t usually come like a sledgehammer. It comes in subtle little things.

“Never give up. Success doesn’t come at the outset. Keep trying. Be dedicated in front of all obstacles.

“Be appreciative of the people around you in your team. People thrive on appreciation. Do that to yourself too. Appreciate yourself. Don’t constantly beat yourself up. To encourage yourself, celebrate your achievements, and take time to mark the moments of success.

“Thank God for everything in your life. For the good and the painful. Because pain is often the best way to learn really fast.

“And lastly, good luck!”

Iwan Syamsudin, Business/Philanthropy, Indonesia

Iwan is a successful Indonesian businessman specialising in investment and property development. In addition he has been actively encouraging business development, and social development projects in Indonesia. His philanthropic work largely focuses on supporting the individual’s spiritual growth, especially the growth and development of young people.

A successful Indonesia businessman, Iwan defines success: “Success is when we are able to live according to the Will of God by following our receiving. Our receiving shows what we should, and what we should not, do. When our receiving is clear, it will bring success in this world and the next.”

He attributes the foundation of his success to prayer. As a young man, he prayed he would meet someone successful who could help him and this came about.

He mentions the value of prihatin (fasting on Mondays and Thursdays) which had a positive effect for him when things were not going well.

He believes it is important to control your emotions because “not everything you feel comes from God.

“I always follow guidance. I promise God I will help Subud. You can become anything, As long as you have the courage, God will give you the way. If you never give, you will never get. Bapak’s talks have inspired my life. They will help you find a better life. The latihan is a tool for change for the better in your life. Let your jiwa be your guide.”

Dorothea Osborne, Television Production, USA

Dorothea is a creator and producer of animated children’s programs. Dorothea has been nominated for five Emmy Awards and won an Emmy Award for her work on “Curious George,” perhaps the most popular animated children’s program in the U.S.

“On the very first day of my working life as a schoolteacher, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. Ever since that first day, my working life and my spiritual life have been bonded. I have had a lot of luck in my career, the very same luck that led me to find Subud, and both have been miraculous.

“After three years of teaching I was burned out, so I went back to graduate school. The program enabled you to take different courses and I took a class in media education and through that I found a job. It only lasted one month but it gave me a taste of what was my true calling, though I didn’t know it then.

“There have been many ups and downs since then but eventually I found my way to what I am doing now, working in educational TV.”

Along the way Dorothea worked in an animation studio in Boston. While working there she realized that what she really wanted to do was to be able to create and produce a TV Show. Her boss told her “You’re never going to be able to do that. You’re a girl.” So she started looking for another job.

One of her interviews was in the development side of a relatively new studio called Pixar. After the interview she went home and in her mailbox was a letter from a new cable network for women, called Oxygen, which was looking for new animated T.V. shows. Her boss, who had previously told her she didn’t have a chance of getting into the creation and production side, said “Why don’t you try it out. You’re the only woman. Good luck.” So she said ‘No’ to Pixar and was hired by Oxygen to create and produce a show called ‘Hey Monie.’

Some time after that she realized, through testing, that she should work in children’s media. She went on to create a show called ‘Word Girl’ which is in its eighth season and has won three Emmy awards and is currently working on another very popular show called ‘Curious George.’

“I am now at another crossroad in my professional life – so it doesn’t end. I think what my story demonstrates is that worldly success truly depends on going for what you love. Some folks do talent testing to discover their passions. I just got quiet and felt into it. That was key for me – and then of course I had to weather a lot of trials, there was a lot of hard work, and times when I just felt lost, but that is sometimes part of the journey too.”

Rahman Connelly, Business, Australia/Indonesia

In 1983 Rahman and Bradford Temple founded the pension management business Connelly Temple. They grew that business to be one of the leading providers in Australia, known for its innovative products. His latest venture is Medical Innovation Partners. He has been CEO of Kalimantan Gold and has been involved in many other Subud projects.

Rahman Connelly was one of the organisers of the event. At the end of his talk he listed what seem to him to be some of the most significant principles of success.

1. There has to be something inside the person that has the potential for success.
2. Relationships are extremely important. Bradford and I weren’t brilliant but we had a strong relationship.
3. Plan Backwards. I always know where I want to go and I work backwards from there.
4. Timing is crucial. Rahman compares himself to a tiger that “stalks” his opportunity and then at the vital moment leaps.

And from an interview with him…

“I have always had the feeling that when I leave this world, I will have had an impact, a fundamental impact. It’s not a particular project; it’s more like changing the way people think. What’s the most powerful form of change? It’s thought, isn’t it? Philosophical change precedes political and economic change.

“When I was at school and university, studying history, philosophy and political science, I was fascinated by the relationship between the development of ideas and the development of society. The power of a nation has always been preceded by the power of an idea.

“In the Middle Ages only certain people got educated and society was restricted because its full potential was not realised. Then, someone had the radical idea that everyone should be educated, and society was transformed in every way, politically, economically, religiously, scientifically.

“Look at India. For many centuries, it was a society that stagnated because of a fatalistic view of life and a caste system that restricts potential. On the other hand, what is the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world today for good or ill? America.

“Fundamental to American society is a quest for freedom. The people who founded that society were fleeing persecution, seeking freedom. So you see the power that has been unleashed by democratic ideas. Correspondingly, the once powerful nations of the old world, Spain, Portugal, Holland, have declined.

“I compare this situation with Kalimantan. This is a new land. If you want to do something new, you have to go to a new land. Maybe there people can find new opportunities and new ways of thinking.

“I have no doubt that Bapak was a messenger of God and that the latihan is intended for all mankind, not just the little group of people we are today.

“I am convinced this will come about and I believe that Kalimantan will be the way this will come about. It’s there we can create a model, and develop that model, and prove it, not just for ourselves but for other people too. Once that model is established, we can duplicate it in other parts of the world so that people will find it natural to want to join Subud.”

Andrew Holloway, Business/Carpentry, United Kingdom

In 1990, Andrew set up The Green Oak Carpentry Company, which designs and manufactures timber structures. The company has completed structures for The National Trust, English Heritage, Historic Royal Palaces, and Local Authorities, among many others. A number of projects completed by Green Oak have received notable recognition, including twice being runner up for the Stirling Prize (the architectural award in Britain).

In his talk, Andrew tells how a visionary experience with Bapak was a crucial part of his journey to success.

“I started off as a potter and tried to set up a pottery studio, but four years after I was opened, I realised I was no longer happy doing pottery, and if I continued, I would probably lose my health.

“I had a strange experience. I was in a room and Bapak was there and I asked Bapak what I should do. Bapak asked me to plane three identical pieces of wood. The first I planed in the ordinary way. The second I planed with passion. The third I planed with a feeling of love. There was no separation between me and the material.

“I took them back to show Bapak. He put the first one aside. He picked up the second piece in his hand and then put it down. Then he picked up the third piece and looked me in the eye and said, ‘This is what you do.’ I woke up feeling very awake and alive.

“Sometime later I tested with the group helpers. I needed to understand what the experience meant. We tested how it was for me to work with various materials such as clay, glass, metal and wood. The other materials were not good for me, but when we tested wood, my heart leapt for joy.

“I realised that my working life as a potter was not a prison sentence. It was possible to change.

“A year later I was on holiday with some friends. On the last evening, my heart sank at the thought of going back to work at pottery. But then we did latihan and I was working with wood.

“When I got home, I did one last firing, then sold up everything and began a carpentry course.”

Maxwell Fraval, Osteopath, Australia

Having started out his working life as a lawyer, today Maxwell has played a role in the development of the osteopathic profession in Australia. He is also known internationally, as he has lectured in Europe and Russia, presenting a new approach to osteopathic treatment. He is both a practitioner and educator and is currently in private practice in Canberra where he operates two clinics in a newly opened medical centre, with a focus on wellbeing and health optimisation.

“In 1972 Bapak visited the U.K. as part of the process of progressing the Sinar Kentjana Mulia (S.K.M.) Bank. I followed Bapak when he went from London to Edinburgh. It was at one of his talks there that I was very forcefully struck by Bapak’s advice that we should be able to feel the action of the latihan in our work; that this latihan was a latihan of life and that all our actions should be moved and educated by the ‘life within our life”.

“At that time I was in the final stages of completing my training as a lawyer and I knew with absolute certainty that I would never be able to follow Bapak’s advice if I continued to work as a lawyer.

“But what was my real work?

“Off I went to the helpers’ group and several sessions of testing later (about every conceivable spin-off from a legal qualification) I was no closer to what my talent was. At this point I decided that if Bapak said we should be able to feel what our true talent was that he certainly meant it. So I decided to fast on Mondays and Thursdays as a prayer that I would be able to receive guidance about my talent: how to recognise it and then to develop it.

“After nine months of fasting I felt that I had done enough and that “what will be will be”. Two months later, the senior partner whom I was assisting at Lovell White & King (a big law firm in the Strand, London) became ill, so that I had to take over a matter which involved obtaining advice from a Queen’s Counsel for the Register of Osteopaths in the U.K.

“I remember meeting with Cmdr. Morris (a real character) who was the Register’s Secretary at the time, and off we went to counsel’s chambers. We sat there in chambers discussing a fairly arcane aspect of the law and Cmdr. Morris really waded in, allowing me to be the observer.

“As I sat there, suddenly I felt the latihan so powerfully that my thinking completely stopped – very unusual! As the latihan continued, from within I was told “Osteopathy is the right work for you: follow it”. It seemed like the latihan went on for a long time but it probably didn’t last more than a minute.

“As my ability to think returned, I got back into the legal business that I was supposed to be focussed on. Later on, after leaving Cmdr. Morris, I started to reflect on the experience back there in chambers — was this some joke…an osteopath…there must be some mistake! I dismissed the whole thing as a momentary aberration. To my amazement the next group latihan the whole crazy notion returned.

“Thereafter for several months I kept getting indications that this really was the right thing to do; from within I was told “your wife will respect you (I was not married then, but it turned out that my wife Asmaniah has needed regular osteopathic treatments and was very appreciative of having an osteopath for a husband); you will be involved in teaching; you will be able to find new ways of working as an osteopath” and so on.

“Still I hesitated. Was this guidance really from God or was it just my imagination. I remember the moment of decision came when there was a regional latihan down in the West Country. I knew that Pak Haryono was going to be there. I thought, ‘If Bapak’s son is there in the latihan then surely if this crazy notion is an illusion then it will be made clear during the latihan’.

“Well during the latihan I received, ‘If you do not follow this guidance then you might as well not continue to follow this latihan’. At that moment I felt very weak and, from within, as I accepted the guidance, I felt ‘I will follow this, but I cannot do it on my own; please God help me each and every step along the way’.

“So I started upon this wonderful adventure called Osteopathy in 1973…”

Alexandra Asseily, Psychotherapist/Forgiveness Project, United Kingdom/Lebanon

Alexandra is a governor and a founder of the Centre for Lebanese Studies at St. Antony’s College (Oxford University), a Trustee of the Guerrand‐Hermès Foundation for Peace, a founding member of the Ara Pacis Initiative, a member of the Advisory Council for Religions and Spiritualties at the Fetzer Institute, a former member of the Advisory Board of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University, and a practicing psychotherapist. She initiated the Garden of Forgiveness in

Beirut, a project to build a garden in the heart of the City to facilitate forgiveness.

“There had been a sort of balance in Lebanon with Catholics supported by the French, Orthodox by the Russians, the Druze by the English, Islam by the Islamic states . . . There’d been an international balance behind different communities. After independence it was still there but there was a split in ways of being, ways of education. Christianity went more towards the west, Islam towards the east.

“Then when all the Palestinians were expelled from Jordan after the Six Day War, all these armed refugees came in and they were like a state within a state. This unbalanced the balance and everyone tried to use everyone else. All the neighbouring states like Syria and Israel became involved.

“People were displaced from the countryside. Refugee camps on the outskirts of Beirut became slums. I worked in one of these and I knew it was going to blow up. People were using other people for their own ends. The Christians used the Israelis, the Israelis used the Christians, and so on.

“I was cut off from my husband and my home. When I had five children, including a new-born baby, we had to leave Lebanon under very terrifying circumstances. Then I couldn’t get back. So I lived in London, put the older children in schools, crying every night for sixteen years, watching the news every night, waiting, not being able to talk to my family, not knowing if they were alive or dead. At that moment in time I was really going under and I didn’t know why.

“Someone came up to me at the Subud house in London and said something like, “I don’t think much of your latihan,” which isn’t something you are supposed to say of course.

“But we tested about it, and I was able to let go. It was like I’d taken in all the pain of Lebanon, I was soaking up all the pain, and my being had solidified with the pain of the war, and when I started letting go it was like being physically sick.

“Then I fasted for three days and at the end of the three days I was like a new person. From being paralysed with the pain of the war, I became active, and helpful and useful. I suddenly started finding out what was needed in Lebanon. I got the Save the Children people to go in. I communicated with my husband, George, and the government to find out what was needed. Everything in my external and internal world changed. I let go of the pain and got in touch with what was necessary to do.

Faldi Ismail, Business, Australia/Indonesia

In 2010, Faldi co‐founded and became the CEO of Otsana Capital, a boutique investment banking advisory firm specialising in mergers & acquisitions, capital raisings and Initial Public Offerings (IPO’s) on the Australian Stock Exchange. He currently is a director of several other companies and has been the CEO of Kalimantan Gold.

“Otsana Capital specialises in IPO’s (Initial Public Offerings), corporate restructuring and recapitalisation of ASX-listed companies. My team has specialist skills in mergers, acquisitions, capital raisings and listing ASX companies. We have just bought our own offices in West Perth close to the city centre.

“Otsana didn’t just happen overnight, it required a jump into the unknown and taking some risk, which is hard with a young family.

“My aim with Otsana is to create a $100m private independent investment fund over the next 5 years to do our own projects that we think are important and to start enterprises.

“So far we have established a firm foundation for the business. We are adding and refining our business processes continually. We have an office building in Outram Street in West Perth and have some capital behind us. We have put together a motivated core team with the same mind-set. Right now we are highly focused on doing a high volume of fast recapitalizations and handing over restructured companies immediately . . .We focus on developing strong relationships that give us access to investors and new projects.

“So, to summarise, we specialise in a niche – recapitalisations and the reconstruction of listed companies. We also do a lot of capital raisings and IPO’s (initial public offerings). We take companies through the stock market listing process. We have a very broad network of investors who support and follow us.

“A fundamental principle we follow is that in every deal we donate to a charity or “noble cause” from a share allocation, that’s at the foundation of our business model. Everyone in our team embraces and subscribes to this commitment.”

Dinateza Dimpiokia, President and Manager of Susila Dharma Congo, DR Congo

Dinateza holds a degree in Biology from the University of Kinshasa and a Masters Degree in Economic Development. He was opened when he was a student. After an internship at the General Hospital in Kinshasa, he worked as a biologist at the General Hospital in Kintambo, where he held many positions in the laboratory. He has worked with the blood bank of the Red Cross to recruit and retain volunteer donors, and as a consultant on transfusion safety to a national program for the fight against AIDS.

At the time of his speech, he is currently on leave from his government job to work full time as President of Susila Dharma RD Congo. Since 2012 he and his team have dedicated their time to helping SD RD Congo set up community health centres and support numerous projects in the RD Congo. They have built three community health centres, have overseen a number of other projects, and have successfully managed grants totalling well over one million dollars in one of the poorest countries in the world.

In a collective culture like the RD Congo, it is the success of the team that is important rather than the individual success of leaders. (translation Miriam Ponette)

“When we were engaging the communities and trying to convince them to voluntarily donate blood, others were impressed by our ability to easily persuade people to participate. We had patience and a lightness that is able to bring people to work with us.

“Due to our reputation for being successful with engaging communities, the Red Cross selected us as the team to help them. We were working both with the Red Cross and building Susila Dharma Congo at that time. Eventually opportunities arose for Susila Dharma to start building community health clinics.

“We have been able to embody the values of Subud and Susila Dharma in how we interact with the people we work with. The clinics built by SD Congo are recognized as really high quality health centres with a high level of ownership held by the community they serve.

“In our partnerships with government, we know they have a high level of confidence in us and I believe this is thanks to the latihan. The SD team are the facilitators for all this – with governments, with our staff at the different projects and with the communities. Other development organizations also recognize that in addition to technical expertise, in Susila Dharma Congo we bring human values to our work. Latihan is the flavour.”

Livingston Armytage, Lawyer, Australia

Livingston Armytage is a lawyer specialising in making the world a fairer place by reforming justice systems. He is the founding Director of the Centre for Judicial Studies. He advises the World Bank, United Nations and USAID among other major donors and has worked with Governments to improve justice services in 50 countries around the world from Afghanistan to Mongolia, and from Haiti to Palestine. Livingston’s PhD was published as Reforming Justice, by Cambridge University Press. His other books include: Educating Judges and Searching for Success in Justice Reform.

“At the age of 29 I was a “successful young lawyer”, working for a major law firm in the city, already a young partner. I had fulfilled my ambition. What next? Sometimes you have to be prepared to risk everything when it comes time to do what you know you really need to do.

“I left the conventional practice of law at the age of 32 and went on to become an educator. I find myself now in the privileged position in the second half of my career grappling with the idealism of a bright young lawyer trying to make the world a better place. But at the same time I have the specialized tools that it took me the first half of my career to acquire.

“I have become a specialist in legal education and reform. I have become a justice reform specialist. I now work for organizations like the World Bank, the United Nations and various governments.

“I’ve worked in 50 countries, many of them countries with enormous problems. It is been a privilege for me to work in places like Afghanistan, Cambodia or Palestine where humanity is fighting enormous challenges.

“In so far as I have a success story, it is that I have found my vocation.”

Immanuel Bryson Haynes, Entrepreneur/Technologist/Filmmaker

Immanuel started his own IT consulting firm, focused on data base solutions and training. He engaged in similar work in England and various countries in Europe. Along the way, he pursued his passion for auto racing, and is a co‐founder of the film production company Borneo Productions International. He is also interested in the emergent field of crypto economy.

Immanuel’s talk was one of the most interesting of all, but difficult to summarise. Like some other speakers, Immanuel had a difficult childhood,

“My young life was a troubled existence. I didn’t fit in at school. I was dyslexic. I fell drastically behind in writing and reading. The teachers thought I was handicapped. These were my humble beginnings.

“I got bullied and was never interested in conforming to the rules. I would often ask teachers “why?’ and I found teachers didn’t like that.

“Mentors have been a big part of my growing understanding of the world. My first and most influential mentor was my father who taught me about the work ethic.

Immanuel goes on to describe a life which has seen a lot of change and vivid ups and downs. He is still only in his thirties but has been an entrepreneur with his own software company, a racing car driver and a film producer.

Hadrian Fraval, Managing Director, Rofin Australia

A world leader in forensic science light instruments, Rofin’s instruments are used by police forces and investigative agencies such as the FBI in more than 80 countries all around the world (and often make cameo appearances in TV crime shows like CSI). Hadrian came to business from a science background. He is one of the five Fraval siblings who in their various ways are very active in Subud. (Maxwell, Sachlan, Hanafi, Irma). He is married to Halina and has six children and 8 grandchildren. He has held many offices in Subud such as International Helper, Zone rep, MSF Trustee and is currently looking after SESI.

Interview with Hadrian

Hadrian Fraval started off his working life as a scientist. He was pursuing post-doctoral studies, which was a very comfortable and satisfying place for him to be, but he was starting to feel a bit uneasy about it. Was it really the right thing for him to be doing?

Then he had a dream. He walked into a room and Bapak was sitting there. Bapak turned to him and said, “You should do enterprise.”

Hadrian began to explain. “No, Bapak, I am a scientist.”

Bapak turned away saying “Ya, Ya” but the dream had the effect of making Hadrian question his current situation and leaving him open to other possibilities which might arise.

Soon after, he was approached by SED (Sinar Enterprise Development), which was a company set up in England to support Subud enterprise. It was based on Bapak’s idea of “a panel of experts” who would oversee and support enterprise development. SED asked Hadrian to help with a solar heating project and from then on his life began to change from scientist to businessman with a science background.

He worked on other projects in Europe and then in the 1985 moved with his family to Australia and became the managing director of Rofin Australia, a company set up by his father Vernon and which continues to be a world leader in its field of forensic science technology. Hadrian has continued in that role for the last 30 years.

Hadrian’s view of the “ingredients of success?

“Based on my own experience, I would say that endurance is an important part of the picture. Obviously, durability has been a big part of this company’s success. Hanging on in there through good times and bad… Not giving up. These are of vital signs of enterprise. Not accepting that you will be defeated. Being convinced that there is always a way through. This is the kind of spirit that you need.

“Bapak often referred to a four-step process of development in any task we undertake as human beings. If I remember correctly, the Islamic names for these four stages are zat, sifat, asma and afal. They can be translated into English as something like (1) The idea or inspiration. (2) The planning, the preparation, the opportunity. (3) The work, the effort and wherewithal. (4) The result, the outcome.

“My own understanding of how Rofin has developed corresponds very much to this model. It is a model that works. The way I see it, it’s like this…

1. The starting point is the drive to put into practice an idea you’ve got. It’s the determination.
2. You recognize a project or product, something tangible and you say, ‘That’s it!’ You recognize the opportunity. Then there comes the serendipity of things sometimes magically coming together. You think the product’s great. Will the market like it though?
3. Now comes the carrying it out. How will I bring this into reality? Where do I find the wherewithal. What are the resources I need — the people, the money, the contacts, the expertise.
4. Now we take it to the market. First you have to test it out. Finally you hope you will get a result. Sales. People wanting the product..

“And then when you get the result, the challenge is, how do you keep it going? You have to be continually analyzing and monitoring what you’re doing to stay ahead of the competition. You have to be looking at the market, You have to be carrying out research and development.

“The four step process is repeated over and over. Within the big wheel of your enterprise there are many small wheels like gear wheels and these also are all going through their four step process… inspiration, planning, product, result… inspiration, planning, product, result…”