Tag Archives: Hanafi Libman

Archives Interview Weekend

On March 4, 5 & 6, the Subud USA Archives interview project came to Seattle. Two experienced interviewers, Benjamin Boyce and your humble narrator, working closely under the auspices of the SUSA Archives project, interviewed several long-time Subud members about their experience in Subud, how they found out about the organization and what practicing Latihan has meant for their lives. The schedule was packed:

FRIDAY, MARCH 4:

5:00 – Paul Nelson with Benjamin Boyce

SATURDAY, MARCH 5:

10am – Jim and Lucinda O’Halloran with Paul Nelson
11am – Elisha Gullixson with Paul Nelson
12N – Sebastian and Lorraine Tedrow with Paul Nelson
1pm – LUNCH BREAK
2pm – Evan and Annie Padilla with Benjamin Boyce
3pm – Halstein Stralberg with with Benjamin Boyce
4pm – Daniel Stralberg with Benjamin Boyce
5pm – Halimah Bellows with Benjamin Boyce

SUNDAY, MARCH 6:

12N – Danela Mauguin with Paul Nelson
1pm – Sebastian Tedrow and Chuck Cary with Paul Nelson on the founding of Subud Greater Seattle and the acquisition of the Subud House
2pm – Hanafi Libman with Benjamin Boyce

Benjamin and I were at the house at 3pm Friday and got things set up. Benjamin’s equipment is perfect for a job like this, it seems to me, though my expertise is audio. We did an interview with me to use as a test run and it came out good. the interviews are rich and touching and it was a lively weekend which aided our community’s harmony. This is incredibly important as we come out of the pandemic. There were people in attendance who had not been to the Subud House in years. I had a moment of very deep gratitude before the interview with Chuck Cary and Sebastian Tedrow. Chuck talked about the metaphysical community in Seattle and how that community was the seed of how Subud Seattle got started. Back then Vancouver, BC, was part of our region and the first Seattle folks got opened by Ronimund Von Bissing. The Quest Bookstore, a Theosophical bookstore that is still open on Capitol Hill, was part of that 1959 milieu. Sebastian is the man most responsible for acquiring the Subud House in 1974 when he was 25 years old!

I loved most of all my time with Danela Mauguin. Her recall of specific things is remarkable and she was magnificent. On Monday she celebrated 57 years in Subud! Some members needed gentle redirection. The Tedrows required only one question during their interview!

I think having two interviewers is an excellent way to go about these things, so one can get a break. It is an intense experience and requires very high concentration. To aid recall, I have added a question that I did not ask this weekend, about the Subud friends people had/have. This could lead to stories. Since these interviews will not be made available to the general public like some other interviews being done at this time, encouraging interviewees to say anything they want, to be as “woo-woo” as they want, would be something I would encourage.

Spreading out the interviews to allow for some down time is critical. I believe we should tape in the Men’s Latihan hall next time, because the bathroom and a kitchen are connected and the background is unimportant. I think interviews with all members should be encouraged as it could be a time capsule in a way and be a record of where members are, what they are about, at this time.

I want to say that we have been discussing this project for a long time and now that it is here, I am filled with gratitude for this community and awe at how much work the SUSA Archives committee has done to make this happen. I pray that we can continue this in an harmonious way, keeping our eyes on the end game which is creating open spaces where Subud people of all ages can talk about their experiences with this remarkable practice and community. Benjamin got some wonderful photos.

Danela Mauguin

Hanafi Libman

Sebastian Tedrow and Chuck Cary

Lorraine and Sebastian Tedrows

Helper Meeting Minutes

Our newest Helper Aakarsh Gottumukala took the minutes from the Sunday, July 19, 2020, Helper’s Meeting which happened via Zoom. Here is his report:

Helpers Present: Aakarsh Gottumukkala, Danella Mauguin, David Lynch, Halimah Bellows, Halstein Stralberg, Hanafi Libman, Paul Nelson, Sebastian Tedrow, Lucinda O’Hallaran.

Helpers Not Present: Rachman Cantrell, Rayma Norton

During our helper meeting on Sunday, we discussed the issues of restarting in-person latihan at the Subud house and converting the upstairs bedrooms of the Subud Seattle house into rental office spaces. Most helpers present were unwilling to test about reopening the Subud house, as per Evan Padilla’s request. The general feeling at the meeting was that it is unwise to reopen the Subud house in Seattle at this time. As an alternative, the possibilities of doing latihan at Halstein Stralberg’s house or joining the group latihan in Olympia on Saturday mornings at 10 AM were proposed. Members wishing to do so should contact Halstein in the case of the former and David Lynch in the case of the latter. Regarding the issue of changing the enterprise at the Subud Seattle center, the general consensus was that this may prove unwise.

The next helper meeting is on the third Sunday, August 16.

Rachman Cantrell via email added:

Thanks, Paul, for catching me up. I agree with you about holding off on group latihan. I am becoming more in favor of the call in latihans and hope more people participate. My latihan last friday was particularly strong and different! Even more so than when we did group latihan!

Regards,

Rachman

Kedjiwaan Day Huge Success

The first Seattle Kedjiwaan Day in many months happened Saturday, December 9, 2017, at the Subud House in Seattle. With meticulous planning by the Subud PNW Regional Helpers, Elisha Gullixson, Elizabeth Flanders, Benjamin Boyce, Isadora Roth and Oswald Norton, the day started with a strong Latihan and then had an opening circle.

Elisha Gullixson, Subud PNW Regional Helper sets the ground rules

The opening circle tradition comes out of Menucha and many members, still buzzing from their Menucha experience from a month ago are running with the momentum that long-time annual Subud event provides. That members can talk about the issues in their own lives, as well as their hopes for the day, has a cathartic effect for individuals and deepens compassion and understanding in general. Members who felt they were not appreciated, or just needed a hug, or were at a crossroads in their personal lives had a chance to articulate and find relief, support, or at least a path forward by day’s end.

For the opening circle, it was suggested members talk about what is happening in their lives and what they hoped for Subud Greater Seattle, with a three minute time limit.

Hanafi Libman and Aaron Mann, the bird feeders

One of the more humorous moments was when two members, local helper Hanafi Libman and Subud PNW Chair Aaron Mann, (attending from Spokane) discussed how one of the pleasures in their own lives was watching the wildlife attracted to their respective bird feeders. Aaron mentioned that neighborhood turkeys have found his stash and must negotiate the squirrels, who quite nimbly get their share of sunflower seeds.

A potluck lunch followed, with modified picadillo and sugar-free upside cake being two of the highlights. The attendees decided after lunch to have another latihan and then attend to personal testing, awareness testing and other activities. Awareness testing was described by one attendee as “waking up your body to the latihan” as members were allowed the opportunity to experience how the latihan felt in different parts of the body.

Many members left smiling and Subud Greater Seattle Chair Honora suggested we should plan on doing this again in a couple of months. What a great way to deepen harmony in our community!