THIS is an old and true story that recently filled my memory again and I posted it on one of Subud Indonesia WhatsApp groups as an example to new members that a critical attitude is necessary in dealing with helpers who sometimes stray in giving explanations.
When I was just opened for about a month, after a group Latihan I really wanted to smoke but I forgot to bring a pack of cigarettes when I left my house to the Latihan hall. I saw a pack of cigarettes in front of one helper and I hoped he could read my mind that I wanted one and hoped he would offer me to share the pack of cigarettes.
What happened instead was that the helper, in an arrogant manner, asked me, “During the Latihan, did you meet Jesus?”
During the Latihan, I raised my right arm high while my left palm is pressed against my right chest, while I walked around the room saying many times, “Jesus is my shepherd!”
I answered the helper’s question, “No, sir, I didn’t meet Jesus in my Latihan.”
Another helper sitting next to the arrogant one said to belittle me, “He’s new, he’s not in that level yet.”
“I met Jesus once in my Latihan,” said the helper, still arrogant.
Feeling really annoyed with him, I immediately said, “Is that so? Well, I once met Bapak in my Latihan. Bapak told me, ‘Son, don’t believe everything helpers told you about before you experience it yourself’.”
The smug helper’s face became tense. I thought he would be mad at me. But what happened next, he laughed out loud and split his pack of cigarettes with me.
Ouch! What a difficult process I had to go through just to get a cigarette in Subud.©2023
Pondok Cabe,
Tangerang Selatan, 27 March 2023
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