THE WONDERFUL VISIT OF BELOVED BAPAK... TO SOUTH AFRICA... AFTER SIX LONG YEARS... OF WAITING FOR HIM...  Part  III ... Thursday 1/27/11...)   


Lying in her bed... wide awake... and feeling much too euphoric to sleep... Grazia found herself reliving everything... that had brought her to the Assembly Hall of Wilgespruit...  a conclave of beautiful modern buildings... situated half way between Pretoria and Johannesburg... for the momentous weekend...


When she heard... that the founder of SUBUD... the Holy Man of God... her Spiritual SUBUD Father... BAPAK... would finally... actually be coming to South Africa... for the very first time... she... newly divorced from the hotelier Rene Heere... was ecstatic... 


The prospect... of finally seeing this Great Holy Man of God... in person... filled her being... with that by now very familiar feeling... of a Bubbling Fountain of Joy... Experienced so many times... during her Latihans... of now six years in SUBUD... 


She was most fortunate indeed... for her kindly employer... Mr. Withoff... the Manager of the Ambassador Hotel... had very graciously... given her the weekend off... to go to Wilgespruit... to attend the very special occasion...

During the past six years... at least since Grazia was Gloriously Inwardly "Opened..."... and "Awakened..." ... into the Miracle of SUBUD... the only contact with Beloved BAPAK... had been through correspondence with him... alone... 


But SUBUD came to South Africa... three years earlier... in 1957... through BAPAK commissioning one of his SUBUD sons... Richard Lacey... Grazia's soul mate... to spread SUBUD throughout South Africa... having personally "Opened" him... at Coombe Springs in England... 


And Grazia had heard all about the puzzling problems... experienced by the fledgling SUBUD groups... such as the dire consequences... that resulted... when the ignorant Men and Ladies... did Latihan... in the same room... together...! 


... or whether it was appropriate... for the Ladies... to be wearing mens' slacks to Latihan... or not... (Muftiah wrote about her own uniquely individual experience... about that subject... as Grazia... in her "To Wear Pants To Latihan... Or  Not ... That Is The Question"... featured on her Facebook Notes Page...)  


... or whether the SUBUD Ladies... should attend Latihan... if they had their period... or after surgery... or during pregnancy... and on and on... 


And perplexed... they would write to their Spiritual Father... BAPAK... seeking his advice... and back would come BAPAK's reply... always starting with:  "Bapak Recommends..." ... followed by a beautiful Spiritual explanation... that would satisfy everybody...

BAPAK's Supreme Greatness... was evidenced by the fact... that... he never... ever... volunteered any advice... in advance... always only responding to the problems... as they arose... and were presented to him...

And now... here... at  long last... BAPAK... which is the Indonesian term used... for an elderly gentleman... was amongst us... his South African SUBUD Children... larger than life... and Grazia... for one... could not quite believe... that for a whole evening... she had been in the Holy Presence... sitting just a few yards... below this Holy Man of God... who was "outside the church"...                
                                                     
Sent down to earth... on a Special Mission...  by Allah Almighty God... to bring mankind... out of the darkness... into the Light... once more... by "Touching" the Inner Self of mankind... by passing on to mankind... the CONTACT WITH THE GREAT HOLY LIFE FORCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD... throughout this very troubled world...

Her heart soaring... with joy... she and Esme had driven together... to Wilgespruit... in Esme's car... in great anticipation... to hear what this great... Supreme Human Being... would have to say... to the South African SUBUD Men ... and Ladies... gathered together... in the great Assembly Hall...

They had quickly settled into their room... and made their way to the appointed auditorium... and Grazia could not quite fathom... how she had landed... sitting in the very front row... when she had intended to sit... at the very back... because of her great height of six feet...! 


Now snug in her bed... she was pleased... that both she and Esme... had instinctively known... to sit quietly... next to each other... with a feeling of calm... reverent anticipation... inside them...

And she recalled... how behind them... the Assembly Hall had soon begun to fill up with people... from all over South Africa... and the more it filled... the louder their excited voices became... until it seemed... as if there was a great roaring... in the thick... incense scented atmosphere...

Now she was feeling sympathy... for the hapless Welcoming Committee... who... out of respect... and deference to BAPAK... as a man from the Orient... had placed large... beautiful urns of lit joss sticks... on each side of the stage...

And she realized... that in just those few hours... she and BAPAK's other SUBUD children... had learned so very much...  


Being taught real PATIENCE... as they were all kept waiting... and waiting... and waiting... without really knowing why...!  


And then had come some enlightenment... when... after what seemed to be an eternity... of waiting... with everybody still jabbering away... tall... dignified... silver-hired Usman... had suddenly appeared... coming into the auditorium... from a side door... next to the stage... and quietly announced... that BAPAK would not enter the Hall... until the urns of incense... had been removed...!

And Grazia recalled... how after the offending urns... had been removed from the stage... everyone anticipated... that now their Beloved BAPAK... would appear before them...


But no... there had been another long... long... wait... until finally... when it seemed as if a century... had passed by... Usman had once again appeared... and announced that BAPAK... would not be coming into the auditorium... until there was absolute quiet...!

Grazia... sitting quietly with Esme... had been aware... that there was a lot of embarrassed rustling... and fidgeting... and clearing of throats... then mercifully... complete quiet... utter silence... so quiet... you could have heard a pin drop... 

The auditorium now absolutely still... there was to be another long... long... wait...  and still BAPAK had not yet made an appearance...!  


BAPAK was teaching his SUBUD Children... their first lesson... of "PATIENCE"...!

And still BAPAK did not appear...  and then... after what seemed an eternity... It Was As If The Whole Atmosphere... In The Auditorium... Was Filled... With An Exquisite Sense... Of Utterly Peaceful... Heavenly Calm...

And just as BAPAK... finally made an appearance... striding briskly on to the stage... full of youthful energy... together with Usman... his translator... Grazia  became aware... of a Heavenly Scent of Roses... and she knew that there was an Angel of God... Present with them...!  


Just as on that Magical night... in Bulawayo... when she and Dimitri... had been Miraculously inroduced... to the Holy Word of SUBUD... via a materialized little book catalog... with the quaint title of... "The Mystic Book Shop Of London..." ... which she always carried around with her... nestled snugly... in her roomy tote bag... propped up next to her... on the hard wooden bench...


And there BAPAK and Usman sat... serenely... side by side... so regal of bearing... like royalty... on those two... hideous looking... enormous... high-backed... throne-like... unpadded... chairs... that were grotesque monstrosities... of hard oak...

And Grazia recalled... yet... as uncomfortable as they looked... BAPAK's enormous presence... as he looked down fondly... upon his South African SUBUD Children... for the first time... had completely dwarfed the ugly Dutch chair...!

Then the Committee Chairman... extremely nervous... upon finding himself... in such close proximity... to the great Holy Man of God... BAPAK... had walked up onto the stage... and given a short... stuttering welcome speech...


BAPAK had smiled... graciously thanking him...  


And then bowed his head... as if waiting for an Inner Voice...

And then said the two words... that were to become universally known... as his introductory prelude... to Spiritual Talks of Truth... that would help his SUBUD Children... all over the world... to remain steadfast... and patient... in their Latihan Kejiwaan Worship... of their Creator... their Heavenly Father... Allah Almighty God... the SUBUD Way... his voice soft... and gentle...:-

"Sudara Sudara..."

And lying in her bed... Grazia recalled the very first time... she had heard BAPAK... utter those very words... on a taped Talk... given by him... and her extremely unexpected... embarrassing emotional reaction... in public... to his gentle voice... (her story also featured... on her Facebook Notes Page...)


And as BAPAK's mouth opened... and God's Holy Words... flowed out... into the vast auditorium... he had given them their very first Spiritual lesson... about the power... that man... over the centuries...  had given to incense... by using it... to evoke spirits... in their practice of black magic rituals... and how dangerous a power incense was... when lit... by anyone... anywhere... even for social purposes... for they had the power to actually attract evil spirits...!  


And that we... all his SUBUD Children... should refrain from using any incense... in future...!  And then BAPAK had spoken about the danger of deliberately clapping one's hands... during one's Latihan...!   

And she wondered about all the clapping going on... by appreciative audiences... at plays... concerts... and the opera...!   


Were they too attracting evil spirits towards them...?


So many Spiritually enlightening Words "Received"... on the spot... by Beloved BAPAK... sitting nobly erect... like a king... immaculately dressed in a dark tailored business suit... God's Infinite Words of Wisdom... Issuing from his "Receiving" mouth... spoken in his native tongue of Bahasa Indonesia... with dignified Usman... sitting quietly... and serenely... beside him... translating BAPAK's precious Words...  in his rich cultured voice...  whenever BAPAK paused...  nodding at him...

Then something disturbing... entered Grazia's thoughts... recalling how It wasn't long... before she sensed... that BAPAK seemed to be casting long stares... at her never ending long legs...! 


Endowed with wide hips... the sheath type of form fitting dresses... in vogue then... would invariably ride up her thighs... whenever she sat down... 


And... mortified... suddenly in anguish... that she was giving BAPAK...  an absolutely wrong impression... about herself... she had tried to cover up her legs... with the light... white summer coat... she was wearing... imploring him... with her eyes... not to think... that she was what she appeared to be... a cheap exhibitionist... a woman of loose morals... although she looked like a young teenager... much younger than her actual age of now thirty-six...!

But then she had soon been caught up in BAPAK's eloquent explanation... about the Aims and Purposes of SUBUD...  listening raptly... forgetting all about her exposed legs and thighs... 


And when BAPAK talked... about the choice we had... to either continue... using our hearts and minds... to direct our actions... as we had been doing... prior to being "Opened"... or taking the very beneficial advantage... of Susila Budi Darma... being especially privileged... to "Put Into Practice"... That... which we were Receiving... through the Grace of the Latihan... which was Training us... to be Guided... by our Inner selves... her spirits had soared...

For BAPAK's Holy Words... had struck a chord... deep inside her... and she had vowed... then and there... that she would concentrate... from then on... to listen to her Inner Voice... exclusively...  


And since she didn't have any brains... to speak of... anyway... that part would be easy for her... all she really had to contend with... would be to curb... the emotions of her heart... which she knew... ruled her... now truly wanting to be... as SUBUD... as BAPAK was now "Recommending"... that we should all be...

And feeling a sense of utter contentment... at her firm resolve...  with a smile... as she recalled her earliest Latihans... when she felt like an elephant... when she Was Made To Bend Way Down... from her great height... and Swing her long monkey arms... To and Fro... To and Fo... and how interesting it was... that BAPAK had chosen an elephant... ... she finally felt drowsy... and closed her eyes... and knew no more... gently drifting off... into the comforting arms of Morpheus... 


(To be Continued with... THE WONDERFUL VISIT OF BELOVED BAPAK... TO SOUTH AFRICA... AFTER SIX LONG YEARS... OF WAITING FOR HIM...  Part  IV ... Insha Allah... God Willing... Monday 1/31/11...)