Why Do We Have Subud Archives?

Of what value to Subud are its archives? This is a question one hears quite often, and which this short article will attempt to answer. But before doing that, a brief description of what are the main archives and where they are located may be of interest to readers. The most well-known of the five international archive centres is, of course, the one at Wisma Subud in Jakarta. It is known as 'Bapak's Archive' because it mostly consists of Bapak's writings, the writings of Bapak's family including Ibu Siti Rahayu, letters written by Sharif Horthy on behalf of Bapak, and the International Secretariat correspondence. This archive also contains an extensive photographic collection made up of photos re-photographed from the albums of Bapak's family. Strangely enough, this Archive is not the oldest of the International Archive Centres. That honour belongs to the international archive centre in England. The three remaining international archive centres are located in Australia, the United States, and Japan. In addition to these archive centres, there are the very large national archives of Germany and the United States, the Tapes Archives located in Belgium and England, the unique and very valuable History of Subud Collection held in Australia, and the Film and Video Archives also located in Australia.

One of the benefits of these Archives is that in all their different forms - writing, print, photographs, sound tapes, film, videotapes, and compact disc - they provide a link, both inner and outer, between the generations of Subud members to come and that time when Bapak was still here. A few years ago an Australian member had an experience which underlined this connection. While doing latihan in his group's hall in Melbourne he found himself standing in front of a portrait of Bapak that hangs there. " I found myself looking into Bapak's eyes and it came to me that archives are important. Their importance is that they are one of the channels through which Bapak's message is enabled to flow into the world after his death. We remember Bapak because of his talks - in print and on tape through photographs and through film and video. All these media are ways of keeping this message alive. So I realised that these archives are important. They are of living importance to future generations."

By systematically having collected material over many years, the Archives provide proof of the history of Subud, proof and evidence of the coming of the latihan, the bearing of witness of Bapak's life on earth, and of our activities as Subud members. They show how Subud came into this world and how it spread.

The Archives are safe repositories for Bapak's talks and writings and for the materials relating to the development of Subud in all its many facets - spiritual, organizational, charitable, entrepreneurial, and cultural. Together they form the collective memory of our organization.

The Archives contain a vast storehouse of information which in this digital age of ours, where computers are rapidly becoming almost as common as television sets, will before too long - ten years at the most - become easily accessible to Subud members. Projects are already underway to put the Archives on the Web. When that happens, a click of the mouse and members will be able to do any number of things. They will be able to find out what Bapak said on a particular subject; download photographs from the superb photo collections held in the Archives; obtain legal material needed for applications to governments, banks, and housing agencies; assemble material for a fundraising campaign, business proposal, or outreach programme; print out a talk by Bapak or Ibu Rahayu; find out about past World Congress resolutions and reports; read the synopses of Bapak's talks on tape and place an order with the ISC Tape Unit (this can already be done); consult the Travel Log of Bapak's journeys; browse through Subud newsletters, periodicals and magazines going back to the very early days of Subud; . . . the list goes on and on.

It is a reasonable expectation that within ten years the potential usefulness of the Archives will have been fully brought to life in the way described above and they will be functioning as a service industry to our Association in a way which is of real benefit for the growth and spread of Subud. As Amalijah Thompson, the person coordinating the work of the International Archives in Australia, has well said about the emerging use of the resources of the Archives, "Our wings might be a bit shaky as they unfold, but once the sun has shone on them a little, they will fly well."

Finally, besides all the obvious benefits to the membership that have been outlined above, the Archives have another value which is not so obvious but which is very real. This value has been described by Harlinah Longcroft, Subud's official historian, in a poem. Here is an excerpt from it:

I approach Subud archives feeling respect
For in them is something beyond our conception
Which touches our inner regardless of age.
And lights up our feelings and answers our questions
As slowly we look through page after page.
And then when we leave them, their blessing goes with us.
Their life in our lives passing on through time
As we in our turn add our witness to the archives
The spiral of Subud goes on and returns.