Hello, Subud California Sisters and Brothers,
I feel stimulated and optimistic in my new role as chairman of the committee. I guess you could say I am a “career chairperson” in Subud. Since my opening in 1967 I have been chair of: Subud New York (1968-71), East Coast Region (1972-74), National (1989-93), San Joaquin Valley (2005-09), and now the California Region.
I have an inkling that this new role may be the most interesting yet. Working together will, I pray, make our strengths effective and our weaknesses irrelevant (to paraphrase management pioneer, Peter Drucker). I am graced with a very talented and intelligent council, committee and staff.
In my letters that will be in our bi-monthly newsletters, I hope to tell personal stories about my experiences as our chair during the next 2 years. Since I’m just learning about what’s happening in California, I’ll pull a story from my past. And, since I’m in a material role, I’ll tell a material story.
FROM THE MATERIAL TO THE SPIRITUAL AND BACK AGAIN
Myth has it that the birth of a daughter is helpful for your material well being. And so it was. Shortly after the birth of my daughter, Rohanna, I began to make money, and as a result of that, banks were eager to lend me money. I found this useful, since when I was between jobs, I could continue to pay our family’s expenses while looking for work in line with my talents. Thus began 40 years of borrowing with a definite lack of consciousness as to where this was leading.
The first major sign that something was wrong appeared in 2002, when the continuing financial pressure on our family was a significant factor in causing the break-up of my marriage with Helena. We sold our house, paid most of our debt from the proceeds, split the remaining debt and went our separate ways.
After 3 years living separately, I decided to move from New York to Badger since I was informed by Monte Python, that it “was time for something completely different”. I didn’t realize at the time that it was also time, financially, for something completely different. After 35 years in the textile design business, I decided to pursue my own art and went into business with Sjarif Harris, launching Transformation Art and Design.
BUT…. as any entrepreneur will tell you, making art is not the same as making a business selling art. So, I used my extensive credit lines again to cover my personal expenses and devoted myself to the new business. I imagined it would support me and allow me to pay off anything I borrowed. It didn’t, so in 2009 I filed for bankruptcy.
Surprisingly, going through bankruptcy was quite a pleasant experience for me as every one of my banks expressed their sincere regret at my situation and wished me well in making a fresh start. I remain very grateful to Charles Dickens and his compatriots in England, who spearheaded the movement to eliminate debtors prison and invent the bankruptcy laws.
I also had 2 friends to whom I had lent quite a lot of money and they did not seem able to pay me. So, I thought, “If my debts are wiped out, so should theirs to me be”, and I called them and did it.
After 40 years of borrowing and lending money, I decided to get out of the game. What happened next? I was in LA attending Latihan and visiting my brother (who is a business artist). As I was driving the freeways to Latihan and to his factory, I was experiencing these very light and happy feelings. Shortly after my brother told me that he and my sister (who is a science artist) had decided to give me their share of my mother’s inheritance and my brother set up an annuity for me. This gives me more money every month than I need for expenses.
These happenings, coupled with my new practice of not borrowing or lending money (since 2009), gave me total freedom from debt and able to give money and services to the activities that I love; Subud, Seven Circles Retreat, Permaculture and my art.
TWO ANECDOTES ABOUT BAPAK AND MONEY
Some years ago, I was talking to Sharif Horthy who used to administer Bapak’s money. He told me two things about that experience that still stick with me. First, he said Bapak told him; “Bapak only looks at the expense, not the income”.
Also, when asked to lend someone money, he never did it. If he felt it was good for the person to have the sum asked for, and he had it, he would receive whether it was right. And if it was right, he would give it.
Love and blessings to you all, Robert
PS- Does this story have any relevance to Subud California? Perhaps.
We currently have Subud centers that have borrowed money from Subud California and are not able to pay the loans as agreed when the loans were made. This may be due to shrinking donations, rental income, or both.
The result is that a creditor/debtor relationship. Creditor: Subud California / Debtors: some Subud California centers.
To start the ball rolling, I’d like to stimulate thinking and conversations around this situation. It seems to be getting worse. Shrinking membership and current inability to attract better paying renters puts some centers in the position of debtors who cannot pay.
The way we do it now is mostly (Sacramento excepted) is to buy (or renovate) a local Subud house and try to get renters to cover the expenses. Many of the renters are other local not-for-profits that cannot afford very high rents.
So my question for thinking and conversation is: What might be new ways of thinking about the financial structure of existing and new Subud houses?
Consider the material value of a building (it’s financial foundation) = $ per square ft. income (donations, grants, rental income) x square feet, minus cost per square ft. (finance charges + operating costs x sq. ft.). How can we change the financial situation so that our buildings generate more income than they cost?
PS- The picture featured on the newsletter this month is my “Energizing Angel”