ONCE, when I was able to talk with Bapak very informally, I mentioned some experiences both in latihan and even in mundane circumstances such as riding in a Jakarta taxi, when I found that the world around me faded, and everything normally important in my life became like trivia - a sensation people have when they are very ill or perhaps about to die. Bapak replied, "Yes! In fact some people say life in this world is like a dream." He paused, looked out of the window of his office in the S. Widjojo building, then suddenly turned and looked straight at me, saying very firmly, "But when we are in this world, WE HAVE TO BELIEVE IN IT!"

I do believe in this world! and, believing in it, means I believe in my computer and "informational technology", the growth of which we see all around us. I believe Subud needs informational technology in order to interface with the rest of the world.

I was very happy at Spokane when the Archives Working Party suggested we should establish a Subud data bank - and rename our archives, "Subud Informational Resources". With a name like that most people would stop thinking of Archives as just a dusty collection of old papers, and see that our collections are exactly what we need to be effective in spreading Subud.

We have to be ready to give information about Subud - what it has done and is doing - to people when they ask us. We make bridges by talking about things that the non-Subud world understands. It does not understand about receiving the latihan because the latihan is not part of its experience. So how will we explain Subud to our bank manager, our doctor, the lawyer helping us to make our Will and asking about the Muh. Subuh Foundation?

Do we waffle on about going into a room, closing our eyes, and surrendering to God? Or, doing our best to be worldly, do we say happily that Susila Dharma is a member of the United Nations? Are we surprised when the subject of Subud is never mentioned again?

Spreading Subud may be a goal, and being better informed about it is probably one way to move closer to this goal. However when you are asked questions about Subud, how do you find the answers? What we need as we move into the twenty-first century, is easily accessible information. It would be easy to do this if all one had to do was enter some keywords such as "SDIA", "UN", "MSF" or "Articles of Association" on one's computer.

In the last three years, I have been asked to provide the Articles of Association for WSA on at least ten occasions. I have been asked the precise relationship of SDIA to the United Nations. I have been asked for documented information about Subud houses, for the major decisions at our Congresses, for copies of individual Congress Reports. I have been asked about ISC - what is it! I have been asked about the duties of our Councillors, about the colours of the nafsu and the colours associated with the Prophets. I have been asked the meaning of hakekat and of fatunah! There have been questions about enterprises and about the copyright of Bapak's talks. I have been asked what Bapak said about homosexuals, about women marrying again after a divorce, about reincarnation, sin, food, ghosts, education, social work..

I have also learned how often Subud Committees need to produce legal evidence that Subud is what we say it is, and how applications to governments, banks or even better housing agencies, have to have a lot more information about Subud, if Subud is to be regarded worthy of their trust and support.

Since Spokane, a small team of experts in England, Ireland, Canada, the USA and Australia, has been investigating how best to create a website for access by Subud members and Subud institutions, from which documented information can be obtained to cover all these needs.

This is exciting and well worth doing. However let us look at the conditions under which we Subud archivists are working. In Australia the international archives are in my double garage. The temperature there now is between 10c and 14c, and we cannot use heating for fear of condensation. We have a large Cilandak sorting table, 9 big metal cupboards, 10 file cabinets, a stationery cupboard, a set of shelves, eight manuscript/newspaper boxes, about thirty large archive boxes and 20-30 acid-free lignin-free archive boxes piled on the file cabinets, plus three office chairs, and two trolley tables. There is not much room to move, and no room for more cupboards which means we cannot finish sorting. There is no environmental control, and bugs can walk in and out at will. We have no budget from WSA, or from Subud Australia. In Manchester UK, the space shortage is also acute, and shortage of money is almost as bad as in Australia.

Canberra is a wonderful small city. Embassies and the federal government of Australia are all located here, and, within reason, are accessible. We could use our archive collections for presentations to potential fund givers. But how do you interface with the public from an over-crowded garage?

I believe in this world,. and in trying to create a wider awareness of Subud. I believe Bapak was right when he said we should be consequent, and I believe i that God helps those who help themselves. I believe we should be trying in every way to use what we have, and that being consequent means finding the money to do for Subud what the rest of the world is doing, very well, for itself. If they can benefit from informational technology - so can we! And if they can access information about Subud, why are we not trying to make this happen?

Informational technology is a tool of our times. If we want to spread Subud, we had better believe in it!