Connect Magazine 2018 ENG

SUBUD SPACE
CONNECT MAGAZINE 2018
"It is almost as if the place was
waiting for us. We had plans drawn
up for a structure, finding land in
a good location was a challenge
and a wise decision to buy an
existing house, and property was
made. As Chair of the Housing Subcommittee,
I had five members who
devoted much time and energy to
the project. "
Subud
Spaces
Sri Lanka’s spacious new Subud house includes a guest cottage and pool.
Sri Lanka’s amazing Subud House journey
Sri Lanka began latihans this year at a
new Subud House in Colombo. Robert
Goonetilleke takes a look at how it all
happened.
In the Subud world, Sri Lanka is blessed as we
have always had a spacious place for latihan.
Ronald Jayatilleke often mentioned how a
spacious Grand Bungalow was offered to him
just before Subud and the latihan arrived in
Sri Lanka in December 1957. Not long after
we moved to this luxurious house owned by
a diplomat in the same neighborhood where
Bapak, Ibu Rahayu, Ibu Yati and Ickshan
Ahammad stayed for quite a long time.
In 1963, when we still had a large group, we
moved to Havelock town and ended up at a
very large property by the ocean. Here we built
a dream Subud house that should have served
the needs of Subud for the next fifty years. How
the funds to buy the property and then building
it was a miraculous story in itself.
But permanency was not to be, and decades
later, with the high cost of maintenance for such
a huge building and membership dwindling,
our property had become a burden. Against
the advice of those who dealt in real estate,
we decided by majority vote to sell and build
something that would meet our needs - more
than our wants. It was a bold move where a
bidding war turned in our favor.
It is almost as if the place was waiting for us.
We had plans drawn up for a structure, finding
land in a good location was a challenge and
a wise decision to buy an existing house, and
property was made. As Chair of the Housing
Sub-committee, I had five members who
devoted much time and energy to the project.
We experienced challenges and faced a few near
misses along the way, but in the end, they all
turned out to be a gift.
Located in a fast developing area very close to
the New Sri Lankan Parliament complex, the
property has good roads and easy access. A
quiet neighborhood and privacy is assured as
a very high granite wall surrounds the property.
There is an added bonus - a guest cottage for
visitors and caretakers quarters neatly tucked in
the rear of the property. And there is a swimming
pool to cool off!
Sixty years is a long time, and it has been a
privilege to witness this unfolding chapter of
Subud Sri Lanka. It could not have happened
without those who came before us.g
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