Assembled by Fayra Teeters

This article is a free-flowing compilation of creative thinking from Subud members on the notion of being Inclusive in our lives, in our perceptions, in how we view culture.

Praying In Safeway

By Leana McClellan

Called by the sweet, insistent chimes of her inner minaret,
there is a Muslim woman praying in Safeway.
She is kneeling on a small, faded rug that
must travel everywhere with her.
An ingredient in our tender human stew,
she seems at home here, a murmuring devotee,
illuminated by rose-hued fluorescents.
I picture her prayers rippling out across the apples,
misting down on the broccoli,
blessing the carrots and persimmons,
each whispered Allah, like a star emerging over a twilight sea.
Though I don’t question for a second her invisible compass,
how does she know which way Mecca is,
toward the sweet onions or the banana display?
No one dares disturb her, not the produce manager
or the lady sniffing and thumping cantaloupe.
I try not to glance intrusively,
as I studiously sort through green beans.
She is like salt to my day,
making the world more delicious.
May her godly petitions neutralize
the pesticides, counterbalance the GMO’s
and feed the hungry heart.  

Much

By Ronald James Dickson
Opened in Subud 1972
Died in plane crash 1974

Much that I sought I could not find.
Much that I found I could not bind.
Much that I bound I could not free.
Much that I freed returned to me.

Inclusiveness

By Michael Cooke

Predominately attended by adults, the other attendees at a gathering of a recent small birthday party in a park were a toddler, a girl aged three or four, and another aged five or six. Picnic fixings and some blankets were laid out on the ground. At one point an adult friend asked, since she liked her friend’s sandals, if she could try them on. She liked them so much, she even suggested she might buy them. Her friend declined selling them but good-naturedly removed them for her to try on. With that, the sandal owner enjoyed being barefooted on the blanket throughout the rest of the party.

When the event wound down and people were cleaning up, collecting picnic paraphernalia, one of the little girls, the three-year-old, unexpectedly appeared holding out the sandals to its owner, as though presenting the shoe wear like a small bouquet of flowers reminiscent of a dutiful maidservant serving her Queen. The little darling brought over the sandals on her own volition with no adult supervision or person urging her to do so. She had been observant and knew the lady needed to have her sandals as the event was finishing up.

The thoughtfulness of the little girl’s action, the caring for someone else without seeking any reward or return: A true demonstration-before-one’s-eyes example in how human beings should be. This could be stretching the term a bit, but that kindly gesture not only consisted of the sweetness of the little girl’s gesture, it was also a form of inclusiveness. For in demonstrating her actions she pronounced within her care and consideration, her own personal version of inclusiveness. She was determined to be among the collective, because she loved being with everyone. As it happened, we in turn, loved being with her.

Life Magazine, the many years now defunct publication, had a marvelous tag they concluded with every issue. They would print on the last page a photograph. This full-page image depicted content covering the gamut of slice of life images. One would find photos ranging from just about every aspect of life, nature, politics, war, entertainment, humor, optical illusions – you name it. It was a wonderful feature that readers always enjoyed. One issue had a most telling depiction: penguins gathered together in the frozen tundra. What was so striking about this particular photo was the image of some forty or fifty penguins whose backs were turned on one single lone penguin. This image expressed obvious separateness, meanness, indifference, unwillingness to communicate, the resistance to interact, a visual portrayal of non-inclusiveness. At a first glance one might miss the reason why all those penguins turned their backs on this one single aquatic flightless bird. And then you saw the why for such behavior. The lone creature was black. There were no colors to be seen or found anywhere on the penguin’s coat. Not even a spec of white could be found. The creature’s coat was entirely pitch black. And all the other penguins clearly rejected and shunned the penguin for not being like them.

It can be heartbreaking to witness a person being the repeated brunt of annoyance and disturbance to others due to that person’s partially mentally challenged condition (caused by childhood trauma). For the person in question, despite his emotional challenges, was always sincere and always wanted to be a part of, not separate from the group, the brotherhood, as it were. 

There was a meeting to raise money for a project. Much discussion was at hand; the group was in need of money. This very individual raised his hand a number of times to speak, but he couldn’t get a word in edgewise. When there was a slight gap of silence, the man indicated to the group he wanted to speak. Finally, the chairman of the committee, rolling his eyes and sighing as if surrendering the white flag in defeat to an unbeatable foe – granted the man a moment to have his say. And the man stood up, stuttering slightly before speaking, sincerely and soberly said, “Yes… I, I… just wanted to say… I…just wanted to say that I… that I – that I would like to contribute one thousand dollars to this project.” The general group in attendance were greatly surprised, gave him a sincere hand clap, smiled at him and nodded in the affirmative, gratefully accepting the man’s kind financial offer, Upon that, the general collective returned to the particulars of their meeting.

Inclusiveness:
The quality of including many different types of people and treating them all fairly and equally.

Inclusiveness is not indifference. inclusiveness does not ignore others, it is welcoming, brotherly, warm… like the inherent meaning the sound emits: includes.

An extraordinary wise man gave advice that covered the essence of inclusiveness. This wise man advised that a smart person who sees someone dumb should help that person. He said if someone had a successful company to give someone out of work a job in that company. He said if a man were wealthy and came upon someone who was poor, to give money to that person. He said if a man was smart that he should help those that are not so smart. He said if someone was in an occupation and a person who was talented who wished to break into that field that that successful person should help that person.

When one gives it even but a cursory thought, The Golden Rule is in fact inclusiveness.

Where Shall We Travel Next?

By Ronald James Dickson

Where shall we travel next?
In our travels we have seen
Happiness and sadness
Anger and Peace
Apathy and patriotism
We’ve seen babies born
And we’ve seen people die
We’ve seen the new disjointed generation,
The contented masses,
The silent majority,
The rustic banners flying on metal monster machines and long limber poles.
We’ve seen the shuffling, lazy lackey
And we’ve seen the majestic eagle.
We’ve seen these many wonders.
And now I wonder, where shall we travel next?

The Soul’s Journey

By Fayra Teeters

When the soul chooses to leave its home
It condenses away from the light that is spirit and falls like a leaf
Gently wafting on the breeze that is its personal destiny,
And as it falls it takes on more and more of the weight of the physical
Remembering less and less of its union with the light.
And there comes a sadness at this forgetting,
and a sense of loss at leaving the light.
And yet, each soul willingly embraces the separation
Knowing that each journey onto the earth will be an adventure,
a playground for growth.
And it lovingly embraces all that the physical plane has to offer
with equal parts of pain and joy
Knowing that it will have made a difference by its very presence
The very condition of being in a chosen place at a chosen time
And knowing that at the end of its journey, it will return home
Back to the light from whence it came.

Now what say you, gentle reader? Please share your thoughts and musings in the comment section below . . .

Top photo: Photo by Jonan Steiner on Unsplash