Reader Views is very happy to be talking with Simon Monbaron, author of the timely book How to Develop Peace in the World. Simon is being interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views.

Juanita: Thank you for talking with us today Simon. Please tell your readers what they can expect from How to Develop Peace in the World.

Simon: How to Develop Peace in the World explains a new spiritual training now available to anyone 17 years old or older of any religious background or denomination.

Juanita: What inspired you to write your book?

Simon: I practiced the spiritual training for almost fifty years and greatly benefited from this training. I believe that others would also benefit from this practice and am willing to help others practice this spiritual training.

Juanita: Tell us about your spiritual training with Subud, and the creator of this training.

Simon: The spiritual exercise called latihan is an exercise consisting of surrendering to Almighty God. This enables Gods power to cleanse our faults, sins and shortcomings. Thus Gods power can gradually bring us back to the state of true human being.

Juanita: How do you guide your readers using the Subud principles to establish peace in the world?

Simon: People practicing the latihan exercise open themselves to Gods power. It is Gods power who will guide the practitioner of this exercise. For example, after about ten years of practicing this exercise one night I heard a voice speak within my heart. The voice said: Brake. This enabled me to make great effort to wake up and push on the brake as I had fallen asleep while driving my car. My car stopped just short of going off the road and down a steep hill. The voice that spoke in my heart saved my life. This is an example of receiving guidance. I had other experiences when I received guidance from my inner feelings.

Juanita: How long is the process and what changes can readers expect if they apply the principles outlined in How to Develop Peace in the World?

Simon: The process is a life long development. Practitioners who are able to truly open themselves to Gods power will progress faster than others but there are no guarantees. Also, if a practitioner stops opening himself or herself to Gods power, then the progress will stop. So it is not easy. The training to open oneself to Gods power seems very easy but very easy things are very often unattainable. People want to complicate them.

Juanita: Can this book be used by any individual or should it be read in conjunction with taking a Subud class?

Simon: Just to read the book does not help anyone unless the person understands that a spiritual training is available. If interested one needs to contact a practitioner in order to be able to get the help needed to practice the training. The book only conveys that a training is available.

Juanita: Is this a book of teachings, exercises, meditations?

Simon: It is an information book to let people know that a spiritual training is available and that one can receive guidance from the Great Life Force also known Almighty God.

Juanita: Simon, why is our world in such chaos?

Simon: Mankind is in total chaos because human beings have become possessed by their mind. The mind is now the absolute dictator of human being and human being are therefore completely cut-off from their creator. The Great Life Force (God) creator of human beings can no longer reach any human beings and human beings are operated by their mind. The mind is an organ that has no feeling, no conscience, no love. It is a ruthless selfish organ and human beings are guided by their mind to be selfish and greedy. Therefore everybody is at war with everybody else.

Juanita: How many people do you feel are truly living conscious lives?

Simon: Since human beings are being operated by their mind and the mind is an organ that is completely blind human beings are nor able to live conscious lives. Consciousness comes from God Almighty and human beings are cut off from Gods power. To become conscious again human beings needs to open themselves to Gods power and that is what the spiritual training helps human beings to do.

Juanita: How wills peace within translate to peace in the world?

Simon: People who are violent within themselves beat and kill other people. In order to be able to spread peace in the world one needs to become an island of peace. One needs to develop INNER peace. Only people who have inner peace will be able to bring peace in the world.

Juanita: Simon, do you think there is any hope for us in this increasingly violent, problematic world?

Simon: The only way to improve the situation is to join in the practice of the spiritual latihan exercise and to be able to practice the latihan exercise properly. Human beings need to realize that their mind is their enemy.

Now human beings worship their mind, and the chances of them turning away from their mind seem to be unlikely. During the past 50 years more than one million people joined the spiritual exercise and more than one million people left the exercise long before they understood what the spiritual exercise really is. So things really look very bleak. But human beings are the problem because they worship their mind instead of worshipping God.

Juanita: What has influenced your heartfelt desire to bring peace to the world?

Simon: Mankind is in total chaos. I experienced that the spiritual training enable individuals to develop inner peace and inner peace is what mankind needs. I believe that it is my duty to try to bring the spiritual exercise to as many people as possible.

Juanita: How has Subud changed your life?

Simon: Subud changed my life completely. I am now able to feel and receive Gods grace for all human beings and I was able to pass on that development to a few people. I had a very weak feeling of Almighty God and now Almighty God is with me always

Juanita: How can readers find out more about you and your endeavors?

Simon: Our web site is http://www.peacetocome.com

Juanita: Are there any last thoughts youd like to share with your readers?

Simon: Please contact me. Do not believe that human beings will be able to develop peace in the world by remaining alone and separate. Human beings need to work together and they need to open themselves to the Great Life Force together. We need to become a human family helping one another.