When Rachman Mitchell was twenty-three years old, something happened that changed him forever and set him on a path of inner and outer adventure. He received an experience called the latihan, which gave a contact with his soul. Around the latihan grew an organization called Subud, which is spread across the world.

Bapak was the bringer of the latihan. Rachman, Rohana, and their children went to live near him in Indonesia, and Rachman became his doctor. This book relates stories along the way to getting to Indonesia, being there with Bapak and facing challenges of adapting to the world again after returning to the West.

Rachman provides an inside view of what life was like in the early days in Jakarta when very personal contact with Bapak was possible. His work as a doctor in Indonesia and elsewhere is an important theme and illustrates the development of a talent and a vocation over a long lifetime.

These are stories about a man learning how to live, the mistakes he makes, and the joys and calamities that are visited upon him and how he learns to become more tolerant, more understanding, and more compassionate, less inclined to judgement. They are a blend of intimate reminiscence and fireside chat, being told with humility and humor.