[First part of recording missing] ... to select his assistants - the vice-chairman, the secretary, the deputy secretary, the treasurer, the deputy treasurer. The chairman was told to choose his own team, and now Bapak is going to appoint them officially in front of all of you. And, brothers and sisters, the chairman has nominated as his vice-chairman: Musa Suryanatadjoemena. Please stand. [Applause.] As secretary: Wahana. [Applause.] Can you see him? He's at the back. As deputy secretary: Bambang Djatmiko. [Applause.] As treasurer: Gunadi MW. What does MW mean? Oh, it stands for Maturbuwono. So it is not Ngèsthi Pandawa [Wayang theatre troupe] then? [Laughter.] As deputy treasurer: Gutomo. Oh, he's not here.

Brothers and sisters, this evening Bapak will not test with you again, because there is no more time. Also, if Bapak holds a testing session, maybe most of you will not be able to take part because there are a great many of you and time is short. In Bapak's opinion it is better to give you a talk this evening in continuation of the previous talk.

As you know, the influence of the material force, which you may think can easily be cleaned out of the inner feeling, cannot possibly be put aside, for it can be said that both the life and death of a man living on earth depend on the material force. So the material life force can depart from your inner feeling only when you have died.

As you know, when it comes to the influence of the material force, you think it simple to sweep away the material forces from the inner feeling. In fact, it is not possible. There is no possibility whatsoever of sweeping away the material force from your inner feeling before you die. It is only at the moment of death that the material force leaves the inner feeling. But then, if a human being has been under the influence of the material force all their life, their soul will be dragged off to the material world.

Thus, brothers and sisters, it is clear that it is not possible for you to remove the material life force from your inner self as long as you are still living on earth. Indeed, it is not the Will of Almighty God that you should put aside the material life force while you are living on earth, for with the existence of the material life force your heart and mind can work quickly to make material objects into means for safeguarding and fulfilling the requirements of your life on earth. For instance, to make houses to live in, to make clothing, agricultural tools, weapons to guard your own and your family's safety and other tools needed for the life of your family. It is clear, therefore, brothers and sisters, that you do need the material life force, for indeed it is a requirement for your life. It is most important for you, however, to be really able to make use of the material life force in accordance with the Will of Almighty God.

According to the stories in the holy books, there was no Prophet, except the Prophet Adam, who while living on earth went without clothes, without housing and without tools for working or making something; because indeed it is a Divine Decree that material objects are there for man to use and to make into whatever form and shape he wishes in fulfilling the requirements of his life. This is the reason why the material life force is so close to the heart, mind and thought. And indeed, the heart, mind and thought are man's property, with which he can change or create material objects into all kinds of things. In the present age, this can be seen in the existence of factories and all the necessary equipment for them, in the existence of mechanized vehicles that can speed up travel to any destination, tools that can be used for the cultivation of land to produce foods to eat, weapons to guard oneself from the threat of approaching danger, and other instruments that are needed for man's life.

If Almighty God creates animals with sharp teeth and strong, sharp claws like the tiger, and animals with large and even teeth, with strong pointed horns like the wild bull, it indicates that the tiger's way to search for food and to safeguard his life is by using his pointed teeth and his sharp claws. It is the same with the wild bull. He searches for food by going to the fields where plenty of grass grows; and when facing danger he should be ready to repel it with his formidable, pointed horns.

Regarding plant life, why has Almighty God created plants like the salak tree, which has a trunk full of thorns as a fence or protection for its fruit? And why does the coconut tree grow so tall without any branches? It is because the thorns that protect the salak tree are an obstruction for animals that deliberately want to destroy it, and the coconut tree grows so tall and has no branches so that its fruit cannot be easily destroyed by large animals.

Thus it is clear that whatever Almighty God has created is filled, so to speak, with an indication of its way of life and of the way to safeguard it.

As Bapak has explained before, man with his heart, mind and thought can make and change the forms and conditions of material things so that they become excellent tools for his life. It is indeed right for him to do so, for man is God's highest creation in the levels of life, higher than material, vegetable and animal life. So, if man does not like to use his heart, mind and thought in order to make material objects into tools for his life, he will become a weak and inferior creature. For instance, in climbing a tree to get its fruit, he is inferior to the monkey in speed and skill. In running, his speed is inferior to that of the deer. In hunting animals for their meat, his skill is inferior to that of the tiger. In carrying heavy objects, he is inferior to the ox and the buffalo. In short, if man does not wish to use his heart, mind and thought, he will really become a creature that is weak and inferior in every respect. Therefore, you should not abandon material things, for they awaken the spirit for working with the heart, mind and thought; and because your heart, mind and thought have been awakened, you will be able to make material objects in accordance with the requirements of your life.

However, although material objects are excellent servants of your life while you are living on earth, you need to remember that you should not become influenced, or strongly influenced by them, because if your heart, mind and thought are strongly influenced by material objects, your inner self whether you wish it or not - will be controlled by the force of these material objects, so that they become more of a god to you than Almighty God. You can probably picture for yourselves the strength of the influence of these material things on the self of man. For instance, if you have no money, you will certainly feel as if you are powerless. But if, on the contrary, you have a lot of money, you will feel as if you are filled with a strong power. Also, if you happen to hold a high and influential position, your behavior and attitude is like that of Gatutkatja flying in the air. But if you no longer hold such a position, then your condition is like that of Gatutkatja who has lost his backbone, that is to say, powerless.

Likewise, also, if you are carrying a powerful weapon you feel as if you are not afraid of anything, but if that weapon is not in your hand, you will lack the courage to face any danger. This is also the case with the influence of material things in the form of clothing and ornaments. If you wear clothes that are very good and expensive, you behave like a man of high position or like a rich man; but if not, and you happen to be at a party, you will even prefer to sit in a corner. So strong is the influence of the material force, brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, you should not abandon it, because the material life force has become an integral part of your life here on earth, as it is with a tiger with his teeth and claws, a bull with his horns, or a salak tree with its thorns or a coconut tree with its tall trunk that has no branches. Only, what you need is to be able to regulate them, because if you are unable to regulate the use of these material things, then, on the contrary, they will regulate and influence you, and as is said in an Indonesian proverb: the weapon hits its own master. Therefore, people say the downfall of a clever person comes from his cleverness, the downfall of a rich person comes from his riches, the downfall of a person of high or low position comes from his position, the downfall of a good-looking or beautiful person comes from his good looks or beauty. It seems that these words are indeed true.

Brothers and sisters, the cleverness of the brain and the sensitivity of the heart of man that enable him to change the forms and conditions of material things have become the right of man, because Almighty God has created him as the highest creature and God really loves him. But in fact this right that he possesses and the love of Almighty God for him are still being misused, so that the products of man's work are not used for the purpose of safeguarding himself and for the harmony and prosperity of human society, but are used to cause trouble and to disturb human society. The proof is that many people are now worried that powerful weapons like the atom bomb and nuclear weapons may really be used.

Such is the progress of the life of man who only pursues superiority, advantage and victory for his own groups, for his own set, because of the influence of the material forces. How fortunate and happy you are to have received the Grace of Almighty God which enables you to receive His Power that has awakened the inner feeling ( freeing it from the influence of nafsu, which dwell in the heart and thought and are used as tools by the lower forces, including the material force ) so that in all your actions you are directed to the ideal way in line with the Will of Almighty God and according to the requirements of your life. Thus, brothers and sisters, Bapak repeats: you are really fortunate to be able to receive guidance and direction from the Power of Almighty God while under the ordinary conditions of life; namely, while doing your work as people ordinarily work, still being together with your wife and children, still busy in search of the requirements for your life. Indeed, it is the Will of God that you work and act as ordinary people living on earth, besides fulfilling your worship of Almighty God according to His direction and guidance.

If you are really able to surrender with patience, submission and sincerity to the Power of Almighty God so that you can receive His Grace, your inner feeling will become clean and alive and then be able to feel and to be aware of the way the lower forces move around in your self and the way every part of your body is alive and has its own responsibility.

Those of you who have often watched wayang shadow-plays will, of course, have heard the story the Dalang tells of Raden Hardjuna who was suddenly attacked by a tiger ( or a giant ) while he was in contemplation. But because Raden Hardjuna was quiet only in his heart and thinking while he was in contemplation, whereas his inner feeling that enveloped all his organs remained alive, he was instantly able to avoid the attack of the tiger ( or the giant ) so that the tiger was taken by surprise. This is the essence of the story, which illustrates a knight's inner feeling that is really alive, free from the influence of nafsu and representing a vessel filled with the human inner force. In truth, brothers and sisters, it is very necessary for the inner feeling to be alive because, if the inner feeling is alive, it means that the influence of the nafsu that have controlled it for a long time will disappear, and also it will form a large and wide vessel which can contain a great and noble jiwa.

Bapak said yesterday that your self can be compared to a house or a dwelling. How can it be possible for a person of high position with a large family to live in it if the house is very small and disorderly? So, if you wish a person of high position with a large family to live in your house, you should first enlarge your house and put it in good order; and it is not possible for you to do this unless you receive help from the Power of Almighty God. Therefore you can only surrender this matter to the Power of Almighty God with submission and sincerity.

The reason why your inner feeling is like a house or vessel that is small and disordered is that your inner feeling has been very much influenced by the lower forces, which have a close relationship with the heart and mind. The faults in your inner feeling were started by your ancestors so that when it came down to you the house had already become very small and disordered. It is fortunate that you have received Grace from Almighty God enabling you to receive contact with His Power, so that in order to reach your goal you only have to follow His way; otherwise it would not be possible for you to do anything about it, even if you were determined to deny yourselves every kind of pleasure and isolate yourselves in remote places far from society.

Indeed, brothers and sisters, the latihan that you receive and practice appears to be like the ordinary actions and behavior of man but, in fact, for you who have received and experienced it, it is the way of purification and correction that is taking place in the inner feeling. For at the moment when movements, gestures and actions arise in you, your heart and thinking and also your imaginings and fantasies automatically cease, so that the process of purification and correction in the inner feeling is not disturbed.

By the Decree of Almighty God the lower forces are really the servants of man's life on earth, so that with them you will be able to provide for the requirements of your life. Therefore you need not be afraid of them, provided you surrender to the Power of Almighty God with a feeling of submission and sincerity; and although it may be slow, with the guidance of Almighty God you will be able to put them in order.

If we talk about the existence and the influence of the lower forces, there is really no end to it, because even the earth is a material object; while your own self is created from the elements of earth, water, air and fire, all of them being material in nature.

Now Bapak will go on to talk about the results of the growth of the latihan kedjiwaan.

At the recent International Subud Conference in Tokyo, one of the members said that after he had joined Subud and received the latihan kedjiwaan, the conception illustrated by the words "East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet" no longer existed for him. There was just the feeling that East and West had become, as it were, one; so that he really felt that his self was filled with a united human inner force, facing the One and Only God, Almighty God.

What this brother said seems to be right, for our brothers and sisters who at that time were gathered in Tokyo, and received and practiced the Subud latihan together, were from different countries, different nationalities and different religions. But by the Grace of Almighty God they felt in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud that they were worshipping God together and, in general, they felt like being in the midst of their own family. There was no feeling of separation between one and another. If there happened to be someone weeping and feeling sad in receiving the latihan, other brothers would immediately approach him and comfort him. Such is the atmosphere in our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud, and it is clear that, with the existence of the Subud latihan, those of you who have received it will develop within themselves a feeling of mutual love, mutual help and mutual respect.

There are some brothers who, jokingly, say how good and excellent it would be if the delegates from the various countries who meet in the United Nations to discuss the problems of their various countries were filled with a spirit of mutual understanding, and were aware and conscious of a harmonious way of living one with another, according to the Will of Almighty God that has been implanted within man's self.

Yes, indeed, it would be good if it were possible, for usually people only think of their own interests and the interests of their own group and their own nation. This is the reason why Bapak says: "If it were possible", for guidance and advice has already been given to man by the Messengers of Almighty God, in order that he may have such an inner self; and it was indeed the Will of God to send Prophets and Messengers to give advice to mankind, so that man's life in society would become harmonious and justly ordered. But what has been experienced and what has been done by men from ancient times until the present is just the contrary: they each go on pursuing their own interests and victory for their own groups. Therefore, with the birth of this latihan kedjiwaan of Subud it is hoped that men will remember again all the excellent advice given by the Messengers of Almighty God, so that justice can prevail in man's life in society.

For us, brothers and sisters, this is indeed the principle and aim of the Subud latihan, which we follow with complete surrender and sincere submission to the Will of Almighty God. So, having the name Susila Budhi Dharma which we have taken as the symbol of our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud, we hope that Almighty God will grant us His Grace, that we may become human beings who have the qualities of Susila, Budhi and Dharma.

Now Bapak will resume talking about the lower life forces. Apart from the material life force, there is also the vegetable life force. It is even more difficult for man to abandon the vegetable life force, because the life of man on earth derives its strength from the vegetables he eats. Thus, if in your life on earth you did not eat vegetables, perhaps you would not be creatures of God such as you now are. Maybe, if you had never eaten vegetables, your life would be just like a shadow. Clearly it is impossible for you to abandon the vegetable life force as long as you are alive on earth. The problem for you is not to be overpowered by it, for, according to the divine decree, the vegetable force is also a servant for man's life. In other words, man controls it, as in the case of employees in an office; man is the head of the office while the vegetable forces are his subordinates. Of course, the head of the office would prefer to have intelligent and clever subordinates rather than stupid ones, because if his subordinates are intelligent and clever, he himself will automatically rise to a higher position. For this reason, the lower forces such as the material force and the vegetable force, are not obstacles for man's life but, really, excellent servants that can raise his level, provided he remains in his position as the noble life force capable of managing the sub-human forces in a just way, because these forces are no different from human beings who wish for a blessed and happy life. This is in accordance with the old saying that "heaven for material objects and vegetables is in man".

Actually, this ancient saying is true, only it has not yet been explained, and so it happens that it is misunderstood by young people.

Take the case of a merchant: the merchant hopes to sell his goods well and to make a lot of profit. Such an attitude is quite usual for a merchant. But, in truth, if seen from the viewpoint of the jiwa of man - whose inner self has compassion for his fellow men, wanting to help and educate those who are weak and who lack understanding - such a way of making profit on every article that is sold will cause the buyers to suffer a great loss, so that those who are weak will become still weaker and those who lack understanding will get even more confused and lost. Therefore, if any of you become merchants, do not be too greedy in making profit from the goods you sell. Moderation is necessary in order that your actions as merchants should not be so influenced by the material force. In this way, your inner feeling will have the possibility of becoming a wide vessel, one that can be filled with the life force that has the qualities of Susila, Budhi and Dharma. If you can achieve this, then, automatically, if God blesses you with children, the inner feeling of your children will become like a large vessel that can contain an inner self having the qualities of Susila, Budhi and Dharma. They will then become influential in their lives and be loved by their fellow men.

Thus, brothers and sisters, whether a man's fate is good or bad is in no way caused by the Divine Decree of Almighty God: it is caused by the faults in man's own actions. Therefore, if a man experiences bad fortune in his life, he should not blame Almighty God and say that Almighty God is not just.

Now consider, brothers and sisters, the nature of the love and justice of Almighty God towards everything He has created. Take, for instance, the caterpillar. It has been created to live among foliage, so that it can exist by eating the leaves of the plants where it lives. An animal such as the tiger has been created with sharp teeth and claws and lives in the jungle, where it can seek its living and everything it needs for its life by using its sharp claws and teeth. A creature like a bird is created to live with wings and is able to fly, so that it can find its living by using its wings. Members of the snake family are created to live among bushes and are poisonous; and there are also many other kinds of animals. Man is even better equipped for he has been created as a being with mind and intellect which enable him, according to the range of his knowledge, to reshape material things and to fulfill the requirements of this life. Therefore, if there are still people who have lost their way in seeking their livelihood, it is clearly the fault of their ancestors, who have caused them to have a narrow and disordered inner feeling. But even so, you should not blame your parents, for they themselves were not aware of the wrong conduct in their lives. So there is no reason for you to blame them.

On the contrary, you should find a way that enables you to correct the errors they have made. It is fortunate for you that by the Grace of Almighty God you can receive His guidance and direction which manifest in the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud, so that the faults do not remain endlessly within you. This is the reason, brothers and sisters, why Bapak has often said that the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud puts a halt to this, so that the faults in your inner feeling will no longer be transmitted endlessly into the inner feeling of your descendants. In this way, your children will be human beings who have a human inner force, and an inner self with the qualities of Susila, Budhi and Dharma. As for those of you who are already old and whose children were born before you received the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, you should have the feeling of patience and acceptance, surrendering with submission and sincerity to Almighty God so that, through the latihan kedjiwaan that you follow, you can bring benefit to your children. Besides this, you should also guide them so that, when they have grown up, they will like to tread in your footsteps and wish to be opened and to follow the Subud latihan.

Further, those who have been married for a long time but have no children yet, should be patient and do the latihan faithfully, surrendering with sincerity to the Will of Almighty God. Do not go looking for a witch doctor in order to get a child through his spell. Usually, one cannot be sure that one's wish will be fulfilled by this practice, but by that time it is too late; one has already got wet from the spittle of his magic spell!

Bapak would like to tell you of an incident that happened when Bapak was in England some time ago. Among the Subud members there was a couple who had been married for approximately fourteen years, but unfortunately, although they had been married for so long, they had not yet had a child. As they felt it was most important for their life to have a child, both of them went to be examined by a specialist to find out whether it was really their fate to remain childless. The specialist told them that indeed the husband did not have the essence to fertilize the egg in the wife.

Apparently, they went many times to such specialists in their effort to find a way of getting a child, but the result was always the same, so that finally the wife decided that it would be better to have a divorce. Fortunately, before the divorce took place, the husband had an opportunity to meet Bapak and to speak about this matter. Bapak then called the wife and advised her to cancel her intention to divorce her husband, and Bapak suggested to them just to do the latihan kedjiwaan patiently and faithfully, because for someone in Subud the latihan that exists by the Grace of Almighty God is the only way that makes the fulfillment of his hopes possible. The wife broke into tears and expressed her regret for having been in a hurry to do something without asking for Bapak's advice. The harmony of this couple was restored and both of them did the latihan faithfully as before.

Approximately four months later Bapak left England and went to Holland, where he received a telegram from the member mentioned above, saying that according to a medical test the wife was pregnant; and after his return to Jakarta Bapak received a message that the wife of this member had given birth to a baby girl.

Thus, brothers and sisters, for those of you who have been married for a long time but have not yet any children, it is better not to go to magic healers. It is enough if you only do the latihan kejiwaan, and surrender your hope for a child to the Power of Almighty God. However, you have to be aware that it cannot be guaranteed that you will have a child, for it all depends on the Will of Almighty God, Who knows your capacity.

Now Bapak will continue by talking about the influence of the animal life force on man.

The animal life force is in truth the servant of man's life. Man is not able to abandon or avoid it, because it is always present in the food he eats, even though it may not be in the form of buffaloes, cows, goats, chickens and other animals. Clearly, man will not be able to avoid the influence of the animal life force, even if he only eats fruit throughout his life on earth. If he avoids the animal life force deliberately, he will be even more influenced by it in his life, and moreover, he will have less enthusiasm to work or to devote his whole self to work according to the Divine Decree. You need not therefore be afraid of facing the influence of the animal life force. It is all right for you to eat meat provided it is clean and wholesome and does not contain anything that may cause sickness. Regarding this, the most important thing is for you to be able to regulate it, and the way for you to do this is by becoming able, little by little, to follow the guidance and direction from the Power of Almighty God that manifests in the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud which you receive and practice.

Bapak will now go on to speak about the jasmani life force. The jasmani life force is the life force of man, of men tike you and Bapak.

In the case of the material life force, the way it influences man is through man's attention and interest in it, in his aim to make it a goal for his well-being and for the fulfillment of his requirements in life. In the case of the vegetable life force, the way it influences man is through being eaten by him, and in this way it forms his blood, flesh, bones, muscles, nerves and the other parts of his body. In the case of the animal life force, its influence on man is also by being eaten, but besides forming his blood and flesh as above, it also adds to the force of the nafsu. But in the case of the jasmani force - the human force - does the influence enter from man to man by way of eating one another? Certainly not. It enters by way of marriage between man and woman. So, in fact, through marriage there is a mutual influence between husband and wife, although it appears only as if they live together as friends. Moreover, the mutual influence in this union is stronger than the influence of the material, vegetable and animal life force. So, when a child is born from the union, it inherits much of the character and behavior of both parents, although sometimes the heritage of both parents is not equal in strength.

Now Bapak will explain about the interaction of the jasmani life force in marriage.

Take the case of a young man who should be filled with the jasmani force according to his outer nature: if through the wrong conduct of his ancestors he is unavoidably filled with the vegetable life force, and if he then marries and has union with a young woman who is filled with the material life force through the faults inherited from her ancestors, the young man's inner content, which has the nature of the vegetable life force, is forced to sink lower and the inner content of the young woman automatically rises higher to a place half-way towards the power of the vegetable life force.

Now, if a young man has the fortune to be filled with the jasmani life force and, while young, is not tempted by the desire to sleep with a woman, and he then marries a young girl who is filled with the material or vegetable life force, his content of the djasmani life force will be able to raise the level of the young woman's inner content so that what was formerly filled with the material or vegetable life force will then be filled with the jasmani life force. Therefore, a young woman who is married is called in Javanese garwa, which is an abbreviation of sigaraning jiwa, which means the half of a soul or half the inner force that has become one with its own kind.

But take the case of another young man whose fortune it is to be filled with the jasmani life force: if through negligence he is tempted by the passions while he is still young, so that he enjoys intercourse with a woman who has had frequent intercourse with men who only follow their sexual passions, the content of his self that has the nature of the jasmani life force will easily degenerate. Moreover, if he is not fortunate, his good content will be replaced by a lower life force, namely, the material life force. Further, when the young man who has experienced such a way of life marries, the previously good inner content of his wife, who was formerly filled, for instance, with the jasmani life force or with the animal life force, will inevitably degenerate owing to her husband's state.

This is how the influence of the jasmani life force works within man. It does not happen because man eats man, but because of marriage or union between man and woman. Therefore the Messengers of Almighty God always remind man that he should not follow only his passions in intercourse.

Outwardly, intercourse between man and woman is regarded as a means of getting rid of the passions; but, on the contrary, such an action does in fact open the way for all sorts of dirt to enter him, physical dirt as well as spiritual dirt, which fills the body of the woman. This is why religion forbids a man to behave in this way. Moreover, in Islam it is better for a man to have more than one wife, provided the woman is truly a good woman and the second marriage takes place with the consent of the first wife.

You have, of course, listened smilingly to Bapak's words above, because it is hardly ever possible for a wife to give her consent or to be submissive and sincere when her husband takes another wife. But if he is a man who by the Grace of Almighty God is able to fulfill the needs of his wife, why should it be impossible ? An example of this is given by the Prophet Muhammad who had more than one wife at the request of his first wife, because she felt that all the needs of her life were fulfilled.

Another example, especially for those who are of Javanese origin, is the story of Raden Hardjuna who had four wives, among whom there was no dissension; on the contrary, all of them were on good terms with one another. This was also because Raden Hardjuna was able to satisfy all their needs.

There is another story that tells of a king called Hardjuna Sasra. The woman who was to become his wife even made the request that his marriage with her should include other women who should also become his wives. Indeed, this story sounds funny and very strange, but this could really happen because Hardjuna Sasra was a wise king, and according to the story he was the manifestation of Wisnu Batara.

This explains why and how it has happened that a man had up to four wives. But for you who have, in fact, not yet reached such a state, it is better not to imitate this. It would make your life difficult because usually a man takes another wife only following his nasfu, and his choice is based only on beauty and youth, although it is not certain whether the beauty and youth of a woman permeate her inner being; that is, whether outer beauty is combined with inner beauty, outer youth combined with real inner youth. Therefore, you should do your latihan faithfully as usual and just follow the guidance and direction from the Power of Almighty God that manifests in the latihan kedjiwaan, so that you will understand the essence of marriage. You should not be in a hurry to imitate something of the truth of which you are not yet sure.

The women, too, need to understand that a beautiful appearance should not be affected by the influence of the nafsu that are used as tools by the lower forces, so that they are used to attract love from the husband or from a man, but that the beauty should be devoted to the Power of Almighty God with complete surrender, submission and sincerity. This is necessary so that you may be able to know the Will of Almighty God which is hidden in your beauty. Then you will be able to be what is called in Javanese wanodya aju dasar sulestya ing budhi, which means "A beautiful woman with a noble and excellent character,'' as represented in the wayang shadow-play by Wara Sembadra. It is true that whenever Wara Sembadra needed help, even for a minor trouble, her dewa ( god ) immediately came down to earth to help her.

What has been said by wise men is, in fact, very true: namely, that although parents generally hope to have a beautiful child, a woman's beautiful face may be dangerous for her life, if it becomes a tool of the lower forces that influence the heart and mind. Therefore it is said that the downfall of a beautiful woman is caused by her beauty. But, on the other hand, her beauty will be able to raise the level of her womanhood if she can really become "Wanodya aju dasar sulestya ing budhi" - "A beautiful woman with a noble and excellent character."

This is the way the jasmani life forces influence each other. This happens during intercourse between man and woman. So, the influence of the jasmani life force upon man is very much stronger than the influence of the material, vegetable and animal life forces. For in their coming and going or increasing and decreasing, the jasmani life forces are always accompanied by the material, vegetable and animal life forces. For this reason, if you, as creatures of Almighty God who originally had the jasmani life force, are not firm in your inner self as human beings and do not turn yourselves towards the Power of Almighty God which envelops your inner as well as your outer self, the influence of the lower life forces will continuously be a hindrance for your life. These are the reasons why it is very necessary for us, or for you, to worship Almighty God, asking for His blessing that you may receive His guidance. For without His guidance we cannot distinguish the working of the lower life forces within us. In this way, the influence of the lower forces can be stopped. Further, you will be able to turn towards Almighty God; and in doing your daily work to meet the needs of your life, you should use the lower life forces, for they are indeed your servants as long as you live on earth.

This matter concerning the life forces is actually already known to man. This is the reason why there exists in India a kind of caste system. With the existence of the caste system the descendants of Priests, Kings, Knights, Farmers, Merchants, lower castes and possibly others, isolate themselves within their own castes; whereas, in fact, the caste system originally concerns the difference of the inner or the content of man, namely the life forces. But it cannot be guaranteed that the descendants of a Priest definitely contain in themselves the life force of the Priest, as there is the possibility that his descendants, due to the influence of the modern age, no longer have the Priest's life force within them; and it is even quite possible that their inner content has degenerated far from that of their original ancestor. This can also happen with the descendants of Kings and Knights, whereas the descendants of Farmers, Merchants, lower castes and others have also the possibility of being raised to a higher caste due to their good character and behavior and due to their sincerity in worshipping Almighty God with patience and submission.

This caste system also exists in Indonesia, especially in Java, where you find that the descendants of Priests, Kings and Knights are called Raden Mas and Raden, and the descendants of Farmers, Merchants and ordinary people usually have no title at all. This is basically the same as the caste system that exists in India, which originally referred to the levels of a man's inner, which can be changed by the conduct of his descendants.

Take, for instance, the title Raden Mas. This is an abbreviation of the words Rub kang hadi lir emas, which mean "a man who is filled with a noble and excellent inner life force", or "a man who has a noble and excellent character - like the radiance of gold". As for the title Raden this is an abbreviation of mh kang hadi meaning "a man who is filled with an excellent inner life force."

If you go only by the title, then a man who is called Raden Mas would be a man who is filled with the power of a noble and excellent life force, or a man who has a noble and excellent character, comparable to radiant gold. But, in fact, we cannot be sure of this because the title only indicates his ancestry. It does not mean that the life force which has become the content of the person concerned is of the same kind as that of his ancestor. It is the same with those who have the title Raden.

As for the descendants of Farmers, Merchants and common people, who have no title, although outwardly nothing indicates any nobility in their ancestry, yet because of their good character it is possible for them by the Grace of Almighty God to experience a change of inner force towards a higher level.

Such, brothers and sisters, is the movement of the inner forces. Therefore, follow the latihan diligently and with complete faith in the Greatness of Almighty God. This is necessary so that you will be aware of these spiritual phenomena that hitherto have been only as a legend to you.

For instance, there is a legend about the life of a young man who lived long ago, whose name was Djaka Tamp.

In this legend it is told that Djaka Tamp was in the habit of going into the jungle to hunt birds with a blowpipe. One day when he was wandering through the jungle to hunt birds with a blow-pipe he heard the voices of women mingled with merry laughter. Being surprised - because he did not expect to hear the voices of women in the jungle, far away from the village - he at once went nearer to spy on them, and he could see that the voices he had heard were actually the voices of very beautiful women who were bathing in the sparkling, clear water of a lake. In Djaka Tarup's mind arose the question: "Where do these lovely women come from, to bathe in the lake in the middle of the jungle?" He answered it himself: "Maybe they come from a faraway place and not from the villages round about at all."

It is told that, as Djaka Tarup watched the women bathing in the lake, he understood from their conversation that they were really angels from heaven, and that they had purposely come there to bathe, because there happened to be a shortage of water in heaven at that time. Then the wish arose in him to take the clothes of one of the angels, and having done this quite easily, he quickly went home. As soon as he arrived home, he hid the angel's clothes in a safe place. He then took a kain and kebaja of his mother's and quickly returned to the place near the lake.

When he arrived there, he could no longer hear the voices of women bathing; he heard only the voice of someone crying. Djaka Tarup quickly came out of his hiding place and went up to the weeping angel, who was still in the water. Djaka Tarup gave his mother's kain and kebaja to the angel, who had to accept them, and when she was dressed he invited her to his house. Later, the angel became Djaka Tarup's wife.

So the legend goes, and if you cannot receive the secret that is hidden in this story, you will think that it really happened, or else you will take it as a mere fantasy. Whereas, although it did actually happen, it is not told in the ordinary way, so that many people misunderstand it. Moreover, there are also people who think that what is told in the legend really happened in that way, and so they imitate Djaka Tarup by going into the forest to do samadi or to live in solitude in the hope of being able to have the same kind of experience as Djaka Tarup.

If you just consider one point in the story: how can it be that an angel from heaven should have come down to earth only to bathe in a lake, when the angels are said to be creatures of God of a different kind from man, and heaven is said to be a place far more noble and excellent than the earth. In fact, it is quite impossible that angels from heaven would come down to earth just to bathe. You should, therefore, not be in a hurry to draw any conclusion about this legend. It is much better for you to do the latihan kedjiwaan diligently. This is necessary so that you will be able to know the truth of the story's content.

As you know, it was customary in Java for authors to disguise the actual happenings in their stories. They did this on purpose in order to make it more interesting and enjoyable for the reader. Therefore, if you read a book or a story you should not simply believe it, but really feel it in order to check the truth of it, and if you are able to test, this can be done through testing. Then you will no longer be superstitious, you will no longer be gullible.

There are still many stories in which the truth is purposely hidden. It is covered by such nice and beautiful words that it is not easily understood, except by those whose inner feeling is already alive.

Take, for instance, this matjapat Dandanggula melody: Semut ireng anak-anak sapi, kebo bongkang njabrang ing bengawan, kyong gondang djarak sunggute.

Translated literally, the meaning of this Javanese song is: "A black ant has a cow as its child, a kebo bongkang ( a small insect that walks backward ) crosses a large river, a big snail with long feelers...". Just consider now, is it possible for a small ant to have a cow as a child, and for the little insect to cross a large river?

If it were only that the first line of this matjapat verse needs to end with the letter "i" in its last syllable for the sake of rhyme, then one could easily make it up as follows: semut irerig manak semut tjilik, which means "the black ant has a small ant as a child." Clearly then, the "i" in the last syllable is not for the sake of the rhyme but has a secret meaning behind it. You should be able to discover the reality hidden in such rhymes, too.

In short, there are many stories in which the truth is hidden in allegories, the secret of which has still to be uncovered. Therefore, in order to be aware of and to discover these secrets, there is no other way for you who have received the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud but to follow it faithfully and diligently, because it is, in fact, guidance from the Power of Almighty God.

Concerning dreams, maybe there are some among you who think about the dreams you have had while asleep, because Bapak receives many letters from brothers and sisters from abroad asking about the meaning of their dreams. So Bapak would like to explain here that a dream is actually a projection of the ideas and imagination of the person concerned, and is seen with the eyes of the feeling during sleep. For instance, someone who is experiencing difficulties and ill-fortune in life usually has very strange and terrifying dreams when he is asleep. Sometimes, too, people have a dream which in its nature is an ilafat or an indication of what is going to happen. It then turns out that what they have received in their dream really comes true. But such kinds of dreams are rarely received by people whose hearts and minds are still full of thoughts and emotions. It is better, therefore, not to pay too much attention to dreams; it is better if you just let them pass by, for if you always pay attention to dreams - and you certainly do dream whenever you are asleep, even if you do not remember it - your faith, submission and sincerity towards Almighty God will lessen, so that doubt and anxiety will arise in your inner feeling. Especially if you have dreams which, according to the interpretation of others, mean that you will face difficulties or death - this will be even more alarming to you, whereas it is not certain that it really will happen to you.

In short, it is better for you not to take too much notice of dreams. It will be better if you obey and follow faithfully the way of the latihan kedjiwaan which is, in truth, guidance from the Power of Almighty God. For with the guidance of Almighty God, your inner feeling will be filled with strong faith and submission, with trust and sincerity towards His Power, so that you will not be afraid to face death when this is indeed willed by Almighty God.

Yes, who is not afraid to die, for death ends the life of man on earth. It is even more frightening for people who during their life have never lacked anything. If it were possible, they would wish to have their life prolonged many hundreds of years.

Take, for instance, the Prophet Adam. It is told that when the Prophet Adam was sent down to earth, he wept, and said to Almighty God: "Oh . . . God, forgive me, please do not send me down to earth, because there I shall suffer." But Almighty God nevertheless sent the Prophet Adam down to earth. Now, when the Prophet Adam had lived on earth and was able to provide the requirements for his life and had married and was then blessed by Almighty God with children and grandchildren, his feelings became attached to the world so that, when he was reminded by Almighty God to return to his place of origin, he took courage and asked for his life to be prolonged for several hundred years more. Apparently, at that time, it was still possible to have one's life prolonged, so Adam was permitted to live on earth for a thousand years. After Adam had lived on earth for a thousand years, he was again reminded to return immediately to his place of origin. Then he could no longer extend his time, but had to fulfill his promise to return to his place of origin, although he was sorry to leave the pleasures of the world he had enjoyed for so long.

Such, brothers and sisters, is the nature of man. When he is going to be sent down to earth, he feels troubled because he does not want to leave the bliss of his place of origin and exchange it for the world, not knowing what to expect there. And then he is also troubled when the time comes for him to leave this world, because his heart and mind no longer remember the bliss of his place of origin. Therefore it is very necessary and important for you all to fulfill your obligation to worship Almighty God with complete surrender, submission and sincerity. For, in fact, only with His help is it possible for you to remember again your life before you were sent down to earth.

It seems that Bapak has spoken enough for this evening about the Subud latihan. Bapak only hopes that you will forgive him if he has said any words that are out of place; and now, let us together praise and thank Almighty God, and pray that we may always follow His guidance and direction which manifest in the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud.

Thank you.

When a helper or a member carries out testing in the spiritual way ( kejiwaan ) of Subud it is similar to doing the latihan kejiwaan. The difference is that, when testing, the person who tests has a question to ask before doing the latihan, to which he or she then receives an answer in whatever form he is able to receive it. Whereas when one does the latihan it is necessary first to empty oneself of ideas and imaginings, to surrender in trust and sincerity to the will of Almighty God, and then one will receive and follow the guidance and direction that comes from the Power of God manifested in the latihan kedjiwaan.

This then is the difference between testing and just receiving and following the latihan kejiwaan. If, therefore, a member or a helper tests frequently, because there are many different questions, he will be obliged to reduce the time spent in receiving and practicing his latihan, which is, essentially, following the guidance and direction that come from the Power of Almighty God.

Indeed it is necessary for people to test as well, but if this is done it is for reasons such as the need to know on what spiritual ( kejiwaan ) level a person now stands, or to enable one to know for oneself why it is that after being in Subud for a number of years one is still unable to receive experiences that can be felt. Testing can also be carried out when someone wishes to know how to behave in order to lessen the influence of the passions ( nafsu ) that still continually oppress his inner feeling, and in other cases where there is a connection with spiritual matters ( kejiwaan ). So, too, testing can be done to select someone to serve on a committee or as a helper, since these duties are always connected with spiritual matters.

The cases just mentioned certainly fall within the spiritual category and are in harmony with the way of the latihan kejiwaan, which is essentially guidance and direction from the Power of Almighty God.

As you know, the latihan kejiwaan of Subud has its being and comes through the Grace of Almighty God. Evidence of this is that its presence stills the thoughts and imagination and causes the working of heart and mind to cease. This is clear proof, and you yourselves have witnessed it.

If the latihan kejiwaan has come into being by the Grace of Almighty God, it is only fitting that we should hold it in high respect, and not practice it simply as our hearts wish. For if we only follow the desires of our hearts when we do the latihan, it means that we degrade the guidance and direction of Almighty God, the All-Glorious and All-Wise.

On the other hand, if we do the latihan kejiwaan and use it following the spiritual way, this means that we truly hold in high esteem the guidance and direction of Almighty God, manifested in the latihan kejiwaan which we have received and are practicing. It is for this reason that, so far as is possible, we do not employ testing for purposes that fall outside the field of spiritual matters.

If necessary, you may also test in order to be able to know your fate, and what to do so as to be able to change it for the better. But you should not then ask about all your various needs, as if you were questioning a "dukun" ( witch-doctor or fortune-teller ). This sort of thing is indeed work for a witch-doctor or fortune-teller. But for us, whose primary aim is the worship of Almighty God in accordance with His direction and guidance, such a habit is rather far removed from our original objective.

The fact is that many questions can be weighed and examined with your hearts and minds, such as wanting to move house, to change your work, to discover how to pay your debts, to know how to manage your property, to find a marriage partner or to improve an unfortunate lot in life. But occasionally, if it is obvious that heart and mind are inadequate to reach a satisfactory conclusion, only then should you ask the helpers to test about such a problem. For if you fall into the habit of asking about all kinds of things, you will eventually get into the way of being just an expert questioner, and you will not understand that the Subud latihan kedjiwaan, which exists by the grace of Almighty God, will enable you to know for yourself all that is necessary. It is better, therefore, not to make a habit of testing such problems.

It may be that you feel such questions as these to be very important for you. Well, yes, if you feel that they are important, maybe every kind of problem that becomes a necessity in your life is important. But the essential purpose and content of these questions does not tally or correspond with your intentions at the time when you were about to enter the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud.

If you will remember the situation at the time when you were about to enter Subud, you were reminded that the Subud latihan exists by and comes through the Grace of Almighty God, and is in its essence man's worship of God according to His guidance and direction manifested in the latihan kedjiwaan.

This is the purport of what you were told. As for questions of healing, setting right the inner force ( jiwa ) and the purification of the inner feeling, which relate to one's fate in life, all this will proceed of itself, because the improvement of the inner force and purification of the inner feeling are carded out in the course of the latihan kejiwaan, which is in truth direction and guidance from Almighty God.

So it is clear that if you really do surrender, patiently, sincerely and trustfully to the Will of Almighty God, your inner force will be raised up towards a superior level, and your inner feeling will be cleansed of the impurities and faults which are the cause of your misfortune, so that subsequently you will be filled by an inner force of superior quality, and the purity of your inner feeling will cause your fate in life to become a good one.

You will not, of course, be able to experience all these results immediately, because your inner force has sunk too low, and the impurities and faults of your inner feeling form a closely interwoven network. Except through the Grace of God, these results could never be achieved at all.

In fact the reason why a person experiences misfortune is only because his inner force has not yet risen to a higher level, and his inner feeling is still full of impurities and faults. This is why their elders advise people to accept the misfortunes that they experience as a test or trial in their lives. For if the experience of misfortune is accepted as a test or trial in one's life, then, far from falling into despair, the heart and feelings will be surrendered. It is from just such a state that there arises a feeling of prihatin ( concern or caring ), of making an effort to correct one's fate by way of cutting down food and sleep, marital relations and all kinds of pleasures.

Indeed, a reduction in eating and sleeping, marital relations and all kinds of pleasures is very necessary, for that is in fact a way to make it possible to obtain an improvement in one's fortune in life.

Brothers and sisters, Bapak is aware that everyone wishes for a life of ease and abundance, but if people will not follow the path of prihatin in the way that Bapak has just indicated, such a wish will remain no more than a hope.

Bapak will take an illustration from ordinary life, where there are prosperous people, clever and well-known people, highly placed people, wise ( waskita ) people. But these have become prosperous because they have previously been thrifty in all things, resolutely denying themselves all extravagant pleasures, which only follow the nafsu ( passions ); they have become clever and famous because they have diligently and persistently pursued knowledge that can benefit human existence; they have become wise because they have been patient, calm, peaceful, trusting and sincere. These last qualities are to be found in the Prophets and Messengers of Almighty God. So, in fact, even though they were Prophets and Messengers of God, yet they were not exempt from experiencing constant suffering and the practice of keprihatinan at an earlier stage of their lives.

This is a short explanation by Bapak concerning the need for people to test, and concerning the question of suffering, which is best accepted as a test or trial in life. Bapak further hopes that this short explanation, touching upon the questions of testing and suffering, may give satisfaction to all of you.

From Bapak