Brothers and sisters, Assalamu ‘alaikum wa rakhmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Before Bapak gives you a talk, he first thanks you very much for your reception of him and for the preparations you have made. He especially thanks the committee of the Malang group, who have really managed to collect together all the members to hear Bapak's talk tonight, not only from Malang but also from the neighboring towns.

Brothers and sisters, Bapak has of course also been hoping to meet you face to face, and to give you explanations concerning the nature of the latihan kejiwaan of our spiritual brotherhood of Subud. Why does Bapak need to do this? It is because the question of Subud, the question of the spiritual life, is not yet properly understood by those who receive the latihan kejiwaan, and this is so not only in Java or in Indonesia, but also outside Java, outside Indonesia, there are still many people who do not yet understand the usefulness and benefits of this latihan kejiwaan of Subud. There are still many people, brothers and sisters, who think that the latihan kejiwaan of Subud is comparable to some kebatinan, some mystical or ascetic teaching or training. In actual fact, brothers and sisters, it is not in the least like that.

Bapak says this because there are no theories to be found in the latihan kejiwaan; there is no instruction, nothing characteristic of any kind of Tarekh or Terekat ( study of the teachings ). You have seen for yourselves how in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud you are able to receive without any deliberate intention on your part, but it is something beyond your minds. Thus it is clear that the latihan kejiwaan of Subud is awakened by the power of God or, as it is expressed in Islam, by the grace and mercy of the One Almighty God, by the blessing of God, by the will of the One Almighty God, in order that human beings will not continue to follow something which is aroused by their hearts and minds only. This is the reason, brothers and sisters, why the latihan kejiwaan of Subud cannot be comprehended by the heart and mind.

Bapak is not blaming you here in Indonesia, you who are present here at the moment, for not being able to understand the content and the intentions and aims as well as the benefits of the latihan kejiwaan. For people from other countries, people who are said to be very intelligent, and of whom one or two are present here, and they also understand how it is with the members outside this country, these people, for all the high development of their minds, are unable to discover what this latihan kejiwaan of Subud really is, or what are its uses and benefits. They cannot grasp it.

Thus it is clear, brothers and sisters, that the awakening in you of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, which you have witnessed, is not because of your will, neither is it because of your own powers, but it is by the blessing and the grace of the One Almighty God, which in Javanese is called wahyu, in the language of Islam, it is called ilham ( spiritual wisdom, revelation ). That is why as a rule the people of Islam have been able to understand this. It is in accordance with what they have been taught in their religion; that it is not possible for human beings to achieve anything unless God grants them His blessing and His wahyu. That is the reason why whenever Moslems read from the holy scriptures, whenever they read from the Koran, they always precede this with the words "Bismillahir rahmanir rahim". That means "In the name of God, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate". It means that everything is done by God, and it is God to Whom all praise is due. That is how it is brothers and sisters, and so those words are truly in accordance with what happens in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud. And vice-versa; what happens in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud is in accordance with what has been taught in the Koran, as well as in the Gospels, the Psalms, the Torah. Those are the holy books brought by the messengers of God, by the grace and mercy of the One Almighty God.

Brothers and sisters, the human heart and mind do, of course, believe only in things that can be thought about, while, on the contrary, what cannot be grasped by the mind is called useless nonsense. But they, the human beings, do not know that God is beyond all the powers of humanity; God is huwal awal, beyond every beginning. He is huwal akhir, after every ending. God is huwa1 batin, within the innermost, as well as huwal lohlr, beyond the outermost. God envelopes the universe and its contents, and is both inside and outside them.

That is how it is, brothers and sisters, and so we have to be clever, and we need to look into what the people of Islam call the twenty attributes of God. For other people too, of course, there is also something like that. This is what Bapak says is what you have received; it is truly wahyu from Allah, as it was in the case of the prophets, the messengers of God, to whom God granted His Grace in days gone by.

Brothers and sisters, of course it is, as Bapak said just now, very difficult to understand. This is like what has usually been the experience of people in general of various religions, like the religion of Islam; the people of Islam are not allowed to practice austerities, nor are they allowed to put down the necessities of life so much that they make themselves ill. It is enough if they carry out the shareat of the ibadat ( religious obligations ), the five pillars of Islam; that is, the sahadat; ( declaration of faith ), the solat ( the five daily prayers ), puasa ( the fast ), the zakat fitrah ( alms giving ) and the haj ( pilgrimage to Mecca ).

That is what God has ordained for mankind. Only, apart from this, the people of Islam are required to do amal, good works. The means of amal and to do amal is to do as we are told in the Koran to the best of our ability. That means to do things in the best way possible, in order to be able to understand what is intended in the commandments of God which are stated in the holy books, and what is their use and benefit.

Let us take one of the pillars of Islam, the fast in each month of Ramadhan. The people of Islam are required to fast in each month of Ramadhan. If possible, they should fast for the full thirty days, but at least for twenty days. And it is traditional to say that after twenty days, and beginning from the twenty-first day, that is, from what is called the malam selikur, the twenty-first night, that is the time at which it is said that after having fasted for that many days there is a possibility for the people who fast to be able to receive the Qodar from Almighty God which is called the lailatul qodar.

What is this lailatul qodar, brothers and sisters? Of course, if one examines it logically, it is not possible for something material to fall from heaven to be received by human beings or to touch human beings; that is, it is not possible for what is called the lailatul qodar to be anything like that. If it were like that, brothers and sisters, it would not be Allahu Akbar, it would not be God the All-Glorious, not God the All-Powerful, giving something tied up in a parcel, as human being usually gives things.

Thus it is clear that what is called the lailatul qodar is not something material that comes down or falls from above, but it is ilham, is the Zat Allah ( power of God ), which is manifested in the inner self of human beings, so that without themselves knowing how it happens, they suddenly feel compassion towards their fellow men and women. Suddenly they feel that they want to help people;that means to help those who have little or nothing. Suddenly they want to give some small part of their possessions to other people who need them. This is what is born in them, which means that this is what arises after the fast, and this zakat and fitrah.

Thus it is clear, brothers and sisters, that the nature of zakat and fitrah is not by the will of man, not imposed or ordered by any person whatsoever, but by one’s own inner self, which has understood something. It is understood by people who are really pure people, who do not just consider themselves alone but who are truly able to feel for their fellow creatures. This is what is called social awareness or social conscience. Thus before ever these words were in use, before ever the words 'social democracy' were used, some people of Islam already possessed this, not from any human being, but from the One Almighty God. It is thus clear, brothers and sisters, that the nature of social awareness, the nature of brotherhood, the nature of the unity of the human race in its life in this world before the One God, already exists, and it is from the One Almighty God.

What Bapak is talking about here, which Bapak says can be received by doing the fast for twenty days or a month, and that not for just one year only but repeating it every year, is something that you can receive, it can be said, unconditionally. Why is that? What makes you different from other people? It is not that you are made differently from other people, so that you feel that for us it all very easy, and that you have already been able to receive ilham from the One Almighty God. It is not like that, brothers and sisters. It is of course because this is what God has willed; it is the time for this to happen.

God wills that at this moment human beings should no longer go on for ever in the same way. It is because in this present era everything that exists in people’s outlook upon this world forms obstacles and obstructions to their worship of the One Almighty God, and prevents them from really worshipping God in truth, so that they are able to receive His guidance and direction.

There is proof of this, brothers and sisters; Bapak is not saying anything for which there is no proof. Bapak will not say anything that you have not experienced for yourselves, but there is clear proof of what Bapak is saying, which you yourselves have experienced; that is, that every time you do the latihan kejiwaan you are willed to do it by the Zat Allah, the power of God, which is both inside and outside your selves. Even though you can already walk very well, you are made to walk. Even though you are very good at waving your hands about, you are still made to wave your hands. Even though you can already turn your head to the right and to the left, you are still made to do that, and so on and so forth. Yet you can already do these things without being made to do them. This is proof that in your lives you are always under the protection of the One Almighty God. You can think because the power of God is in your thinking, you can feel this and that because of the power that is present in life. It is as Bapak said just now; the nature of God and of His power is huwal batin, huwal 1ohir. Man does not know how God is, but God knows how man is, all his content, both his beginning and his ending.

That is how it is, brothers and sisters, and therefore Bapak says to you, and since seven years ago Bapak has been saying to you, that you must be diligent in doing the latihan, and you must examine what you receive. It is important for you to examine it, brothers and sisters.

It began with the prophet Abraham. The prophet Abraham brought his book. It was necessary for the prophet Abraham to be able to instruct his people in accordance with what is written in the Zabur ( the psalms ). At that time, there were some who believed and some who did not.

Then God sent another messenger, with his book, the Torah of the prophet Moses. In this way people could be very well taught. “You are to teach your fellow men how to live both in this world and the next, and how not to offend against the will of the One Almighty God". Yes, there were some who accepted it and some who did not. That is human nature.

Then another messenger of God was born, or another messenger was sent, Christ, the prophet Jesus, with has book of the Gospels. He taught this and that, like this and like that, and there were some who believed and some who did not.

Finally there was the prophet Muhammad s.a.w., with his book, which is called the Koran. Yes, there were some who believed and some who did not, for not everyone believed, but only some.

It is clear that full instruction has been available. There has been no lack of teaching. Everything is included in the lines laid down by the messengers of the One Almighty God, the aforesaid prophets. That is without taking into account the lines laid down by prophets such as the Buddha, the Hindu teachers and so on. Those too were also able to receive their books, if we speak of Buddha, Wedha and the others. Those scriptures were also taught to mankind. In fact the words in those books are actually very beautiful indeed; so beautiful that one feels as if those who taught these things were sitting every day in the presence of the One Almighty God.

So far as Bapak’s feeling goes, and also so far as has been proved by the people living in this world, mankind is not yet able to receive the truth. Only one or two or three have received it clearly; in particular it has been received by the prophets, and in the case of Islam, by the prophet Muhammad, the Rasulullah.

The human mind, brothers and sisters has progressed further and further as time has gone on, and the longer time goes on the higher it goes and the more it becomes something beyond the minds of ordinary people. Bapak says that, because would you here be able to make an atom bomb? You could never do it, whereas people exist who do make atom bombs. Would you ever be able to build a nuclear device? No. Yet there are people who do build them. Would you ever be able to go to the moon? Not yet. But there are people who do go to the moon.

It is obvious how far the work of the mind has gone. Is there any difference between you and these people, when all your organs and all your limbs are the same? Perhaps there are even some of you who are heavier than the people who do these things, for many of the people who have discovered nuclear energy have actually been quite thin.

What is the difference between you? It is that they go on and on, learning all the time. Here, when someone makes a good profit, you say, "Oh, that is not good. This person is just out to make money, but not thinking about his life". "What do you mean? Let him make money; that is thinking about his life." "No, what I mean is the life after death" Should one then long for death? It is not the will of God for human beings to live in this world just so as to die tomorrow. No. If God wished human beings to think only about the hereafter, and not think about this world, it would not be necessary to put them into the world at all, for God is All-powerful and All-wise. So human beings are created in this world, and you must provide for your lives and earn a living, so as to live a happy life. At the same time, God tells us that you must not forget that you come from the One Almighty God. That is why you must worship the One Almighty God, while at the same time seeking to provide for yourselves and earn money.

We have had bitter experiences; we have experienced the bitterness of the struggle. Do we wish to go back again to that, to ignorance and to being stupid, ignorant people who know nothing? No. Please think, brothers and sisters, how ignorance still exists up to the present time, even though this is called the atom age, the nuclear age, the rocket age and the age of all that kind of thing. In short, there are still people who have made no progress at all. They are still living in the age of half-naked savagery; the people of Irian Jaya ( New Guinea ) are actually said still to be wearing loin clothes or G-strings. It is very strange. Are these the offspring of some new kind of man, only newly brought into existence by God? No. These people's ancestors were the same as ours. They were the same. They are also descended from human ancestors, just as we are. Yet when we look at them, we are astonished. Why are people of the present day, the atomic age, still only wearing a G-string? It is very strange.

Well, you have to look for the reason for this. The reason is that their ancestors were lazy. That is the reason; they were lazy. When their stomachs were full, they felt that that was enough and they went to sleep. Next day they looked for food again. Those can be said to be people who have never developed their intelligence at all.

This, brothers and sisters, is one of the things that is entirely from the gift of wahyu, the gift of the qodar from the One Almighty God. Thus that God bestows the qodar, bestows wahyu upon human beings clearly demonstrates God's love for mankind.

Why is it that Subud and that all of you are able to receive something that other people have found so difficult and so hard to do? What is the reason? It is because God wills it to be so. We human beings, in our groping way, cannot possibly understand or know the secrets of God unless God gives it to us to know them. For the present era is one in which it is not possible for people to break through the walls and barriers that obstruct their worship of the One Almighty God, unless He, Himself helps them to do it. That is the reason why in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud the guidance and the guide, the direction and the director, are none other than the power of the One Almighty God, which envelops all your selves both inwardly and outwardly.

Now, because there is also still a lot of human imagination involved, the question arises in the minds of many people as to whether this latihan kejiwaan of Subud goes against religion? Not in the least. The greater part of the Subud members do also have a religion. Some belong to the religion of Islam, some are Christians, some are Hindus or Buddhists and some belong to yet other religions, whatever these may be. Thus Subud in no way goes against religion, for it is of such a nature that these who practice the Subud latihan in the spiritual brotherhood of Subud are people who belong to the various religions. On the contrary; it is actually this that is truly in accordance with the nature of life.

If a Moslem and a Christian are both in Subud, they are in harmony with one another. Who is it who makes them harmonious, when there are various differences between the teachings of these religions? If one really looks at it, the teachings of these various religions would actually produce enmity between them, and they could not possibly be brothers. It would not be possible. Yet after receiving the latihan kejiwaan they are in harmony with one another.

So it is really true that it is the will of God for people to live in this world in harmony. If human beings could be in harmony, if the people of this world could live in harmony, wars would not occur. They would not occur. These wars are caused by people being out of harmony. It is human beings who make these wars. People used to call this "fighting”. How could anyone fight with a younger or older brother?

If you continue in harmony, then if you have a banana, you will share and share alike, half each. You will go on being in harmony. On1y one creature fights; man, who if he has a plateful of food will only spare one grain of rice and will eat all the rest himself. How can they?

So the harmony in the latihan kejiwaan shows that life ought to be harmonious. If in life there is harmony between one person and another, between one race and another, then of course things will go well for their countries. For it is hard to organize a country when its people are not in harmony. Thus, to take it further, if Subud were to be spread over the whole human race, so that all mankind could really understand the use and benefits of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, then it would be possible for there to be no quarrels, no disagreements, which means no disturbances in the world.

This is how it is, brothers and sisters, if you want to hear the reason why Bapak is always urging you to do the latihan diligently together with carrying out your religious duties. This is necessary in order for there to be harmony within religious groups and also for there to be harmony in Subud, so that the conditions of harmony will extend more widely, and every day you will understand better and every day you will know better what are the uses and intentions of this latihan kejiwaan.

Now Bapak will explain again what are the obstacles and obstructions that cause a lack of harmony. Bapak is only talking about harmony. Like at school; if you attend this school, eventually you acquire a degree as a doctor of medicine, an M.D. Well, that is very nice. Bapak has not yet explained about the methods of learning and how to study diligently. Yes; when you get your M.D., that is all very nice, but before you get it, that is hard work.

Brothers and sisters, the lower forces are the material life force, which is called the roh raewani, the vegetable life force, which is called the roh nabati, the animal life force, which is called the roh khewani, the human life force of ordinary people, which is still called the roh jasmani, and the roh rohani life force of the true human beings who are called manusia. Are true human beings or manusia; not human in the ordinary sense of the word? Yes, manusia are also ordinary human beings.

But there is a technical description for these manusia. Manusia are beings with a nature that is insan kamil; that is they are perfected creatures. These perfect human beings are men and women, and they have children. These manusia, these people who are called manusia, are what in Javanese are trimurti, tritunggal, three in one. Man, woman and child. Thus if a man has a wife but as yet no child, he is satugel, incomplete. But if a man does not yet have a wife, he is called seperempat ( one quarter ). These human forces, both the jasmaniah and the rochaniah are forces that inhabit our selves, brothers and sisters.

If you were not inhabited by the material or satanic life-force, you would not recognize money. That would be very difficult for you. You would not recognize money, you would not recognize housing, you would not recognize clothing, you would not be able to meet together. So obviously these same material forces, which obstruct human beings in the performance of their worship of the One Almighty God, are something you really need. Like a house. Does a house not require supports, does it not require walls? Without them it could not be called a house. It would be a shed. Supposing it had only two upright posts ( and a roof sloping to the ground ), it would be a stable.

So this life is in fact really perfect in its form. You must not accuse God of making a mistake because you are inhabited by the material force, but this force is there, brothers and sisters, to enable you to organize all your various worldly requirements. It is the same with the vegetable force, the roh nabati. If you did not know it and if you were not filled by the roh nabati, if you did not know the vegetable life force, where would you get your flesh and blood, skin and bones? Where would you get these from? Also if you did not know the animal force, you would have no karep ( will power ) at all, you would be permanently limp and exhausted, like Gatotkaca ( a wayang puppet character ) without the stick that supports him.

If you did not know the jasmania life force, you would not know what it is to marry. You would not recognize a woman, you would not know about men and women. Even though they might embrace and hug one another, it would mean no more than children rolling about on the floor. Yes, you are fortunate, because you are aware of these things. This is what is symbolized by the time of Adam. In Adam's time, he was a man but he did not understand about the woman. They slept together, sometimes they might embrace one another, but yet they did not understand. They did not understand. If Adam were put aside and you were in his place, it would be hard for you, who know the difference. Thus those former times were different from the present.

So if you wanted to throw all these forces out of your inner selves, so as to be able to live like Adam, the human race would become extinct. Nobody would have any children. Well, that would be the end of it, would it not? It would be something more than family planning. If you go in for family planning, you do still have a family, and it is not completely ruled out. Of course you may not want to do it; you may of course not be able to do it. Then people ask what to do. "Oh God, how can I worship you to perfection, and not be hindered by setohian, the nabadiah, the khewaniah and the jasmaniah forces?"

Now you understand. That is why the holy scriptures tell you to run to God, to ask God. God has told you what to say, Ashadu anla ilaha ilallah, wa ashadu anna Muhammadar rasulullah". You must believe it. "Only God is to be worshipped, and God exists, and His messenger, the prophet Muhammad, the messenger of God". God will give you something that is beyond your own capacity to obtain. This is what is called the khatir ilham, the lailatul qodar; it is called wahyu ( revelation ), and it is this that happens in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud. If you want to think about it, you cannot. Thus no one can make a monopoly of Subud. It cannot be done. These people are possessed by the power of God.

Supposing you ask, “Bapak, why is it that after having been in Subud for ten years - or maybe not ten but nearly twenty - why do I not understand? All I do is nod my head".

It is your own fault. It is your fault, because you have feelings, do you not? You have to feel and examine it. If you do that, then in every latihan everything you do embodies illustrations and shows you maps of the way, as Bapak himself has proved.

Bapak has never learned all these things. He has never studied them. It is as if what Bapak has found out, he has received. Formerly, before people had begun eagerly searching for oil in Java, Bapak used to tell the members, including some of you who are present, that if you want to know where there is an abundance of oil, it is in the Java Sea. Not just wells; there are rivers of it there. If you want to know where there is the superior kind of iron ore called bes lanang, which makes high-quality steel, it is in the seas to the south. Now that has been proved, and it is being mined by Japan.

Well, we lost out to everyone. Even though Bapak had received it, he could do nothing about it. If the person who receives it has a lot of money, brothers and sisters, then something can be done.

But nevertheless Bapak too has done something; something that he was commanded by God to do. Of course, brothers and sisters, you have already heard about it. But I will also explain how I - who have already come here before for that purpose - have been able to collect money so as to be able to create and establish a bank, although at present it is still only a national bank. But behind it there are preparations awaiting a final ruling. The regulations here will change so that money from outside can get in, and people from abroad can get in, for instance; oh, just wait a little.

That is why the private banks in Java, in Indonesia, are astonished, for they know that our bank is a small one, only established for a year and a half. The Bank Niaga ( Commercial Bank ) which is so big that it handles many milliards, has a capital of only two hundred and fifty million rupiahs, whereas the Subud bank has a capital of more than two million dollars ( which is more than eight hundred million rupiah ). Later on we shall see. In ten years time, there may perhaps be more than thirty milliard rupiahs being handled in Subud.

And what is its intention? Bapak will tell you. It is intended to help you, brothers and sisters, so that you can work actively. That is why Bapak is always urging you to do enterprises. Of course you understand what these enterprises are. The Indonesian word for "enterprises" is “usaha”. What Bapak intends with these enterprises is not that you should work not individually, but that you should work together. The benefit of cooperation is that those who have not yet been able to do anything can be guided and directed by those who are able to do things. If you act on your own, those who cannot manage to do anything continue to be unable to manage. As a rule, our people are not able to act on their own.

At the time of the revolution, all the people on Jalan Malioboro were Javanese. After the revolution was over, there was nobody there who could handle business. So clearly we do not have much diligence, no rea1 sincerity in our work.

If you ask what do we use for capital. Bapak has prepared the Bank Susila Bakti. But in fact your capital is not your money; your capital is what people say of you. That is why you should do good deeds and actions and behave well, as well as possible, so that you get a good reputation with people in general. If someone has a good name, he already has capital.

Take Bapak's case; he has been able to attract more than two million dollars, just on the strength of Bapak’s word. I can offer no security. I have nothing to offer as security. What I offer as security is not anything that I own. Well, people do as Bapak says. In addition there is the existence of the latihan kejiwaan, which Bapak says is always overshadowed and protected by the power of the One Almighty God.

If you live close to someone who is rich of course you will be at least a little bit rich. If you live close to someone who tells lies, you will be at least a little bit capable of telling lies. If you are close to God, how can you fail to receive something of God? Thus if someone claims to be close to God and yet he is in rags, which means he is very poor, no one is going to believe him. He is not to be believed. Close to God and yet destitute? That cannot be.

This is something I have myself experienced. It is true that if there were no examples of this you would not believe it. There are examples. I, Bapak, am an example. Besides myself, here is Sutanto; that is not all, for there is Prio. When Prio used to be in Malang, did he own a house? Certainly not. No; he did not own even a single chicken. Now he has forty thousand chickens. Some of them are dying now because of some disease, but God had already told Prio that besides chickens he should have horses. So now he goes in for horses. Half his forty thousand chickens have died and his horses have increased by four more. Well, what is the value of a horse? How much does a good one cost? Six million rupiahs. Well; six million rupiahs for one horse! Would you not like to be like Prio? Well, Prio has a master’s degree and a doctorate. I have not. This is a case of horses, where no master's or doctor's degrees are needed. It is in the law courts, where a case needs to be tried, that one speaks of masters and doctors of laws. This the case of horses. If one is equipped with a master's or a doctor's degree, does one then go in for horses? It is actually easy to do, brothers and sisters, for you are acceptable in all circles.

Thus we already have some examples, brothers and sisters. In short, the Javanese, the people of our race, are as a rule timid. People want to do business, but they are afraid of failing, of going bankrupt. That is as if someone applying for work is already asking to resign, even before he has got the job. That is the same thing as not working.

Brothers and sisters, it has been very fortunate for the people of Islam that they fast every year, and that after the fast, at the Hari Raya, they always say, “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar: La ilaah ilallah Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar wa lillaa hil hamdz” ( God is great and there is no God but God. God is great and to Him all praise is due ).

You say that, and then you say it again. How is that? You should not say anything for which there is no evidence. So now there is evidence of the truth. That is why it is now the time for you to be practical and put it into practice. Much or little, great or small, you have something that you can rely on, that you depend upon. Why not have courage?

Bapak is proof of it. Here is Ramzi Winkler, an engineer. This German man is to Bapak, yes, as all of you are to Bapak, like a son. He regards Bapak as a father. He really does. Even, when Bapak was ill, although Ramzi was himself also ill, he came first to visit Bapak. Ask Ramzi if you do not believe it.

Why is that? The One upon Whom Bapak relies exists. Who is it? It is the One Almighty God. For the One Almighty God is God of all mankind, and those to whom God is close will draw other people to them.

Bapak therefore tells all of you that you must do the latihan diligently. Do the latihan kejiwaan. Yes, it is arranged for times when you are not too much occupied, when you do not have too much work, but it must be really sincere; do not mix it up with what you have to do. You must not do that. You must do the latihan at times when you have plenty of time for it. And you should examine it closely. And you should also carry out your religions duties, so as not to offend against anything in the eyes of the public.

It has been seven years since Bapak has been here, and now he has in fact come here because he is displeased with you, if you can accept that. For seven years all you have been able to do is just nod your heads. Impossible; when even a little chicken will certainly be able to crow after seven years, in fact, it would actually be dead by then. But you here, after seven years are still cheeping – “yikyikyikyik”. Well, I am not pleased with you. Whether I turn to the right or to the left, all I hear is the cheeping of little chickens. Nowhere is there any crowing. "Yikiyik - yikiyik".

Well, brothers and sisters, if this gets any longer it will just be a lecture. But it remains teaching. What is important is to carry out in practice what is taught. And to carry it out in practice adds to your resolution and determination. Bapak will do some testing with you, so that you can know the reasons why you are still going “yikiyik”, like that. And before doing this testing, Bapak will have a break of a quarter of an hour. He needs something to drink. When Bapak goes straight on talking, he gets thirsty.

( Interval and testing )

Brothers and sisters, there is still plenty of time, and Bapak can give some additional explanation concerning the nature of the latihan kejiwaan. It is also necessary for Bapak to always keep on urging you to do enterprises. "Enterprise" is the English word; in Indonesian it is "usaha" or :”ikhtiar”. In Javanese it is “ikhtiar”, “usaha”.

The latihan kejiwaan and progress in the spiritual life are in the power of God. Human beings can only receive and feel it. For it is only God Who is able to check the flow or obstruction by the material force, the vegetable force, the animal force and the ordinary human or Jasmani force. Bapak says that because you can be said to be a new kind of people by comparison with the people whose destiny it was to live in the distant past.

In the age of Adam, the age when human beings were still few, their nature was like that of, for instance, the plants it was like the nature of plants, still in its original state. Thus human beings still had the jiwa of the true human being, manusia. That means that their bodies were what is called jasmani and the souls within which were what is called rohani. Thus they could still be said to be perfect human beings, or manusia insan kamil. But then, year by year, windu by windu ( Javanese eight-year cycle ), and even more so century by century and age by age, and also with the development of the human mind, people came up against things before and behind, to the right and to the left, and they had willy-nilly to create things to keep themselves safe, or to follow their own karep, their own will.

That was how it was that, as time went on and as the years, the windus, the centuries went by, the human jiwa declined from being a truly human jiwa that could be called an insan or rohani jiwa, it fell lower and lower, until it was on the material level. Thus, whether they liked it or not, human beings were dragged down into the material level. It is now obvious that human life is weighted down by material things. It can even be said that nowadays if people do not have material possessions, they have nothing, they are of no value. It has come to the point where people sell themselves for material things.

Thus it is obvious that the latihan kejiwaan, which makes it possible for your jiwa to return to that of the best of mankind, the perfect human being, the manusia insan kamil, this latihan is very important. And this could not happen, could not be made to happen, except by the power of the One Almighty God. And this power of the One Almighty God acts when you truly surrender to it; that is, when you surrender with patience, trust and sincerity. Thus the content of human worship of God is that of people who worship with patience, trust and sincerity.

So it is clear that this work is really done and will continue to be done by the power of God. It is only God Who can be one with everything that He has created. He is one with everything. For supposing that it is the hands that are dirty, the hands can only be made clean by the hands. The mind too; the mind can only be made clean by the mind. Thus it is clear that it is only the One Almighty God who can make clean and purify all the things that are present in human beings.

That is why in religion it is only God Who gives help, so that people say, as Bapak said just now, Ashadu anla ilaha ilallah, wa ashadu anna Muhammadar rasulullah". That means that only God is to be worshipped and there is none but the One Almighty God who can right all wrongs and create something that does not yet exist. And to this the prophet Muhammad, the messenger of God, bears witness, as a symbol standing for your own self. Thus it is your own inner self that is of the nature of Muhammad, because this is the nature of the asma, the work, of the One Almighty God and of the power of God.

It is like an illustration, which is a sign or symbol, not as if it were itself the thing illustrated, but just a symbol. Like a governor, what people call the governor is not in fact the person holding the office, but the office itself. As for the person concerned, he is an ordinary man. Because of that, as a standard, in order not to be misleading, a governor needs to be given a sign, so that he will not be mistaken for someone holding another office. These signs or seals are of many kinds. What is the governor's seal like? Perhaps he uses stars, so that when they see this seal the people can be sure that he is the authorized ruler of the district.

Brothers and sisters, there are many people who say, there are not a few people who always say, that a pure or holy person is one who is free from self interest. This is a way of saying.

Brothers and sisters, that there is nobody who is free from self interest, nobody. Only God is free from self interest. Why is that? It is because human beings have nafsu. The nafsu in the human self are, to be concise, four. They are the nafsu amarah, the nafsu aluamah, the nafsu supiah and the nafsu mutmainah. That is putting it concisely. What are those nafsu?. People simplify it by saying that these nafsu are the karep, the will. The will of human beings and of the levels below that is called karep. A higher will, the will of the human being who is already good, already pure, who has already been purified, is called kerso. Then the will that is higher still, what is called the will of the One Almighty God, the Zat Tuhan, is called Kuwasa. Thus Kuwasa is karep; the karep of God. So has God then a will? If God had no will, human beings would not exist.

The holy scriptures, the Bible and all the other scriptures, tell how before anything existed there was something that is still called suwung-wang-wung, lelimengan. Lelimengan is neither darkness nor light. That was before anything existed. There was just the Kerso; that is, the Zat Tuhan or power of God. Light was created. The meaning of light is will. Thus that light was will, the Kerso Allah, the Will of God. Or in a more noble and inward language, it is called the nature of the 'Zat Tuhan Yang Maha Esa, ( the will of the One Almighty God ). And that light illuminated and lighted the whole universe.

From the power of that light there eventually came into existence the coarse, the less coarse, the half-coarse, half-fine and the fine elements, that is, the factors or elements which science calls earth, water, air and fire. From these four everything that developed in the framework of life was created. Of course, you yourselves have to some extent studied these things at school, and you know that the inside of this earth, the middle of the earth, is full of fire. And above the earth is water, then air and then fire again.

So it is clear, brothers and sisters, that we live surrounded by these four elements inside and these four elements outside. With the one in the middle, that adds up to nine. This is scientific knowledge. Thus those four elements are four forces. Although they are so strong, although they are so obscure and mysterious, yet still more obscure is what cannot be seen or thought about; that is, the Zat Tuhan, the khatir or vibration of life. Thus life moves, life is not dead. That is why it is therefore said that God is movement, God is life. The framework of life includes within it everything that has been created; that is, the framework of roh ( spirit ) upon roh upon roh.

That is how it is, brothers and sisters, if one tells about it. What is the reason why human beings have come to the point of being able to tell about these things and understand them? Yes, it is because of the One Almighty God that people have this understanding and this ability to receive. It is for that reason that human beings can do nothing without the One Almighty God, and even less can they do anything in their state after death. Thus people will not be able to receive this if they are still holding on to their nafsu, their karep or will. That karep is the "I"; that is, the person. The content of the karep varies. There are four major divisions; amarah, aluamah, supiah and mutmainah. But the amarah is in turn also filled with many various forms of karep or will; anger and greed, the wish to be rich or clever or famous, the wish to live for oneself alone, the wish for one's own comfort and pleasure.

If everything belonged to one person only, it would actually be difficult for that person. Those who had nothing would be his enemies. For only one or two people would have everything and their enemies would number millions. That is why God reminds us that human beings must share the good things of life and live for their fellow beings, so that they live in peace.

Well, if for every rich person there are ten thousand who are not rich, how are these ten thousand to be contented? The ten thousand possess nothing and only one person has something. What good is that? Well then, if there is not a right balance, what will happen? There will be trouble for that one person, who will be attacked and robbed. It will be like that. So if the person who possesses something gives zakat and fitrah, and gives to those who are in need and who need to receive alms, and if he gives something of his surplus, then, God willing, the world will be happy. This is what religion intends people to do. This is why the religions cannot and must not give up doing social work.

Well then, is this social work to be done just anyhow? No; it must be done fairly and justly. That is why social justice and equity are mentioned in the Panoasila ( the five basic principles of the Republic of Indonesia ). You should not give indiscriminately to anyone and everyone if they do not need to be helped. Such giving is dangerous. Even though the giving is good, yet sometimes it turns into its opposite. Someone who has never played cards, for instance, who has never gambled, may, if we give him money, become a gambler. A person who has hitherto been loyal and who has never been insolent may, if you give him ten million rupiahs, become insolent. That is why you should therefore help those who need help, but be careful and watch what you do. That is being just and fair.

Thus you give help to other people when they need to be helped. To take the matter further, brothers and sisters, this is what Bapak is always talking about in Subud, when he says that you should run enterprises. For when your enterprises make progress, and with the profits of the enterprises you run, you will live up to your standards, if those are Subud standards. The ideas and ideals that exist in Subud require the establishment of enterprises, so that within our own organization we can, in the first place, establish schools for neglected children, delinquent children. What is the need to establish schools for delinquent children? What makes it necessary is our latihan kejiwaan. For it is not the person who is delinquent, but the content of the person. Thus if we are able to guide and direct them, so that the outer life of these delinquent children will come right, then of course their parents will be very pleased and happy.

Apart from schools for delinquent children, we also need ordinary schools, and homes for neglected and children and children without parents, for orphans. And besides preparing something for these children, we shall also teach our own members to become skilled workers. They will become skilled, and all the more so if we connect this with the conditions in our own country.

After instruments that can be used to detect what is contained in the earth had been invented, this land of Indonesia was said to be full of the riches of the earth. But even though it is full of the riches of the earth, what use are these if we are unable to work them? It is as Bapak described just now. Bapak had already received that in the Java Sea there were, not wells, but rivers of oil; large rivers. There are rivers like the Bangswan Solo, the great Solo river, there in the Java sea. And now large quantities of oil are beginning to be discovered and are being recovered by off shore drilling.

Bapak also received that in the Indian Ocean, that is, the seas to the south of Indonesia, there are large quantities of what is called besi laki-laki, or wesi lanang ( male iron or high quality iron ore ), not just a few tons but enormous quantities of the best quality ore, what is called wulung ( purple ), a steel making grade of ore. That is iron which has a very strong aantrekkingskracht, a strong magnetic qualities. If this is made into cannon, guns, these are very powerful. These are examples of what we possess, but we are not able to work our resources. Now this ore is being worked by Japan. Just imagine we possess things but can make no use of them. That is what one calls a great pity.

I will add something more. It is not Subud’s idea only to build schools and orphanages, or homes for neglected children, but also to build homes for old people, old people without families. There are many of these old people, so that they are dying without anyone knowing about them, and they are really not properly cared for. We can also build hospitals and clinics. It will also be a test for these of the helpers, who besides being qualified as doctors, are also expert in spiritual matters, so that they can use the right remedies both inwardly and outwardly.

We shall not be able to fulfill all these ideals, we will not be able to achieve all this, unless we have the wherewithal to pay for it. And what is that wherewithal? Of course it is money. And we must train ourselves not to get into the way of doing social work by begging. We must not do that. That is not doing social work, not if we beg for the money to do it. If we beg for money and then give it to other people, that is not doing social work. It is not. If people can really be said to be doing social work, they do the work themselves.

This work is enterprises. Can we do this? Why not? That is why Bapak is beginning to collect experts from every race, with skills in every field. There are expert prospectors for gold, there are experts in various chemical processes; in short, there are experts in every field. We can draw upon our membership all over the world, in Germany we have not less than fifty or so members who are experts in this or that, more than fifty. Bapak is gathering all these experts together, and they will later on form an advisory board. If necessary, they can visit places to which they are asked to go and advise on this and that. And of course they will not be able to do that unless there is also the money for it. That is a further reason why enterprises are necessary. That is why Bapak requires twenty-five percent of the net profit of these enterprises to be given to the Subud funds.

Also we shall give employment to our own members in the big enterprises we shall establish. We shall guide them so that eventually many of these members, who are really experts, will be able to work in them. So those are the ideas of Subud. Supposing you ask why Bapak has these ideas? Well, Bapak has received them from the One Who created Bapak. Otherwise it could not easily happen. No. At present, because it is hard to bring money from other countries into this country, it is difficult to do this, and our bank has not yet been able to become an international bank. So Bapak is now setting up and organizing a body which is called an international enterprise body ( Sinar Enterprises Development Ltd ). This is now already operating in England, in Holland and in Germany.

Han here ( a Chinese Subud member ) has also joined this body as a shareholder. You are a shareholder, are you not? Are you? “Perhaps”, you say. Not ”perhaps". Say "yea". Bapak knows this. He knows.

This is what is being done at present, and people from England, Holland and Germany are already working on it. At present the person in charge of doing this is a Dutchman, Maarten Giel. He has already been able to collect or attract people to take up shares in this international trading company. It will be able to trade on a very large scale. This is only three-quarters done. If it can all be done, perhaps it can be housed or located somewhere or other.

Why does Bapak need to organize this? It is because the bank cannot be localized everywhere, but it will be possible to deal in goods everywhere. Thus goods from Germany can be delivered here and from here goods can be exported to Germany; Things like that. So like that it is easy. And we may hope that later on our country will be able to arrange regulations that will allow our bank, the Bank Susila Bakti, to become an international bank. If in fact they can do this successfully, capital will be available for everyone who is skilled at some kind of work.

Of course, brothers and sisters, the people who supply capital, the bank which supplies capital, will also wish to know whether or not you are capable of working.

If you are not able to work, you must not then say things such as; "Oh, we have our own bank, but if I ask for a loan, it is difficult to get it”. It is not being made difficult, no, but how can anyone who is not working at anything ask for a loan? Well, you ask for a loan. You just try it out, to see what will happen if you ask for ten million rupiahs. If you try doing that, what will you do when it is all gone? You will not be helping your own bank, but on the contrary, you will be putting an end to it. Things like that will not make our bank strong or establish it in the economic field, but will on the contrary cause it to collapse completely.

Thus there has to be a close inspection or investigation. If you are really good at your work, there is no reason why you should not be able to get a loan. There have already been cases here where people have been able to get loans. If they work in Surabaya, why not in Malang? If Jakarta has been able to work and run enterprises, why not in Malang?

Bapak does not wish his children here to be lazy, if you will forgive that word. You must be diligent and industrious, both inwardly and outwardly, spiritually and physically, yes, in the kejiwaan, so that if Bapak needs to give a talk in the latihan hall there at Cilandak, you will fly there, like Gatotkaca ( a wayang character who can fly ). Where will the money come from? You will already have money.

At present Bapak is giving talks on the second Saturday of every month, specially for the helpers and committee members, so that when there are question from outside Subud they will be able to answer them properly and so that they will have no doubts about how to answer. But for you, who are not yet running enterprises, it is not possible for you to get there. It is very expensive. What is the plane fare from here to Jakarta? Twenty-three thousand rupiahs; twice that is forty-six thousand. Is forty-six thousand rupiahs a small sum? Will you be able to get there every month? You will not. But if you were running enterprises, so that every month you had a profit of, let us say, half a million rupiahs, then it would be a light matter to spend just forty-six thousand. Yes or no?

This has already been tried out, and Bapak has felt for himself how it is. Sutanto has also felt it for himself. So the return journey is very expensive. Yes. Why is it light for Bapak? It is because Bapak is already running an enterprise. If Bapak himself, who is already old and who should only be dealing with spiritual matters, if he can still run an enterprise, how much more can you, who are still young; all the more so you who can still sing so beautifully!

So you must work, brothers and sisters. You must not be half-hearted. For it has been decreed that we should live in this world, and of course we are no different from other people. We are just the same. It is you yourselves who are wrong. Yes, it is your own fault.

Apart from that, brothers and sisters, God has decreed that human beings should have minds, and those too are to be made to work, not just left idle. Then they are like those people who sell their services to recite a kulhu ( a section of the Koran ) and sit polishing up their sticks ( these are people usually blind ), who frequent the Muslim cemeteries and who get paid to recite passage from the Koran. Well, that is out of place. That is the dregs of religion. People use the kulhu to beg; that is the very dregs of religion. They rattle off the kulhu: Bismillahir rohmanir rohim. Qul huwallahu ahad, Allahua somad, Iam jalid walam julad walam jakul lahu kufuwan ahad. They are using, making use of Bismillahir rohmanir rohim.

Thus the person who saying it is only reciting it at random. Yes, he is using Bismillahir rohmanir rohim. to cheat other people. So that person is forwwearing himself and degrading the power of God. Whereas someone who exalts God is also exalted in this world.

So we have to remember. It is like someone working for an employer, if an employee really works sincerely and well, which means that he can be trusted, then of course his employer is pleased; his pay is raised. Now here the employer is God, and we human beings are the employees. If we really do well whatever God gives us to do, God will of course be pleased. Every month we get a bonus, something like that, for instance.

It is not necessary for Bapak to say a great deal. That is enough instuction by way of a sample, as an example. Why do you not carry it out? You can do it. Thus we do not force matters, so that everything is adjusted according to the situation, but it is also important. If someone is said to be manusia tritunggal ( a human being who is three-in-one ), if someone is said to belong to the religion of Islam, to be a Moslem, muslimat, already purified and holy before God, if he is a Moslem he is not just called a brave man but he is someone who is truly brave because he is honest. That is how it ought to be.

And moreover, and this concerns what people secretly feel, wherever Bapak goes at present in the course of his journeys around the world , not so much here but in England and America and almost everywhere, it is his experience that almost everyone feels worried about life at present and about whether war is not certain to break out, whether it is not bound to come.

Yes, of course, if one conjectures on the basis of what already exists, it really is like that. How could anything created with so much thought and consideration simply be neglected? Is it natural for people to enjoy suffering a loss? It is not like that. Thus nuclear weapons are proliferating in Russia, America, China and elsewhere. In ten years more, not only America, not only Russia, but even Indonesia itself will also be making atom bombs and nuclear weapons. Thus matters have already gone a long way, and there is no one who is not nervous about it.

A long time ago, in 1967 or 1968, it was predicted by a soothsayer that New York would be submerged for some reason or other, whether because of war or because of earthquake. Oh dear, the Subud members were writing letters to Bapak asking whether this were true or not.

Bapak answered that it is somewhere in between. It is God Who determines the extraordinary events in this world, not human beings. And obviously it has not been on just this one occasion that people have felt anxious, but they are frequently anxious. Bapak cannot say yes or no to this, but do not rely upon what human beings say; put your trust in God. Supposing it does happen, of course it will be because it is God who wills it to happen that New York is submerged. All those people accepted it.

Suppose Bapak had answered that this was going to happen. Then I should be quoted by many people. People would be anxious, and point to what had been said. Who would not be confused? Then they ask Bapak, and Bapak says – “Yes, I am going to New York”. Yes, I answer like that. So Bapak does not bother about what may happen. So then I get presents, because it has not happened. But Bapak did not say it would not happen, he said that it was up to God, so if Bapak is to get presents it should be from the Lord God, and how can the Lord God give presents.

Well, brothers and sisters, if Bapak goes on any longer this will last all night. Tomorrow Bapak will be leaving Malang, so we must have pity on one another. Bapak has pity on you and you must have pity on Bapak, for he is already tired. But because he loves you, he has gone on till now, till nearly half-past eleven. So Tomorrow Bapak leaves Malang for Sarangan. Sometimes Bapak wants a rest. In fact Bapak did want a rest, but he was drawn to come here. That cannot be called a rest. That is work. So Bapak will rest the night at Sarangan. Then he will work again, and go on to Purworejo, Purwokerto and then spend the night at Cilacap. Then to Bandung and more work again. I do not call that a rest. After Bandung, then back to Jakarta. And in February Bapak has been invited to Australia, New Zealand and maybe elsewhere. In fact Bapak travels too often. I tell people that Bapak should not be made to travel too often. If you really want to see Bapak, just send in the money. That will please both sides. Well, he does not get it, and so Bapak keeps on visiting people.

That is all, brothers and sisters. Bapak will say no more, except to take his leave of Malang. Bapak prays that on his departure God will grant you His blessing, so that you will always be safe and happy, both in this world and in the next.