Brothers and sisters, Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi, wa barakatuh.

First of all, Bapak wants to ask you, especially the helpers, whether the helpers know how to answer the question if they are asked if Subud is a religion, and also if they are asked whether Subud is an association of the kind called a kebatinan ( esotericism or mysticism ). Bapak puts this question to the helpers, so that they shall really understand it and be able to answer it in a way that will satisfy the person who asks it and so that they will be able to give a definition of what the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud and Subud itself really are.

Bapak would like to hear one of the members from over-seas first, since, so far as Bapak has heard, some of the members are still not yet able to explain. But some of them are able to explain what the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud and Subud are. So Bapak would like to ask which of the foreign members are helpers. Who shall it be? Let Bapak choose one - Latif Petric, now. ( Latif explains in English about the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud and Subud ).

Brothers and sisters, his explanation and his answer bear some resemblance to and come near to what is real and true in Subud. But, especially for other people who are not in Subud, such an answer will in actuality add to their confusion, so it will be best for Bapak just to explain.

First and foremost, you have to give an answer which is in accordance with what happens in the latihan kedjiwaan and in this way it is difficult for people outside Subud to work it out and it is also difficult for them to confirm it or deny it. So Bapak says that the answer can be as follows: If you base all your answers upon what happens in the latihan kedjiwaan, you can explain that the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud and Subud are not your religion, not a religion, but are based upon the experience of what exists and what occurs in the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud. You can explain that the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud is evidence that, after one has a feeling of surrender to the One Almighty God, something awakens. That something can also be said to be as if one has a feeling of life within one's self. It is easy to express it by saying that there is something which arises from within, from beyond our will. So it is clear that if that something is outside and beyond our will, it means that it is something that is free from nafsu, for it is in the heart and mind that the nafsu make their home.

It is thus clear, brothers and sisters, that we should answer such questions simply, on the basis of the experience we have in Subud that is; by saying that Subud is a receiving that comes from we know not where, but it is based solely upon surrender to the One Almighty God. But we can receive it, and that receiving is proof of the existence of something that awakens and moves within us which is beyond the mind, beyond the will, beyond the nafsu which are present in our wills. It is thus a way for the enquirers to be truly able to enter more deeply into their religion. Then they will understand even though they have not yet experienced it.

It has already been stated in the holy books, in the scriptures, both in the Koran and in the Gospels, that when the mind and the nafsu are quiet and the feelings are calm, there arises in this quietness something that is called the vibration of life. In Islam this is called the Khatir llham. In Christianity it is called the Holy Spirit. Whether in Islam or in Christianity, it is described as light. This light is a hidden strength. It is not the kind of light which is pictured as a sort of fire or flame. No. It is a hidden strength, which can awaken something that is peaceful, quiet and empty. It is like that.

This comes back to the story which tells how, before this world came into being, first of all there was the Zat Tuhan, the power of God. That is why in Islam, in the Koran, as the beginning, the first word of the Koran, there is God. God is the mainstay, God is the standard. The very first thing one reads there, before anything else, is Alif, Lam, Mim; before one begins to read the chapters, before one begins the book of the Koran. Alif, Lam, Mi m means that God precedes the beginning of all things, and God rules over every thing that exists both inwardly and outwardly. It is God Who begins everything, God Who opens the story of life - of life; not just human life, but life.

That is the reason why it is that after having read Alif, Lam, Mim then come the surahs, the chapter, of the Koran, which is the record of the journeys and the nature of the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, while he was alive. It is like what happens to you when you do the latihan. You receive the movements of the life within you, free from the nafsu. You can do like this and like that, and eventually you can unfold the story of your own life, beginning from early childhood and youth, until eventually it is like a record of your life-story during your life in this world. But it is preceded by the One Almighty God.

That is why one reads the Alif, Lam, Mim. Dzaalikal ki taabu laararbaa fiihi nudanllilmu taqiin, which means that where God unfolds, opens, creates the life of all things, as well as the life which is seated in the nature of the creatures whose existence He has decreed, such as human beings, animals and so on; the life, the nature of life existing in all the worlds, for which human beings have now been able to find evidence and to understand through the calculations performed by their minds – the life of the planets, where of course these are creatures existing. Naturally they are not of the same form as human beings, but their form is suited to the conditions in which they exist.

It is thus clear brothers and sisters, that what we receive and follow in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud is truly by the will of the One Almighty God. But the standard upon which we have to base ourselves is the evidence which we have received and which shows that the latihan kejiwaan of Subud is from the One Almighty God. Because the way in which I receive this is by following only the movements that arise from within myself, free from my mind and from my will, therefore none of this is intentional. In this way there will be no-one who can either confirm or deny what you say, brothers and sisters. They cannot confirm it, neither can they deny it. They cannot deny it, because our experience has proved it. They cannot confirm it because they, have not yet been able to experience it, and they will not be able to experience it unless they too have been opened and come into Subud and experienced the Latihan kedjiwaan of Subud. So it is thus difficult to find any fault with what, you say.

Just to take something small as an example; it is not very appropriate, but it will do as an example. Supposing you dream that a tiger is chasing you, and you say to someone else, "I dreamt that I was being chased by a tiger." You did not like that dream. Why does it happen that you do something which you do not like? It is because, when you dream, things happen without your intention; things that you do not like and do not want to dream about.

Take another example. Perhaps Rusli is here? Rusli once said that he had read about how the prophet Muhammad's daughter had a dream, in which she met her father and met the angels, and she also dreamed that she received a blessing, something glorious. She told her dream to someone else, who said, "On, that could not possibly happen. Why could it not happen? It happened to me in a dream. Of course you yourself do not believe it because you did not have the same dream as I did.

Well then Siti Fatimah reported this to her father the prophet Muhammad, and asked him, "Was this dream of mine true or not?" “Because this was a dream only you and the 'One Almighty God know about it. That is why you must surrender it all to the One Almighty God and do not think about it. Dreams are not things that one can think about, but one can only surrender to whatever happens in them.

That is the way, to explain about this latihan kedjiwaan of Subud, brothers and sisters. And now for the question as to whether Subud is a religion. You can answer that it is not. Be positive; say no. For one can say that a religion is a body of organized rules which regulate human life and which are laid down in the commandments of the One Almighty God, which means that the laws of human life which have been given to mankind by the power of God are stated therein. But of course, brothers and sisters, the rules that God has given to mankind are in accordance with the human condition or situation. It is like what is said in the holy books; in the Gospels and in the Koran. Although in these there is also much that is of the nature of teaching, much advice that is good and beautiful capable of being followed exactly, yet what is said there in the Koran and in the Gospels applies to those times and those places in which they were written. There is no word there at all concerning the life and conditions of mankind in this era. There is nothing about that for it was not yet time for it.

Thus is clear that it is God who gives what is given to mankind, and God’s instructions to human beings are adapted to the conditions of human life in that place, in that era, at that time. That is necessary in order that people should not think a great deal. People should not think about things that have not yet happened, or it causes their own minds to be disturbed. Thus although those teachings ( in the Koran ) were very beautiful and very good if the people of that era followed them, yet they were not concerned with this present era. It is also like that in the Gospels. There is no word in the Gospels that can be said to give an understanding of the life and actions of mankind in this era, there is none.

Well, brothers and sisters it is clear that all that is said in a clear and logical way. The vessel fits the contents and the contents fit the vessel. Human life matches its era and the era matches the life of the human beings in it. If this present era did not match the life of the human beings in it, the human beings would not match the era and there would be confusion. Supposing - just supposing, brothers and sisters, and Bapak does not blame you if you do not believe it - but supposing that the people of the present era were transferred to the era of travel by camel, for instance, would there not be confusion? For the people of today are accustomed to travel from here to London in only eighteen hours. But if one went by camel it might take ten years. Thus supposing you wished to visit a sick relation in London, for instance, he would be dead and buried long before you arrived. He would be long dead, and so this mode of travel is inappropriate to the present era. That is also supposing that in that era you were told to come to London and not to be late. But in that era there were as yet no flying machines, no airplanes, so how could one get there quickly?

It is thus clear, brothers and sisters, that God is All-powerful and All-wise, so that He can put whatever He will wherever and for whoever He will, so that everything is logical and so that every vessel has its lid and every vessel has its contents.

This is how it is, brothers and sisters, and so the latihan kedjiwaan which we receive is not because Bapak says this is right but because it is in accordance with what we feel. But you must not forget, brothers and sisters, that everything, whether it has already happened or not, is preceded by the power of God, and God is All-powerful. This is how it is, and because of that the central core of all the scripture is - if we are Islam - in the words Alif, Lam, Mim. For these are the opening words of dzaalikal kitaabu laaraiba fiihi, hudan-liilmu taqiim. That is how it is.

This is as well as what we have received. Thus we must not say, "Ah, it is by the mercy of God that we receive this. Of course there is a foundation, a basis for it. The basis is that we receive free from our wills. This has been proved. Supposing that someone then argues, for instance, and is unwilling to believe you, but goes on asking questions, then you can give him a choice: "Do you want to be opened or not? How can you judge whether it is true or false when you are not yet able to experience it? Well, this is the correct way in this case. "Do you want to be opened or not?

This is how it is. "Do you want to be opened or not? If you do not want to, then you should not say it is true or false. There is no question of true or false. Only when you have been opened and are able to receive will you understand. For no one believes what someone else says if he has not yet experienced it for himself. This is how it is. Well, this is the standard for us we believe in what we have experienced. It is like this.

This is why the story of the Miraj, the ascension of the prophet Muhammad, is constantly read or told to the people of Islam, so that they can understand and be able sincerely to follow in the footsteps of the prophet. To follow in the footsteps of the prophet Muhammad means to make one's life into Amal ( right actions and good deeds ) before the One Almighty God. This is how it is. That is why amal is necessary for us; what we do, how we behave. Even though you already possess a thousand varieties of ilmu ( spiritual teachings ), if you have never put one out of that thousand into practice, it will have no substantial meaning for you. That is why Bapak always goes on dinning it into you - do your latihan, persevere with the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud. You must not just only understand it, or just only understand its intention; you must experience it. To experience the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud means making your life into amal; both for the sake of your own life and also, of course before the One Almighty God, Who has really created you in this world for some useful purpose.

Brothers and sisters, Bapak will add a little more about how it is out of place to say that Subud is a religion. Subud, or our spiritual brotherhood of Subud, is in fact composed of people of various religions and various races. If Subud were a religion, of course it would possess a terminology to be used and methods to be followed, and these would be the same for everyone, and generally required for all the members, which means that they would be required for everyone alike. It would be what Ruspono would call a "code of ethics". That is why Bapak therefore says that Subud cannot be said to be regulated according to any code of ethics. It cannot be, for Subud is composed of people of various races and religions and each person possesses his own capacity and ability. If it were a code of ethics, so that everyone had to do just like this, it would be as if they were all made to be uniform, which would mean that it was not their own hakekat, their own inner reality and truth. That is what it means if something is generally required of everyone. Then, even though someone may not necessarily be like that, he or she is made to be like that, because that is what the heart and mind consider to be important. Well, this is how it is. This is the reason, brothers and sisters, why there cannot be a code of ethics, there can only be surrender to the One Almighty God, so that each of the members receives individually. But although it is like that, they are all going towards one aim; that is, towards the One Almighty God. For it is from there that we come and it is there that we return; we come from God and we also return to God.

That is how it is, brothers and sisters, so it is enough to answer that this is not a religion. If Subud were a religion, of course one would have to submit to the regulations existing in Subud, whereas there are none. Well, if you ask what about the organization, this organization covers all the requirements of the life of human beings living together in association. For we who live in this world have to live together and to arrange for all the necessities of life, so that it is necessary for us to establish an organization to bind us together. But in our worship of God we cannot be bound.

That, brothers and sisters, is why someone who has been opened for one year, two years, five years, ten years, for instance, and who is a Subud member, can resign from the organization and his membership can be deleted from the records in this respect, but he cannot resign from his worship of God, and this cannot be cancelled. For no human being can impede the line that leads from man to God, because God envelops everything. He envelops everything whose existence He has decreed, and all the creatures He has created. All creatures, whether visible or invisible, are filled by the essence and the power of the One Almighty God which is enthroned within them. Now we human beings are creatures of such a nature, a nature that derives from the power of the One Almighty God, but you must not therefore claim that it is you as individuals or that it is human beings themselves, who are the seat of God's power. God's power is enthroned in everything that He has created. That, brothers and sisters, is additional to Subud not being able to be called a religion.

That is all Bapak has to say about that, brothers and sisters, and now Bapak will do something by way of evidence. Because Latif was the first to answer Bapak's call for an explanation, Bapak chooses Latif to come forward, so that he can really understand the reality. So Bapak would like Latif to come forward, please. Latif here has been in Subud not just for one or two years, but for about how long? Twenty years. Bapak sees that Latif cannot yet really feel the movements he receives in latihan.

( Testing )

Could you feel the difference from how it was last night, Latif? In life it is not God's will that people and in particular not Latif - Just walk about, but they should also do the other things that are usual in human life, in their individual lives. Follow.

( Testing )

Laughter that is from the inner is like a sign that the person who receives the laughter is happy, so why is it that all the time Latif has been here, he always seems to be depressed? Of course there is something that makes him feel unhappy and dissatisfied.

Yes, Bapak understands, but perhaps the rest of you do not. He holds on to his stomach. The stomach is the place for food. Thus it appears that recently Latif's business has been going downhill and so he has not been able to earn a really satisfactory living or to satisfy his stomach properly for perhaps ten years. And now he needs to know this and to feel it.

( Testing )

That is all, Latif. Latif has come a long way to get here, from Chile, and by the grace and mercy of God he has been able to see his true situation in his life.

That is all, thank you.

Now will the member from Skymont come forward, please, for he has come a long way, at great expense, to receive the fruits of being here. Relax.

( Testing )

Yes, Bapak understands. This is something that has not happened and the financial rewards which you are yet going to receive still seem to be shadowy, still something to be asked for. But these riches really do exist, they will exist. But in fact he is not worrying and he is quite happy, whether he has money or not.

Yes. That is what is called icip-icip ( just a glimpse ). That is all. Robert has been here just long enough to test, and now he is at once going back to Skymont. Bapak wishes you goodbye and a safe return, and may your hopes be realized.

Now for the women's side. Who among the women wants to come forward, and who is brave enough? Why is it that you do not look very pretty, if Bapak may say so but you always have a dark and somber appearance, and look strained and cold? Now listen.

Of course human beings have trials in their lives, and of course there are times which are comfortable and pleasant and times which are not. But what Vivianna has received shows that she must surrender all that to the One Almighty God. She must not think and feel about things that have happened in the past; she must not keep on remembering what she has experienced in the past. What she has experienced has indeed been very hard for her, but now, perhaps, is a time when she will meet with things that will satisfy her and make her happy. For that reason she must surrender all that to the One Almighty God, and pray that God will grant her His mercy and His blessing, and that Vivianna may have a good life.

Bapak would like you to listen, please. The kind of knowledge and insight that can be aware of and know a person's character can only be possessed by those to whom God grants revelation. That is the way in which you will be able to find yourself a place wherever you may be, and wherever you may be people will come to you, and the people of that place will like you, so that you will become someone of value in the community. That is called having a good name. If you achieve this, brothers and sisters, you will have a good reputation in whatever place you may be; a reputation for being careful and not easily tempted. Temptation is of many kinds. If you are a woman, you are tempted by men; if you are a man, you are tempted by women. If you are not tempted by men or by women, then you are tempted by situations or by material objects. You have to be careful about this. You will always be in a safe and happy state if you always remain faithful to the commandments which you receive from God.

Who else? One of the women who is not too shy. Only one at a time. Relax and follow any indications that you may receive from your inner-self. God is always compassionate towards the human beings whom He has created. It is only that the human beings themselves are unable to realize that within their selves there are signs which should be followed.

( Testing )

In reality you are a decorator, yet you cannot dress yourself decoratively. Of course there is a proverb which says that the carpenter never has any chairs and the builder never has a house. If he owns a good house and his neighbor looks at it, then he sells it to him. There is no harm in passing on to other people the guidance you have received from God because you do the latihan, but give something to yourself too. So you are allowed to improve other people, but do not forget to improve your own self. Thus you should turn yourself out and dress yourself and make yourself up as well as you can. When you make yourself look nice, have not other people admired you? Yes or no? Well, then; now it is up to you to follow the latihan and work at whatever work that you do. God will always guide you and God will always be present in your inner-self. God does not cut Himself off from human beings; no God guides each one individually. And now follow so that your body will be healthy and your chest will expand.

( Testing )

Sometimes when you are at home, having a bath, just follow what you are singing. Follow it, so that you can feel how there are some very good songs in you. That one is a Greek melody. This is now beginning to arise, and it will continue in the future. Do not be shy; let it come out. Bapak cannot hear you. Yes; thank you. Eventually your body will be healthy.

Recently I have seen that Halima is not looking very good. Where is she?

( Testing )

God knows all about everything, even though you do not understand. That is why we have to believe and be firmly convinced that it really is like this for human beings; they will always have both pleasant and unpleasant experiences, both suffering and joy. But they must first surrender that suffering of theirs to the One Almighty God. Surrender to God, for that really is now human beings are. That is why it is not a matter of being sad or happy, but you will be in a peaceful state, a state of belief in the One Almighty God.

( Testing )

Go back to your seat. There is still a little time left, so let us return to the men. Which of the men would like to come forward? Keele; Lukman Keele come and try. Yes, both of you can come forward.

( Testing )

But supposing you prosper over there, you must not get too fat. You had better eat less, even though you have a large income, not just try to; you must really do it.

Now for Ramzi. Indeed a lot will be coming to you, and Ramzi will have a lot of work. But at present you are gathering all the material for it together. Gathering it together means that you are discussing it, not yet doing it. But just wait a little, Ramzi has a strong voice; he has a strong body, and one hopes that with God's help he will be able successfully to achieve what he is hoping and praying for. That is all. Go back to your seats.

Although Bapak is just sitting here and you are the ones doing the work, it is equally shared, and Bapak also feels it. Yea. Well, now for the Indonesian side.

Which one is from Denmk? Where are you? Yes, please come here. And this one too. He’s come quite a long way, but not so very long. Where do you come from? Oh, Bandung. And you? Solo? Oh, Surkarta Hadiningrat.

And you are from where? Oh, Demak. This the era of Bintoro. And this one? Oh, you live in Surabaya.

( Testing )

Enough, go back to your seats. That is the power of God which moves you in all these various ways, for the life of human beings in this world is full of all sorts of custom and all sorts of activities, so that it is very necessary for you all to be able to receive them, so that you can find companions in your lives who are really at one with you. in this way, brothers and sisters you will be able to become people who are both valuable and prosperous. And God knows all these things.

Alhamdulillah. Bapak prays that you will succeed in all this. That is all, brothers and sisters. Bapak now ends the meeting for today, and he will say no more except to wish you a good rest and a safe journey home. Goodbye until we meet again. Thank you.