Before giving you this talk or explanation concerning the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, Bapak would first of all like to answer a letter from one of the members; M. Is he here? Has he come? Will M. please come forward?
You sent a letter to Bapak, did you not? This is your letter? Yes, it is. It is indeed a strong one. Yes, yes.
( See a copy of this letter at the end of this talk )
( Sjarif reads from the letter, on the subject of the book Susila Budhi Dharma, in which Bapak takes his explanation only up to the djasmani, ( the human life force )
Now I ask you a question: although you say that in the book Susila Budhi Dharma Bapak has only explained as far as the jasmani force, have you already had practical experience of that? Have you put that into practice? Not yet? Then later you will be able to hear about this in Bapak's talks. Bapak has already said that although he has gone only as far as the daya jasmani, yet what he says does not go only that far. But it is as if all the forces interact and receive from one another, enter into one another and affect one another. Bapak can only speak about this up to the jasmani force, only up to the level of the walis ( Muslim saints ) But not all walis have got that far. So you must not be disappointed if Bapak does not go on to explain beyond the jasmani force, for that is something that is beyond the mind. Where the rohani to rabani forces are concerned, you can do nothing to understand them with your minds, but this comes only through receiving. This is what is called ilham ( divine inspiration ).
That is why it is that although the Koran is dawuh, the word of God, there is nothing much of explanation to clarify the connection between roh and roh ( spirit and spirit ).
There is nothing that clarifies this, What is the reason? It is because spiritual matters cannot be leaned about through effort or studied with the mind. This is proved by the nature of lailatul qodar which is said to come in the month of the fast. Thus the lailatul qodar which people who observer the fast receive in the month of the fast is a wahyu ( Grace or revelation ) from the One Almighty God. It is not a material thing, not like a communication that one receives, but wahyu is something that soaks into and penetrates the inner-selves of human beings, so that they understand, but do not know the origin of this understanding, so that they can only accept what they have received. It is thus clear, brothers and sisters, that nothing can surpass the power of God, nor can it be grasped by human beings, nor can they go beyond it. Human beings can only receive it. It can be exemplified by the ascension of the prophet. Why do people only commemorate it each year, not put it into practice? It is because human beings cannot enable other human beings to put it into practice. Human beings cannot do in practice what the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, was able to do. They cannot do it unless the One Almighty God grants them wahyu. That is why it is only commemorated year by year, and every year people remember the ascension of the prophet. What is called wahyu from God is the greatest, the supreme, the most all-encompassing thing in Islam. This is how it is brothers and sisters.
If you make a study of spiritual matters, not only will you not make any progress, but you will actually regress. Well, I will explain about that later on. So that is enough, and moreover it is God Who will make it come to you. For the roh rohani ( the roh or spirit of the true human being ) has no interest in this world. Thus it is only in someone who has no further interest in this world that the rohani can be enthroned to become the ruler of the human inner-self. That is only to speak of the rohani, not to mention the rahmani.
Why does Bapak explain in this way? It is because Bapak has experienced, all that and Bapak cannot possibly explain these experiences in the way that scholars explain things in the fields of ilmu or of spiritual matters. For the things that are ordinarily contained in books are all things that can be studied. That too I will explain later and I hope that those of you who are still young and who have not yet experienced the ramifications of the spiritual life will just receive and accept as best they can what Bapak will later on explain. For God is All-mighty, All-powerful and All-wise. You will not be able to reach the highest levels unless God bestows wahyu upon you. Why is that? Because God is All-wise. He knows and understands the capacity of your inner-selves. Now Bapak asks you, how many years have you been in Subud? Yes, enough, For later you can listen. First listen to this. ( Sjarif reads from the letter where it concerns the playing of Bapak's talks on T.V. video tape ).
Yes, you can do this, but do not be in any hurry about it and do not anticipate people's requests or do it unless they have first asked you to. Now Bapak puts this question to all of you; do you feel there is any need for this, brothers and sisters? For it will cost a lot and it will also add to the work. I only follow your wishes in this matter. How about it, brothers and sisters?
If you agree to it, you will have to help with it. Yes.
( Sjarif reads again from the letter, this time about Bapak's autobiography )
Bapak cannot do this either, because his autobiography is the story of Bapak's life whereas this is on a spiritual level. You must not say that the story of Muhammad's life is not complete; it is told to the self, to the inner-self, but in fact that is already enough. For the man who is called the prophet Muhammad, whom be peace, himself understood that if it included everything, human beings would not be able to accept it. They cannot even accept what is already included, let alone what is still kept secret. For the spiritual path which is also the path which leads human beings to the presence of God, is full of the secrets of life, and these could perhaps be dangerous. For the people who wish to know them.
Yes, of course you have sometimes heard about people going into crisis, have you not? If you have a crisis, you want to stop it, but you cannot, for this is the jiwa. This is how it is. So Bapak will not tell you about all of it.
Of course by now Bapak has already done a little work on it; just a little. But a rule people's biographies in the spiritual field, the field of ilmu, do not go into all the details, but go only so far as is necessary, as with the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace. But even if it goes only as far as is necessary, if someone is indeed really able to receive wahyu from God Himself, that person will be able to understand it. This is something which Bapak has already experienced, as in the examples of which Bapak speaks. On one occasion Bapak was in a state in which he was far away from this world. It can be said that he was further away than this earth is from the sun. Bapak tells you that it really was like that. There is no deception about this, but do you believe it? Will you believe it if you yourselves have never been there, never experienced anything like this? Well, this is how it is. So you must not agitate your minds which want to know things which it is not possible for man to know except through the grace of God.
Well, this is of course what is taught in the books. There is a story about this; about Sayid Anwas, one of the sons of Adam, who was unwilling to accept things just as they are. That means that he was unwilling just to receive from God, and so Sayid Anwas practiced asceticism. He cut down his food and sleep, he cut down all the normal ordinary things that people do in this world. His asceticism was carried so far that he practiced it on earth, in the skies, in the sea and in the realms of light. From doing all that, Sayid Anwas was really granted the grace of God to be able to create things that he could not otherwise possibly have created.
Thus he could almost be said to resemble the One Almighty God. Of his own accord Sayid Anwas changed his name to Songhyanq Nurcahyo. From him were descended the dewas. Then he created a heaven, and he also created a hell. This is related in the stories enacted by the dalangs ( puppet masters in the wayang plays ). In these stories in the chronicles of Java, in the pakem ( wayang stories ), it is told that the dewas were granted God's blessing, so that they were able to create their own world, the world of the dewas. And it was very strange; the highest of the dewas, the chief dewa who is called the king of the dewas, Batara Guru, when he went round the world - For he was able to Fly without wings - he eventually found himself above the country that is now called Iran, but which used to be called Persia. As he looked down from above, he saw a very beautiful woman. This woman was the daughter of a saudagar, a Persian merchant. Then he went down and asked her who she was? She replied that she was the daughter of a merchant there in Persia. Batara Guru went back to his original home in the world of the dewas, which was said to be in the Himalayas. In the case of the Javanese, they say that it is in Suralaya. Then he came back again to ask for this girl's hand in marriage. He proposed to her, and she accepted him and agreed to be his wife and to become a batari. She was called the Batari Uma.
Well, if you want to read those stories, you can read them in the book of wayang stories which is called the Wayang purwa. The stories told by the dalangs say that the first man was a dewa; that is why he is called parwo, which means "the beginning". But if so, why did he take a wife from Persia? Well, she was another person, who then became a batari. So obviously that dewa also had his forebears, and he was not the first. Thus Adam existed longer ago, before, that. Well, that was their line of succession. Eventually many people have practiced asceticism so as to become invulnerable, amound these are the successors of Sayid Anwas. Well, it now remains for you to choose, you can choose to follow either Sayid Anwas or Sayid Anwar. It was Anwar from whom the line of the prophets descended. The prophets did only what was decreed by God, which was also what the prophet Adam himself recommended them to do. Not only did nothing else enter into them, but they could have received nothing unless the One Almighty God had granted them wahyu. That is why the fast exists.
This fast is practiced by the people of Islam so as to make it easier for them to receive the lailatul qodar which perhaps they will be able to receive after twenty-one days. The lailatul qodar, as was explained just now, is not some material object which falls from above. It is not that. The lailatul qodar is the power of God which He bestows upon human beings. Because God is All-powerful, All-wise, and in every way greater than al1 else, He is able to give human beings something which no-one can know about except for those who receive it, and then, suddenly, they can know.
Well, this is how it is. It is very nice, brothers and sisters if you can suddenly have this, instead of having to do like the prophets Sanghyang Sis or Sayid Anwas. Well, that is up to you as to whether you want to practice austerities or do something like that so as eventually to be able to receive. After the people who have done the fast have received the qodar from God, eventually there grows in them of its own accord a real feeling of compassion for their fellow-beings.
That is the nature of zakat and fitroh. Then furthermore there grows a feeling of humility and of dissatisfaction with oneself for all the things one has done in the past, so that it feels very necessary to ask forgiveness of one's fellows and even more so to ask it of one's parents and elders. Well, this is how it s after the giving the zakat and fitroh ( alms giving ) there comes the feast of Idul Fitri. That is when people mutually ask for forgiveness and are forgiven and when the young people ask forgiveness of their eiders.
This is not really like that. It has grown automatically, by itself. Thus what comes from God grows by itself, and suddenly one can do it. It is like it was for the prophet Muhammad, when he was suddenly called by God and was suddenly able to come into the presence of God. But Sayid Anwas was not like, that. He had to practice asceticism, cutting down his food and sleep. If that was necessary, he went without food and sleep. If it was necessary he went without clothes, quite naked. Well, that is how it is, and you can take your choice as to which you want to do. Well, this is how it is, and so it is not really necessary for me to answer that question because this latihan kedjiwaan is really the same as what exists in religion. That is why there are no ascetic practices in religion. There is no asceticism, but one is only required to restrain the nafsu to the extent of one's own strength and capacity. That is like it is in the fast. It is enough to practice the fast. It is not then necessary to go and practice asceticism in the mountains in order to come into the presence of God or to purify oneself or to perfect one's life. But if you are looking for a job or seeking a better position in life to become this or that, well, then such practices are important and necessary. Yes, then one fasts and practices self-denial, Yes.
I will tell you a story about a member of Bapak’s family. Every afternoon he had to go out. Where did he go? To the banks of the river Solo. "So you have to go out every afternoon or evening with a fishing rod. What are you going to catch? To catch fish. What is the use of that? You are already a wedana ( head of a district ). No, I am not fishing for fish. I am fishing for a bupati’s ( head of a prefecture ) hat. It was that. But it really did happen. He fished for a long time, on and on but if he caught a fish, he threw it back. Next day he came back again. Eventually he became a bupati. Well this is how it is. Thus if you wish to become a bupati, you can do that. But if you wish to become a wali: you will become a bupati wali or a wali bupati. Thus those are different things.
How many questions is that? What number have we got to? Then Bapak will not have to write an answer. Because for Bapak to answer, his writing is already shaky. Bapak is already eighty; you ,must not think that he is still a young man.
( Sjarif reads from the letter )
There is no need to answer this question either. You are still young, but your imagination goes too far. It is the imagination of a professor, not of a wali. Where did you go to school? What school? the academy of art? Well the plastic arts are, always making pictures of heaven, They want to portray what heaven will be like. In the case of Suralaya, they can make pictures of it; that just needs a dalang to do that. But if you try to make a picture of heaven my son, you cannot do it. You cannot make a picture of with your hands, not with those hands. You cannot do it. Those hands are impure; these are the hands of the raewaniah or material level. We cannot take these hands to heaven. That is why at present we can only picture hell and heaven is only something that people talk about. Yes, and if one talks about it, there is no end to the talking. Some people say that the ascension of the prophet was undertaken in the spirit, others that it was in the body. Those that say it was in the body are mistaken, it would not have been possible to do it in the body. Yes, in fact, it was in the spirit that he went. One can feel what it would have been like to do it in the ordinary way; we now have evidence of that in the astronauts. The body has no power to land even on the surface of the moon. But the ascension of the prophet took him beyond the moon, beyond the sun, beyond the galaxy, beyond all of that. So how could he do that with his body? He could not. His body would have been completely disintegrated, But why can the jiwa understand ? This is why we are training our jiwas and this is what is called the latihan kedjiwaan so that our jiwas can receive what has been understood by our minds.
Well, Bapak has experienced this, and he must also give a little of it to you, so that you will feel a little bit satisfied. Once Bapak was in a state when he looked back here to this world - from how great a distance Bapak cannot say - and it was like looking at a cluster of jewels, of diamonds. This was the source. From that great distance I asked what this was? I answered my own question: this was the solar system. In Dutch it is called the zennestelsel; that is the earth together with all the other planets. They looked as small as that, very bright and clear because I was so far away where I was. And I was in a state which was much more powerful and much greater than the state of this earth. Oh yes, I received that.
I have received that. Well, this is something to be careful with my son. Is that not so? You may well say so for you have not yet been there. Well, if Bapak were obliged to make this public, that would be one of many such experiences. Well, if I made all of those many experiences public, then you would question whether this, that or the other were really true; whether this, that or the other were really so.
( Sjarif reads from the letter )
You had not entered Subud at the time of that experience. Why do you need a spiritual explanation of this? How was it? How did you receive it? Were you dreaming or did you really see it? It happened while you were walking? How big was the sun? If I say this was strange, yes, it is strange. If I say it is true, it is because you really did experience it. Yes, and what were you doing when you saw that? Right. Now how big was the sun you saw as you were walking? How big was it? Right. But while you were walking above the houses. Ah yes, at last that is clear my son. The sun that you saw was not the real sun; it was the light. And the light that you saw was also good because it gave a picture. That means that it gave a meaning, gave as it were a kind of intimation that you were going to find something which would be able to illuminate your thinking and your inner-feeling. This tallies with your joining Subud. Thus what you saw was not the sun, no; it was light. If it were the sun, how could the sun be revolving, in front of you; if it did, the earth would fall into chaos. Well, that is logical, is it not? This world would be disrupted. Good, Good.
( Sjarif reads from the letter )
You may do so if you wish my son; you can do it if you like. But why do you ask for a rajah? Are you ill? You are? What are your symptoms? Skin symptoms. Well Bapak is not a skin specialist. It is like this; Bapak agrees that he is willing to give people rajahs, but sometimes there is no need to ask for one. And if Bapak were to make a habit of doing this, would you be pleased if people called Bapak a dukun ( witch-doctor )? Well, this is how it is. As Bapak always tells all of you Bapak is the first and earliest spiritual pioneer opening a way for all of you who wish to worship God in the way that we worship Him in the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud.
Ii, is clear that there is the warship of the One Almighty God and thus you should not wish for things like that, or then Bapak will get the reputation of being a witch-doctor. Yes; if he were a dukun, I should have a hard time of it handing out charms all around. If you wish to appeal to me as a grandson who turns to his grandfather for help, you may do so, but it is better not to do it for every, little thing, or Bapak will have no time left. Yes. Have you received your answer to this? Yes, this was answered by Bapak's daughter, Siti Rahayu, to whom I have handed over that work of giving answers, So you have had your answer, that Bapak is resting at present, It is lucky that I can be here today, for according to the doctors, I ought not to be. I really ought not to be here. Then doctors have forbidden Bapak to leave his house. I am not allowed to go to Japan. But I am obstinate. This is what God has commanded and Bapak has to have confidence, has to obey, has to carry this out because this is the commandment of God. If God commanded this, I do it. But you are not God. How can you ask mc to accede to your demands? That cannot be. You yourself' would not want that. Thus you can wait as a son waits in the presence of a father, or a grandson in the presence of a grandfather. In fact you could be my grandson. How old are you? Thirty five, yes you could be my grandson, I have a grandchild here who is already thirty two. That is all. That is enough. Now you may go back to your seat again.
Bapak would like those of you who are helpers to receive now, and also those who are not helpers but who have been opened for a long time and who are perhaps able to receive and feel what Bapak is going to test now. Receive.
( Testing )
Thus the human mind, the jasmani mind, cannot grasp the thinking or understanding of the rohani level. Again. Surrender, Allah.
( Testing )
Yes; did you receive it or not'? How was that? Yes. Thus it is not possible. That is only to go as far as the rohani level. Again, so that little by little you can receive. Allahu Akbar
( Testing )
Further and wider. How was it? Did you receive it? That is just going as far as the robani level, let alone the level of the roh ilofi, or the roh up kudus, let alone God. Yes, Well, this is how it is. It is not possible. So you just follow the latihan kedjiwaan, just as people follow the ibadat, which means that it is enough if they just say their prayers at the time of subuh, lohor, asar, agrib and isa. That is all they do apart from their actual work.
Bapak will go on with his talk, or there will be no time for it later. Later on he will test some more.
Brothers and sisters, Bapak asks you to forgive him, especially the foreign visitors, the people who come from abroad and do not understand Indonesian. Perhaps; they feel a little disappointed at not being able to know or understand what Bapak was saying just now. But nevertheless, and although Bapak asks you to forgive him, you should not feel disappointed, for later this will be explained in what Bapak in going to say later on in his talk.
Now Bapak will begin brothers and sisters. The latihan kedjiwaan which bears the name of Susila Budhi Dharma, which is abbreviated to Subud, is a latihan for which it is very hard to find the exact words; which can be understood by the mind, except for the ordinary word latihan; exercise or training. In reality the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud is something which cannot be described as a training or exercise in the sense that people, ordinarily use these words. For if you think back to the time when you were opened, the first time that you received this, what you received was a sort of vibration within your self. That vibration then became stronger so that eventually it manifested itself in physical movements. Yes, of course to begin with these movements were slight and you did not, move very much. But gradually they became more definite, even though they did not yet go so far as what is meant by saying that eventually the latihan goes deeper and deeper and becomes wider and wider in its scope. As a basis for this, you only have an attitude of surrender, surrender to the greatness of God, surrender to the One Almighty God, who in Islam is called Allah. You surrender to Allah, the One Almighty God.
Your surrender has already become habitual brothers and sisters. It can said that everyone can say “surrender". Not a few people say that they surrender to God when they go to the mosque, to their place of worship. But why is it that they do not receive? Bapak cannot say why people do or do not receive brothers and sisters because all that is according to the grace and mercy of the One Almighty God. Only so far as we can guess from what happens in the latihan kedjiwaan - perhaps the reason why people receive in the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud - which is present in the selves of all of you, so that you can receive the grace and mercy of the One Almighty God – is that the One Almighty God has bestowed his Grace upon you. Why has it not been bestowed upon those who go to those places of worship?
Bapak himself does not know the reason for this. If Bapak were to say this or that about it, it would be as if Bapak were making some claim for Subud; exalting, sanctifying, magnifying Subud alone. That is why it is left to God as to why He gives this to us whenever we are in the latihan and why He does not give it to the other, people when they are in their places of worship. But nevertheless, brothers and sisters, Islam tells of a framework consisting of four levels. It is said that there are these four levels of worship; the shariat, terekat, hakekat and ma’rifat. If we look at this from the viewpoint of those four levels, it may be that what people receive in the mosques and other places of worship is only to be attributed to the level of the shariat. It may perhaps sometimes be on the level of the tarekat, but it seldom is, for it is more difficult for people to reach that the level of the shariat. The shariat can be called the ordinary, the usual thing, whereas what is called the hakekat is the inner reality.
Thus when one of us says “Ashadu apla ilaha ilillah” which means that there is no God but the One Almighty God to be worshiped, no God but Allah, you have to be able to feel what Allah is, Well, that is the proof.
Now Bapak will break off for a moment, so you can verify Bapak’s words. Please relax for a moment. To illustrate this will B. please come forward so as to show it more clearly. The rest of you can also join in.
Before you do this, you relax. Before B. came forward to stand in front his thoughts were straying in all directions. You must not let your thoughts wander. Usoli fardol zuhal, arba’ a rakaatin mustakhilal kiblati adaan lillahi ta’ala Allahu Akbar. Be quiet and peaceful. Again now. You can all join in even though you are sitting down.
( Testing )
That, brothers and sisters, is why in the past one wali would have no more than ten pupils, or at the very most a hundred. Sunan Kalijogo was a waliullah; a Muslim saint Sunan Khodi was the most famous wali, and those walis had fewer than a hundred pupils, while Subud can be said to have thousands. Well, that is how it was in the past, but if we did things as they did them then, and if you all stood up together, this hall would be crammed full and how could you manage? Nor could Bapak correct you. Thus you can each do it one by one, and thus it is fortunate for you that you can do that.
It is not that B. cannot yet do this, but indeed, one in a thousand can do it. That means that because this is indeed the hakekat, it is not easy to think about it, nor can one think about it. Yes, B., go and sit down. How was it, brothers and sisters? Yes? Now, those of you who are closer. Yes again. You can do it as you sit there. Sit and relax.
( Testing )
Did you feel it brothers and sisters? And how was it for the one who was out here earlier on? How was it? Could you feel it? Did you feel it? Was it like what was said? He did not say that from his own intention did he? Well, that is the evidence. That does not exist in the mosque. That is why when they do the zakir it has no content. Laa ilaha ilallah laa ilaha ilallah, it has no content. Now I will try it again.
( Testing )
Yes; now stop and come back to the ordinary way. Back to the shariat. Back to the ordinary way. M. can bear witness to this. Tile hakekat is like this. So if they did the hakekat in the mosque it would be very noisy. Yes, well this is how it is.
The story goes that there are four imams, brothers and sisters. The imams of the shariat called Imam Safei; the imams of the tarekat called the Imam ma’rifat., called Imam Hanafi. When Hanafi came to the mosque at Mecca at ten o’clock say, he wanted to say the dawn prayer. The solat subuh, but he was already doing the zakir before he came there. He was already saying “laqilaha ilallah laa ilaha ilallah”. This was the imam Hanafi. But people did not dare to tell him this was wrong and that they had already said that prayer. Thus he could choose his own time for the prayer. If he chose to say the dawn prayer, at ten o' clock that was all right, or even if he wanted to say it at twelve. He could say it on the banks of a river or in a boat. All that was in his own hands. Well, this is how it is. Well, if one thinks that out, one feels that it would be very nice to be an expert in the hakekat. It is not like that. Before you receive that you first have to do as you do, who cannot yet choose your own times. Yes, it is like when someone has a crisis In a crisis something is already beginning to be genuine. People begin to get closer to the power of God, they begin to know the power of God which envelops their selves. But it does not yet bring then any discrimination, they cannot yet choose their time so that they are wrong when they walk along the street saying "laa ilaha ilallah". If you are going to do that, do it in the house. Even there if you say "laa ilaha ilallah" while you are eating that frightens people frightens them. If you are doing it because you are already like Imam Hanafi, that is very nice, because that is already ma’rifat. That is called ma’rifattun. Thus the hakekat of worship is already in the inner-self and it is like that whether one live or dies, alive or dead. Yes. Someone says “Yes, now I am going to die” and he dies. Well, that shakes the people who are alive. Well, I hope Bapak is not like that. Bapak will tell you a story, it is a funny one my son.
When Bapak was ill, Dr, Rachman took Bapak's pulse, and it was a hundred and sixty a minute, so that both D, Rachman and Sjarif, who is an amateur doctor, were both horrified. “What shall we do, Sjarif?" “Only God can help.” "But where is God?" Both of: them were very distressed and alarmed, and eventually, out of his alarm Sjarif remembered that he had once met a doctor who was a heart specialist. His name was Dr. Malewa. Malewa is a Kalimantan name. They thought that the thing to do was to send for this doctor and he came. When he examined Bapak he was astonished that Bapak could have survived this for so long. Well, it was quite funny. He asked how Bapak felt, and Bapak said that he felt all right. "Can Bapak think?" Yes: Bapak could still think, ,still calculate: yes he could still have counted money if there had been much to count. But there was none, so Bapak could not count it. There was nothing for it but to go to a big hospital. "It would be best for Bapak to go to hospital. How about it?'' "Well, if' it is really necessary I am willing to go." "Bapak is willing to go to hospital?" "Yes, I am willing”. “When” “Now”. Malewa was astonished. "This man is tough” he said. He called Bapak tough. Bapak went to hospital right away, that very night. Nobody was told it. No one in the complex was told of it. They would have been worried, I myself kept quiet and we set off at once to St. Carolus. Once there, Bapak was examined by the doctors there, who wondered how Bapak would still survive. In fact anyone else would have died. Just think. By that time it was midnight. “There is no treatment for this accept to operate Bapak” they said. Very well then, Bapak left it to the doctors. If Bapak were to die, that was all right; he could die now or he could die later. Bapak could die at any time. "So does Bapak agree?” Bapak agreed and they took him on rattling trolley to the operating theatre where they were going to work on him. They could not get the machine to go. The doctor snapped at his assistant, who did not know what to do. "Why can' t you make it work?” “It was working just now." “We11, what has happened?” “I don’t know sir. Forgive me but this machine won't work." “What, this machine for the operation won’t work?” “No sir” “Well then, why won’t it work. It is your fault, you should have checked it.” "No, I did check it." "Well, maybe. Check it again." Meanwhile the machine gave a click and then it was able to work. "Oh thank you very much for making it work, Bapak." So it was I who had made it click. Then it worked. The doctor was afraid of hurting Bapak and he said, “please say if you feel any pain Bapak." "All right." Dr. Rachman was worried too. "Please say if it hurts, Bapak." "All right". People having an operation feel pain. It is bound to hurt. Will it not hurt? Yes, of course it will, of course it hurts. But if one thinks about it that pain is just on the surface. I did not feel it. So perhaps I was being given some kind of painkiller from above. Yes, I say that it was from above, but no one understood that except Rachman. Perhaps it was like that. They went on and on and on and my pulse came down from hundred and sixty to seventy-two. "This is a miracle, Bapak". For a long time the doctor could not understand. Then he asked what was Bapak's history as you did just now my son. "What is your history Bapak; your past history?" He asked for Bapak’s history as one might ask for the story of Bengawen Solo ( the great Solo river ). I told him about Subud. After a while he said, “If that is how it is, it has some use Bapak. Yes, perhaps one day I could join Subud." Now Dr. Malewa is going to join Subud. That is Dr. Malewa. This was just an intermezzo,
If you want to know about what is called Mukjijat, brothers and sisters, that is how it is.
There are indeed the two ways for living, with two names; one is called istijrat and one mukjijat. Mukjijat is power from God, and it is beyond the will and capacity of human beings. This was what the prophets and messengers of God possessed, whereas the other which Bapak calls istijat is the greatness, the supernatural powers which human beings can develop for themselves through the grace and mercy of the One Almighty God, so that people can use this whenever they need to or want to. Yes, that is what is called supernatural power.
Thus, there are these two ways. The second of these is the way that has come down from Nabi Sis or Said Anwas or Sanghyang Nurcahyo from whom all the dewas are descended up to Arjuna. But if Arjuna has descendents, then so of course does Buto Cakil. Who are the descendents of Buto Cakil? No one will admit to being descended from him for he is ugly. Well, this is how it is. This is how people are. They do not want to acknowledge anything ugly in themselves. In fact, they are ugly but they do not want to admit this. Human being always set store by what is good and wish only good things for themselves, so that they can influence other people. They always want to occupy a front seat. They do not know that something dirty is contained inside them. Yes or no? “Isoli fardol zuhri, arba rakaatin mustakabilal kiblati adaan lillahi ta’ala, Allahu Akbar”, they say so as to cleanse themselves of impurities. Yes, if you break wind, it spoils your purification, but before that it was all inside you anyway. Why does that not spoil things too? So all that has happened is that you have spoiled things for other people, so that they should not have to smell something unpleasant for them. So all that is just an arrangment made by human beings, for human beings, not for God. No, where God is concerned it is He who arranges things. You claim to be pure and clean and you do not understand or realize that there is an enormous amount of dirt inside you. If you break wind, you yourself do not like your own smell. Bapak always uses deodorant or scent. Why? Because there is dirt inside and it might get out, so he always uses deodorant.
That is something you always have to bear in mind. You can see other people's faults, but you conceal your own. This is a human weakness, a human sin. If you want to see faults in other people you must see your own faults and your own sins. That is to be a satria ( true knight ) that would be the word for that if it is a woman – satrii. That is why you must not look at other people's faults, but first see your own.
When you have dealt with your own, only then can you deal with other people's. But it is no use to me to point your faults out to you; I should only offend you brothers and sisters. Before the latihan there are always a lot of the women who chatter and gossip: "Oh yes, so-and-so always wears a gold ring. Oh yes, she walks about like this." They are going to do the latihan but they talk like that.
You should not do it, not if you want to have a quiet and peaceful latihan.
Nor should you do it afterwards. There is no need to talk scandal about people. There is no need to do that, because if you enjoy scandal-mongering, other people will talk scandal about you. It will be the same for you. If you do not want people to gossip about you, you must not gossip about them. If you want people to like you, you must like other people; then other people will automatically like you. If it is like that, then mukjijat will develop in you.
Bapak will tell you something, brothers and sisters. While Bapak was ill in that hospital, St. Carolus, a telegram arrived from London, from an Omani prince. He was a king. I had never met him or even seen him. I did not even know his name. Nor did he know me. He said that he was sending me some money; ten thousand pounds for Bapak Muhammad Subud. I was amazed, Here was someone sending me money whom I did not even know. Had it arrived? No. So that was that. Later on I happened to be going to England. The doctors tried to dissuade me but I did not allow them to. They could not dissuade me. "But what if you die Bapak?" "Well, then, I shall just die." "You could die on the plane, before you ever get to England'. "Well, I did not die. I do the will of God and I carry out my task. I work for the Lord God, not for any human being. When I got to London I met that prince. When we met, he embraced me. He was a big fat man and he crushed me flat. Yes, he really hugged me and kissed me. Well, I thought I was done for. Then I sat down. "Bapak, I thank you very much."
I had not yet said anything. "Bapak has been able to convert people to Islam when Islam is unpopular in the world” he said. “That is a very meritorious act." Then I talked to him. He asked me whether I had received the check from him? It so happened that at the time when his check had been sent I had already left for London. I said that I had not yet received it. "Oh, never mind. No matter, if it has got lost. I will write another one. I will add a bit more, to make it up to twelve thousand pounds." So here was yet more good fortune. That was to some extent mukjijat.
Thus mukjijat can be explained as something of which people do not dream, but which comes to exist. That is mukjijat. But the things that people do dream of and achieve through effort, these are istijrat. Thus when people acquire supernatural powers and become invulnerable, that is istijrat. When they die, these people cannot go on to the next world. They cannot do that. Such people belong to this world. That is why they are reincarnated. Thus in Bapak's case, according to Bapak's receiving, he will not reincarnate when he dies, but will go on. Let us hope that you can go with him and that B. can follow Bapak.
Again, brothers and sisters; Bapak prefers to put the 1atihan kedjiwaan of Subud into practice. Those of you who are younger in Subud should just listen. It is no good thinking about it, or nothing will happen. Again. Relax.
( Testing )
Allahu Akbar. If it is the will of' God and God is guiding you, then in everything you do, whether waking or sleeping and in a11 your activities, all your actions, you will feel the guidance and direction of the One Almighty God. You will have evidence that the zat, the power of God really does surround you both inwardly and outwardly. So that death, which people usually regard as a hazard to life, will not feel like that for such people; people who have received wahyu from the One Almighty God. For what is called the world after death will have already become one with this world, so that there is nothing standing between them. Bapak will test this to some extent. Bapak has already tested this with you not a few times. So if you still say that you have not made enough progress what is it that has failed to make progress? What has not made enough progress is the money side, not the spiritual. No; the spiritual side continues to make progress. The money side has not yet done so! Bapak will explain about this later. Now Bapak will test with you. Relax.
( Testing )
Allahu Akbar. Did you eat together with Bapak? That shows that in Bapak's eating there is nothing standing between Bapak and the One Almighty God. In Arabic this is called qadim ala qadim : the eternal is in contact with the eternal. Well, this is how it is. This is why you must not indulge in lying, brothers and sisters because if you do God knows your deceptions. This is taught in Islam brothers and sisters and this is in the latihan kedjiwaan of Susila Budhi Dharma. It is not necessary for you to worry about that. What you need to think about is working. Earning money, that is what you need to worry about. That is what is necessary, brothers and sisters, so that in doing your work you will go forward at the side of God, with the power of God at your side, so that istijrat and mukjijat become one. The twenty attributes of God remain permanent: the kudrat irodat ( almighty power, divine will ) the ilmu hayat ( knowledge, life ) that is why I told Rusli the other day to make a list of the twenty attributes of God, so that now you know what the attributes of God are.
Brothers and sisters, it is now clear that there should be no difficulty for you in doing your worldly work. For you will find the fruits of that in your irodat ( will ); you will obtain it’s results in your worldly life. As to how your life will be when you live in the presence of God, that is for later on.
That is not for this world. Supposing you ask Bapak whether he is already on a high level, like a prophet, like a wali, what would that do you? I cannot give you that, because its fruits are not for this world; they are for heaven, for the hereafter. These fruits are your own and come from what you have done. So in working in this world, you are always enveloped by the. power of God. That is what constitutes mukjijat, it is something that you receive which is beyond expectation, as in the case which Bapak just mentioned. Bapak did not dream of such a thing happening. Bapak had no plans for someone to give him money. That would be very nice, but could one count on it? One could not, but in fact it happened like that. Unexpected things like that, but which actually happen are in fact the fruits of our worship of the One Almighty God. Thus if you are still having difficulty in doing things in this world, that means that you are not yet close to the mukjifat of the One Almighty God, not yet accompanied by the mukjijat of Allah. That is why you should repent, brothers and sisters. To repent means to feel your faults and really repent before God if you are unable to work.
I will tell you something brothers and sisters which is illustrated by the people who work in such places as P.T.S.Widjojo. Every time that P.T.S.Widjojo has been in a tight place, with no money at all - a situation from which as a rule people would run away - suddenly something would happen. If money was needed for instance, the money would come. Someone would approach us with more money, asking whether P.T.S.Widjojo needed any. Well, just think; people were actually competing to help P.T.S.Widjojo. It was really funny. Yes, So there was no need to worry about P.T.S.Widjojo. There really was no need. Sjarif would have liked to take to his heels and run; if Bapak had not been around he would have run away. Yes. The budget for P.T.S.Widjojo was about thirty million dollars, which must be multiplied by six hundred to convert it to rupiah in the ordinary way one would just have given up. We had no money while to pay our employees and do all that had to be done we needed not less than one hundred million rupiah a month or more. It was obvious where the money should have come from. It should have come from those sources but it had not arrived. It was no good worrying about it, it would come of its own accord. All that was how it was. Thus it is clear, brothers and sisters that God is all-powerful. Yes. That is true brothers and sisters. It is really true. Bapak has experienced this. Well, this is mukjijat. Yes, it is miraculous. Well, Haryono here has also experienced this. If Haryono had not been close to Bapak, he would have run away. He could not have borne it. If he was to pay people, he needed fifty million rupiahs which he did not have, so what was he to do? Yes, just think. In the ordinary, way that would have been the end of everyone. He would not ,just go mad but he would die. He would go mad and die.
This is how it is, brothers and sisters, so that our worship of God by way of the latihan kedjiwaan really does form a path for us to follow. If we still lose our way, if we have still not found a way, do not know the way, what is wrong; that really is our own fault. A teacher is at our side. A king is at our side, so how is it that when the possessors of all wealth is all around us and we still do not, cannot achieve anything? How can that be? Well, this is how it is.
It is God’s will that Bapak’s voice is no longer as it used to be. If it were still as good as it used to be, I could sing like that but now my voice is no good.
You must never be cast down. To be east down is to suffer, to be disappointed. You have already received the guidance from God which is embodied in the latihan kedjiwaan. That means that in everything the One Almighty God has brought you close to Him. Why are you still so timid, and why do you feel confused and blocked in doing something about your lives? God will give you evidence if you really do something on the basis of a great faith in the one Almighty God.
You have been purified through the latihan kedjiwaan which you have received. That has opened a way for you life. Only you are not sincere and serious enough. Your irodat ( Will ) is lacking. Why is it that you should do as Bapak has said: you should do enterprise in order to be able to receive and feel the meaning of mukjijat and kadrat.It is like that.
You need to surrender, truly surrender to the One Almighty God. But, because you forget, this is disabled in your actions. What does it mean for this to be disabled in your actions? You see the evidence of this. People who live in the depths of the jungle, who can still be called savages, do not just simply surrender but they are just indifferent. If they can stay alive, that is all right; if not, that is all right too. Even if they cannot stay alive, they say that it is all right. They are alive like everybody else, but God does not give them anything because their surrender is without content, futile; it means nothing. It is a surrender unaccompanied deeds. This is how .it is. You must not fear difficulties or hardships, you must not fear suffering along the road you follow, always provided that you do not do anything that transgresses human morality. That means nothing that goes beyond the bounds of what is right.
You may work as a film star, you may work as singer, you may work as a clown provided that you really do clown, do sing, do a ct in films. What is wrong is if you do any acting and being a film star leads you astray into wrong paths, which are not the ones you should be following.
Well, that is how it is. You must not be afraid of your own actions so long as they are not wrong, not bad. This applies all the more to all of you who have received the latihan kedjiwaan and those whose destiny is to be accompanied by the power of God, so that at every moment you can ask ( what is right? ). Well, this is where you are different from the people in the jungles, who do indeed surrender but whose surrender is meaningless. It is surrender without action to go with it.
As an example of that, brothers and sisters, what resources did Bapak possess to enable him to do the things he has done? Bapak has experienced what it is to have no money, brothers and sisters; he has experieneed what it is to have nothing in his pockets; he has experienced what it is to live in very humble circumstances; for twelve years he experienced that. That is not a short time, during which it could said that Bapak was an outcast from human society. But he was convinced that this time of deprivation would lead him to his right way.
Why was that? Because Bapak truly surrendered, but he surrendered having already done something. But God is All-great, God is All-wise, so that Bapak had whatever was necessary for him, but without any planning. This is how it is. That is also the case for all of you, because when Bapak received this he also felt he must pray to God. "Let this not be for me alone. Let it be for all mankind." Yes, indeed. “You are only like a path, you are only like a channel.” What use would it be if I alone were rich, and nobody else? That would be a sad thing for me. If only I were rich and the rest of you were not, then you might try to rob me, for instance, and that would be my own fault. As human beings we must live like human beings, who must use calculation in their lives and who can calculate how to live. Does that transgress the laws of God? No, for God Himself works, brothers and sisters.
What Bapak has experienced brothers and sisters, Bapak has experienced reality. When Bapak leaves this world Bapak will still work, but on a 1arger scale, a wider scale; more far-reaching, better, more beautiful, happier. For if one considers the matter, at present I have to use a plane to travel here from London. At best I can use a plane; even if it is a Concorde, it is still n plane that takes me from here to there. The people in this world have reached the glorious point at which they can make something to carry them to their destination almost in the twinkling of an eye; one can get to London in six or seven hours. But there, in what Bapak has experienced it is not just in the twinkling of an eye, but as soon ms I intend to go anywhere I am already there. Just think; that is how it is in that world. Thus when you die you will not just be buried in your grave. No. Well, this is how it is. The people who still employ fasting and practice austerities, the people who are said to have supernatural powers, when these people die they stand guard over their graves, brothers and sisters. Yes, because they do not yet know heaven: they have not yet seen the heaven that lies beyond this world. They do not know that; they have not seen that.
Bapak wants to tell you a little story. When I was twenty-three, I went to a guru, a very well known teacher. Yes, in fact Bapak's teacher was also the teacher of Mangkunegoro, Mangkunegoro V, who lived in Surabaya. After receiving instruction fom this teacher, Bapak went to Cantung; there is a mountain near Semarang called Cantung. People seldom dare to go there, because they say that there are a lot of jinns there and one is in great danger of death. I will explain what happened. I sat there with my arms crossed over my chest meditating hard. Yes. Suddenly Bapak saw a figure as tall as a mountain: at least as tall as Mount Merani. I saw its arms, with hairs on them like the leaves of a palm tree; like the central stem of a palm-leaf. You know what those are like? That was how big the hairs were, not the arms. Then this figure spoke and asked me "What do you desire oh God?" He addressed me as God. If that were so, then he must consider me to be a very superior being, if he called me God. "I do not desire you; I desire the One Almighty God." "Oh, is that so?" "Yes. I pray only for whatever may be the will of God.” Afterwards I reported this to my teacher.
"Pak, I met this creature." "So why did you not say that you wanted this or that?" Imagine that. Yes, this teacher posessed supernatural powers. I did not, nor did I ask for them. I am descended from ancestors who did not have these powers. "Well, well” he said.
“If it had been me, that is what I would have wanted, said my teacher."
Well, that was that. Then there was another occasion, when I was sitting in the mountains with my arms crossed. There are some mountains to the east of Samarang.
Once when I was there with the kiyai ( Muslim scholar or teacher ), the land in front of me disappeared and there was an ocean before me. Then some small people came along. They were dwarfs. They came up to me and asked me what I would like to ask for. I said that I was not asking for anything, but that I wished to find the One Almighty God. "I want to Find tho One Almighty God. I pray for a sign from the One Almighty God." That was all. The dwarfs vanished. I told my teacher about it. “Well", he said, "Why did you not say yes or ask for anything?” They symbolized the Dewa Ruci ( Holy Spirit )." No, they were not like that, they were satanic beings. Well, just think about that. They were supernatural beings, so if I had asked them for this or that, I could have had the power to fly anywhere and everywhere. Yes, I could have had supernatural powers. If I had become someone who had supernatural powers, then what would have happened? I might not have become a robber, but who would have dared to withstand me? Well, that was how it was.
I was astonished at my teacher. After that, I decided to leave that teacher. His name was Kiyai Pontokartoko: he was the teacher of Magkunegoro V. he had also been the teacher of Kanjeng Gusti Mankuogoro I Sambornyawa. Although he had also been Bapak's teacher, that was another matter. Bapak was different. He was already different. This is how it is, brothers and sisters.
So, through this latihan kedjiwaan, we are guided by God into the holy way that is really right for our lives later on, after we have left this world, so that we are opened to the vision and the knowledge of the difference between heaven and this world. Well, that was a little bit about Bapak's experiences.
There are more stories like that. I had a friend, brothers and sisters, who went to the same teacher as I. He practiced asceticism; for five years he ate no rice, but only green vegetables. He said that he had been able to meet with all sorts of things. when he was in Jatirogo, he went together with me to the home of the kiyai of Jatirogo. The kiyai of Jatirogo was a spiritual teacher, but he taught the spiritual wisdom of islam. He had received this teaching from Sunan Ampal Dento, Sunan of Surabaya, a wali. He asked my friend what he wanted. "I want to study with you, Kiyai." In Fact he had already received a lot of teaching and was already quite learned, but he still wanted to do this. "If I may, Kiyai", he said, 'I would llke to tell you what I have already experienced." "All right", said the Kiyaiy. In my meditations, Kiyai, I was able too see myself all lighted up. It was very beautiful." And he said that this was what was being worshipped. That was what one calls a genderwo, a phantom" answered the Kiyai of Abdarrachman. “Oh, was it?” "Yes; that was a phantom."
Then my friend thought that if it was like that, then he had better stop what he was doing, for obviously this was a genderwo. So if there are any of you who deviate from the latihan kedjiwaan, so that you may that you meet with this or that during your meditations, those are all genderwos, brothers and sisters. Islam is not like that. Everything has been brought together in it and there is none of this or that in it. Bapak has experienced how if someone has charms or amulets about his person, and then he joins Subud, he loses them. Yes, yes. If someone has susuck charms inserted under the skin, they drop out. There are all sorts of susuk charms to render one invulnerable or to make one handsome or pretty - but when someone enters Subud all these drop out and get lost. The price for one susuk used to be a thousand rupiahs, but now it may cost a hundred thousand. Yes. Thus there are many of the beautiful women in Solo who make use of susuk. When they join Subud and do the latihan, all these susuk come out; all these bits of gold drop out of their cheeks and get lost. Well, if any of you have anything like that, just throw it away. Indeed, my children, if you have things like that people can be overwhelmed when they see you. Yes, they are overcome, so that if you smile at them you enchant their heart. Yes, if you just have P. a glance he would be enchanted.
Brothers and sisters, one ,may conclude from this that the best thing to do iS to follow the way of the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud, for the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud is in truth guidance and direction From the power of the One Almighty God. Do not go seeking for God, brothers and sisters. God is already present within your inner-selves. If you do not seek for God, but just go on doing the latihan kedjiwaan according to what we have received, God will come still closer to you so that you can correct your own selves. You will be able to know your own faults and your own wrong actions, and you will be able to know the right path to follow in order to be able to provide for your own lives in this world until they come to an end. It is thus clear, brothers and sisters, that this latihan kedjiwaan of Subud really does constitute ilmu, or divine wisdom operating in your lives.
In Islam, brothers and sisters whenever Muslims who are practicing the shariat leave home, they say their prayers, they employ a set formula, by repeating the. zikir; “laa ilaha ilallah; laa ilaha ilallah, laa ilaha ilallah." It may be that, or it may be "astagfirullah hal adzim, astagfirullah hal adzim" It may be "Allahuma solli ala Muhammad, Allahuma solli ala Muhammad” It can be like that. It can be “Subhanallahu wabihamdihi, Subhanallahu wabihamdihi, Subhanallahu wabihamdihi." There are prayers like that. Thus there are many kinds of prayer. They keep on telling their rosaries and saying these prayers as they walk along in order that they can be touched by the power of God which is present in this recitation. Well, this is what they do, whereas you have been trained to receive this; you have received this in the latihan. So what do you lack? This, brothers and sisters, is what people are seeking.
In Islam, and especially in the tasa’uf ( spiritual teaching ) it is said that there exists within your selves something of a nature which forms the source of your life; the life of your selves, brothers and sisters. This is what is usually called the heart. In Islam it is called the hati sanubari, the inner heart. It is said that in the hati sanubari there is something written. In Javanese, or as the Javanese call it, this is sastro jondra. In Islam it is said that what is written there if pronounced aloud, it sounds like "Allah, Allah, Allah". This is in the tesa'uf. They also have this in Java, where it is called sastro jendra. What is this sastro jendra? Sastro means writing. It: is a secret writing. It is a writing which is very great, very wide, very wise, very glorious. It is further called sastro jendra hayu pingrat. This is a secret writing which embraces the whole universe. That is why there is a very great temptation here, which is shown in the sayings of the dalangs. When Begawan Wisrowo asked the Dewi Sukesih's hand in marriage for his son, she asked llim to explain to her what this sastro gendra hayu ningrat really was, because his son had asked Begawan Wisrowo to ask for Dewi Sukesih's hand for him, this put a strong pressure upon him to tell her. But he did not know the temptations that existed for someone who revealed the meaning of sastro gendra hayu ningrat so that eventually Begawan Wisrowo fell in love with Dewi Sukesih. He saw her as a bidndari, an angel from Suralaya ( the Hindu heaven ), lovely beyond all comparison. He went quite mad about her and eventually she became his wife. Because this marriage between Begawan Wisrowo and Dewi Sukesih had come about through the revealing of what was meant by sastro gendra hayu ningrat and because of temptation by the nafsu, their first-born son was Dosomuko. The second was Kumbokarno, the third Sarpokanoko, but the fourth - because Begawan Wisrowo had already repented - was at last a son of good character like himself. This son was Wibisono.
That is what happens in the wegangen the teaching of life, although its temptations are only like that. It is even more so when the teaching is the real thing, which means the kind of teaching that you receive. So if you are afraid of temptation, that is actually harmful for you. For all temptations arise from below, from lower levels than that of the latihan kedjiwaan, whose nature is the worship of the One Almighty God. And the nature of the latihan kedjiwaan is also guidance from the One Almighty God. Thus you must not think about all sorts of things while you are receiving this latihan kedjiwaan. If you are afraid of devil, then the devils will actually come. There is true story about this, but it is a pity that there is no-one here from Citalahap.
Before Bapak bought Citalahap there was a tea plantation there. If the people who ran the plantation cut any wood there, if they cut down any trees, then they either fell sick or died. Then they got word that Bapak was going to buy Citalahap, before Bapak came, there was a rumor that he was going to buy it, and the people there were quite involuntarily having dreams and visions. They dreamed about the jinns who lived there at Citalahap. They dreamed that the jinns were talking amongst themselves, talking with their friends and relations.
"I say, brother", they were saying, "the Jagat Guru ( the World Teacher ) is going to buy this place. We have received orders from the Ratu Kidul ( The Queen of the South Sea, who is queen of all the devils ) to say that we should all move out of here and go elsewhere.'' The people who had these dreams told my son-in-law about it; they told Istindar Manggung Wiryohudoyo.
I am already old. I used to laugh at my grandfather when he was an old man, because when he talked, he rambled in his speech. "Oh yes, later on, when you are like I am, then you will be able to feel how it is." Well, now that has come true. So old people, when they talk, they ramble. I sometimes call this girl here and say "Come here, Pret!" She takes no notice. Well, I call for Ismuwati ( Muti ) and forget her name. “Come here, what’s your name? Eh, Ismuwati " and she is my own grandchild.
Thus the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud is truly guidance and direction from the One Almighty God, whereas the people who go seeking for God find only His reflection in what is in the tasaf. Yes. Thus they say that God is here ( in the breast ). Well, this is what they say, so that if this physical self ceases to exist, one no longer possesses God. Also doctors sometimes keep hearts in glass jars. It would be a pity if God were there and if God, if Allah, could be kept in a glass jar. That is why people say, lamun munio. Lumun munio is when people repeat Allah, Allah, Allah, like to the sound of the heart..They all repeat that. Well, now - because we in the latihan kedjiwaan have proof - I will now add some more testing, brothers and sisters. Please relax.
( Testing )
But before that, brothers and sisters, Bapak will explain a little more. What Bapak just now called sastro jendra hayu ningrat is present in the inner-selves of all of you, both men and women. But in some of you it has already gone a long way and in some of you it has not yet gone very far. But in fact it is already there, because it is present in the guidance for your lives which has its origin from the power of the One Almighty God. That, brothers and sister is why you must not be surprised, nor must you take it in the wrong way or misunderstand it if there are sometimes occasion when women regard you as being very attractive. If you are not strong, this can be like it was for Begawan Wisrowo, who was thought to be very handsome and attractive. For the women it is the same thing the other way round. When you have received the latihan kedjiwaan, and if it has gone quite a long way and entered right into you, then you will look like Banuwato ( a beautiful queen of the wayang ). Yes, and so every man who sees you will be tearing out his hair because of you. Javanese women can be very charming. The have a gentle, swaying walk which is quite captivating.
As for these who are tearing out their hair, astagfirullah, hal. adzin. Well, it is very necessary to resist temptation. Thus it can be said that we are able to do all these things through the grace and mercy of God. Thus it is not man’s fault if some people say that people fall in love with him as many women do. What causes this? It is not their fault; indeed it is like that when they have received the latihan kedjiwaan. They are like the Janaka ( a handsome wayang character, one of the five Pandawas ), yes. big and strong like Gatotkaca. Yes; this is how it is.
It is thus clear, brothers and sisters, that the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud contains, amongst other things, what is called sastro jendra kayu ningrat, although this is not all that it contains. So if you use it you will be as strong and brave as Gatotkaca, or if not as strong as that, then like Janaka who said to be the slim one. If you are strong, you are like Gatotkaca, if you are stronger yet, you are like Werkudoro. But someone who was not filled with sastro jendra kayu ningrat was Batocakil. In the case of a woman, her content is that of Sarpokanoko. Thus you must not be taken by surprise, if men find you extremely attractive, and you must not flirt with them or lead them on. You must not do that. For indeed the content of this latihan makes people seem miraculously attractive.
This is a strange situation, which is astonishing to someone like Sjarif, say. who does not try to make himself attractive. Why are women attracted to him? Why to they lose their hearts to him, let alone to someone as handsome as P.
That is how it is, brothers and sisters, so that Bapak always explains that this latihan kedjiwaan is the source of all culture in this world. Formerly, before human beings had been able to establish schools for architects, doctors and so on, those skills originated from this source, from this latihan. That is why culture originated in holy places, which were quiet and peaceful. In the ease of Islam it came from the mosques, from the seminaries; in the ease of Christianity from the churches. Those were the sources of all culture. That is why if people who receive this really think about it, these cultures are very, very close to the nature of the latihan kedjiwaan. Thus it is as if in the latihan kedjiwaan there is this dalang or puppet-master. When he pulls the strings in this way or this, or this, then this and this happens; it develops into the pencak ( Indonesia are of self-defense ). That happens in the latihan kedjiwaan. After you have done the pencak, like this, then you do like this - Allahu Akbar; that is your worship. That is like that. Yes, you have to receive all these things. Then there is no fanaticism. There are no fanatics, it is clear that all the actions and behavior of human beings on this earth all have their origin in the power of God. You must not claim that any of this comes from your own selves. Culture should be manifested. What emerges after deep thought is called science, which is something other than culture. Culture comes from kudrat ( divine decree ); science from irodat.
That is Bapak's explanation for today; the explanation he gives to all of you. It is not like a latihan, but it really is like the evidence in the latihan kedjiwaan. Indeed, Brothers and sisters, to produce evidence for the growth of culture, this can be seen in Europe in Russia and in Austria. In the past both the Russian and the Austrian races were deeply immersed in religious matters, so that out of their quietness, their peace, their freedom, they were able to receive things that were beyond expectation. They had a way of singing which developed long ago in Austria, if one can receive it. ( Bapak utters sounds ). That is Austrian. In Russia, in the same period, it was like this. ( Bapak utters sounds ). That is Russian. Then we can go back to Persia in the old days, to what is now Iran. Receive it if you can ( Bapak utters sounds ). That was Persia in the old days. So this still continues.
Today is a great day, brothers and sisters; what is called the Hari Maulud. Maulud is the name of the month of the birth of the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, .and Bapak Muhammad-Subuh was also born on the same date. You need not say "on whom be peace" when you speak of Bapak. Bapak was born in the month of Maulud at .about five in the morning. The year was also the same; the year Del. That is the big year, and Maulud is also said to he the big month. ,Thus,at the time when Bapak was born. the cannons in Kraton ( Palaces in Solo and Jogakarta ) were fired forty times to salute the birth of the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace. It had no connection with Bapak's birth. No. There just happened to be this ceremony taking place.
So there is no mistake about this being rather a special day. Bapak, by coincidence celebrates his birthday on the, same day that the Muslims commemorate the birth of the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace.Brothers and sisters, that in the end of Bapak's talk For today, but Bapak promised to do something. Relax for a moment, brothers and sisters.
( Testing )
Yes, enough. Could you receive and Feel it? Yes, such is the grace and mercy of the One Almighty God, brothers and sisters. You could feel what Bapak said just now, when he said "Allah, Allah, Allah. It is as if this is inside you. Thus it is clear that Allah exists and is present and lives in the life of all His creatures in the universe.
Thus each time that you say "Allah", He is present, He fills your inner-selves. So you must persevere in your worship of the One Almighty God, brothers and sisters , worship Him both through this latihan kedjiwaan of Subud and also through the practices which you follow in your various religions. For religion is something that comes from God and is willed by God for human beings.
That is ail, brothers and sisters. Bapak gives praise and thanks to God, and prays that you may experience all this as fully as possible. And may God bless you al1, and may you always be safe and happy.
Thank you.
Questions in letter to Bapak from M. which were referred to in the talk given at Cilandak on 3rd February 1980
1). Why, in Bapak's book Susila Budhi Dharma, does Bapak only explain as far as the jasmani level? Or if someone has reached the level of the jasmani force, can he then know all the other forces up to the robani level and continue his latihans so that all the seven forces within him can work during his life in this world?
Would it not be a good thing to explain in full, so that in days to come no wrong interpretations will arise which could result in various ways of understanding this?
2). Would it be a good idea to add a color T.V. recording to the system in the latihan hall, so that when tapes of Bapak's talks are played in the latihan hall we could often see Bapak's face as well as hearing his voice?
3) Concerning Bapak's autobiography, would it not be better to prepare it now, ( although the time of printing must be left to Bapak ), for I feel that only Bapak himself knows all the details.
4) May I know the full story of Bapak's experience on the occasion of his ascension; from the beginning, during his ,journey and after he reached his destination, the One Almighty God.
5) In 1959 I once saw two suns, revolving around one another, approaching me during the night. At that time I had not yet become a Subud member. What, from the spiritual viewpoint, does such an event signify?
My wife R. and I would like to ask for rajahs from Bapak. In this connection, might we be allowed to call upon Bapak at his house and do sungkem to Bapak in private?