Eindhoven, Netherlands - October 4, 1957
Code Number : 57 EIN 1
This movement is certain to touch and penetrate and restore the members of our body that are not strong, not healthy but ailing, so that they become good and healthy again. Healthy in the true sense, because the person is moved by the soul [jiwa]. Not healthy in the ordinary sense; healthy in the sense of being really clean and pure and clear.
The path of God's power received by the soul doesn't stop there; it doesn't move only the human body. Eventually it penetrates a person's heart and mind and awareness. The power received by the soul also cleans our heart, feelings and imagination, and eventually reaches the awareness of our inner self.
In truth, nothing, no method of teaching can clean and put right a person's heart and mind, unless it is received in one's own soul from the One God.
One of the ways that might improve people's behaviour is good advice. And good advice is often enhanced by instilling fear of divine retribution. But advice remains advice. As long as the person who receives the advice is close and known to the one who gives it, he won't do anything bad. But if he forgets, and is compelled by circumstance, because he wants to have something he thinks can make him happy and improve him, he will not use or obey the advice. That's why many people who are highly educated and have the best advice do things that harms others and deviates from what is right.
It's different when one can oneself receive from one's own soul. Then, however bad one was before, one will have a good heart, mind and will, and a humanitarian attitude and behaviour.
As an example, why was the advice of the Prophet Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad followed by so many people? Both had hearts that were really and truly clean and obedient to God, because their heart, inner feeling, mind and will were cleaned by God.
This is an example for us humans today. It's not that we want to be like the Prophet Muhammad or the Prophet Jesus, but both of them are our examples and guides for obeying God and finding the way to God. We should not only follow their advice, but really practise the way they did things and conducted their lives in times long ago. That's what is generally called doing good works [amal], good deeds to God, one's own good deeds to the One God.
It means really carrying out God's commands, which are within one's inner self. And God's commands, which are within the self of human beings - as Bapak explained before - can only be received when a person is clean and pure, and his desires, imagination and thoughts have been put aside and are gone, so that he is obedient, sincerely submits and entrusts himself to God and worships Him.
Coombe Springs, England - March 15, 1958
Code Number : 58 CSP 3
Bapak is not disappointed and does not find fault with you, because you are really experiencing a transition from believing in a person to believing in God, from receiving advice from a person to receiving advice from God Himself. Naturally, you find the atmosphere in the groups very heavy, because in the past, one of you gave instructions, and the others followed them. It was instruction from person to person. But seen from the spiritual point of view, the way to God cannot be learned like that. From the spiritual point of view, if someone is given advice by a counselor, it is not fitting; it does not fit the members and organs within the person. Advice which can really be carried out and fulfilled is advice that fits the target of the advice. This is impossible for human beings ( to do ). Only God can do it, because God gives human beings advice and guidance which fits their real nature.
Sydney, Australia - June 5, 1958
Code Number : 58 SYD 3
The content of the latihan, that is, the movements you have received and experienced, is actually the fruit of the efforts people generally make to obtain the life contact from the One God. You all know and are aware of the various kinds of efforts man makes to achieve this, for example meditation, concentration, memorizing words given by a guru, and so on. All these are only a means of calming the heart, thinking and desires.
Similarly in religion, whether in Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, or other religions, man is always advised to obey the instructions or advice of the prophets. Their advice was that human beings should have complete faith in God, and should surrender completely to God with full trust and sincerity, so that God is worshipped and honored in all respects, more than their own soul and body.
The intention behind this advice was that human beings should really come to obey God and not have many wants, and not be greedy, so that when they are in a state that is empty of desires and passions and greed they may be able to obtain the life contact, as you yourselves have felt and received it, ladies and gentlemen - a vibration of life beyond expectation, beyond the thinking mind. For when man's inner feeling and the power of God meet they become as one, as a unity, so that we will not be able to see, hear, feel, or think, if it is not God Himself who does so.
The reason why, in Islam, people fast in Ramadhan and give alms is so that they can get used to feeling how it is for someone who is really poor, and how it is for someone to have to go without. It is to remind people, 'Those of you who have the means should give to those who have nothing; it is necessary for you to feel how life is for people who have nothing.' The meaning of this advice is that human beings should not fast merely for the sake of fasting, but should really put it into practice. As the Prophet Jesus said to one of his followers, 'If someone strikes your right cheek, offer him your left.' These words are not to be taken literally; we have to look for their real meaning, which is that human beings should behave in such a way that they show evidence in practice of feelings that are alive. In reality, if someone really were struck on the right cheek and then offered his left cheek, the striker would not do it because he would surely feel that the person who offers his other cheek is a person who is without sin, a person who really submits.
We have practiced and verified this in the Subud latihan, although so far you yourselves have not yet experienced it. But later on, ladies and gentlemen, you will experience when you are with someone that, without asking anything, the tears will flow spontaneously from your eyes. Also, in the latihan, if, for example, one lady is here and another lady is here, and this one laughs, the other one will start laughing too. If this one weeps, the other also weeps. This is evidence that the feeling intended in the Muslim fasting and in the Christian advice to turn the other cheek is put into practice and becomes a reality in this Subud latihan of ours.
Jakarta, Indonesia - September 29, 1958
Code Number : 58 LAX 5
This is why Bapak always tells you that it is not possible to understand and think about what you receive in the latihan. Your brain and heart, ladies and gentlemen, have long been closed up because they have been working for the world. Please do not let your brain and heart work in the latihan, but let your inner self grow and work unobstructed. If you follow this advice, you will later be able to experience the repetition of your life again as you knew it when you were still a baby. You will be able to have evidence of this later in the testing Bapak will conduct after this talk.
New York, NY U.S.A. - May 9, 1959
Code Number : 59 NYC 4
Evidently, it is not only material objects that differ in name and quality, or plants or animals that differ in name and nature; humans also differ in name, and certainly differ in their inner content. For example, a person who has a soul that is inappropriate for a human being may become good in character and behavior through advice and education. But when he loses touch with these good influences, through the pursuit of pleasure and high position or the chase after success, then this person will forget what he has learnt and the original force ruling within him will be laid open and revealed plainly for all to see.
New York, NY U.S.A. - May 14, 1959
Code Number : 59 NYC 6
Thus, lots of religious counsel and words of advice were brought by the prophets to humankind, in order that humans might be able to understand the true purpose of religion.
Then Prophet Muhammad was born on this earth. He brought the religion called Islam, in order that human beings should know God's will for them: namely, that they should not forget to behave well in all their actions on this earth; and that in their everyday life human beings are always accompanied by the power of God as their guide and leader. For all that is obtained from God goes back to God.
That's how much advice ( has been given ) to humankind. But humans remain humans and are very easily influenced by whatever is in front of them. Bapak himself does not know what is God's will, but now a situation, a way, has come into being that requires us to put all this into practice and to make it real. But not just advice, not just the voice, because in our feelings we are already so filled to the brim with the voice and its advice that all the many theories we know about are now preventing our soul from being at peace.
So Bapak hopes you will no longer do spiritual work with your mind, because that method has been around since Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, and has not yielded anything. So if you still do it that way, you will never get anything. Because of that, God wills that human beings should now be able to receive the reality, as well as doing what needs to be done in this world. So in the latihan we have to be able to walk arm in arm, our guide and ourselves together, the real I and the I of the desires together.
In Indonesia Bapak has heard many people say - especially Muslim scholars, people with a great deal of knowledge of the holy books - that this latihan, this Subud, is not a training for ordinary people, but only for prophets. So, it is not right to make it generally available.
To this Bapak replies:
If this were not willed by God, Bapak would not have received it, and he would not be able to pass it on to other people so they also can receive it. But Bapak has received this, and he has passed it on to other people, and they are able to do it and receive it. This means it's God's will that it should be for humankind in general, for whoever wants it and whoever remembers God.
. . . It is said, in the stories and advice of the prophets, that human beings are not the ones who know the angels. The ones who know the angels are angels. Those who know the nymphs are also nymphs. So if someone knows heaven, it means he or she has been in heaven. Someone who hasn't been in heaven cannot possibly know heaven. So, it's not necessary to ask what heaven is like and all the rest of it, because if one still asks, it means one is not yet able to know; but if one already knows, there's no need to ask any more.
Montreal, Canada - May 16, 1959
Code Number : 59 YUL 1
Subud is neither a religion nor a teaching. In reality it is a representation for the human self of how it can truly receive whatever it needs for its life, so it may worship the One God. So Subud is not a method or a system for worshipping God, we receive it in a state of emptiness and submission to God's greatness, witnessed by those who have been doing the latihan for longer and who have been chosen by Bapak himself. Therefore, in truth, what we receive and practice is really the will of God for us, so that we may be able to worship Him.
Starting with Abraham, and then Moses, Jesus and Muhammad and the other prophets, much advice has been given to humankind to enable them to worship God. ( But ) today we are living in a time when, unless you're given proof of the reality ( in your worship ), maybe you are not going to find something true and convincing for yourself. This is because, these days, we have come more under the influence of the state of the world, the force of which is constantly increasing and putting more and more pressure on us.
It is not that the prophets of ancient times did not receive the reality from God to pass on to humankind, but what happened then was in accordance with God's will for that time... ( inaudible ), and at that time, long ago, this was not yet God's Will. In ancient times there were still many people who could easily quieten their hearts and thinking, for indeed, at that time there were not so many things influencing their hearts and minds. So there were still many people who, by advice alone, could live rightly.
But nowadays, during this last century, people's hearts and thinking have become greatly influenced by things that very easily affect their being, so it is very difficult for them to put into practice and follow the advice given by the prophets. Therefore, it is God's Will that at this time there should be a way that can compete with, balance and overtake the development of the thinking and the heart of human beings, which have been swept along by the progress of the time in which they are living.
By the will of God, which you have received, you can be in contact with God's greatness easily, while still fully engaged in life; for instance, still thinking about your household, about your work - thinking like ordinary people living on this earth. So what we obtain in the latihan and what happens in Subud not only resembles, but actually is the same as that received by the prophets long ago, which you have heard and read about. So it is really very fortunate for our inner feeling that we have been able to come to this in such an easy way. Truly it is by God's will - so that people should not stray too far, following wrong ways that do not lead to Him.
New York, NY U.S.A. - May 24, 1959
Code Number : 59 NYC 7
As for those whom Bapak appointed as helpers: a helper in Subud is not a leader, or someone who has to give advice or show the way to others who are doing the latihan. No. They only need to be present at the latihan, so the latihan is orderly, otherwise people may be all over the place. They are there to keep order. Besides, how can the helpers give advice or show the way to others when they themselves have to be empty? To give guidance to others, human beings require their thinking. So how can they give correct guidance when their thinking minds need to be empty? When they accompany the members in the latihan, even though they are helpers, they need to worship God too. Everyone worships together. Then the helpers will not be the losers but will gain from it; because those they do latihan with will be able to receive what they need, and the helpers will be able to receive too.
. . . So, take care of your self first. Do not be in a hurry to give advice to others if you are not yet right yourself. One day, maybe you will not need to give advice. People may just look at you and say, 'Oh, I would like to be like you,' because the example is already there ( in you ). That is the way the prophets were. Jesus became an example to the world, hajib al - 'alam, as Bapak said earlier, because he was most refined in his walk and in his speech. Jesus really was a human being who was pure and obedient to God. So, he could say to people, 'You must obey God and be pure,' because ( he ) was already pure. In your case, you tell others, 'Be pure and obedient,' but when it comes to you: 'Just a minute, I am not pure yet.'
Question:
If we find a problem absolutely ( inaudible ), such as has been brought to my attention, where someone who is not of this group and is not a helper, takes it upon themselves to instruct other people - to tell people when they are to do latihan, to give them permission to do latihan alone, to do all sorts of things - what can we do? Can we do anything? Should we try to do anything? And if so, is it the work of the committee? Is it the work of the helpers as a whole? What do you recommend?
BAPAK: It should be the helpers. However, since the helpers are still combined with the committee at present, the committee-cum-helpers must speak to the person.
( Interpreter ) What can they do about that person if he does not want to listen? What is Bapak's advice?
BAPAK: Just forbid him. He must not do it.
( Interpreter ) Yes, but supposing he does not want to hear?
BAPAK: If he does not want to listen, tell the people he talks to not to believe him. If he insists on opening people on his own, it means those people have not yet joined Subud. ( Something similar happened ) in Australia too! ( Laughter )
Chicago, Illinois U.S.A. - June 17, 1959
Code Number : 59 CHI 1
Also at that time, what Abraham received from the greatness of God was the advice - in Islam called firman - that human beings must acknowledge and be aware that they were made and created by the One Almighty God. So during that era, all of Abraham's followers were taught to believe in the existence of the One Almighty God who had created all of them in this world. Indeed, at that time people believed in God, believed in the greatness of God, and were aware that they were created by the Almighty. They began to be ( truly ) aware that God is the ultimate Creator of human beings and all living things that exist in this world.
After that in the history of the prophets, we come to the age of Muhammad, who is symbolized as the one who completes ( the cycle ), meaning the small child grows up, marries, has children, then those children grow up and the whole thing repeats. So one who was a small child creates another small child, thereby repeating the process of human life as people experience and live it.
These are the symbols - or stories that have become symbols - for humankind, whose true meaning you should know and become aware of. This history of the prophets, together with all the advice that was received and absorbed by the human race, became symbols for us. In reality the advice we have received up till now - advice that is so far reaching - is already complete. The book of Abraham, the book of Moses, the book of Jesus and the book of Muhammad, which are called the Zabur, the Torah, the Gospels and the Quran, provide a great deal of advice that is real. If we could be aware of it, it would provide guidance and instruction for humankind. But this is very difficult - especially in this age where the world is full of all kinds of things, full of this and that - because human beings cannot easily sort out their hearts and passions, and cannot easily calm their thinking.
Bapak himself doesn't know why God has willed it so, but with the birth of Subud, God works on our being, so we begin to be able to receive and understand how, in reality and in practice, we can carry out all the advice that is contained in the Zabur, the Torah, the Bible and the Quran. So in Subud we don't need any more advice; we don't need any more theory; we don't need any new method for worshipping God. Because God will guide all of you in how to worship and how to live your life, both in this world and later, in your life after death.
So Subud is not a religion, but it is willed by God to make real what is contained in our respective religions. So, for those of you who are Christians, once you have received a lot in Subud it will become real, meaning the reality of your religion will become clear to you. In other words you will become real Christians. And if there are Muslims among you they will become real Muslims, not 'Muslims yesterday but not tomorrow', or 'Muslims tomorrow but not the next day'.
San Francisco, CA U.S.A. - July 3, 1959
Code Number : 59 SFO 1
Indeed, it is God's will that you - human beings - should be able to obtain well-being in your life in this world, as well as in your life after death. That is why God gave the command to all His messengers that human beings, besides using their brain, heart and feelings for worldly things, should not forget their worship of God. It was so they might know and understand that, besides their human comprehension for living in this world, there is also the power of God, which envelops them always, and is the guide, the lamp and the light for their life.
Explanations like this have been given to people by the messengers of God since long ago, so that they may always remember that the power of God is within them. But now, because the brain, heart and feelings of people today are too full of the influence of this world - which is becoming stronger all the time - this kind of advice cannot possibly be given in the same way, the way it was given a long time ago.
The fact is that people these days often know more than those who give them advice; those receiving the advice know more than those giving it. So neither side can do what they are supposed to do. That is why, with the birth of Subud, you - and the whole of humanity - are required by God's will to put into practice the advice that already exists, that has already been received by human beings, but which people have not yet been able to carry out.
So in Subud you will be guided, you will be taught something that is beyond the lessons you have learned in the usual way in the world. The reality is that in the latihan you will receive lessons and guidance ( directly ) within your self. For example, God will show you something that you need to know, not by pointing with His finger, but through your own seeing. Also, God will give you something you can hear, not by making a sign that you should listen, but through your own hearing. So you will be able to witness whatever God shows you through a reality that is within your own self.
God's will is that human beings should exist on this earth in order to experience conditions in this world, so that eventually they can compare life on this earth with life beyond it. In the end they should be able to feel the true excellence: that being close to God and within God's protection is better and more excellent than living in this world. As the prophets said, 'If you want your life to be excellent, draw near to the power of God and trust the advice of the prophets, because only God can make your life happy.
Of course, people's hearts and minds generally say, 'How can we believe in God, how can we trust the advice of the prophets, if we can't see God with our eyes, and can't touch God with our hands? If God were like a table, that we could see and touch, then we would believe.' Indeed, you cannot blame such people for having this opinion, because they have not yet been given any evidence, have not yet been guided rightly so they can witness and know. The reason for this is that their hearts are still continually influenced by the low forces, which do not want human beings to leave them behind, but want human beings to give more importance to the low forces than to their own selves.
For you ( their opinion ) will not seem strange any more, because for someone who cannot yet know and witness the reality that is in their self, that's how it has to be. So Bapak hopes that you will not criticize such people, or blame them. Besides that, even though you feel the need to give advice to others who do not yet believe, don't forget your own latihan, your own worship of God. In this way you yourself can soon receive and be cleansed; and eventually you can really show proof of what you have, and what you possess as an excellent human being.
San Francisco, CA U.S.A. - July 7, 1959
Code Number : 59 SFO 2
As Bapak has already told you, this latihan of Subud is a training that is willed by God so we may put into practice and confirm for ourselves the advice of the prophets, as well as verifying the true content of theories conceived by various people.
In fact, long ago when the prophets lived, they didn't just give advice to their companions and to humanity, they also required that their advice should be put into practice. However, due to the progress of the natural world, which always confronts human beings, the actual putting into practice of this advice from the prophets gradually got less and less. In the end only the advice remained; people gave up or lost the reality that those before them had received.
San Francisco, CA U.S.A. - July 10, 1959
Code Number : 59 SFO 3
. . . So clearly, having four wives ( is not something to be taken literally ). It does not mean that you have to have four wives. It's only a symbol. It means that you have to be able to seal off the openings that are constantly influenced by the heart. So, you are not required to marry four. No. But you are required to eliminate the domination of the passions of the heart, which are always there in our five senses.
Such was the advice of the prophets, given so that human beings might be able to fulfil the commands they brought from God. Bapak does not want to go any further in explaining these stories, because it would take up all our time. To summarize, Bapak will merely say that human beings have received a lot of advice from the prophets, and it is sufficient. It only remains for us to practice it.
Clearly, we will not be able to verify what the prophets advised if we do not practice it. So, with this spiritual training of Subud, which you have received and follow, God is giving you the reality of putting into practice the advice you have heard and have read about, as recorded in the various books of the prophets.
This being so, it is clear that at this time, in this century, it is God's will that human beings should receive ( the truth ) through actual experience. They should not just think about the advice they have been given. They should be able to verify that advice with their feelings, with their inner feeling, and with their awareness. This will confirm and strengthen their worship of God.
Los Angeles, CA U.S.A. - July 21, 1959
Code Number : 59 LAX 4
. . . There are many people who still... ( inaudible ), that is, when people enter the mystical world or associate with mystics, they forget their obligations in this world. Also, in religion - Bapak is not criticizing religion, no - but many religious people do nothing but worship God. They just worship God and build places for their worship - mosques, churches, and so on.
Eventually, people in general will be able to understand this. The proof of this is that now, many learned people, whose minds have worked very hard to acquire all kinds of knowledge, don't believe any more. Believe in what? They don't believe in the kind of worship they are told has to be that way, abandoning their worldly obligations. Moreover, there are many people who follow religion who have become backward and accepting; they have become people who easily accept whatever happens. Many of them even say that, however good it may be to be rich in this world, it is better to be rich in the hereafter; however good the glory of this world may be, the glory of the hereafter is better. So, in this world, they intentionally stay poor and lower their standard of life, and accept whatever there is - whatever they get.
Through these misunderstandings, and perhaps the misunderstandings of those who gave them advice, there are many backward people who have a very hard life. This is especially true in the Islamic world. Bapak himself knows and acknowledges the decline of these people, in Persia, for instance, and elsewhere. Why is it? It's because of the wrong advice they have been given. For example: 'Why should you seek more things in this world than you need, or an abundance of wealth, or high position and prestige that have no meaning, when you will leave them all behind one day? The glory of life after death will be better for you.' Through such advice, and the misunderstanding of those who accept and follow it, things have turned out as they are now, with many people willingly accepting their miserable fate. Whereas in fact this is not God's will. God does not wish humans to live without using their minds, their hearts and everything that is in them. No. God has provided for human beings: 'Human being, be alive and use all the parts of your body to fulfil your needs.'
And because of this misunderstanding, people who are really clever can use this advice to exploit those who are willing to accept their miserable fate, and to treat them like slaves. Whereas, in the stories of the prophets, the advice they gave was: 'As fortunate as a person is who finds happiness in this world, more fortunate still is the person who is able to truly worship God'. It is clear from this, that if a person can find something that reaches God, and can really receive from God what is meant in religion, all the parts of his or her body will become alive. Then, it won't be only his thinking that helps him find money and make a profit. Even his hands can find money and the way to get it; even his hands can be used to good advantage.
London, England - August 11, 1959
First Subud World Congress
Code Number : 59 LON 1
. . . But as Bapak said, human beings still remain human beings. Despite having received advice and guidance so inspired and adaptable, their nature remains weak, being easily impressed by outward progress, and by the development and discoveries of their own mind. As a result, whether we like it or not, most people are carried away into the world of thought, where all possibility of finding an understanding of the true meaning of life is completely blocked.
So it is clear that there is no shortage of advice, which has been given from the time of Abraham until Muhammad. It could be said that human beings have been flooded with advice - there is so much of it that nobody can carry it all out. This is because they just keep thinking about all of it; everything they need for their life, they just think about. Everything remains in their mind -just in their mind - and keeps on circulating there. So it all stops short in their thinking and they are unable to implement the advice and make it real. ( For instance ) there are many people who study theology and think about it for years and years, and in the end they just become confused.
Now with the coming of Subud Bapak can say, 'It isn't certain, but, yes, perhaps it is willed by God that through practicing what God has given us in Subud, we should be able to come alive again the way we once were - as was taught by the prophets in the olden days.' None of us, including Bapak, call be completely sure of anything; still, the evidence of our own experience, and what we receive, proves to us that Subud is a way of receiving that is not awakened by our heart, our thinking mind or our desire. It comes rather through an emptying of everything that is in us; and this comes about by the will of God, which is above and beyond our human understanding - our worldly understanding.
This means it is God Himself who works on our being, since human beings are not able, working from advice they have been given, to change the content of their own self. Indeed it is not possible; it can only be done by a power that has authority, a power infinitely greater than that of a human being.
Therefore no theory is to be found in Subud, .just realities, which work, grow and proceed by themselves. We receive and experience this working. All of a sudden our hearts have changed, our characters have changed, our physical health has changed, and what was like that ( gesture ) is now like this ( gesture ). All this is the working within us of an all-powerful force of life, the results of which we can witness with our ordinary organs of perception. The work of this life-force within us - changing what is wrong to what is right and what is bad to good - requires no assistance from our thinking minds, our hearts or our desires; a person's mind, heart and desires have no power to work any improvement on his or her nature. Indeed the improvement of a person's being and soul is not a human undertaking, not something for the mind, heart and will, but is the work of Almighty God alone, of a power immeasurably higher than human.
London, England - August 18, 1959
Code Number : 59 LON 3
Human beings today have been tricked by material things and revere them above their own selves. Bapak will take as an example a wealthy person, someone who has money. Yesterday he had money, a house, and sufficient possessions, but now, owing to circumstances - whether because of war or a fire, or something else - all his wealth is gone. Such a man can go crazy, if he does not die there and then. The power with which the force of material objects outside influences the human inner feeling is such that people value their soul less than the objects around them. Because of the tremendously strong influence material objects have on them, human beings are closer to material things than to the higher life force that is beyond what they know.
Therefore, what is constantly at work within the self of human beings is the force of material objects, which Bapak calls the 'satanic' or material force. And this situation is perpetuated because human beings procreate, and the new human beings are filled with the same soul that previously ruled their parents.
That is why, although ( people may receive ) the best advice, they cannot possibly carry it out properly. This is because they are filled with the material force, which does not want to know about anything that is beyond its own understanding. The reality for people at this time - this is not Bapak's opinion, it's the reality - is that the more sophisticated, the more prominent and respected they become, the less aware they are of other people's feelings. So they pursue and accumulate their own profit, their own desires, and their own abundance. This has brought chaos to the world, and caused disturbances such as war, instigated by none other than people who are sophisticated, respected and have high positions. This is because there is the feeling in their heart that they don't want their high rank, and the honor that goes with it, to diminish or be destroyed. As long as there are people like that in the world, the world will certainly never be at peace.
That is why the prophets advised people to be truly humane - to be compassionate, to have an understanding of life in this world, and to worship God sincerely - so that they would be able to live their lives as justly as possible. However, because humans are weak by nature, they are incapable of doing this. Indeed, they are already too full of low forces, which rule within their being, so no matter how good the advice they get, they will continue to behave as the low forces within them want them to behave. These are the reasons why human beings nowadays are unable to practice or carry out all the good advice that the prophets received.
Coombe Springs, England - August 20, 1959
Code number : 59 CSP 10
It is also said that children below the age of puberty are free of sin; that is why people have laid down that the actions of a child are not legally punishable. So it is clear that before puberty a child is in the same position as an older person - over the age of sixty-three. Therefore the period during which it is obligatory to worship God, so as to find the right way and come to a true understanding of life, begins immediately after puberty and lasts until the age of sixty-three.
So Bapak hopes you will not worry that your children cannot be opened until they reach the age of eighteen. Have no fear that they will be left behind, for they are, in truth, carried with you and affected by you. Such is the way of the soul as decreed by the law of Almighty God.
With regard to the bringing up of children, there are two ways. The first is by giving them advice; making them follow the good advice found in the teachings of religion and all that is really good and sound in human laws and customs. The second way, which is even stronger and which can have a really deep effect on them, comes from your own latihan. As Bapak said earlier, this will influence the souls of your children in such a way that their character is changed without their being aware of it.
Now, as regards the relationship of teachers and children in schools: usually this is only an ordinary one, from heart to heart, from mind to mind - a relationship based on ordinary advice and teaching. A relationship from the soul is impossible if the teachers themselves are not yet in Subud.
Coombe Springs, England - August 21, 1959
Bapak's Tenth Talk At The First Subud International Congress
Questions connected with helpers' groups and committees
Code Number of Recording: 59 CSP 11
13. Some people feel no benefit from the latihan, and even feel that their life becomes more difficult. For example, a schoolteacher feels herself more irritable with her pupils. Such people often complain that they cannot get any advice or encouragement from helpers, and begin to feel very sad and hopeless. Can something be done for such people?
BAPAK: Ladies and gentlemen, if Bapak were to answer your questions as they are put, the answers might not be clear to you. Some explanations about this subject are needed so that you can adapt what Bapak says to what you require.
. . .Therefore it is the helpers who do the work involved in increasing the membership and keeping track of that. It is also their job to give advice to those members who haven't been to latihan for a while. It is also they who deal with spiritual problems. And, if they can write, then writing books or other things is also their responsibility and their work.
. . . The helpers are also advisors to the committee, because they are a little more experienced in Subud and in the latihan, so their advice can be based on their latihan or their testing. If necessary - if they are asked to do so by the other members - helpers may also take on a committee job; it might be that they have some special ability relating to everyday affairs. In that case they should not concern themselves with the duties of a helper for as long as they are on the committee. Whether they are the chairperson, secretary or whatever, they should just do their committee work.
. . . read the complete talk: here
Coombe Springs, England - August 25, 1959
Code number of Recording: 59 CSP 13
More Questions:
7. Should married people who wish to have children do purifying exercises before they have sexual union? If so, should these be like the purifying exercises that Bapak advises before new people are opened or before we exercise with the sick?
Bapak: Ladies and gentlemen, as Bapak has often said, for as long as people live on earth their nature remains mostly the same. Even though they receive really good advice, which they acknowledge as coming from prophets, still they remain the same. That's often how it is, and the result is that they neglect good advice that would be truly useful for them.
. . . But Bapak does not forget always to give advice and explanations to these helpers when they are appointed, to help them understand that in fact they are not yet able to realize and carry out the real functions of a helper. Because in reality helpers should, first of all, be able to correct themselves and understand how far their own development has gone, and also be able to answer the members' questions. But those of you whom Bapak has appointed as helpers have not yet reached that level. So Bapak keeps telling you that you should not consider that, just because he has appointed you as a helper, you are a true helper; for that, you need to continue doing your latihan for a long time.
Bapak has also advised - and this advice is included in the statement about the duties of helpers - that, in opening members and accompanying them in the latihan, you shouldn't feel yourself to be the leader of the members doing latihan, but that you should simply do your own latihan together with them. You just have to make sure that there are no collisions and that no one goes out of the room while still doing the latihan, and that is all.
Why is that? The reason why the helpers should not feel themselves to be leaders when they carry out their duties is that, if they do, both they and the people they are accompanying will lose the benefits of the latihan. ( But if they refrain from such a feeling ) the door will be open for everyone to receive whatever they require from God's power.
Sheffield, England - September 21, 1959
Code number of Recording: 59 SHF 1
There are people who can understand a person’s behaviour and character. And if someone can know a person’s character and behaviour they will also be able to know the inner content of their being; that is, their soul. But understanding is just understanding. Are they able to change it? No. They have only an understanding. So, even though they have understood that a man’s behaviour is bad – perhaps because his nature is that of an animal, because he is filled with an animal soul – they are unable to change that soul.
They can only advise him in the hope that with this advice he will be able to improve his character, so that it becomes a little better. But, as this is only advice, there will come a time when he will forget himself, either because he is too happy – perhaps he has made a huge profit – or because he is sad or suffering. He may be dismissed from his job, or he may have no money at all; his feelings are squeezed, since his wife and children are crying. Inevitably his old behaviour will then reassert itself, because he will forget the advice he received.
It is different when he is educated by God, when he is transformed by God. The changed soul needs no advice. If that person’s soul is changed from an animal soul to a human one, he will understand by himself and will spontaneously act in a way that does not deviate from humane behaviour.
The influence of advice on someone who is still dominated by the animal force, if Bapak may illustrate it, is like a rope that tethers a tiger. As long as the rope does not break or come loose, the tiger is no threat to anybody who passes; but if the rope comes loose or, even worse, if it breaks, the tiger will become a real danger, because it will pounce on whoever walks by.
With God it is different. God will give protection and happiness to those who walk by, because the one who is tethered is no longer a tiger but a person. A person does not like to eat other people, so it is as if they are truly tethered – they will not pounce at all. Through God’s guidance, the animal soul has been changed to a human soul. There is no longer any need for a rope; there is no longer any need for advice; they will not pounce on anyone who passes by, no matter what, because they are human. This is just to give you a picture.
Such is the vast difference between a person’s ability or effort to make someone else calm and peaceful – the difference between using skill and advice on other people – and God’s education and transformation of the soul within a person’s being. Through God, through the power of God, a person may spontaneously go from bad to good; that is, their former character, which was like an animal, changes to one that is human.
And God’s guidance for human beings is something you have already received. The latihan you do is none other than the guidance of God; the work of God within your being. So do not be worried, sad or disappointed, because everything is being done meticulously and in the best way possible, in accordance with the measure of your inner strength.
Briarcliff, NY USA - July 10, 1963
Second Subud World Congress
Code Number : 63 BCL 3
As Bapak has experienced on his journey, members still ask many questions that have already been answered and explained in the Pewarta. When he asked these people,‘Why do you still ask this when it has already been answered in the Pewarta?’ they replied,‘What is the Pewarta?’ This shows that there are still many members who are not even aware of its existence.
But in fact the Pewarta Kedjiwaan Subud is really necessary for you all, because in it Bapak gives advice and explanations dealing with the spiritual path, which you need to know about. If members were to read the Pewarta they would not ask Bapak so many questions and this would immediately lighten his work, for Bapak receives fifty or more letters every day, all of which he also answers.
If you consider that in Japan there are at least a thousand registered and actively attending members, and in Saigon no fewer than eight hundred, we can assume that Japan and Saigon alone would require no less than three hundred Pewartas; but Dan says that he only sends out three hundred copies in all.
It does indeed seem as though a real bond between you – in your feelings towards each other and in your hearts – has not yet come about, or does not yet seem to be close. It is very clear that you have not yet learned how to give each other mutual support, care and love in the way we had hoped.
Bapak hopes that this will soon come about. This does not mean that he is encouraging you to provide a large profit for Dan Cahill’s business. Dan Cahill is, as it were, only an instrument – an instrument of our Subud association. If the Dharma Book Company flourishes, then of course its prosperity will benefit the whole Subud membership. As for Dan Cahill himself, you can see from his appearance that he is content if he can manage to sleep soundly and get enough to eat. He does not have the appearance of someone who seeks luxury.
Since you all happen to be here at our congress, as delegates from many countries who are listening to Bapak’s advice on this subject, he hopes that you will remember the needs of our Subud family. You should not regard this as the need of the American Subud members alone. No. Dan Cahill is merely an instrument for putting into effect the wishes of all our members. For the Pewarta printed here is the Pewarta Kedjiwaan Subud from Jakarta. Through the Pewarta you meet Bapak himself, and you can always read and be aware of Bapak’s guidance and advice to you. In this way the publishing enterprise will flourish, and at the same time the bond between you will grow and be strengthened in the way you would like.
This printing press, although established in America, is for the whole of Subud, because Bapak needs it for the purpose of communicating his advice and what he says in his talks to you, who are spread all over the world. As for the printing presses elsewhere – for instance, in England, Germany, France, and possibly in other countries such as Latin America – these are also necessary and they need to publish local Chronicles giving points of view with regard to what is happening in the spiritual life of the members in their respective places. The Pewarta, however, is not like that. It talks about the latihan and the spiritual life of Subud in general. So the Chronicles that are published in the various countries are like the ‘children’, and the Pewarta Kedjiwaan Subud, the periodical from Jakarta published by Bapak and printed in America, is like the ‘mother’ of those periodicals.
In this way the Pewarta Kedjiwaan Subud and the local Subud periodicals can be closely in touch with each other and work harmoniously, so that members in the north can know what has been received by the members in the south, and members in the east may understand and be aware of what is received by our members in the west. So our Subud association will be united and closely connected outwardly and through its publications.
Furthermore, there is now the view that it would be an advantage if, among the editors of the Dharma Book Company, there were someone with a proper knowledge and understanding of the Indonesian language, and of Spanish or French. With such people on the staff, the Dharma Book Company would be able to bring out the Pewarta in English, Indonesian, Spanish and French.
Of course, brothers and sisters, if such people were to join the staff, that would involve additional expense. Even as things are now, as Dan Cahill just said, ‘sometimes the company can breathe and sometimes it cannot’. So if there is no support and help from all of you, then it cannot be done.
For your own sake, and for the good running of the Pewarta, Bapak hopes that when you return home from this congress you will make known to the members the importance of the Pewarta, which is issued from Jakarta and written by Bapak himself.
These then are Bapak’s views concerning the subject you have discussed today. He hopes that you will really take these views to heart. Thank you very much.
Briarcliff, NY USA - July 25, 1963
Second Subud World Congress
Code Number : 63 BCL 10
Paris, France - July 14, 1964
Code Number : 64 PAR 3
So, one of the duties of helpers is to open people who want to join Subud. If they need explanations, explain to them about the principles and aim of Subud, as Bapak has told you, so that those who enter Subud do not misunderstand and imagine that Subud is a place of healing. This has happened, and is borne out by letters that Bapak has received.
One letter said, ‘Bapak Subuh, I was told that if I joined Subud I would become rich. Now I have been in Subud for four years and I am still getting poorer and poorer and poorer. So what is this Subud?’ That’s one.
There was another: ‘They said that when I joined Subud my illness would quickly be healed. Now it hasn’t been healed, it has become worse. So what is it with this Subud, Bapak?’
So, Bapak is getting letters that sound as if they are asking for a loan back, or as if they want an explanation or a fulfilment of something Bapak has promised. That is the point, brothers and sisters; that is why it is best if you give clear advice and explanations about the true nature of the Subud association. It is very important that you understand and give explanations to applicants that are as clear as possible.
Planegg, Germany - August 2, 1964
Code Number : 64 PLG 1
So it is clear that there have been many examples, and a great deal of advice has been received; humanity has received a lot of teaching and advice from people, from the messengers of God in the past. That is why in our Subud association and in our latihan of Susila Budhi Dharma we no longer need teachings; we no longer need advice, because there has been so much advice and teaching given already. What we need now is to put it into practice; what we need now is the reality. And that reality, thanks to God’s grace and God’s love for human beings, is what we have been able to receive so easily; that is, while we are still working, still living with our families, still eating well, still eating meat, still eating steak, cheese, butter and so on.
It could be that this is the will of God, who loves us. And because that reality has been made so easy for us by God, it is very important that we are aware of and pay attention to it, lest we neglect it or use it in a careless way. For if we do that, if we are careless and ignore and neglect what God has given us and made easy for us, it means that we are not grateful to Almighty God who has given us His love. And secondly, we are sinning against our own true selves, which have received and been moved and brought to life by the power of God, if we do not put it into action and into our lives.
Therefore Bapak hopes you obey and follow what you have received, and that God will bless you and enable you to find real benefits in the Subud latihan that satisfy your inner feeling.
Planegg, Germany - August 10, 1964
Code Number : 64 PLG 4
The kind of approach where the helpers put pressure on the members will not result in the members eventually finding improvement, or their numbers increasing. It is possible that many of them will resign due to the severity and pressure of the helpers. Actually what is needed in Subud is for the helpers to be able to give very clear explanations to the members, so that in their feelings they will gradually come to feel close to the helpers and spontaneously wish to follow their advice; then the helpers are like parents or guardians.
Therefore one could say that all the world’s helpers are part of the same endeavour and have the same goal, because they work together. And because helpers are Bapak’s representatives, clearly the helpers are advisors for their group, and for the committee when they need advice.
Wolfsburg, Germany - August 19, 1964
Code Number : 64 WOB 3
You may help a member with their latihan only if they ask you, but do not do that in the general latihan, as it will disturb the other members. And in reality, brothers and sisters, the latihan is not acting on your physical self but on your finer self. So if you or one of the helpers does something like this in the latihan – giving advice, touching people or massaging them – all that reaches only the physical body; it does not reach the finer parts. This kind of action is limited to the level of healing; it cannot bring about a change in the soul, for that can only be brought about by God’s power, which is fine, not coarse.
Also, if you are always doing these things, then the latihan will not seem much different from other approaches, such as homeopathy, or therapies where you massage or do various things to people. The result will be not only that the name of Subud is diminished, but that the spiritual training we know as the latihan – where God educates us, which comes from God and can change our soul, the content of our being – no longer has any meaning and will no longer correspond to its true nature.
If there is time, Bapak can demonstrate to you how it works within you, without touching, without anyone standing next to you; in other words, not by physical means but just from within. And you will be able to witness it in your receiving. What this will demonstrate is that the latihan is truly a training that works beyond the mind and the desires,1 and also that it is not the kind of practice that people normally use, such as hypnotism and other things.
Furthermore, being a helper is not a profession or a job. A helper is a forerunner or a pioneer, who is able to be a channel for the latihan and an example for the other members. Bapak says that being a helper is not a profession, because in the latihan we are led and educated by the power of God, enabling us to worship God in every action, in everything we do in our daily life.
Eindhoven, Holland - August 27, 1964
Code Number : 64 EIN 1
It is possible that those of you who have not been following the latihan for very long, and who have not yet received a lot in your movements, did not feel anything and could not receive the test Bapak just did. But what can we do? If Bapak gives special treatment to those who have been doing the latihan longer and only they are allowed to listen to such talks, the newer members who have not reached that stage are certain to feel discriminated against, and will say, ‘Why can’t we listen?’
But in reality, on this fourth journey of his, Bapak is still dealing only with the physical level; he has not separated the members according to level so that he can go further. Also, not all of Bapak’s talks should be recorded on tape, because a talk that deals with the things he just demonstrated cannot be recorded. It is inappropriate to record it, because nobody will be able to understand anything from the recording. So what can be recorded on tape are talks that just give explanations or advice, whereas talks that are about reality, which are important and necessary, cannot be recorded and are intended only for members who are already more advanced.
As Bapak said just now, it is enough that you follow the latihan sincerely. You do not have to study it. And you should use your heart and thinking – or, to put it more correctly, your heart and your brain – for the needs and necessities of your life in this world. That is indeed your responsibility, to use your heart and thinking to take care of your life while you are in this world. Your soul, on the other hand – or the process of your life that takes you towards that which is without boundaries, towards the life that is called eternal, that is always complete – always exists, and is in the hands of God. In other words, only God can study it, use it and work on it. So, in your life, on the one hand you follow, trust and submit to God’s commands that prevail and operate in your inner feeling, as when you receive in the latihan; and on the other, you use your heart and brain and thinking to provide for your life in this world. Therefore you have two tasks in your life: one task is to receive whatever God gives you, because you need that for your life that is without limits. The second is your duty to use your heart and brain or thinking to fulfil and serve your life in this world.
That is how it is, brothers and sisters; so do not keep thinking about your soul with your intellect. For what is called psychology is actually not the study of the psyche. It is the study of the intelligence, the brain or the thinking mind, not the soul. Your soul is the content of your life, the content of your inner feeling. How can you study that? Who could study it? Only the soul can study the soul. A person cannot. What is coarse cannot. No.
That is the reason why there is no science of the human soul that can change the soul: make one that is not good better; make one that is small bigger; make one that is narrow wider, so that you can have a great soul, like the prophets and the messengers. Only God can do that, for God is the Master of the soul. A human being can teach only about human intelligence, the heart, the thinking and feeling. And then they call that psychology. It is not. It is thought-ology. It is the study of the thinking, the brain; the study of the physical body, the physical.
That is it; so make sure that you are not confused by your own brain and heart, becoming someone who is frustrated, someone who doesn’t know their way, who is stuck or in darkness because they have been confused by their own heart and brain. That is why it is better not to think about the soul. Use your intellect for your work; use your heart to pay attention to anything at all that is connected with the needs of human life or your life. Then you will be complete: complete in the coarse and the fine, in the outer and the inner, in this world and the next.
Cilandak, Indonesia - May 1, 1965
Information and advice for all Subud members
Code Number : 65 TJK 4
Bapak often hears of disagreements still occurring in various places amongst the helpers, between the helpers and the committee members, and between the helpers and the ordinary members.
Manchester, England - April 10, 1967
Code Number : 67 MAN 3
You can feel and see for yourself that no receiving can put a brake on our desires and cause the heart and mind to be inactive, unless that receiving comes from the power of God. Clearly, no one can stop the activity of their heart and mind unless they get help, unless they receive grace from God. This is a proof for you when you explain to other people who ask about the latihan. And you can use this to explain to Subud members if needed, so that they will realise and understand that the latihan is not to be taken lightly, or treated as unimportant, or disregarded. This training is sacred; it is filled with God’s miracles.
Therefore it is Bapak’s hope and his advice to you that, if you want to avoid an unpleasant fate, you must treat what God has given to you with the greatest respect. You need to follow it; and you should feel fortunate that you are being helped, guided and led in such a way that you can easily stop the influences of the desires that reside in your heart and mind, and can receive God’s will that manifests within you.
The Hague - May 11, 1967
Code Number : 67 HAG 3
And the fourth responsibility of helpers – since they are the pioneers – is also to advise the administration. Even though it concerns worldly matters, if their advice is needed they should be available to give it, through testing.
New York, NY U.S.A. - May 16, 1967
Code Number : 67 NYC 2
Bapak says that the helper is like a representative of Bapak's because Bapak gives to the helper the responsibility of opening a person who is interested in joining Subud. It is not possible for Bapak himself to open him because Bapak is not always at the place of the opening. So clearly, whether the Subud membership remains united or whether it disintegrates, rests with the helpers. This is also the reason why the scope of the helper's duties is international in character. This means that, wherever he is, he remains a helper with the right to open people who wish to join Subud and to give explanations and advice concerning arrangements in the Spiritual Brotherhood to people who have been opened recently, as well as to those who have been Subud members for a long time.
So clearly, as the helper has been appointed because he is a Subud member who has had experience in the spiritual field and also because his explanations and advice are trusted by the members, he should serve and look after the condition of the Subud members in accordance with the way that has been decided upon and established by the Association of the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud, and this means that he may not use a theory or practice that deviates from the basis and aim of Subud.
New York, NY U.S.A. - May 19, 1967
Code Number : 67 NYC 4
And it also happens in the latihan – it happens from time to time – that a member or a helper is moved from within to go to another member and touch them or do something to them, moved from inside. They cannot be criticised, it is all right. There are times when one is compelled from inside to go to another member who cannot receive properly or who is thinking too much, and touch them and even give them advice. But some people have been doing that, not because they were moved from within but because they have seen other people do it and they want to do it too. That is not permitted. So, to make it clear, from now on do not do that any more, even if it is genuine. It is best that when you do latihan, as far as possible just receive what you need for yourself.
And among the members, members who are not helpers, some times – in fact, it often happens – a member will receive more than the helpers. All over the world there are members who can receive better than the helpers. And a member who has received more than the helpers may start to think that they are superior to them and end up not believing what the helpers say. On the contrary, they think that they are the one who should set an example and give advice to the helpers. This has happened.
Bapak wants to put a stop to that too. Try not to behave like that. While it may be true that someone cannot receive well, Bapak approved and agreed that they should be made a helper, because there were no helpers at the time. But there was a need for someone to look after members and to open people who wanted to join Subud. So Bapak wants to explain that the first helpers that Bapak agreed or approved as helpers were appointed in an emergency; there was no choice. Bapak had no choice because so many people wanted to join Subud and someone had to open them. That is why there are some helpers who cannot receive as well, or who do not know as much, or who are not as experienced, as members who have now been in Subud a long time.
Santiago De Chile - May 21, 1967
Code Number : 67 SCL 1
Toyko, Japan - July 27, 1967
Code Number : 67 TYO 8
In the past Bapak has always said that Subud should stand on its own feet as far as possible, and should rely and depend not on contributions from outside, but from the Subud members themselves. Clearly, Subud should stand on its own feet in accordance with what we have received in the Latihan kejiwaan. The Latihan kejiwaan is also like this, brothers and sisters. We are educated, guided and directed by the Power of Almighty God that manifests in the Subud Latihan, to stand on our own feet. For instance, when we are ill, we should not depend on other people to cure us. When someone is ill and asks to be cured by Bapak, Bapak always refuses. It is not that Bapak refuses because he does not like to help, but actually Bapak wants the person concerned to become accustomed to doing it himself through the Latihan kejiwaan. Therefore Bapak gives him the advice to join Subud and then, besides receiving the Latihan Kejiwaan that is in its nature the worship of Almighty God, he will in time be cured automatically of the illness he suffers. In that way, he will not always depend on other people all his life, neither in his outer nor in his inner life.
Cilandak, Indonesia - August 20, 1967
Code Number : 67 TJK 6
As far as Bapak's own behavior is concerned, Bapak never touches any of the brothers while he is accompanying their latihan, unless it is very necessary. Bapak gives advice after the latihan is finished. What is the reason for this? It may be that there is a difference between Bapak and other members and, for instance, other helpers. In accompanying the latihan of the brothers, it is as though Bapak opens a door as wide as possible, or opens up a wide space, and Bapak himself only looks on. Therefore, in fact, the brothers before whom Bapak stands, and whom Bapak accompanies in the latihan, feel free. They feel as free as can be, so that they have movements like this and this ( gestures ). Only if there is someone who does not yet receive at all, Bapak separates him from the others. As Bapak himself acts in this way, Bapak hopes that all helpers will do the same: that is, that they will just leave our brothers/sisters alone, whatever they may feel about it.
Cilandak, Indonesia - August 22, 1967
Code Number : 67 TJK 7
There are some brothers who, jokingly, say how good and excellent it would be if the delegates from the various countries who meet in the United Nations to discuss the problems of their various countries were filled with a spirit of mutual understanding, and were aware and conscious of a harmonious way of living one with another, according to the Will of Almighty God that has been implanted within man's self.
Yes, indeed, it would be good if it were possible, for usually people only think of their own interests and the interests of their own group and their own nation. This is the reason why Bapak says: "If it were possible", for guidance and advice has already been given to man by the Messengers of Almighty God, in order that he may have such an inner self; and it was indeed the Will of God to send Prophets and Messengers to give advice to mankind, so that man's life in society would become harmonious and justly ordered. But what has been experienced and what has been done by men from ancient times until the present is just the contrary: they each go on pursuing their own interests and victory for their own groups. Therefore, with the birth of this latihan kedjiwaan of Subud it is hoped that men will remember again all the excellent advice given by the Messengers of Almighty God, so that justice can prevail in man's life in society.
Lima, Peru - May 5, 1968
Code Number : 68 NA 2
A person's self can in fact be likened to soil. Some are like fertile soil without much rock or sand in it; some like fertile but clayey soil containing rather a lot of stone and sand; some like hard, dry soil full of stone and sand; and some like sandy soil.
When rain falls upon fertile soil that is without stones or sand, plants grow immediately as soon as the water has been absorbed, and when cultivated they will bear a crop beneficial for human life and will eventually produce a really abundant harvest. This exemplifies the self of a person who receives very good counsel or advice, together with excellent guidance and direction, so that eventually he can readily increase his knowledge or develop the nobility of his character.
As for the nature of soil that is fertile but clayey and contains rather a lot of rock and sand, when rain falls upon this soil it also causes plants to grow, though not so quickly as in soil of the first kind; and if plants with fruits beneficial for human life are grown there, they will eventually produce a fairly good harvest - meaning that it will suffice for the needs of life. This exemplifies the self of someone who receives excellent counsel and advice together with good guidance and direction, and is thus able eventually to improve his knowledge or develop his character to a high level. But something is lacking in the self of this person: that is, if there is anything wrong in his actions, he does not hesitate to put the blame on other people or to involve them.
The characteristic feature of the hard dry soil, which contains a lot of stone and sand, is that the rain falling upon it does not sink in quickly, so that the soil gradually becomes full of small poisonous creatures and gives off a bad smell. Soil of this kind must therefore be broken up and cultivated to make it able to grow plants whose fruits are useful for human life. Yet, even when this is done, the result is still not satisfactory at times. But if this soil is simply left alone - meaning not broken up and cultivated to make it fertile - it will at length produce plants that are usually thorny or of hardly any use for human life. This exemplifies the self of a person who receives and also listens to the best counsel and advice, but into whose inner-feeling it does not penetrate quickly, so the more he receives, the more it just accumulates in his heart and mind. Such a person is clever only in bandying words and he misuses the counsel and advice given him, so that nothing he does turns out good. Such a person, therefore, needs guidance and direction that can enable his self to become free from the influence of nafsu, heart and mind; and if it fails to do this, he will become more and more conceited, feeling he is the only clever one.
Because of this, there are not a few clever people who even cause trouble for the stupid ones; rich men who even make it difficult for the poor, and people who are said to be clever in guiding others but cannot even guide themselves and their own families. Such people have a nature comparable to that of the hard dry soil. Yes, if this sort of soil is broken up or ploughed it can easily be filled in with good earth but, in the case of a person, who is there who can break up the faults and impurities of his inner-feeling when, in order to do so, it is necessary to separate out the influence of the nafsu, heart and mind that has already become interwoven in the inner-feeling?
That is how it is, brothers and sisters, if you wish to feel the wonder and the secrets of human life.
Besides the dry, hard soil, there is also the sandy kind. When rain falls upon soil of this type, the water quickly disappears and the soil grows no plants at all. But when there is no rain and only the heat of the sun strikes it, that soil radiates great heat. This exemplifies the person who, if he receives or hears good counsel and advice, yes, he hears it and appears to listen, but what he hears does not in fact leave any trace, which means that he neither feels it nor takes it to heart. But if he hears about or sees examples of conditions that are not good, his heart is easily attracted and intrigued, so he seriously studies and imitates them. Also it is difficult to find a person like that with a good and noble character, because his self is filled only with nafsu that want to quarrel and fight.
But Almighty God, brothers and sisters, is always All-Merciful and All-Loving. He can make good something that is bad, He can make clean something dirty, and He can bring into being that which does not exist. If His creatures truly have full faith in Him and are truly able to surrender to His Will with trustful acceptance and sincere submission, their inner-feeling can receive contact with His Power, enveloping them both inwardly and outwardly, so that their own previously bad condition will become good, their unclean condition will become clean, even though this is done bit by bit.
The explanations or illustrations given above of the self of man, as exemplified by fertile soil, semi-fertile soil, hard dry soil and sandy soil, are as though each one were completely of that sort - meaning a soil entirely fertile, entirely semi-fertile, dry or sandy - whereas in fact fertile soil does contain some proportion of stones, dry earth and sand, and the dry and sandy soils also have some fertile soil in them, even though only a small amount. This is also true in the case of a person: even though his inner-feeling may be said to be clean and able to receive quickly, there are in fact still faults and impurities in it; and others, who have many faults and impurities in their inner-feeling, have some part which in fact is clean and able to receive, even though this part is not large. Hence you need not worry about this matter, because Almighty God has given you His Grace enabling you to receive and follow the way of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, which is in truth guidance and direction from God. Thus it is clear that your body, as exemplified by these soils, has begun to be worked upon and purified by the Power of God: that which is uneven is being leveled, that which is full of stones, dry soil and sand is being broken up and then filled in with fertile soil, meaning soil that can quickly grow plants useful for human life.
The question of how quickly or slowly this work is completed depends upon the condition of the soil. If we speak of your body, it depends upon whether there are few or many faults and impurities in it. This is what you need to feel; you should not blame Him Who does this work, or you will fall into despair.
For you have in fact been very fortunate in that the Power of Almighty God has already worked within your selves, so that everything that cannot possibly become good will be put right. But what you have to remember is that you must have a feeling of patience, and surrender everything to the Will of God with trustful acceptance and sincere submission, because the work in this case is work adjusted to the process of purifying and improving the capacity of the inner-feeling so that it can receive what is needed.
Cilandak, Indonesia - December 10, 1968
Code Number : 68 TJK 5
According to history, while the Prophet Muhammad was engaged in the religious observance of fasting during the month of Ramadan, he received the first revelation in a cave, where he usually practiced prihatin, worshipping Almighty God and quieting his thoughts and fantasies so that he could give advice to people who, at that time, still wanted to fight for power and the superiority of their own groups.
It was the same with Jesus Christ, who steadfastly spread the messages and advice he received from Almighty God in order that people might change their ways and bad behavior to their fellow men. In fact, however, the people did not follow or adhere to his advice, but opposed and even slandered him.
Cilandak, Indonesia - May 11, 1969
Code Number : 69 TJK 1
Cilandak, Indonesia - October 15, 1969
Code Number : 69 TJK 6
Cilandak, Indonesia - October 18, 1969
Code Number : 69 TJK 11
Melbourne, Australia - April 2, 1972
Code Number : 72 MEB 1
Cilandak, Indonesia - April 13, 1974
Talk to Asian Councilors Conference
Code Number : 74 CDK 5
Cilandak, Indonesia - May 19, 1974
About marriage - At the wedding of Michael and Miftah
Code Number : 74 CDK 7
Melbourne, Australia - April 14, 1976
Code Number : 76 MEB 2
San Francisco, California - April 24, 1976
Code Number : 76 SFO 2
Toronto, Canada - May 12, 1976
Code Number : 76 YYZ 1
Wendhausen, Germany - July 29, 1977
Code Number : 77 WEN 1
Cilandak, Indonesia - August 18, 1976
Code Number: 76 CDK 8
Paris, France - August 22, 1977
Code Number : 77 PAR 3
Barcelona, Spain - August 27, 1977
Code # 77 BCNa
Lisbon, Portugal - September 5, 1977
Code Number : 77 LIS 3
Woodstock, VT U.S.A. - September 13, 1977
Code Number : 77 WOS 2
Chicago, Ill U.S.A. - October 1, 1977
Code Number : 77 CHI 2
Honolulu, Hawaii - December 24, 1977
Code Number : 77 HNL 2
Sydney, Australia - January 30, 1978
Code Number : 78 SYD 2
Melbourne, Australia - February 5, 1978
Code Number : 78 MEB 2
Singapore - February 15, 1978
Code Number : 78 SIN 2
Toyko, Japan - January 1, 1980
Code Number : 80 TYO 1
Toyko, Japan - January 2, 1980
Code Number : 80 TYO 2
Cilandak, Indonesia - June 21, 1980
Code Number : 80 CDK 3
Cilandak, Indonesia - June 22, 1980
Code Number : 80 CDK 5
Cilandak, Indonesia - July 30, 1980
Tape Reference : 80 JKT 5
S. Widjojo Center, Jakarta, Indonesia - January 17, 1981
Code Number : 81 JKT 2
London, England - March 28, 1981
Code Number : 81 LON 3
Slough, England - April 5, 1981
Code Number : 81 LON 6
Wolfsburg, Germany - April 26, 1981
Code Number : 81 WOB 2
Slough, England - August 11, 1981
Code Number : 81 LON 17
Jakarta, Indonesia - August 22, 1981
Code Number : 81 JKT 4
Cilandak, Indonesia - January 2, 1982
The meaning of Anugraha
Code Number : 82 XTY 2
Perth, Australia - April 25, 1982
Code Number : 82 PER 2
Sydney, Australia - May 9, 1982
Code Number : 82 SYD 1
Osaka, Japan - June 1, 1982
Code Number : 82 OSA 1
London, England - August 2, 1983
Code Number : 83 LON 2
London, England - August 9, 1983
Code Number : 83 LON 7
Wisma Subud, - Cilandak, Indonesia - June 24, 1984
Code Number : 84 CDK 5
Jakarta, Indonesia - January 19, 1985
Bapak's talk given at Pak Armbaryd's selamatan
Code Number : 85 JKT 1
Wisma Subud Cilandak Indonesia February 9, 1985
Talk At A Wedding Reception
Code Number : 85 CDK 1
S. Widjojo, Jakarta, Indonesia - June 25, 1985
Address To Bank Susila Bakti's Shareholders Meeting
Code Number : 85 JKT 5
Cilandak, Indonesia - May 29, 1986
Code Number : 86 CDK 2
Amen. Bapak Muhammad-Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo