New York, NY USA - June 10, 1959
Code Number : 59 NYC 8
God is Most Just, Most Wise. The heart and mind of humans cannot possibly influence God. A person who washes clothes will surely ask God, 'O God, do not let it rain as long as I live, so that my washing can dry.' But a farmer will ask, 'O God, let it rain and go on raining without stopping so that what I am sowing will grow well and bear fruit.' Such are the wishes of human beings. If God were not Most Just and Most Wise, if God only followed the wishes of human beings, it would certainly not create peace or goodness in the world.
So the way people visualize justice, and the way people visualize wisdom is just their own idea. It is nowhere near the Wisdom and Justice of God. For the Justice of God envelops everything. This means that it envelops those who wish for something and those who do not; it envelops those who take advantage and those who are taken advantage of. But humans are not like that. Those who are taken advantage of ask for it to stop; while those who are taking advantage want to go on doing it. So, human notions of justice and wisdom are very different from God's.
For example, in Asia there are people who always give loans to other people at extraordinary rates of interest. In other words they practice usury; they charge the maximum possible interest. Well, to the lender this seems just. It is necessary and as it should be: 'If I lend money, I should get it back with high interest. 'The borrower's idea of justice is different, however: 'If I borrow, I want a low interest. If I borrow a hundred dollars, I will give back a hundred dollars plus just one dollar. If I can, I'll pay it back over a hundred years, not ten months.' This has long been part of the nature or character of human beings; each perceives their own version of justice.
With God's power it is certainly not like that. Those who in God's eyes are just, are those who are aware of the needs of their life, and don't only chase after their wants, wants that bring them stress and suffering later on. That's how it is. It is clear that the justice human beings need, which is justice according to God's will, requires them to control their desires, heart and thinking. For it is these forces that always seek immediate gratification of their wishes, without knowing their own strength.
When human beings are able to correct and restrain their greedy desires, hearts and thinking minds, they will automatically find God's instructions and commands, which are there within them as companions for their life. These instructions are like a guide - a set of rules - to show how each person should work; how they should make a living; and how they should worship God.
Los Angeles, CA USA - July 18, 1959
Code Number : 59 LAX 3
If an inner revolution, which we usually call a crisis, should occur, it's really very unpleasant. Maybe if you saw it you'd be frightened and stop coming; you wouldn't come for latihan any more. Because if you see the behavior and actions of a person in crisis, it's really not very far from, say, the behavior of a mad person.
Furthermore, a crisis or a revolution within the self is not the end of it; it is not a resolution, only a rebellion. So when the rebellion is over they haven't received anything, they are back where they were. They are back in their original state where they still need to do more latihan. So this crisis is just a rebellion within the self. Therefore Bapak hopes that all of you will be patient, have faith in the justice of God, and believe that God knows everything. If you receive the latihan with patience and surrender, this will help to ease the work of the One who guides us within our being. Then the disappearance the low forces that have been in charge within ourselves - their return to their rightful place - will be orderly. They will retreat in an orderly way, as opposed to being forced out in a way that causes them to rebel. They'll make an orderly retreat, doing it voluntarily, gladly, delighted to be ordered back to where they belong. That's how it is. Then, within the hierarchy of the life forces, they will bring about well-being, order and the harmony of the whole, in a way that will not be disappointing.
Coombe Springs, England - August 25, 1959
Code Number : 59 CSP 13
Bapak tells you the truth: God is truly just. God is truly All-wise and All-just. But maybe there are many people who say that God is unjust. And who says that God is unjust? Those who are poor, those who always have difficulties in their lives, those who are always unfortunate in not getting what they want. And why do they say that? Because their desires are not fulfilled. So they say that God is unjust. 'Why doesn't God give to me? Why does God give just to those rich people, to those important people?' they ask. But God is All-just; and in God's justice He has no favorites but is the same for all humankind. God has freely given everything human beings have for their well-being. So the fault now lies in those human beings themselves. They possess all the tools they need within themselves, and in all the parts of their being. What they have is truly complete - so why can't they use it? The mistake is theirs.
Cali, Columbia - April 25, 1963
Code Number : 63 CLO 4
The benefit, when you feel love towards one another – especially towards your Subud brothers and sisters – is that even if you do not know, God knows how people’s behaviour is; and God in His justice will give to someone who is of excellent character. Also, it is beneficial for you when these desires that can occupy your heart and mind lessen and fade, because you will be able to clean your inner feeling so that you are not easily affected by the sicknesses that are usually suffered by the human heart. In fact, an inner feeling and a heart that are peaceful and undisturbed by the desires are a very effective medicine for your physical health. For these reasons Bapak hopes you will avoid these desires, and will strengthen your patience and steadfastness in worshipping God, so that all your wishes can be fulfilled.
Lima, Peru - May 3, 1963
Code Number : 63 LIM 1
Later on you will experience how your mind and heart, which continue to develop, simply follow the development of your soul. You will also be aware that your companions – the material force, the plant force, the animal force and the human force – are always there behind you, as with a potentate or king who is accompanied by his army. Then your soul will be a truly human soul, which was the leader and the guide for your entourage when you were born into this world. Such is the development of the perfected, excellent human soul, which is truly the leader of all the forces that are its subordinates.
You might ask Bapak, ‘Can I reach that state?’ Of course Bapak’s reply to you is, ‘Certainly you can, because it is God’s will that human beings should return to God and go back to their proper realm.’
However, all of you differ as regards the size and weight of the faults you have suffered and the mistakes that have been made, from your ancestors all the way down to yourself. So the time it takes to get there depends on your own measure. But, if you come to the end of your time and you haven’t completed all of the journey that you have to make, your soul will be able to continue it in the life after death. Here Bapak would like to add, provided that you stick with it and go on doing the latihan diligently. But if you stop halfway – meaning, if you do not do the latihan any more – well, of course the development of your soul, which wants to grow, will come to a stop. If Bapak may compare it to the growth of a plant, it is as if you stop looking after it when it is not yet fully grown.
Such is the justice of God towards human beings. God does not force them. God always takes care of them, so that they can grow and find the right way, without any force. God does not get angry with those who do not believe in Him, nor is God proud of those who do believe in Him. It is all up to human beings themselves. God bestows His grace on those who believe, who are really devoted and have faith in God’s greatness. But God does not love any less those who do not believe in Him. So, in truth, everything is up to human beings themselves.
Briarcliff, NY USA - July 19, 1963
Second Subud World Congress
Code Number : 63 BCL 8
Bapak: Before you do anything it is indeed important to be calm and peaceful in your heart and mind, and in your inner feeling, so that whatever you have to do, you will do calmly and well.
And it is also necessary when there is sexual union between a man and woman – Bapak says this frankly because there are many married people here – that you quieten and calm yourselves beforehand, and submit to the power of God. This does not mean that you do the latihan then, but that you just submit to God, relinquish all kinds of thoughts, and feel only the greatness, the wisdom and justice of Almighty God. This feeling will create an influence whereby, should God bless you with a child, that child will be filled with a good soul, which is as you would wish.
Malang, Indonesia - May 22, 1964
Code Number : 64 MLG 1
There was a bishop who asked Bapak the following question: ‘Bapak says that he receives the Subud latihan whenever he surrenders. I too always surrender to God when I am worshipping God in the church. Why am I not able to receive in the way Bapak receives?’
Continuing now with the interview with the bishop in Munich: he said, ‘Where is God’s justice? Why was this experience first given to Bapak, who still sometimes goes to the cinema? Why was it not given to someone who goes to church faithfully, something in which Bapak is not so diligent?’
Bapak’s answer was, ‘If you don’t feel happy about that, well, make a complaint about God’s justice. Yes, it is best if you complain directly to God.’
On hearing this reply, the bishop realised that he had gone too far; that one cannot take issue with God’s justice, for if one does, it means that one does not have complete faith in God. That was a little story about something that happened to Bapak while he was abroad.
Paris, France - July 11, 1964
Code Number : 64 PAR 2
Indeed, the heart and mind make lots of rules, and we cannot blame people for that. Does God get angry with people because they do that? No. God doesn’t get angry, for indeed it was God who gave human beings the heart and mind. And it is part of God’s justice that human beings are given everything, but that it is also these things that can hurt them. In fact people are hurt by their own wrong actions. So if there is something wrong, it doesn’t come from someone else. No. It comes from your own heart.
For instance, why is it that A’s whole life, from when she was small until she became an adult and grew old, was always unpleasant? She says that she always suffered. Sometimes she had money, sometimes she didn’t. And her neighbours often attacked her, and often her relatives did too. Sometimes she was not on good terms with her husband – or if it is a man, with his wife. This is not something strange. Indeed it is normal for a human being, because human beings are overwhelmed by their own heart; that is, by their own wrong actions. Therefore all this is the result of that person’s own mistakes, which have come back to hurt them.
The Hague, Holland - August 30, 1964
Code Number : 64 HAG 1
As for the fact that some of you take a long time whereas others progress easily, that is not because God is not giving you what you need, but because God gives according to your capacity to develop and to grow. For how can God give you something if your growth has not yet reached the point where you are able to receive it? If God were to give it to you by forcing you to receive it, then instead of you being able to receive it, it would damage your individuality. It is the justice and mercy of God that whatever God gives to human beings is adjusted to the growth of their strength.
You do not need to work harder at doing the latihan in order to receive a lot. On the contrary, if you work harder at it and are always in a hurry, you will not progress and receive more easily; it will inhibit and block you.
It is really true, brothers and sisters, that your heart and thinking mind are the home of your desires, so they always want to go fast and want to know. Yes, that is how people usually are. But in your case, Bapak hopes you will realise that the development of your soul – the growth of your soul – cannot be pursued in the way you pursue a skill of your brain and your heart. That is because it depends on God’s grace and inspiration; as in the case of Jesus Christ and the other messengers who lived long ago, like Abraham, Moses, Muhammad and the other prophets.
Bandung, Indonesia - May 22, 1965
Code Number : 65 BDO 1
So if there are some among you who are wondering, ‘Why does everybody dislike me? I do good, I never criticise anyone, yet everybody dislikes me.’ Well, this means that you are only good to people outwardly. How are you inwardly? But also do not have the idea: ‘If it’s like that, if I have a good attitude towards people, what reward will I receive from within?’ Don’t have such thoughts. Do what is genuinely sincere.
Why is Bapak liked and loved by so many people? If I say ‘loved’, it is because wherever Bapak visits, when he leaves, oh, many people burst into tears at the airport, without any embarrassment, and they kiss his hand. Well, this is God’s justice. Why do they do it? Because I love them.
Does Bapak travel to so many places in order to pursue his own interest? No, it is so that the gift which we have received can spread throughout the world. So it is not for his own interest. No. This is the proof that the sincerity and submission Bapak practises are truly in accordance with what God has given him.
The Hague - May 6, 1967
Code Number : 67 HAG 1
So God said to the angels, ‘Even though human beings are creatures of Mine who are made of a substance that is lower than yours, I shall make them more sublime than all of you.’
The angels replied to God, ‘Oh God, where is your justice towards all you have created? We angels are made of light and yet you are making us lower than human beings.’
‘It is not like that; I am not making you low and human beings high. It is that for as long as you exist, as long as you live, you are free of illness, of difficulties, bitterness and death. You live forever, you cannot die. But human beings experience sickness, bitterness, difficulties, sorrow and death. For this reason, to be fair to human beings, I grant them nobility that is greater than yours.’
Then the angels spoke again to God, ‘How can God say that? Human beings are made of earth, water, air and fire. How can they be faster than us angels?’
God answered the angels, ‘I created you, angels. You are my creatures, and my authority is greater than yours. I am going to manifest My will in every entity that I have created, including human beings.’ Thus God’s will was incorporated within human beings. ‘In this way human beings will be faster than you, provided that they truly follow My commands.’
So the angels realised that by God’s will they had been created lower than humans. Once again they spoke to God, ‘Yes, God, we will follow what You have said. But we beg to be given the chance to tempt human beings so that they will not easily receive Your direction and the guidance that will enable them to come to You faster than we angels can.’
Then there arose a division in the world of the angels – which is called ruh al-qudus [Arab.] – between those angels who work in the field of goodness and the other half who work in the field of what is bad. This is why, in life, there is bad as well as good. Therefore it is not only the devils who tempt the hearts and minds of human beings. The angels continue to tempt them too. And the angels can reach very high, where human beings generally cannot go.
New York, NY USA - May 18, 1967
Code Number : 67 NYC 3
As Bapak may have told you the other night, this latihan is not new. You already experienced it when you were a baby, when you were in your mother’s womb. But why is it that now, when you receive this training it feels strange, it feels new? The reason is that the connection between your inner feeling and your soul has been closed for such a long time – from the time you were small through to adulthood. And now at last that connection has been opened again and restored to its former state, so that your inner feeling can be just as it was before it was filled by the influences of this world, which got into it via your heart and your mind. And later on, as your inner feeling becomes cleaner and cleaner, you will understand and you will know the truth of what Bapak is telling you now.
And if you ask where God’s justice is in giving you a heart and mind that tempt you all your life, causing you not to worship God properly, and causing you constantly to be troubled by emotions and thoughts, the answer is that it is God’s will. To enable you to do all the things you need to do to live in this world you were equipped with a heart and mind. Without a heart and mind you could not get what you need to live here.
You have also been equipped with low forces – material forces, vegetable forces, animal forces and your own human force – as well as other forces, which are higher than the human force. This is because the form you take in this life means that you need to have all these forces. Without the existence of these life forces, whether low or high, you could not function as a human being who has been put in this world. Therefore do not discard or try to eliminate your material, vegetable, animal or human forces.
Los Angeles, CA USA - June 3, 1967
Number : 67 LAX 1
So it is clear that what exists in religions is truly the word of God, which needs to be disseminated and transmitted to the whole of humanity. What they say is, ‘It is enough, my children, to have faith in God with patience, and to act in a way that is truly humane, which does not reduce or obstruct the freedom and happiness of others. Disseminate nobility, happiness and comfort in the world; create justice, prosperity and harmony between human beings, between nations and religions. In this way the world will become truly peaceful, prosperous and secure, and there will be no problems Those are the words of God that were given to humanity, as told in the religions.
Brothers and sisters, now, with the coming of Susila Budhi Dharma and the latihan, we can truly feel that God always loves human beings. For at this time human beings have increasingly forgotten those [words], drifted away from them and neglected them, having more and more faith in their own individual hearts and thinking minds than in what God has conveyed or spoken through the messengers who lived in past ages.
God knows – and Bapak is also aware of this – that because the thinking and understanding of human beings keeps progressing and becoming broader, they increasingly drift away from the will of God that has been created within their being. Nowadays many people do not believe that God accompanies human beings. This is because the reality of God cannot be proved, and the human intellect and the human heart require evidence. Our eyes need the evidence of an object that we can see in front of us, and our ears need to hear the evidence of a sound that is around us. It is the same for our nose and our mouth – they all need evidence.
Toyko, Japan - July 24, 1967
Code Number : 67 TYO 2
While Bapak was travelling around recently he noticed the way people do latihan. Many of them do it just anyhow. Actually it is very important that you are attentive and aware. It is true that Almighty God is All-knowing and All-powerful, and able to change what cannot possibly be changed, but in His justice God gives to human beings according to what they ask, according to what they hope for and according to their capacity to receive it. Therefore, besides asking Almighty God in a state of quietness, you also need truly to surrender, with a feeling of patience, because God will not give anything to you if you still have doubts in your heart, if you are still unsure in your feelings. For this reason, real surrender to God means that you have complete trust in the greatness of God and God's power, because God is All-knowing and will give you what you are able to receive, not what you are unable to receive.
Cilandak, Indonesia - August 20, 1967
Code Number : 67 TJK 5
This is how it is, brothers and sisters, and it is very necessary for you to be careful and vigilant in all your actions. And in order to take care and be vigilant, brothers and sisters, you need to be free from self-interest and be based on the feeling of patience, submission and sincerity, as were the Messengers of Almighty God.
How is it, brothers and sisters: do you think you can do this when, if you just have a toothache you are already upset, and if you happen to have no money you feel as though you have no value ? You need to be aware of these little things, for such is the influence of the nafsu which has penetrated into the inner feeling that is not yet based on patience, submission and sincerity. So, not a few people come to feel and say readily: "Where is the Justice of God?" as they are unhealthy or poor compared with other people who are healthy and rich.
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.
Cilandak, Indonesia - December 10, 1968
Code Number : 68 TJK 5
Because many of the Subud brothers and sisters here are from abroad and perhaps do not observe the practice of fasting during the month of Ramadan, Bapak's words are addressed only to the Subud members who belong to the religion of Islam. However, Bapak leaves this matter entirely to the wish of those brothers and sisters who are not of the Islamic faith. If they wish to take part in the fast, that is good, because fasting accustoms and enables the inner to have the feeling of surrender, patience, trustful acceptance and sincere submission to the Will of Almighty God. Furthermore, for those of us who are Indonesian, it strengthens the prayer that our country may enjoy safety, justice and prosperity.
Cilandak, Indonesia - October 15, 1969
Code Number : 69 TJK 6
Clearly, then, your worship of Almighty God includes not only your daily prayers, but the obligation to do the work which Almighty God has given you. For instance, if you are given a hoe, then of course you work with that hoe; if you are given a pencil or a pen, then of course you work with the pencil or the pen. Almighty God has created you in the form of human beings, complete with all your organs, so you should work with all your physical organs and use all parts of your body. In this way you will worship the One Who created them or gave them to you, Almighty God. Naturally, the work or use of all parts of your body must be in accordance with their own individual function; for instance, the eyes for seeing, the ears for hearing, the nose for smelling, the mouth for talking and eating, the hands and feet for touching, holding, sitting, walking and running, the sex organs for sexual union, the feeling center for feeling and the brain for thinking. Of course, these organs must be used in the best way, which will not cause them harm, but rather bring well-being and benefit to you and others; for example, by imparting understanding to the ignorant, helping one in need of help, and so on. Actions such as these are noble deeds which show that you have a noble character, and with such actions you also worship Almighty God, because you can use all parts of your body together for the needs of human life, so that peace, justice and prosperity will prevail in society.
Jakarta, Indonesia - August 16, 1971
Code Number : 71 TJK 11
As Bapak said recently, God will not change anyone's destiny unless that person desires to change it. Thus, so long as you do not wish for a change in your destiny, God will not give it to you, God will not change it. The power and justice of God are like that.
In the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud, therefore, we should have faith in one another, respect one another, be honest in all things. We should remember that to injure another member is to injure oneself. If we value other members, we value ourselves.
Johannesburg, South Africa - April 20, 1972
Code Number : 72 JNB 2
Bapak suggests to all the members that they should start enterprises. In the enterprises you run you will always receive the guidance and direction of God, and automatically your outward skills will develop; as well as your jiwa. There will be plenty of outward progress and your inner will develop properly.
You can weigh this up: why is it that people in the jungles, who are just like you, no different from you - why is it that they make no progress whatever, so that they live like animals? Why is this? Because their hearts and minds do not care; they have no understanding yet of the way to expand their lives. Provided they can eat, that is enough, and they go to sleep. Provided they have some simple clothing, they feel that that is enough.
Thus it is very necessary, brothers and sisters, that you should always have questions in your lives, should always have questions to put before the One God. God will not give people anything, God will not give any of you anything, unless you make efforts. That is why it is said that God will not change anyone's fate unless that person himself wishes to change his fate. That is how it is, brothers and sisters. That is the justice of God, that is the justice of God the All-powerful towards anything faced by His creatures.
That is how it is, brothers and sisters; so, in order that you may get results from what you are doing, it is very necessary for you to carry on enterprises. And in the kejiwaan you will not be able to receive results like visible worldly results. Supposing you get results from the jiwa, they are not like results people obtain in the world, things one can see, for instance, things one can touch and that have earthly uses. Thus the fruits of the latihan kejiwaan, the results you will receive from the kejiwaan, are for the needs of your life after you have gone from the world.
Edinburgh, Scotland - May 27, 1972
Code Number : 72 EDI 2
Thus something made up of small pebbles can become a mountain, it can become very large. Thus ten dollars can become a hundred dollars, and eventually many millions of dollars. This comes from ourselves, and so it is we who must set it up.
If all this is coming from our own selves, it will of course be what we put into this bank, into the vessel we create to contain this money, which is our idea. Thus the bank that we create will not be like the kind of bank that attracts money and piles it up, so that the bank is full of all the money kept in it. No, this bank that we create will be created so as to be able to strengthen the standing of our spiritual brotherhood of Subud throughout the world, which will act and be active in what is called social equity and justice.
Thus it is not the bank that we shall be making rich when we put money into it. No, what we shall be making rich will be buildings for the worship of God. That is, the latihan premises, the guest houses for visitors, for all your visitors who come from other places or go from here to other places, homes for neglected children, for normal children and for backward children. So that we can really develop and we can really put into practice what we have received from the One Almighty God, so that these backward children can cease to be backward, but become children who really make progress in their lessons and can learn things.
Cilandak, Indonesia - April 13, 1974
Code Number : 74 CDK 5
Bapak knows very well that before we came into Subud our situation was that in a very short period of time we would get angry, even if just a small thing happened, we would get angry. Bapak knows this very well. This is the situation of mankind. But now our situation is different. Sometimes we want to become angry, but we can't. We aren't able any more to be angry. Well, Bapak says maybe it's not complete, maybe there are some instances, but that's already much less. This is what we have received in the latihan. Now just imagine to yourself how it would be if 60-70 per cent of mankind could receive what we have received, that they can know what we have known. Then mankind would truly be harmonious and just, there would be no war, there would be no destructive weapons used, because men would not differentiate between rich and poor. Men who have a position would not feel themselves superior to those who have no position. That is not to say that everyone would be equal, because there are always differences, there are people who are lazy and people who are energetic, and there are people who are clever and those who are stupid, and this is man's own situation, man's fault, if you like. But, actually, it is also God's will. God does not will equality, because the moment there is no difference, the world will not exist. The world exists because there are differences. But what Bapak is talking about is not equality but justice. Then we can achieve a world which is truly just. And this, Brothers and Sisters, is what we have to strive for.
Cilandak, Indonesia - June 22, 1974
Code Number : 74 CDK 8
How do the nafsu within you tempt you? By wanting to understand quickly, wanting to outdo one's fellows, wanting to pursue one's own good, and also, on the other hand, by being unwilling to do a thing thoroughly and by acting without caring. So don't do either the former or the latter.
Then how should we be? You should all hold that your condition is the same. You cannot know how others are, and others cannot really know your condition. Only God Almighty knows. That being so, Bapak hopes you will all hold the view that you are similarly situated. Don't be proud of yourself, nor criticize others, and don't belittle others, for all that is the nafsu. God will not belittle one and exalt another, no. Such is the justice of God.
So for God Almighty whoever is sincere receives, whoever is not sincere does not. Sincere means to be sincerely patient, to hold sincerely that we are all the same, to trust in God sincerely, and to go on worshipping and go on surrendering to God Almighty.
Cilandak, Indonesia - October 31, 1975
Code Number : 75 CDK 8
Why is it that until now wars are always occurring in the world? It is because those people who sell for profits only hoard them for themselves, they do not pay attention to other groups of people, the poor who need help.
This is why, brothers and sisters, it is very necessary at this time, particularly for countries which follow the path of social democracy, that the ordinary people should all taste the sweetness of their own country or homeland, and they should also establish social justice among themselves. This is something which the government has already proposed.
This is why it is very necessary that the ordinary people under any government, particularly the people of Indonesia, should really go in for activities which have the quality of development. Development does not just mean building houses, but developing everything which is in the inner self. They should become skilled or clever and capable and have a firm character so that they can believe in themselves and not always have to be dependent on someone else for their living.
Cilandak, Indonesia - February 13, 1976
Code Number : 76 CDK 1
That is how it is, brothers and sisters. So all of you, especially the councilors who will later return to their respective homes, besides receiving and doing the Latihan Kejiwaan should give explanations to the members. Don't be mistaken about it, this Latihan Kejiwaan of Subud firstly for worship of God, and secondly for us to know how we have to act. And because we are close to God through the Latihan Kejiwaan, let us worship God. We will thereby become truly devout people, who truly believe in God, who truly do what God wills. For human beings live on earth not just to die, but also to live so that their lives here may be well provided for, and so that later on, when they die, they may find the way to the best of lives.
Such is God's justice towards the creatures He has brought into being. That is why Bapak always urges, Bapak always advises that you really should carry on these enterprises. For by these enterprises we shall satisfy our needs in dealing with worldly matters.
Los Angeles, California - April 30, 1976
Code Number : 76 LAX 1
Thus it is clear that the influence of the nafsu, or of the nafsu that are always being ridden by those lower forces, the material or satanic forces, do not understand justice, goodness and virtue. Luckily for human beings, luckily for yourselves, besides being inhabited by the satanic or material force you are also inhabited by the vegetable force, the animal force, the ordinary human force and the force of the perfect human being who has been granted the grace by God to receive wahyu or revelation from God, that is, the rochaniah life force. That is fortunate for you.
Supposing you ask, "Bapak, how much per cent am I now of the rochaniah force?" Bapak will not answer you, because you have not yet finished with the material level, let alone talking about the rochaniah.
Los Angeles, California USA - May 2, 1976
Code Number : 76 LAX 2
Now, if we get to the animal world, the world of animal forces, some people have a kind of theory, that it is either not necessary or wrong to eat animal food. Because when you eat animal food it can only be done by the destruction of life. But people who have this theory do not understand yet that when you eat vegetables, you also eat life. Because life exists just as much in vegetables as it does in animals.
And furthermore what these people do not yet understand is that within plant life there is also animal life. In other words, within the plant life there are also animal forces. Just the same way as within animals there is also the human force. So each one is a reflection of the other and such is the greatness of God Almighty, that he is able to make a complete system where all the parts are interrelated and interdependent. So the whole great world of life is connected and each part of it relates to another part and pays attention to each other, and respects each other. So it can be compared to a man who works in an office. There is the boss, and there is his secretary, and then there is what you call middle management, and then there is the lowest grade of employee. So each one depends on the others, and you should understand that the boss, the managing director will become famous or renowned, or well known, not due to his work but the work of his subordinates. In other words, the boss is successful if those under him know their jobs well and can work well. So it is clear that it is very important to be able to arrange your employees.
So what is important is the justice, the justice in the dividing of the responsibilities within the life forces. So it can be compared to an engineer who is building a building. If there is only the engineer, the building cannot be built. For example, take a building like this. The work of building a building like this cannot be accomplished by the engineer alone. He needs the site manager, he needs the superintendent, he needs the foreman and he needs the laborers, the stone masons, the plasterers, and all the other trades which go into making the building. If the engineer tried to build the building himself, in other words, he carried the stones, he bought the cement, he bought the plaster, he mixed it himself, carried the stones from place to place, he would be dead very soon. So it is clear that in this case what is important, is the correct ordering of these accessory forces. So don't get the idea that there is something wrong with the lower forces, that they are something bad. They are necessary for our life, without them we cannot live, in this world. And the important thing is the justice with which they are organized and the justice with which they are assigned their work.
New York, NY USA - May 7, 1976
Code Number : 76 NYC 2
Before beginning his talk, brothers and sisters, Bapak welcomes you here and bids you all good evening. Bapak will continue his talk about the kejiwaan and the way of the latihan kejiwaan of Susila Budhi Dharma. As Bapak has already said, the latihan kejiwaan is not something people can study or that can be derived from any religion, but is different in that it was suddenly and unexpectedly received, and Bapak, who was the one who received it, did so without expecting it or planning for it. Thus it is clear, as perhaps Bapak has said, that it is not as if a human being is seeking ilmu ( spiritual knowledge ) but ilmu seeks the human being, or the content seeks a vessel to contain it. It may have been the will of God that with the birth of what God has given to him, that is, the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, Bapak would be able to bring light to mankind, so that the human race would not go on for ever neglecting their obligations in life as human beings who are said to be superior to all the creatures on this earth and who should be able to organize a just society, so that justice is done in joint life of human society in this world.
Malang, Indonesia - November 20, 1976
Code Number: 76 MLE 1
Well, if for every rich person there are ten thousand who are not rich, how are these ten thousand to be contented? The ten thousand possess nothing and only one person has something. What good is that? Well then, if there is not a right balance, what will happen? There will be trouble for that one person, who will be attacked and robbed. It will be like that. So if the person who possesses something gives zakat and fitrah, and gives to those who are in need and who need to receive alms, and if he gives something of his surplus, then, God willing, the world will be happy. This is what religion intends people to do. This is why the religions cannot and must not give up doing social work.
Well then, is this social work to be done just anyhow? No; it must be done fairly and justly. That is why social justice and equity are mentioned in the Panoasila ( the five basic principles of the Republic of Indonesia ). You should not give indiscriminately to anyone and everyone if they do not need to be helped. Such giving is dangerous. Even though the giving is good, yet sometimes it turns into its opposite. Someone who has never played cards, for instance, who has never gambled, may, if we give him money, become a gambler. A person who has hitherto been loyal and who has never been insolent may, if you give him ten million rupiahs, become insolent. That is why you should therefore help those who need help, but be careful and watch what you do. That is being just and fair.
Bogata, Columbia - November 14, 1977
Code Number : 77 BOG 1
So what is necessary is for man to receive faith from God Almighty which will always remind him of God's power and God's nature. Man, by himself, cannot always remember God because within man's being there exist the lower forces - the material force called rob raewani, the vegetable force called roh nabadi, the animal force called roh hewani, and the human force called rob iasmani. These forces within man cause him to forget. Does that mean that these forces are intentionally trying to trip man up or trying to harm him? Not at all. These forces realize very well that they belong to a lower nature, a lower degree than man himself. What they try to do is always to stick close to man so that when man goes to heaven, they can also go to heaven. Therefore, man's job in actual fact in this world is to be able to administer the lower forces with justice - and the way man is able to do this in this life is through his good actions, through his social work in this world; that is, in the direction of social justice, through actions like loving one another, knowing one another, helping one another, and cooperating and being close to one another. Through this man is truly a just administrator of the lower forces that exist in this world. Actually, what the lower forces are always hoping is not that they bring man into a state where he falls into the satanic world -on the contrary, they are always hoping that man will act justly and correctly so that he will go back to his heaven at the end of his life: and, at the same time, the satanic forces, let us say, will become the king of the satanic forces. So one can say, for example, that the satanic forces within man then become the kings of the satanic world, or the king devils in the satanic world.
San Francisco, CA USA - December 3, 1977
Code Number : 77 SFO 2
This is, therefore, the justice of God Almighty. The simile of the physical body illustrates the justice of God Almighty - that what we do in our work is something that God will know, that God knows what we have done, and we will reap the benefit through the success of the whole, through the success of our enterprise, through the success of our Brotherhood. So, then, the one who succeeds is the whole. What we have to be aware of is that we are working together and each one of us is responsible for that success. Quite frankly, if your enterprise has failed, if you have done an enterprise and it has gone down the drain - that is not the fault of anybody but those who have been working in the enterprise. If you want to know whose fault it is that your enterprise has failed - it is the fault of everybody who was working in that enterprise. Because the success of the whole is the success of its parts, and the failure of the whole is brought about by the failure of its parts.
Christchurch, New Zealand - January 16, 1978
Code Number : 78 CHC 3
The One Almighty God, Who is called the Creator of all things, will grant to human beings whatever they wish. That is the justice of the One Almighty God, Who is also called God the All-wise. How could you yourselves deal justly with people's wishes? For instance, the farmer wants rain all the time, so that his crops can grow well and will be productive, and so that he can quickly reap his harvest. But the laundry man, for instance, who is always drying clothes, does not want it to rain at all, or only very seldom. He would prefer the sun to shed its warmth over the earth all the time, so that the washing which he puts out to dry will dry quickly and can soon be used. And God also permits this.
Thus it is clear, brothers and sisters, that God permits human beings whatever they wish, and it is up to the people themselves, and whether they are strong or weak is a matter of fate or destiny. Take someone who owns a house, someone who has a house full of a great many things, which means that there are many ornaments and jewelry and clothes in his house. The prayer of the person who owns that house is bound to be, “Oh God, I pray to be kept safe, and that no thieves will enter this house of mine. I pray to God to grant me His blessing, so that I may live in safety.” That is what the owner of the house prays for. But the thief who is lurking outside the house is also praying to God. “Oh God, grant me Thy grace and mercy. I pray that the owner of this house will, forget to lock the door, so that I can get into the house. And please grant me Thy blessing, Oh God, so that I can get into this house, and so that its owner will be fast asleep, and even if he hears some sound and it rouses him, and even if he hears one, find it difficult to wake up again." Both of them are allowed to pray like this. So it is up to those concerned. If the owner of the house is careless and if he cannot organize it as a house should be organized, well, then the thief gets in.
Of course, brothers and sisters, you will believe that the work of a thief is bad work, not right. That is what you will say. Some of you will ask, “Can a thief like that ever experience any happiness or lightness of heart?” Oh yes, he can. Why not? When a farmer’s crops produce a harvest, of course he is pleased and happy about it, so much so that he celebrates it with a feast. If someone does something that goes well, for instance, that too makes him happy. When a thief can get into a house, brothers and sisters, and there are plenty of things there for the taking, and the owner of the house is fast sleep, how very happy the thief will feel. It is as if he had won first prize in a lottery, and won a hundred thousand dollars, because he can take away all these things without their owner knowing.
Thus everything has its own place, brothers and sisters. People will be able to feel happy when they are really in their right place, where their happiness in life is to be found. It is also like that for all of you. It is not only those who become architects, not only those who paint pictures, not only those who become ministers of state who are happy. Even a film star or a comedian can also experience and receive happiness in life, provided that what they are doing is appropriate to the natural talents of their inner selves.
That is how it is, brothers and sisters, so clearly the justice that human beings require is not something which they can measure out for themselves, but it grows up of its own accord. Here too, brothers and sisters, you must not think that the latihan kejiwaan of Subud is only as you see it, but eventually it will bear fruit according to your own various inner selves. If you are by nature an architect, really an architect in your natural talents, you will be able to produce drawings and that are the creation of your hearts and minds and which will really be in accordance with what the people you are designing for want. What you are seeking is to become an architect who can design for his community, an architect for life, and then of course your own values will make you valuable to society.
Christchurch, New Zealand - January 18, 1978
Code Number : 78 CHC 4
Thus it is clear that this is really the justice of the One Almighty God. God does not love only those who possess houses or who possess worldly goods, but he also loves the thief. But neither does God only love the thief, but he also loves those who possess houses. And also God loves the farmer and He also loves the laundry man. But He loves the laundry man without hating the farmer. Thus they are equal, and it is left to them. So Bapak leaves it to all the members.
Cilandak, Indonesia - November 5, 1978
Code Number : 78 CDK 24
If a tiger, with its teeth and claws, is said to be cruel and ferocious, it is not so. Of course these are its instruments. Thus if a tiger constantly preys upon deer, goats, and so on, it is said to be a cruel or savage animal, but human beings, with their minds, are still more savage. They can kill thousands at a time. It can be said that they do that with their minds. How much more so is this the case nowadays, when they have invented such things as nuclear weapons and atom bombs. When the tiger kills, that is not a sin, but it is of course normal, because if it did not possess its pointed teeth and its sharp claws the tiger could not eat, and it would die of hunger. That is the justice of God.
Human beings, with their minds, ought to be content to be like the tiger, who is satisfied with killing just one or two creatures, but they are not. Human beings, with their minds, overdo things. They do not kill just one, but way to get free is to surrender to the One Almighty God, with sabar, tawakal and ikhlas; with patience, trustful acceptance and sincere submission.
Cilandak, Indonesia - December 2, 1978
Code Number : 78 CDK 26
Please listen to Bapak’s explanation. That is the way of the latihan which you have received. Of course you wonder in your hearts why it does not develop more quickly. Yes; the wish in your hearts does not understand or take into account the strength of your capacity to receive in a way that will cause no shock or disturbance to your selves, you have not yet arrived at this; it is not yet the moment for it. If it were to be given before its time, you would of course not have room for it or be capable of receiving it.
This makes it clear, sisters, that this is the justice of the One Almighty God in taking care of the lives of us people, of His human beings, so that although they cannot receive as quickly as might be possible, yet they can receive all the time but in a normal state, a good state which will cause no shock to anything in their selves.
Jakarta, Indonesia - February 6, 1979
Code Number : 79 JKT 1
Of course there is something of bitterness to be expected in everything. Bitterness means what comes from something bitter and also what comes from something difficult. It is this that has really made us, made the contractors, take it as the normal thing that it should involve all that is expressed in the Javanese proverb: Jer basuki mawa beyo. That means that there can be no happiness without hardship and difficulties, without bitterness, without toil and trouble. That means we must be, and it also causes us to be, really sincerely resolved to achieve what we hope for. It is also stated in the holy scriptures that God will not give anything to human beings unless they make an effort.
Thus it is clear, brothers and sisters, that you must not hope to get money directly from God, without doing anything yourselves. It is clear, brothers and sisters, that the justice of God is adapted to your own condition. That, in short, is why Bapak urges you and reminds you not to complain if you find yourselves lacking something, not to say that if things are like this it is predestined and foreordained by God, You must not do that. What is important is to work to achieve what you hope for. God will give to you in equal measure with your actions and your work. If you wish for good fortune from God in your life, you have to work hard and work a great deal.
Toronto, Canada- August 23, 1979
Code Number : 79 YYZ 11
But the power of God, the justice of God is such, brothers and sisters, that if people truly possess sabar, tawakal and iklas, God will provide for their lives, as Bapak himself has experienced. If Bapak loses something, he is not sad about it. It is the normal way of things for them to change their place. Bapak just feels that it has changed its place, and it will come back to Bapak's place eventually. Yes; not from the person who took it away, not from that same person, but from another.
Wisma Subud, Jakarta, Indonesia - January 19, 1981
Code Number : 81 CDK 3
Brothers and sisters, you need to understand something: If you want to be helped by people, you must also help people. If you want people to love you, you must also love people. And if you want people to cooperate with you and assist you, then you must also have that attitude towards them.
This is what is called human justice.
Sao Paulo, Brazil - May 24, 1981
Code Number : 81 SAO 1
So no matter what we may say about the nafsu and its effects, the fact is that it is an excellent and essential tool for man's life.
The one thing that is imperative in dealing with the nafsu, however, Is that we do have to know how to use it, what to use it for. If we use the nafsu in the right way - and are not influenced by it - then it is possible for us to form a society in which we are people who are aware of our fellow beings. Those who are rich become aware and gain a feeling of compassion for those who are poor. Those who are intelligent will feel the needs of those who are ignorant. And the strong will understand the needs of the weak.
This sense of concern and compassion of course awakens a response from the poor, the weak and the ignorant. They respond by themselves becoming aware: those who are poor will become aware of what they have received from the wealthier people who have helped them; those who are ignorant will also feel their obligation to those who are intelligent. And this is the meaning of creating a society where social justice exists. This is the purpose, aim and ideal pursued by people and organizations established to achieve such justice in the world.
In order to achieve the awareness ( which ) creates a world where there is social justice, harmony between people, the only way is to seek protection within the worship of Almighty God. The latihan kejiwaan gives us this protection: it guides us in our worship to become people with a single aim so that we feel ourselves to be one humanity, together directed toward the worship of the One Almighty God.
You yourselves are aware that when you do the latihan kejiwaan you are surrounded by people - by your brothers or your sisters - of different races, nationalities, religions, colors of skin and of differing social standing. And yet in latihan you feel as if you are completely the same, and more than that: you are able to feel each other's condition and state. For example, if you happen to be doing latihan close to someone who is very sad, experiencing deep suffering, you yourself will cry because you will share in his or her suffering and pain. This is a proof for us that It is God's Will that man should help his fellow human beings. And this shows us the nature of the latihan kejiwaan which trains us and gives us the way to bring harmony to the human race.
Los Angeles, CA USA July 25, 1981
Code Number : 81 LAX 3
Brothers and sisters, that's all Bapak wants to say to you tonight. For now Bapak prays one thing:
That our ideal and our longing for mankind for peace, prosperity and justice can truly come about and become reality in God s Grace. Let us all pray together that this world that we live in may become a place that is holy and fitting and right for our worship of God Almighty. Amen. That's all. Thank you.
Cilandak, Indonesia - July 23, 1982
Code Number : 82 CDK 10
As for the way in which man is watched over by God, perhaps you think, "If God watches over me, I will of course never again be sick and everything I do will always be right"; but that's not how it is, brothers and sisters. God's care of man is in accordance with social justice, with individual justice.
Cilandak, Indonesia - March 18, 1983
Code Number : 83 CDK 4
Such is God's love to man and the welfare of a human being who has received the blessing of God, who has received the Grace of Almighty God. Such a person will thereby have faith in God, not only when he is sick but he will even be willing to die. This, the prophets have said the same, such as prophet Abraham: "My love and my trust in God are greater than my love for my child." So that when he was ordered to kill his own son, he did it. But his son was not killed, and that is the justice of God.
London, England - August 11, 1983
Code Number : 83 LON 14
Brothers and sisters, God is Almighty and All-Knowing. God will not give man anything which estranges him from his nature as a human being.
Man always remains man. Such is the justice of Almighty God. So you are indeed fortunate, brothers and sisters, that as well as worshipping God in accordance with His guidance and direction, you can still work in the ordinary way. And you should really work.
In the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, brothers and sisters, you are moved from the lowest up to the highest, until your whole being is prepared and made good. Clearly, through receiving the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, our state does not deteriorate, but is constantly improving.
Cilandak, Indonesia - August 9, 1984
Bapak's Talk On Subud Youth Organization
Code Number : 84 CDK 17
So there are two types of experience man can have in this world - the supernatural, and the theoretical or materialistic, obtained through the mind. Why is this? It is God's justice. He knows who is wrong, who loses, and who is right, who is strong, and who is weak.
Amen. Bapak Muhammad-Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo