Coombe Springs, England - March 15, 1958
Code Number : 58 CSP 3
You have to remember also that you have only recently experienced and received this spiritual training ( latihan ) of Subud. This is really only the first phase of Subud in London or in Europe. Certainly, the first phase, the beginning, entails difficulties and suffering and things that are uncomfortable and not yet sorted out. But certainly, it won't always be like this. Through God's grace, which we always receive, as the days, months and years go by, there will be changes that bring good within a society of people worshipping God.
For example, when the Christian religion appeared on this earth, it was only after three hundred years that there were any definite arrangements. Similarly, in Islam, there were only definite arrangements after two hundred years. In any new atmosphere, there are always difficulties and things out of order, because there has to be a change from the old to the new. As Bapak said before, when the Christian religion came, many people who were considered clever at philosophy blamed Jesus, and reviled Jesus, and Jesus was crucified, it says in the holy book. And who was right? Jesus, who was crucified, was right.
Clearly, something that brings change is sure to require suffering, sacrifice and difficulties. Bapak is only reminding you all to remember how things happened in the past. Our present situation is not peculiar to us. It was like that before. So certainly our situation will improve, if we always receive and do the latihan.
Los Angeles, CA USA - May 13, 1958
Code Number : 58 LAX 4
So God gives to human beings, and guides them to be able to see heaven, not by giving them a theory, but within the human eye, so that they can see how heaven really is. This is why it is said that God is Almighty; we cannot go before God, we cannot study God, but only God Himself can teach human beings.
However, many human beings study spiritual matters and the worship of God as theory, in an effort to find the contact, and to be able to pacify their thinking mind and their will, so that their inner feeling becomes calm and aware. In the words of those who received long ago, theory in learning spiritual matters was called tarekat. The tarekat takes place in the heart and brain or thinking mind of human beings, and they learn how to worship, how to meditate, how to contemplate, and how to calm the inner feeling. Philosophy and other terms are sometimes used for similar practices.
In such a situation, it is still largely guess-work whether they are right or not, whether they find the power of God or not. Many of these ( followers of the ) tarekat are unable to find what they are looking for - Bapak means the truth - because they are still groping in the dark in an effort to find where and what the truth is. Whereas what they are searching and groping for is none other than God's gift, that is, the life contact that you have now received, ladies and gentlemen, what Bapak called just now the hakikat ( truth ). So the hakikat, or truth, is the reality, or God's work, and the tarekat is human work and cleverness.
Many human beings go through the mystical way hoping or thinking that they can arrive at the truth. But many of them do not succeed, because these tarekat always use the thinking mind. Whereas the truth comes and is received when a human being is empty of thinking, wanting and desires; it is, as we often say, a toeval ( coincidence ), which suddenly occurs beyond the expectations of the human mind and heart. And that state of the truth -which Bapak says is toevalig in Dutch - we now receive in the latihan. We are now training in something that is beyond the ability of the thinking mind and desires to fathom.
Coombe Springs, England - August 25, 1959
Code number of Recording: 59 CSP 13
Concerning the testing of questions that arise among the members: this, as Bapak has already told you, can be done by the helpers' group, or by four or five helpers together with the person who asks the question. But when it's a matter of a question from someone who is not a member, you do not need to answer it through testing, because they will have no idea of what testing is or how it is practiced, not yet having received the latihan. So any of you can answer with your normal understanding. That should be sufficient, because they are certainly asking from the mind and so it is enough to answer from your mind. You can also try to find a member who, before they joined Subud, was well versed in philosophy and other things; like Rofe - he can answer whatever people ask, as long as it comes from the mind.
Yogyakarta, Indonesia - October 29, 1966
Code Number : 66 JOG-1
Here is something else that happened, when Bapak was in England. There was an intellectual, a doctor of philosophy, who said that he did not believe in God because he could neither see nor touch God. ‘But,’ he said,
‘may I join Subud?’
I said, ‘You may.’
‘But what about the business of my not believing in God?’
‘Never mind, after all, the one who doesn’t believe is just your heart, because your heart has been taught on no account to believe in God. You may join Subud.’
After he joined Subud Bapak did latihan with him, one night, two nights and all the next week. Whenever he did latihan he would say, ‘Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah.’
Later he asked Bapak, ‘What is Allah?’
‘Allah is Allah.’
‘So what is Allah?’
‘Allah is God.’
‘Why would I say that?’
‘Who told you to say it?’
‘It wasn’t Bapak who told me, it came out by itself.’
‘Yes, that was who told you, not Bapak. What made you say it was the same as your self. If you don’t believe in your self, you are not a human being.’
‘Oh, yes, Bapak, yes. If that is so, it means that I do believe in God.’
‘Well, that is up to you.’
Now he is more active than those who believed in God all along. This too was a proof for Bapak. So, this person was right, experience is a true lesson.
Johannesburg, South Africa - March 19, 1967
Code Number : 67 JNB 4
The name Susila Budhi Dharma, when it is abbreviated, symbolises a human being with a nature of susila, budhi and dharma. This name is your name, the name for people who have received this gift from God, the Subud latihan.
So Subud is not the name of a philosophy, it is not the name of a spiritual movement, it is not the name of a religion – it is your name. Because if something does not have a name, how can you talk about it? If you did not have a name, how could someone call you? That is why a name is needed.
And the name Susila Budhi Dharma, which is shortened to Subud, symbolises our state. For if we as Subud members are able to make any progress, it will be entirely thanks to the grace of God. So it is clear that the name Susila Budhi Dharma, or Subud, is a name that precisely describes our state as people who receive God’s grace.
Manchester, England - April 7, 1967
Code Number : 67 MAN 1
With such a name, this association of people who have received God’s grace is called Subud or Susila Budhi Dharma. So do not get the wrong idea and think that Subud is a teaching, or that Subud is a philosophy, or that Subud is something that it is not. Subud is a name that refers to you. Subud is not a spiritual knowledge – Subud is you. For that reason Bapak prays that every Subud member can live up to the name that is your symbol, and that you will become human beings with the nature of susila, budhi and dharma.
Johannesburg, South Africa - March 15, 1967
Code Number : 67 JNB 2
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight Bapak is going to give you some more explanations about our spiritual path.
However, Bapak asks you not to think of these explanations he is going to give you as teachings. For these explanations are not teachings intended to guide you; we have no teachings in the spiritual association of Subud. You will receive for yourself, directly from the power of God, in a way that will be in accordance with your capacity, your strength and your individuality.
That is why if you have a religion – whether it is Christianity: Catholicism or Protestantism; Islam: the various forms of Islam; Buddhism; Hinduism; and so on – you have no need to worry. And neither should you get the idea that this latihan is Indonesian, nor think that it is a philosophy of Mr Muhammad Subuh who comes from Indonesia.
On the contrary, Bapak wants to tell you that what God has given to Bapak – this spiritual training of Subud that we call Susila Budhi Dharma – is an awakening of the soul that is triggered by receiving the contact from the great power of God directly from Almighty God. Thus this spiritual training embraces everything that has already been received by humankind from God. And, as the power of Almighty God governs everything that exists in the realm of God’s power, even though you are of different races and have different religions, and even though each of you receives the latihan in a different way, the goal that you receive from within is the same – you are heading towards the One who is leading, teaching and guiding you; towards Almighty God.
Anugraha, England August 8, 1983
Code Number : 83 LON 4
It is clear then, brothers and sisters, that your minds and hearts are very important tools for you, and that is why you are not allowed to put them aside or to suppress them, nor may you cut yourself off from them. Many people mistakenly do just this. Some people, having trained themselves and their feelings so as to understand their life and, in addition to that, to be close to God and to know the One Almighty God, then neglect their lives in this world. They take it easy, isolate themselves far from society, and there they are given food and drink by those who come to visit them. Bapak is not saying that is wrong, but it is not appropriate to the philosophy of life, not appropriate to the susila ( morality ) of life, not appropriate to Susila Budhi Dharma. Why is it not appropriate? Because it is as if for instance, God gives you a fountain pen, which is meant for writing, but instead of writing with it you just leave it lying around, as if it were useless. Or to take another example, you have a knife for cutting things which cannot be cut without one, and you just leave it alone and do not use it. Is that not contrary to the will of God? Of course it is. It means you are not doing what you ought to be doing in your life in this world.
Cilandak, Indonesia - July 2, 1984
Code Number : 84 CDK 9
The problem here, in Indonesia, is different. The problem here is the people are too religious, not nationalistic as in Japan. The weak point of religion - because at the moment this is Indonesia's problem - the weak point of religion is reality. You cannot argue with reality and the reality is technology. So, in Indonesia; the solution to this problem is through technology. When technology comes into Indonesia, the strength of the religious fervor will become less. Bapak says Bapak doesn't want this to be generally known because then everyone will hate Subud but the fact is, this is the reality of it. For example in Indonesia when Indonesia's own needs are so great, they spend billions of rupiahs to send it abroad when people go on the Hadj and so on. It’s all an example, of this: this has to be reduced. Sharif mentioned to Bapak that what Bapak is saying is very much in line with Pancasila, Indonesia’s state philosophy, and Bapak says this is right. We worship God but we are not allowed to just be religious. People must also work. People also have to think about the welfare of themselves and society. So the only question is whether this process will happen through war or not through war. That is the only question. The process will happen anyway so if we pray, its good to pray that it should happen not by war. There are two ways to achieve it.
Bapak says Bapak doesn't know why Bapak is now expected to understand what is going on in the world, but Bapak wakes up every night from 12 until 3 o'clock, already now for some years, and during that time he is required to think about the state of the world. So Bapak says Bapak has got an expert job now, every night, 3 hours a day – to think about what's happening in the world. Bapak says he doesn't know why he has to do that but Bapak says it's very heavy, a very heavy responsibility.
Amen. Bapak Muhammad-Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo