Coombe Springs, England - August 9, 1959
Code Number : 59 CSP 1
So the means whereby the general public is attracted to Subud and joins it is neither propaganda nor influence, but is the will of God within the human self. As a result we open people a few at a time. Whether they decide to join Subud or not is something that will awaken spontaneously from their soul.
There is more evidence, as in Ceylon. In Ceylon they have Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Before they joined Subud, between the Buddhists and Hindus it was like this ( gesture ); between Muslims and Christians, like this ( gesture ); between Christians and Hindus, like this ( gesture ). In short, they were killing each other. But after they joined Subud they are like this ( gesture ), because they are aware that God is One and human beings are one.
As for the religions, they are ways to get close to the power of God. They are ways. With a way one cannot be sure whether it is right or not; whether it will produce results or not. Now there is Subud, and through Subud we are close to God's power. So it becomes more real: if they are Christians, they will be true Christians; if they are Muslims, they will be true Muslims. For the truth of Islam, the truth of Christianity, the truth of Buddhism is that there is one God for all humankind - not different Gods. That's how it is. So our means ( to attract people ) is only from God, not from human beings. That is why - as Bapak often says - we really have no need for propaganda, for this is the will of God.
Now let us look at the evidence. Maybe up to now it has never happened that a way or a religion has spread in such a short time as Subud. In the course of barely two and a half years, Subud has spread to almost every corner of the world, even though it has not yet reached the whole of humankind. So if we add another hundred years - to make it a hundred and two and a half years -maybe by then half the world will be truly Subud. If we compare it with Christianity, that took three hundred years to spread over the earth; and Islam also took around three hundred years. So if Subud can do it in a hundred and two and a half years it will have been faster than Christianity or Islam. Yes.
Coombe Springs, England, England August 13, 1959
Code Number : 59 CSP 5
So if we promote Subud according to our intellect - through propaganda, by influencing various people, by advertising our name in human society - we will meet with many obstacles. It is impossible for people to acknowledge that they are wrong and Subud is right; they are not likely to give up their prestige and transfer it to Subud, even if, let's say, it really is the right way. Of course they won't do that. Therefore, follow in the steps of God; God will lead you by a way that is safe, a way that is peaceful. On this way you cannot know where you will be directed - North, South, East or West -you cannot know. This is the way of God, if He wills it. Therefore, our aim is only to follow in His footsteps, according to what we have received. We need to walk and work with patience; without haste and free from our desires and thinking minds, but with awareness.
So let us not expect people to call us wise or to acknowledge Subud as number one among human organizations. Oh, no. In Subud we are no different from other people, no different from those who know nothing of God. Just be like that, because it is God who knows. This is why Bapak never claims to be a saint, a prophet, or anything like that - Pak Subuh is only Pak Subuh. For it is God alone who knows how Pak Subuh stands before God, and it is not possible for others to know it. So Bapak doesn't need to say, 'Pak Subuh is the only person who is able to be close to God.' No, no, Bapak never says that. Bapak is a normal person.
For the same reason, Bapak wishes all of you to work for Subud patiently, not being in any hurry to influence other people. No. But nevertheless, insha Allah ( Arab.: God willing ) - as they say in Indonesia, in Islam - we shall naturally be under His protection.
We follow the will of God; but other people are not yet acquainted with God's will, which we receive in the latihan. Therefore it is sufficient to tell the public - to make a 'statement' in the way it is usually done - that Subud is a community based on Susila Budhi Dharma. ( Susila ) is based on the principles of humane behavior, remembering that God is Almighty. There is also something in ourselves, something residing within our being that we can neither know nor see, but which is a true guide for us - that is budhi. And dharma signifies that we have to submit ourselves to God as completely as possible, for we believe God exists and that it is to God alone we should surrender our body and soul. So, Subud is an organization of people based on the principles of true humane behavior, remembering the greatness of God, which manifests within our being through our complete submission. For God exists. We truly believe in God and God is truly Almighty.
People whose nature is Subud, who have the qualities of susila, budhi and dharma, don't exist only among ourselves; there may be many such among Christians, Moslems, Buddhists, and also those of no particular faith - that's possible. We cannot know about that, but it is known to God. We should therefore never make a claim that Subud is number one among organizations. We should simply say we are trying to practice and come to the worship of God in a way that truly corresponds to His will. That is why we, ourselves, need to have the qualities of Susila Budhi Dharma.
We do not wish to find fault with others; we seek our own truth. Bapak, for instance, seeks his own truth and does not wish to find fault with other people. However, if other people want to join us we accept them. We have no wish to persuade them to join us, or criticize what they have been doing; we only wish to fulfill our own needs. Because, if we find fault with others and try to correct their shortcomings, we will have no chance of correcting ourselves. Therefore seek the truth of your own being first and do not look at what is wrong in others. This will add to the steadiness, speed and clarity of your own receiving.
London, England - August 18, 1959
Code number of Recording: 59 CSP 9
London, England - August 22, 1959
Code Number : 59 LON 5
Indeed, the action of God's power can bring about something beyond the comprehension of the human heart and mind. Therefore we don't need to give high-sounding explanations to those who want to hear. If they want to know what we receive in Subud, let them come and experience it for themselves. For in Subud there are no great theories or great teachings, nor does it make appeal to the mind, but there are proofs to be found in it that people can experience for themselves.
As for all of you: what you need is simply to receive as much evidence as possible for yourselves, so that you can become an example for other people and for society. Once you have this quality - the true Subud quality - present in each one of you, you won't need to make propaganda, you will spontaneously attract the attention of other people and other groups. It is not that you will influence them, but they will see and recognize the reality that is within each one of you. The reason for this is that, at the present time, people generally no longer believe in words but look for facts. Bapak feels that it is indeed God's will that the appearance of Subud will bring people the facts they want in preference to words.
Melbourne, Australia - March 10, 1963
Code Number : 63 MEB 3
Bapak recently got a report from a member in Perth, who also hasn’t long been a member, maybe for only one or two years. He is an old man. He reported that once when he was doing latihan he saw a very bright light, brighter than the brightness of day; and, at that moment, he didn’t feel as if he was in the room. That is also a sign that God was guiding him towards the realm he will go through – the realm of the complete human being. However, at that time he was enabled only to see, meaning that only the eyes of his soul were alive or brought to life, not yet the other parts.
Of course, if you were to explain this or tell it to people who have not received the latihan, they wouldn’t believe it; in fact they would think it was a lie. That is the reason why Bapak always declines when he is asked to give a public talk, a talk to people who have not yet come into Subud.
One member, whose request Bapak turned down, sent a letter back to him saying, ‘How can Subud spread if Bapak always declines to give talks to the public, and if he continually forbids members to give talks to people who haven’t entered Subud?’
Bapak replied, ‘Yes, if you look at it in the ordinary way, indeed that is so, because something cannot spread if no one is told about it. Of course not many people will pay attention to something when it hasn’t been advertised or put on display. However, the spiritual life is not like that. For this, we go back to … We also have to test; not test, but put it to the greatness of God. If Subud is truly the will of God, even if it doesn’t use propaganda and is not promoted to anyone, it will go on by itself. The proof of this is that in the space of five years, without any propaganda, Subud already has about one thousand four hundred branches or centres. In America alone there are already forty-two centres; and in England there are thirty-eight centres. This is without propaganda. There are already that many, and Subud has spread in a period of only five years. Whereas, if you recall the story of the religions … [inaudible] the religion of Islam flowered after three hundred years, well, between two hundred and fifty and three hundred years. It was the same with Christianity: it flowered after two hundred and fifty years. So if Subud has already reached everywhere in just five years, it means that it is indeed God’s will.’ That was Bapak’s reply.
So, Bapak said, ‘Don’t worry. If indeed Subud is from God, then certainly everything will go well, because it is all God’s will.’
Brisbane, Australia - March 12, 1963
Code Number : 63 BNE 1
Confirmation that the Subud latihan is willed by God is that the growth of Subud has been so fast. In less than five or six years Subud has spread throughout the world, and has no less than one thousand four hundred centres. This shows that Subud is God’s will. And Subud has grown in this way without the use of any propaganda whatsoever, or through making any public announcements. In fact, Bapak has discouraged you from giving explanations to people who have not yet joined Subud.
Also, what happens in the latihan is truly a receiving: each person receives it differently, in accordance with his or her individuality. For instance, Indonesian people who are Muslims receive Subud in accordance with whatever is within them and in their individuality. So it does not detract from their religion or their national characteristics; on the contrary, they can receive it in a way that is in keeping with their way of life. It is the same with people from other nations; America for instance: they receive it according to their individuality. They do not imitate Indonesians, Muslims or other nations.
And so in Subud it is possible to unite [people of] different religions and beliefs, because after receiving the latihan people feel that human beings truly have only one aim; that is, the worship of God, who is One for humankind. So we do not worship different gods. No. We worship God who is One for humankind.
Christchurch, New Zealand - March 23, 1963
Code Number : 63 CHC 2
Finally, at the beginning of 1953 Bapak travelled outside Java for the first time; but it was not until 1957 that Bapak travelled outside Indonesia. After he experienced that, he became convinced that what God’s power had said and Bapak had received was the grace of God. This is to show you that his journey here, his three trips around the world – and maybe some more to come – are not something Bapak planned. No. It was not his plan to travel; he only follows whatever Almighty God decides.
Another message Bapak received is that he does not need to, and may not, make propaganda for Subud or the latihan; that is, to tell people to join Subud. No. But God informed him that ‘Subud will one day spread by itself, without your knowing how; it will spread by itself anyway’. This shows that God’s will is indeed within the breast of human beings who remember God.
Making propaganda, Bapak was told, would in fact create many obstacles and challenges from other groups who do not like us. But without propaganda Subud would be able to spread freely, because people join Subud of their own free will, not through persuasion.v
Vancouver, Canada - September 21, 1963
Code Number : 63 YVR 2
However, in helping others and showing them the way so that they join Subud, we do not need to use propaganda. We do not need to boast to other people, because that would mean we were showing off our own goodness and rightness. Even if we really were right, to people who do not know or understand who we are and what we are doing, our actions, which are meant to help them and remind them, would appear as harmful and wrong. That is because to them it would look as if we were forcing people to join Subud.
That is why Bapak has said to you, and to Subud members all over the world, that we do not need to make propaganda to the public. We are always willing to give if we are asked, but we do not force anybody who does not ask us.
In reality, brothers and sisters, if your feeling and your soul are filled with that conviction – meaning that you can really receive what God gives to each one of you, and you truly have faith and submit to the greatness of God – then God’s power, which always envelops all creatures, will change people’s nature and hearts so that they will notice Subud.
Bapak’s experience is an example of this. Bapak has no intention of making propaganda, but he is willing to give to whoever has a need, and he has faith that it is God who has authority and wisdom and knows all things. So Subud has been able to spread everywhere, to places that Bapak himself never foresaw.
Hence if each of the helpers has more or less the same attitude as Bapak, they will achieve at least a hundred times what Bapak has done. So if Subud has spread so far thanks to Bapak, it will spread even more thanks to so many helpers. That is why it is very important that the helpers can be real examples for society. It is not that the helpers have to make more of an effort, but they need to be attentive so that they can correct themselves. You need to correct your own mistakes and know what is good and what is bad. Then eventually you will be able to know: ‘This is the right way, the good way, and this is the wrong way.’ And the same will go for your character: you will spontaneously become an example to society. And people will certainly be attracted, thanks to your example as someone who is always loved and always loves his or her fellow human beings.
Paris, France - July 9, 1964
Code Number : 64 PAR 1
And you will become examples for society; that is, for people who are not part of our association, because your actions, character and lifestyle will be excellent propaganda to human beings. That is why Subud does not need to use propaganda. But Subud does need – is needed by God – to become the demonstration for the world, for humanity, that you are truly educated and led by Almighty God in the right direction. You will really embody the symbol of our association; that is, you will have susila, budhi and dharma. In other words, you will be a human being who has been graced by God to be able really to surrender and live your life in a way that is humane and does not go against God’s will.
It is God’s will for human beings in general that they should, through God’s guidance and direction, become excellent people and experience well-being and happiness in their lives. Therefore Bapak is asking you to put aside, and to throw away as far as you can, any feelings of worry, doubt or disappointment about other people, and also hatred of other people, so that your worship will keep improving and developing in an orderly way, and you will reap its benefits easily in your life.
Solo, Indonesia - October 28, 1966
Code Number : 66 SLO-1
There you are. If we have that kind of attitude Subud can truly become an example for others. And you do not need to broadcast it; they will see it for themselves. It will be obvious; the eyes of the world will be opened. For the reality of Subud will … [inaudible]. That is why Bapak doesn’t agree with making propaganda for Subud. If you make propaganda but are incapable yourself, it is like selling herbal medicine in the town square: ‘If you take this, you will be strong and healthy!’
‘And what about you?’
Well, the fact that I’m skinny is hereditary!’
So the example you show to others should be something you have already experienced and already possess. Do not try to persuade others to be intelligent and to have all sorts of qualities that you yourself have not yet acquired.
Brothers and sisters, Bapak has cancelled the testing that he was supposed to do after this talk. Let Bapak explain: the reason he is not going to test with you is that he does not want you to get used to making light of something that is not certain to be true – even though it would be Bapak doing it and therefore more likely to be true than not. Furthermore, when you get into the habit of testing, you begin to test everything. Yes, if you want to buy onions you will first test how much the price is likely to be … [Two sentences inaudible.] Eventually testing will become casual, and then it will be useless. When you get very familiar with something, ultimately it loses all its value.
The same is true of Subud. If we keep promoting, publicising and propagandising Subud, it will have less and less value; whereas if we keep it to ourselves, people will seek it out. That is an absolute fact. People look for things that are hidden. There is an analogy in family life: a daughter who is kept at home. While a daughter is kept at home, many people are curious to see her. They might even try to take a peek. But later, when she is seen in the village square, nobody takes any notice.
Cilandak, Indonesia - January 22, 1967
Code Number : 67 TJK 1
So what about you? Does Bapak consider you all to be prophets? No, he does not. But to some extent you have received. That means well … that to some extent God considers us to be people who follow and are obedient to God’s commands. So it is God who has put you in that group. The proof? ‘I have received this in this way; how can knowledge come by itself?’ Isn’t that what happens? ‘Who has taught me this? Bapak has not studied anything.’
You might say, ‘Oh well, but that’s Bapak!’ It’s not like that. If Bapak has received this, it is not because he is different from all of you; it depends on your individuality. If your individuality is really clean – and it could be cleaner than Bapak’s – why should you not receive more than I do? Bapak will not be envious, not at all. It all depends on the will and the grace of God.
Therefore Subud cannot be controlled. It cannot. It’s frustrating to see people in Europe and America wanting to control Subud … [inaudible]. For Bapak is not worried that Subud will decline because of this or that interference. Nor does he wonder, when members do this or that, whether Subud needs to be improved. No. Let it be. If Subud truly exists by God’s will, there is bound to be a way. The proof already exists: Subud has not spread through propaganda. No, it has arisen by itself. It even happens that when members go somewhere on vacation, they are moved to open people who are interested.
Manchester, England - April 10, 1967
Code Number : 67 MAN 3
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.
You can also figure out or realise that there has been no other development that has spread around the world so fast. This is a sign: if it was not God’s will, this could not have happened. Bapak has also told you that you should never promote Subud. If Subud is from Almighty God there will be no need for you to make propaganda; Subud will find a way to spread. God is Almighty, so God will open a way; God will provide a route for Subud to spread that we cannot foresee.
Paris, France - April 18, 1967
Code Number : 67 PAR 2
The name Susila Budhi Dharma is the symbol of our spiritual association. Susila conveys the meaning that, as members of the Subud association, our feelings and behaviour are truly humane; meaning that we love, help and respect all our fellow living creatures, especially our own family – that is, our Subud family. Budhi means that the power of God manifests within us. This manifestation of God’s will is a path for us to come close to God. Dharma means that you truly love each other – especially, once again, your own Subud family – and in your feeling you are willing to let go and be accepting, both towards God and your fellow human beings. That is the meaning of Susila Budhi Dharma, Subud, which is the name of our spiritual association. Because this is so, Bapak hopes that you will be willing to come close to this name, which is a symbol of your being, even if you cannot do it completely.
This applies especially to the helpers. They need to possess these qualities, because in reality they are Bapak’s assistants. At the very least they are the older sisters or brothers of all Subud members. So it is very important that helpers should be an example for their younger siblings. If there is discord among the helpers themselves, if there are constant misunderstandings and they never get on, then the members will be even worse, because they are bound to copy them.
So please be aware of this, in order that you helpers become an example for your younger brothers and sisters. Then the Subud spiritual association will not only develop and grow quickly, but also will become an example, and its name will acquire an excellent reputation among people outside of Subud. Without the need for any propaganda they will realise that Subud has shown them a good example, and they will spontaneously join Subud. They will say that Subud is an association that truly reflects what its name symbolises; that is, Susila Budhi Dharma.
As Bapak has told you, the primary and everlasting condition for a human being to encounter God’s grace is to have a feeling of patience, acceptance, a willingness to let go and to receive. Patience means that you do not use your desires2 in everything, in the things you talk about and in what you do. Acceptance means that you truly surrender to God and realise that everything will improve through God’s power, not through your will. You cannot possibly improve a fault or an error in another person just through giving them advice. That is impossible. God is more able to do it than you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, educate the members to have acceptance. To do that you must first have it yourself, so that what you say is accurate and can be trusted and followed.
New York, NY USA - May 19, 1967
Code Number : 67 NYC 4
Then as our association develops, the state of our members will be peaceful and harmonious; we will get along and we will respect, value and love each other. By behaving like that we will be an example to outside groups, and the name ‘Subud’ and our association, without having to resort to propaganda, will penetrate the barriers in the hearts of people who do not believe in God and the power of God.
Los Angeles, CA USA - June 6, 1967
Code Number : 67 LAX 3
Bapak asks that the helpers really look after the members, because in reality the helpers are Bapak’s helpers. So they are responsible for dealing with whatever questions the members ask. When Bapak is not here, all of that becomes the responsibility of the helpers and they need to be able to answer them. And if there are questions that you are not yet able to answer, you can send them to Jakarta, to Bapak. But it is the responsibility of the helpers to answer the members’ questions. This is important, so that the members look on the helpers as their older brothers or sisters. This will bring you close to each other in your feelings.
In this way the helpers and the members form one framework or one body. There will be empathy between them and they will respect and help each other. Then the conditions among all of you in Los Angeles will gradually become better and better. You will not need to make propaganda, because you will have shown a good example within your community and people will spontaneously and sincerely wish to join our Subud association.
Cilandak, Indonesia - December 16, 1968
Code Number : 68 TJK 6
In accordance with your experience when you receive and follow the way of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, which in truth is guidance and direction from the Power of Almighty God, your inner-feeling has begun to feel cleansed and exercised in such a way that the feeling of your heart and mind is no longer influenced by the nafsu. Supposing you are really able to follow conscientiously what is mentioned above, then- apart from finding something beyond the ordinary - you will come to feel regret for all your wrong deeds, and there will automatically arise feelings of loving compassion and the wish to help your fellow men. Thus, without any effort, you will suddenly understand matters not ordinarily understood, and you will have a character of a noble nature. Also, because you are Subud members, this state is really in line with the symbol of the name of our Spiritual Brotherhood- Susila Budhi Dharma- which means that you are men and women with the qualities of Susila, Budhi and Dharma.
Therefore we do not need to use propaganda in our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud. It is enough if there is something apparent in your state or condition that can become a good example in the community.
Indeed, brothers and sisters, this is more important than saying that Subud is good and wonderful, while in the eyes of others you yourselves are not yet able to demonstrate that it is good.
The good example which Bapak has mentioned above refers to your state or condition as Subud members who really have the qualities of Susila, Budhi and Dharma, that is to say, who have an ethical standard in life- for instance, performing deeds which are very good and filled with loving compassion towards your fellow men; helping the poor; educating the ignorant who lack understanding about life; showing to one in darkness an appropriate way out of his situation; awakening the feeling of a person's inner-self so he becomes aware of his obligation to worship Almighty God.
Cilandak, Indonesia - December 5, 1970
Code Number : 70 TJK 7
This is how it is with Bapak. Subud has spread throughout the world not because of propaganda but because Bapak simply surrenders to Almighty God. Because Bapak surrenders to God and God protects Bapak, He endows Bapak with the power to be loved wherever he goes, and people everywhere make him as welcome as could be, regarding Bapak more highly than their own parents. This is shown by many people weeping when Bapak leaves a place he has been visiting. Their tears are a sign of their regret and disappointment and sorrow that he is departing, and mean that they greatly love Bapak. Is this because Bapak wishes it or because of any effort of his? No. Bapak just surrenders to the One God.
The Glory and Greatness of God, Bapak feels, require that it should be so. It is not only that Bapak says 'Oh God, the All-Powerful and All-Loving'. People themselves will have proof of God's love for mankind in the outcome of the way they are following.
That is how it will be for you when everything you do is in the shadow and protection of the Power of God.
The Power of God is certainly not strange to you any longer, for you have been able to receive the latihan kejiwaan - that is, unintentional movements and actions which do not come from your own will but arise spontaneously and uninfluenced by the force of the nafsu.
When you grow accustomed to this, or accept it, you will have a very good chance of not losing your way in life, of not getting into a blind alley. Why? Because you are people led and guided by the Power of God. So if you truly can get guidance from God and hold to it, your path in life will open to you. You will know how you must work and what you must do.
Jakarta, Indonesia - August 19, 1971
Code Number : 71 TJK 14
So now we experience the world or the age of evidence. When I walk, is it true that something makes me walk? Is it true that in our selves, during this life of ours, there is the Power of the One God that envelops us.
Just recently Bapak heard from Francis von Kahler, who asked for a directive on how to cope with people who wish to join Subud but do not believe in the existence of God. They have not yet received proof or evidence that the Power of God exists within them or that God is Almighty, but they wish to join Subud.
As the helpers abide by the rule that a person may only join Subud if he believes in God's existence, Francis yon Kahler did not dare and was not able to open a person who lacked that belief.
Bapak's reply was: 'This is a special ease; that is to say, although a person does not believe and has no faith in Almighty God, he can be accepted if he wishes to join Subud, provided he is willing and ready always to follow the latihan kejiwaan'. And we ourselves, brothers and sisters, should not insist that a person must believe in God, when he has not yet been able to have evidence of His existence, when he has not yet been able to witness it.
Bapak had experience of such a case when he was in England. Maybe some of you have heard that when Bapak was in England for the first time there was a surgeon, a doctor, suffering from a brain tumor. Other doctors were consulted by his friends, and he was told he must have an operation. However, he himself was a surgeon. His friends said: 'Your illness requires an operation, but we cannot guarantee that you will live. Maybe you will die'.
He himself considered: 'If I have to die anyway, it is no use operating. I would rather not have the operation if I just have to die'. He happened to know Mr. Bennett.
This matter was discussed with Bapak, and Bapak said: 'Yes, he may be opened.' Now this was a man who did not believe in God. He said: 'I wish to join Subud, but I do not believe in God although I am a Christian'. Bapak answered: 'Yes, you may join Subud even if you do not believe'. Bapak opened him in the usual way for new members.
When Bapak had opened him, he fell down and rolled on the floor. What's this? He fell, got up again, and sat down and wept. Bapak stopped the latihan and asked: 'How are you, Doctor? What is the matter with you?' 'I do not know what is the matter with me, Bapak.' 'Ah', said Bapak, 'this is the latihan kejiwaan !' 'Oh,' said the doctor, 'if this is the latihan kejiwaan, then I truly believe that the Power of God is within me. Really. Now I begin to believe that God exists.' This is what happened.
So it was all right to open him, brothers and sisters. That is why I told Francis von Kahler to make exceptions. But if possible, open people who believe in God, and so abide by the regulations of our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud.
Here in Indonesia itself, Bapak received a letter from a group of Christians who asked for a Subud helper to come and give a talk about Subud in their church. Because, they said, nowadays many educated young people who are Christians feel dissatisfied. They had received no evidence or proof whether there is truth in religion. So, having heard that evidence about the kejiwaan can be received in Subud, they would like explanations about Subud in connection with religious matters.
Bapak did not accept the invitation because it is against our principles to make propaganda in order to spread Subud beyond itself and to influence the public, and so cause many of them who already have a religion to join Subud. Bapak feels concerned lest it then be said that Subud puts pressure on the religious. There are people who worry in case religions decline and Subud rises.
That is why Bapak does not allow a helper to give talks in a church. In fact Subud holds to the principle: 'We give to whoever needs it, but not to anyone who does not need it.'
So if people really wish to know about Subud, and want to feel what it contains, it would be better for them to come to Subud and ask to be opened. But Subud does not go to the churches to give talks there. For even if we speak to them a thousand or more times, as long as people cannot yet feel, cannot yet receive, or are not yet opened and so have no experience in the kejiwaan, they will not be able to understand or be aware of what Subud is.
It is as if you explained to someone that an apple tastes nice and sweet and somewhat tart. How could he believe what you say if he had never in his life tasted an apple?
So we only give clarifications to those who, in some degree, have already felt or experienced what we say. As now, with Bapak talking to you. Although you have not yet fully experienced what Bapak talks about, you have done so in some measure. Hence there is something in you to which Bapak can speak. In other words, you are already able to receive.
So Bapak hopes you will not give talks about Subud which may offend people who are not in Subud and who as yet lack experience of what you are saying. It will suffice if you give talks on what you can speak about: if necessary, for instance, about psychology. Just speak about aspects of psychology that you have studied. You may say a little about Subud, but do not seem to be making propaganda for it. For even if you have a strong wish to explain Subud as clearly as you can, people will not believe what you say, because they have not experienced it for themselves.
Carmel Valley, CA - USA - April 16, 1972
Code Number : 72 CAV 1
And because you are working in these enterprises according to guidance from the jiwa, guidance from God, then if and when you become rich and prosperous your profits from them will not make you mean, and you will not become close fisted and miserly. You will be really generous and charitable, and really live in the right way according to the will of God. This is Susila Budhi Dharma. In this way, and because you are Subud members, brothers and sisters, it will get about and reach the ears of the public that the members of Subud are different from the members of just any association. Why are they different? They are truly public spirited and, apart from the social work they do, they are also of good character, so that they can enlighten people who are in the dark and guide people so those who are not at peace and in harmony amongst themselves become harmonious. Subud members really do belong to a strange and surprising association.
There is thus no need, brothers and sisters, to make propaganda, no need to persuade people to come into Subud; this is not necessary. People will come of their own accord. Bapak therefore hopes that none of the members will do this now. If people wish to join Subud, well; let them come. But there should be no feeling of wanting to increase the number of members. You must not feel like that. Yes, and yet it is in fact really very necessary for everyone to have Subud and the latihan kejiwaan of Subud; one can say it is necessary for all our follow men.
Meanwhile the best thing to do is to look after your own inner selves in the first place, so that you can be like pioneers for mankind, pioneers showing the best way to go, pioneers on the spiritual path, so that you can really worship God rightly because you are following and acting in accordance with His guidance and direction. You are the pioneers for people who are earning a living and trying to make money and acquire material possessions, so that they become really generous and charitable people who really work for the community. In this way it will really spread out into the world, so that this world will be filled with people who really do worship God and who live in harmony with their fellow man. Come, brothers and sisters, Bapak would like you to quiet your hearts and minds, so as to confirm and witness the reality of the kejiwaan, the process of the kejiwaan.
Chicago, Ill USA - May 2, 1972
Code Number : 72 CHI 2
Brothers and sisters, although there is so much good in the truths which Bapak has received and which are to be found in Subud and in the Subud brotherhood everywhere, yet Bapak still does not wish to make propaganda for other people. Thus Bapak does not make propaganda for Subud to others. Even when people want to join Subud, it is not a question of Bapak making it difficult, but it is necessary to set a kind of probationary period of three months. Thus for a period of three months, brothers and sisters, there is a kind of probation for the people who want to join Subud, to see if these people really will come into Subud with sincerity of heart, and will they follow the latihan kejiwaan, and so that questions will not arise later on about what causes it and what are the connections between Subud and religion and so on.
That is why this period of three months is very important for all of you brothers and sisters, and for all the people who come into Subud: so that it can be checked during this three month period whether it will be all right or not, and so that they will not be disappointed in the future. For Subud is not a religion, brothers and sisters, it must be understood that Subud is a receiving, it is a possibility for harmony amongst the religions, a harmony between people of the different religions within Subud and a harmony between people of various races, between people who do not all belong to the same race.
Because it is like this, many people ask why Subud does not make any propaganda. Bapak answers, “Subud has spread all over the world without any propaganda." How much more would it spread if there were propaganda? The religions might have no followers left to them, because they had all joined Subud.” Bapak guards against this, brothers and sisters, to avoid chaos and confusion arising in the various religions.
And now this has arisen brothers and sisters, I do not know how it is here, but also in Indonesia itself many people belonging to the various religions are now asking questions of their kiyaiis, of their pastors, of their priests. They are asking to be given proof concerning their religions. Well, all that these priests can say is, "I cannot give you any proof beyond what is in the scriptures." And that, it appears, people do not entirely believe. It appears that they are pressing to be given proof of the religions to which they belong.
Then letters come to Subud asking if Bapak will give a talk in a church. Bapak refuses; not because of being asked to give a talk in a church, but because it is against our rules to make propaganda. No; if Bapak had given you a talk before you had received the latihan and become Subud members, of course you would not have believed what Bapak has been saying here, because you would not have experienced what Bapak was saying about Subud. That is why Bapak refuses. There have been requests on three occasions from bodies of clergy, asking Bapak to give to give a talk. But even if Bapak were to talk to them thousands of times over, how could they believe it unless they were already in Subud? Yes; how could they, when there are still many people who are already in Subud, many Subud members, still asking what is the connection between Subud and the religions? They ask, “What is the connection? Why can I not receive it?" This comes from people who are in Subud, let alone those who are not.
Therefore, whether you belong to the Christian religion, brother and sisters, or to the Islamic religion or to the Buddhist religion or the Hindu religion, the most important thing for you is to believe in the One Almighty God, Who in Islam is called Allah, in Christianity is called God, in Buddhism is called Maha Deva, in Hinduism is called whatever it may be. Believe in Him to the uttermost.
Manchester, England - May 29, 1972
Code Number : 72 MAN 2
If and when the Subud funds can receive a million dollars a years then we can carry out our ideas and ideals. Of courses brothers and sisters, a body that is established for the worship of God will certainly not neglect to be active in what is called social work. We need to do social work in order to be able to create social security; security for the general public. Thus what we have in mind for when Subud is strong is not just for the Subud members only, exclusive from other people. If we can do this, brothers and sisters, there is no need to make propaganda for Subud. People will be able to know what Subud is like. This is what Bapak intends for you, so that you can give an example to the public.
It is not necessary to make propaganda. You may talk about how good Subud is and how Subud is this and that, you can praise it to the skies, but if there is no evidence to prove it, you will really be ashamed of it.
This is Bapak's wish and Intention that he is putting before you. You should really pay serious attention to this and not forget it because the enterprises will not go well and you will not be able to work together in them unless you have been able to establish a bank which will provide a capital for the enterprises you run. So Bapak hopes that you will at once start thinking about this and Bapak further hopes that this bank will really go well and that it will really be able to provide evidence both for us and for the general public.
Cilandak, Indonesia - November 22, 1973
Code Number : 73 CDK 12
Of course, brothers and sisters, not everything you do can bring you gratifying results, but some of it will. Indeed, that is where the effort comes in; people fall down once or twice, but the third time they stand upright. You must not give up just because you fall down once. You have to carry on, especially you, who are accompanied by your jiwa, which knows things your mind does not know.
This is Bapak’s hope, that you will really be able to carry on the enterprises which Bapak hopes you are going to do, so that by running them you will be able to bring about results for our spiritual brotherhood of Subud. Our Subud brotherhood does not need to use propaganda. It will attract the attention of the public, which means the people of the world as a whole will notice it.
Obviously, brothers and sisters, what the world needs at the present moment of time, or in this era, is a good example to follow, which can be an example, to the general public. That is why Bapak therefore hopes that those of you who have already been following the latihan for a long time will be able to become an example to the public, so that the world becomes prosperous and peaceful.
Tokyo, Japan - April 20, 1976
Code Number : 76 TYO 2
Brothers and sisters, it is thus clear that the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, or Subud, is not a religion, but merely an association of the members, of people of various races and religions. Thus it is the people who have religions, not Subud. It is you who have religions. There are Subud members who are Moslems, there are Subud members who are Christians. Amongst the Christians themselves there are Catholics and there are Protestants, and also people whose religions are called by yet other names, but they are all Christians. It is the same with Islam. There are people who belong to the Muhammadiyah sect, to the Ahmadiyah sect, to the sect of Sayidina Aliyah and to yet other sects.
All these indicate that there are many teachings. There has been someone able to receive, so that he has constructed some theory which others follow. But all these are ways; ways that lead to the One Almighty God; we cannot know where He is, nor can we imagine the distance to the dwelling place of God and the power of Almighty God.
That is how it is, brothers and sisters, and that is why many people are confused when they try to put it all together. They ask "What is Subud?" But it is enough if you answer that Subud is not a religion, but a receiving. The proof of that is that we have no theory in the latihan, except that we should follow the movements of what we receive, and these movements vary from one person to another. And it is strange how in Subud, although the people doing the latihan are of different religions or teachings, yet they are harmonious. Why is this? It is because they have only the one aim; that is, they all are aiming towards the One Almighty God, Who envelops the whole universe and all that it contains.
In short, brothers and sisters, people who are not in Subud will not be able to understand it so long as they have not yet taken part in the latihan kejiwaan. That is why it is enough if you answer that they will be able to understand what Subud is if and when they are willing to join in the latihan kejiwaan. That means if and when they are willing to be opened. If they are not willing to be opened, then you are not prepared to give any explanation, for they will still not understand.
That is the reason, brothers and sisters, why Bapak says that Subud cannot be propagandized to anyone. For Subud is not a teaching, Subud is not something to be studied through theories, so as to learn how to receive the latihan kejiwaan. That is why Bapak does not permit propaganda, nor does he approve of any propaganda being made for Subud, because people will not be able to believe it.
San Francisco, California - April 28, 1976
Code Number : 76 SFO 4
So brothers and sisters, I think it's clear what Bapak is trying to say, that once you are able to practice this, in other words, to work in the world, to use your heart and mind according to the guidance of God's power, then it will be possible for people outside Subud, for society in general to begin to understand what Subud is. Because they will see the reality, they will see the evidence of what Subud is in your actions, in the way we run our businesses, in the way we look after other people. They will see that we run our businesses different from what is normal; they will see that in our schools, children who were a bit disturbed have become quiet. So it is easy for people to understand what Subud is. This is why Bapak won't need to use propaganda in Subud, this is why Bapak has never used propaganda in Subud, because propaganda is in the nature of forcing people. In other words, before somebody really understands what Subud is, before he really wants to join, you persuade him to join by the cleverness of your words, but once he has joined, he leaves again. So what is important is to show people the evidence so that they themselves can understand easily what Subud stands for. And then there will be no question of needing propaganda. Subud will spread by itself through the reality of what we have done. And this is why Bapak emphasizes and hopes that you will quickly and harmoniously start to set up Subud enterprises.
Los Angeles, California - May 2, 1976
Code Number : 76 LAX 2
And then finally, the most important thing that we have to remember in Subud, is the importance of harmony between one member and another, and between all the members in Subud. This is really the crucial thing, and without harmony we cannot progress, we cannot maintain our progress in the latihan kejiwaan. And the evidence or the proof that in Subud harmony is necessary and correct, and is in accordance with the will of God, is the evidence that we can see that in Subud there is no distinction between different nationalities and races. That we are able to do the latihan together, without any distinction between nationalities and races, without any disharmony between one nation and another. So this is something that we should be able to understand from this, that really Subud teaches us harmony and requires us to be harmonious. So that finally our state of harmony can be an example to all mankind. And then our state of harmony and our ability to be harmonious within ourselves, in other words, to have peace between different nationalities, can begin to influence society in general. And when that happens there will be no need to make propaganda about Subud. People will join automatically by themselves, because they will see the evidence of what Subud stands for.
New York, NY USA - May 5, 1976
Code Number : 76 NYC 1
. . . in England, you may have heard of the charitable enterprise, it was set up in England many years ago by Subud members called Whatcomb House which was especially a school for emotionally disturbed children. And, actually, this was a great success as far as the educational side went. Out of the children who went there, two were able to enter universities and start on a brilliant career, people who were before completely useless and rebellious, and, in general, the success rate was extremely high. But, after a few years of operation, the place had to close for lack of funds.
And this is the reason, brothers and sisters, why Bapak always advises you, do not be in a hurry to start charitable enterprises, to start these sorts of things until our enterprises have become strong enough, until we really have the source of income within the brotherhood which can finance these things so they will not have to fall by the wayside just when they are starting to get going. The most important thing now is enterprises, with the result of the profits from the enterprises, we can set up these charitable undertakings. So that, finally, it will not be necessary for us to make propaganda or force people to join Subud. They will want to join of themselves. Because they will be able to see, with their own eyes, that what is done by Subud is exactly what has always been advised and taught by the founders of the great religions. So that is the aim, the ultimate aim, of the enterprises which Bapak is always encouraging us and pushing us to start. Not that we should all become millionaires, of course, Bapak says there's nothing wrong with that, if we can also become millionaires, that's all the better. In fact, Bapak prays that all Subud members, to some extent, become millionaires. Of course, millionaires in dollars not in rupiahs, because ( rest of comment lost behind the laughter of the audience ).
Totnes, England - July 1, 1977
Code Number : 77 TNS 1
Therefore the answer to someone who asks is that Subud is not a religion, but it is a receiving from the power of Almighty God, a receiving that comes from beyond our expectation, and beyond our heart and mind, and beyond our understanding, to give us what we each need for our being; and through this receiving we acquire a deeper understanding of the need and the purpose of our own individual religion.
The proof of what Bapak has said is in the fact that this latihan has now been accepted in, and has spread to, about 76 countries where there are now Subud members worshipping in the latihan. In addition to that Bapak has heard, and has been told, that the Pope himself has approved of people joining Subud, that he has given permission to Catholics to join Subud, with the provision or footnote that there must be no force applied, that they must wish to join Subud of their own free will. It is for this reason that Bapak is always very careful to avoid any publication or any statement about Subud which makes claims for Subud, or is in the nature of propaganda, or trying to force people, or to entice or persuade people to join Subud. In this world we live in a time when people do not only criticize things that are wrong, but things that are right are criticized just as much. This is why Bapak always reminds you, and reminds you again now, that it is very important for us to simply have the attitude of openness, of accepting people who wish to join Subud, who wish to come of their own free will, of their own decision and with a sincere heart, without any kind of influence or any kind of pressure being put on them. This is something Bapak feels necessary to explain to you briefly because of the world in which we live today, so that we will avoid any trouble or any difficulty in your lives in the future.
Swanwick, England - July 9, 1977
Code Number : 77 SWK 4
Brothers and sisters, this state of harmony that Bapak has described is of utmost importance for you because now in this country - you have to admit - the membership is not yet very great, but if with this small membership of our brotherhood in this country you are not yet able to show the harmony and the progress of our brotherhood - and of these two Bapak emphasizes harmony before progress - then how will we ever be able to achieve harmony later when the membership of Subud in this country is already two million or maybe three million people?
So it is essential for Subud already to be able to demonstrate in our life together that we truly possess a harmony which is unusual and which is fitting to be made an example of to all other movements and all other endeavors. So that people can truly say, 'Yes, this Subud is a group of people who worship Almighty God, who can truly serve as an example.' Because once we have achieved that, then we can be seen for what we are.
And this is the reason why Bapak has always avoided any kind of propaganda in Subud because what is the point of talking a lot about how wonderful Subud is and how can we do this and that, when the reality does not correspond to what we say? But once we can show the reality, then automatically all the world will see what is the real content of the Subud latihan. Our experience already shows that this will be achieved not only by our own wish or ability, but through the guidance of the power of God.
Rotterdam, Holland - July 15, 1977
Code Number : 77 RTM 2
What Bapak has received is that the world today is truly looking for peace - that is, peace within and peace without. What Bapak has also received is that, actually, the source of the peace that man is looking for - that is, the key to what the whole world is looking for now - is this that we have received now in Subud. So we face a very big task. In front of us there is enormous work to be done; that is, not the work that is just simple, like earning money. We have something in front of us much bigger and much more difficult than that. What we have in front of us is - facing the state of the world and bringing-something that is new which will bring this peace that the world is looking for.
But how to do this task? There is only one way to start, and that is among ourselves to have real harmony and real cooperation and real love - because if we have that we can really say with confidence: 'Yes, we in Subud are an example that the world can rightly follow·' Then we will not need to make any propaganda, we will not have to give speeches about how wonderful Subud is. It will come out by itself, what Subud contains. So don't think that we don't have a big job in front of us. This is, in fact, our duty. This is what God wills, because at this moment the world is really thirsty for peace and peacefulness.
Oslo, Norway - July 20, 1977
Code Number : 77 OSL 1
The fruits of the enterprises will also be used beneficially if and when they make a profit, produce results. Yes, of course, they are also required to make a profit; they must not fail to be profitable. And the profits from the enterprises you run can be used to establish schools for backward and neglected children, homes for old people who have no family, hospitals, clinics and so on; all the things that are part of what is called the field of social work.
In this way, you - the Subud members - can not only worship the One Almighty God in accordance with His guidance and direction, but you can also give good service to the general public, and in this way the name of Subud will not need a lot of noisy propaganda to make it known, but it will automatically become apparent that the aims of Subud, of the Subud members, of Subud and its latihan, are aims which are truly according to the will of God, and which are also laid down in all the religions.
Blonay, Switzerland - August 15, 1977
Code Number : 77 BLN 1
For example, if you take Muslims, let alone Arabs, they certainly imagine that, say, an angel - the angel must look like that - it must be someone with a turban, and that special kind of suit that Arabs wear. And if they think that way about angels, then probably they think the same about God - that God belongs to that general set-up. It is the same with different religions. So it means that man, no matter where he is or who he is, is still influenced and is still limited by his culture and by his experience and what he has experienced in his life. So as long as mankind is limited by that - by their culture and by their upbringing and by their society and so on - how can man ever be united? Not only people of different religions, but even people of the same religion. Take Catholics and Protestants. They can never be united, they can never agree about anything. Look at Ireland now - in Northern Ireland where Protestants and Catholics are fighting each other. They both believe in Jesus Christ, they are both Christians, but they fight. Same with Muslims - Egypt and Libya, for example. They both say they are Muslims but they fight each other.
So it is clear that as long as man is left to himself, people are never able to agree about anything, to be united and to be as one. That is why what is most important is that this latihan has now been received by mankind which can really bring together, make as one, people of different religions and different nationalities. This is what mankind is really looking for - this latihan that we have received, because this can really bring people together as one. And maybe - Bapak doesn't know - maybe man has received this latihan now because man has gone too far, has gone too fast with the advance of his mind and with his understanding. But he needs something now that can bring him back to a peaceful state, a peace of mind and a quiet inner feeling where he can really be aware of being one with his fellow human beings.
For us it is very important that we really follow this latihan diligently so that we in Subud can really become examples that can be followed by the rest of humanity, so that maybe, if it's God's will, this world can become a place of peace and harmony ( in this world ). And the fact is that without any propaganda, and without any effort, Subud has spread to 75 or 76 different countries where there are now Subud members - and the larger part of these have already a Subud center, a Subud organization, a national committee, and so on. Actually, it is clear that Subud is something very universal because all this has happened without our really trying. If it weren't for the fact that now, at this time, in Africa there are wars going on everywhere, Bapak would now go around and visit many countries in Africa. In Nigeria, in what used to be the Congo, Biafra, in Angola, in South Africa, in Rhodesia, in Kenya, there are Subud members. The only reason Bapak can't visit them is because there is turmoil at the moment on that Continent, so Bapak can only visit the countries where relatively there is peace, so that Bapak's coming doesn't give rise to any disturbances or anything like that. But, really, you can see the grace of Almighty God, that Subud has already spread far and wide, and thus there is no difference between people of different color and different religions and so on, because we truly feel as one human race.
Santa Monica, CA USA - November 29, 1977
Code Number : 77 LAX 3
Finally, through setting up enterprises we will also be able to fulfil the needs of our own members; that is, those members who do not yet work, or cannot yet work - that we give them an opportunity and show them and teach them how to work so that their lives are not wasted, so that they can begin to feel what it means to work in an enterprise. Once we have been able to set up enterprises, and once they are going well, they will have a very great use and benefit - not only for Subud itself, but also for society in general. This is why Bapak doesn't like, has never liked and has always discouraged you from making propaganda about Subud, because what is the use of making propaganda if we cannot yet show or demonstrate the fruits of what we have received? But once we have been able to make our enterprises successful so that we are able to demonstrate to society that what we do is for the benefit of society itself, then this will immediately attract the attention of people to Subud and will show them, without the need of any propaganda, what Subud really is. And not only society, but also the governments of the countries where Subud exists will see and take note of the work that Subud does so that our way will always he open. We will never lack for opportunities to do latihan, to hold meetings, to give talks - in other words, everything that we need for our life in our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud will be fulfilled and be satisfied. For this reason Bapak needs that you all put your lives in order. In other words, bring order to your lives so that you can become an example to society in general.
Seattle, WA USA - December 11, 1977
Code Number : 77 SEA 2
If you want to know, if you want to feel and to understand the content of the latihan, don't try to use your heart and mind, because the only way that you can know and understand the Latihan Kejiwaan is through surrender with patience, acceptance and submission. Your heart and mind are for your life in this world. What does that mean? That means enterprise. This is what Bapak has explained to you many, many times, because our heart and mind are given to us for our life in this world. In other words, that it is God's will that we should use them in this world for taking care of our needs in this world. Everyone has needs in this world. You cannot avoid having needs in this world which you have to fulfil, and it is for that that your heart and mind have been given to you. You have to use them in order to take care of your life in this world. If you want your heart and mind not to interfere with your Latihan Kejiwaan, if you want your heart and mind to keep out of the way so that they should no longer be an obstacle for you in your latihan - then give them some work to do. And the work they can do is exactly what's in this world. Then your worship will not be in a commercial direction - and this is what is most important. Do not commercialize your Latihan Kejiwaan. Do not do your Latihan Kejiwaan for something you want, because then you will automatically begin to swing over into the way of Said Anwas. This is the thing that you have to avoid, so that your latihan is something that is truly surrendered to the power of God Almighty. It is also the case with religion. Indeed, if you really understand Islam and Christianity. In Islam and Christianity man still has to take care of his needs in this world. There is no indication or no guidance to the contrary that in these religions man still has to take care of his life in this world, man still has to work in this world - but the problem is that because man is man he goes wrong. He misunderstands that in spreading the religion of Islam or of Christianity, for examplee, man did not do it the right way. They confused the needs of religion with the needs of the outer world. So they began to spread their religion by methods that are not at all according to the Will of God. For example, by forcing people - even by killing people. Really, that is something that is totally not at all according to God's will.
Imagine to yourself: you die and you are in front of God, God's judgement, and God asks you: 'What .did you do - how did you spread my religion in this world?'
And you say: 'Oh, I spread it by killing thousands of people. I killed people left and right, and I killed people of all different religions.'
How can that be acceptable to God? How can God accept something as right when it creates chaos, when it harms other people, when it makes difficulties for other people, when it restricts the freedom of other people. This is completely wrong, because the right way to spread religion is in a way that is harmonious, in a way that is right, and gives people their freedom to do what they like. Only that can be right, can be correct in the eyes of God. It is the same in Subud. This is why Bapak always forbids us to make propaganda for Subud, or to force people to come into Subud, because that is completely useless. We don't need a lot of members, not if it causes chaos. It's far better to have just a few members than to have a lot of members at the cost of chaos - but a few members who really follow the worship of God Almighty in the right way, and who have come to Subud by their own free will through the recognition of what Subud really is. So it is far better for us, even if there is only a few people.
Actually, the nature of Subud is that we truly worship God Almighty, so that if people outside who want to know about Subud ask you: 'Who do you worship?' you say: 'I worship God'.
'How do you know that you worship God?'
The answer is very simple: 'I worship through God. It is not I who worships but it is God Who makes me worship, : so that I do not worship by my own will, but I surrender myself to the power of God Who makes me worship. I do not need to worry about who I worship, because the One who moves me is the power of God Almighty.'
Alta Grove, B.C. Canada - December 18, 1977
Code Number : 77 YVR 3
Bapak also said when talking about being dishonest - if you are at least not 100 per cent dishonest, but if you can already be 48 per cent honest, then your dishonesty will be wiped out. Bapak said it's really like that. For example, if we are working and we make a mistake a hundred times, but two or three times we do it right, the hundred times will be forgotten. Conversely, if we have done something right a hundred times, but three or four times we do it wrong, then the hundred times we have done it right will be forgotten.
So the important thing is to be able to find our balance. Bapak said, in addition to what was said earlier, that it is important for us also through doing enterprises to become an example to mankind as a whole, because they will see: 'Here is a group that worships God, but they are not only clever at worshipping God - they can also work. They can work in this world. In other words, if we can really put these enterprises into practice and show people what it means to do a Subud enterprise, that the profit is not only for ourselves - of course, we will get a share, we will get a part for ourselves, but that some of it is for the needs of Subud - if we can show the world what we are doing, then we don't need to make propaganda for Subud. That's why Bapak always forbids everybody to make propaganda for Subud, because why do you need propaganda if you can show by example? If people can see the reality - that we are doing things to help society, to help people who are poor, sick and destitute, en we won't need to say anything. People will see for themselves what Subud is, and they will wish to enter and join Subud. This, for the world, is something very, very important, because as things are now, the world is more and more chaotic. The world is more and more in trouble because everywhere people are oppressed by the material forces; everywhere the material forces are causing dissension. And this is because of their great power and the fact that the nature of material forces is like that. The nature of material forces is to cause disharmony and conflict. You know it yourself - not only one nation against another, but even one brother against another. If there is a quarrel about money, they will forget that they are brothers and will hate each other. That's the power of material things.
But if we can do enterprises in the way that Bapak described just now - in other words, where we are standing on from the influence of the material forces in our lives. So that even though we may not become rich, our life will always be happy. Our lives will always be satisfying and we will have a sufficiency of everything we need. This, then, is the purpose and the use of the Subud enterprises - that with the fruits of these enterprises we can begin to breathe life, or reality, into the aims of Subud that have been discussed at so many Subud Congresses. In other words, where we have planned to set up schools for children who have nothing, schools for orphans, hospitals, homes for old people and so on. O.K., maybe there are hospitals provided by the State, but there are many places where there are not sufficient hospitals, where there is a real need. Similarly, homes for old people, and so on.
Now if we can do this, then we are really setting an example to mankind - that besides worshipping God Almighty, we are able to work in this world no worse than other people. We can work maybe even better than other people and produce results in looking after those people in the world who need help. Of course, all this that Bapak is telling you is still theory - it hasn't been put into practice yet. It's still an idea, it's still an aim. an ideal. But, Brothers and Sisters, if we do not have the ideal we will never get anywhere. If we keep this idea in front of us, then sooner or later it will become a reality. That has always been proved by mankind. When Bapak says sooner or later, we don’t know. Maybe 100 years, maybe 200 years, but it could also be 10 years or 20 years. The important thing is to remember the direction where we are going, and if we remember we will certainly get there in the end.
Honolulu, Hawaii - December 22, 1977
Code Number : 77 HNL 1
That is the aim of the enterprises which Bapak is always urging you to do. For if we wait for contributions to come in from the voluntary donations made by the members, there will be no possibility at all to set up schools, hospitals or homes for old people; not when we are obliged to rent or hire even the buildings for our own use, such as latihan halls or places for talks such as this. If even in this we are obliged to depend upon other people and other things, and if our lives always depend in this way upon other people, they are not secure, whereas in worshipping God our feelings need to be calm and tranquil, and we really need to be able to stand upon our own feet.
In this way, brothers and sisters, our ideal, and the aim of the enterprises which Bapak proposes, is that we in our spiritual brotherhood of Subud shall really be obedient to the will of God. By the will of God for all of you, for all mankind, human beings have two obligations. The first is the obligation to worship God in accordance with the guidance and direction of the One Almighty God; and according to His commandment. And the second is that we must work. That means that we dedicate ourselves both to the community and to our own selves for so long as we live in this world. In this way we can use the words said by the people of Islam when they say wal dunia, wal akhirat. That means both this world and the world to come.
In this way, brothers and sisters, the people of this world will automatically get to know about Subud. That is why Bapak does not need Subud to make propaganda to persuade people to join Subud. Bapak does not want that, because persuasion means putting pressure on other people, while it is not yet certain that these other people wish to practice what exists in Subud. In Bapak’s own experience, brothers and sisters, this has been the reason why many people who join Subud subsequently leave it. And it has frequently been our experience in Subud that for every hundred people who join it, one can say that a hundred will leave, or fifty join and fifty leave. So it always stays just the same. That is why it is our watchword, brothers and sisters, to say that we put no pressure on anyone to join Subud, but if people wish to join it, we do not prevent them from doing so. We are prepared to give it, but we are not prepared to give it to anyone who does not want it. That is how it is, brothers and sisters, so that we avoid situations that would disturb our state. And that is what Bapak hopes that you will all do.
Honolulu, Hawaii - December 24, 1977
Code Number : 77 HNL 2
But the question is now - do we like to associate with God Almighty? Sharif says: something I left out earlier, when Bapak said that God will only give something to those who work, to those who make an effort to understand and to carry out their life…
This is because man is not like a material thing. Man is not like a plant. Man is not like an animal. Man has been given Budhi. Budhi is the human nature; that is, God's power which manifests or which is placed within the nature of man, and it is this that man has to use if God is going to guide him and if God is going to give him his gift for his life.
So whether we remember or not, and even though we do not remember, even though we go through our life not remembering to carry out our duties, even though we do not take seriously or do not carry out or live our life the way we should, God still loves His creatures. And God's love is so great that God will always give us the opportunity to change. God will always give to us - until it is too late, until the end of our life. God always gives us the chance to change things and to return to the right way. And this, then, is what Bapak keeps saying to you. Do not be afraid of God, but be afraid of your own wrong actions. Be afraid of your own mistakes.
Actually, Brothers and Sisters, as Subud members who have received the gift of Almighty God, if we truly carry out our duties and the responsibilities which we have been given, then we will become examples.
As helpers we should at least be examples to our own members; that is, people within Subud. But later, if we can go on in the right way, we will even become examples for people outside Subud; that is, to society in general.
Then, as Bapak said the other day, we won't need to make propaganda for Subud because people will automatically see without any effort from us. They will see what Subud really is.
This is why it is not necessary for us to have lots of members. Bapak isn't disappointed if, for example, you only open two members every month, as long as those two members really understand what Subud is; can really feel the latihan and really understand correctly and thoroughly within their selves, what the meaning of Subud is. Much better than having 100 members or 1,000 members every month who have no idea or really don't understand what Subud is about, because they will only bring us confusion and chaos and will be a burden in our books when we have to write down a lot of names which don't mean anything.
Osaka, Japan - January 5, 1978
Code Number : 78 OSA 1
To continue, brothers and sisters, Subud does not prevent anyone who wishes to do so from coming into Subud, but Subud is not prepared to issue any propaganda or any kind of teaching in order to induce people to join Subud. If, however, they wish to join Subud, Subud is prepared to accept them. In that way, brothers and sisters, our spiritual brotherhood of Subud is really like a door that is open to everyone, but it does not address itself to anyone or force anyone to enter Subud. These are facts which Bapak explains to all the members, in order that all of you can then explain them to anyone who may ask you questions.
Christchurch, New Zealand - January 13, 1978
Code Number : 78 CHC 1
This is why Bapak's always says to you - don't bother to make propaganda for Subud, because once we are able to do something that is really seen by society as something good, useful and helpful to people in general, then we won't need to say anything. They will automatically see it and a lot of people will like to join Subud, and Subud will become strong.
But while we are still quarrelling among ourselves and can't even bring harmony to our own Subud Brotherhood, then what is the use of going out and saying to people: 'Subud is wonderful. Come and join Subud.' People will only laugh at us. So first, let us try to put into practice what we have received, and it will not be necessary to make propaganda to persuade people that Subud is good or something like that.
Perth, Australia - February 15, 1978
Code Number : 78 PER 3
Therefore, by doing enterprises we will also be able to find a place for our own people, to find a sphere of work for our own people, whereby we can place Subud helpers into work as doctors and teachers in hospitals and schools. In other words, people who are Subud helpers but with special qualifications, such as medical qualifications, teachers' qualifications. We can place these people in our own schools, in our own hospitals. And this we can only do if we have already set up these schools and hospitals. That is, schools for retarded children and for poor children, homes for orphans, hospitals of various kinds, old people's homes. All these are things that have been proposed and discussed at our Congresses. But we will never be able to put these into practice while we still rely on contributions. No matter how good or how big these contributions, they will never be enough unless we can do enterprises. And the funds for these social undertakings will be furnished by the enterprises. If we can do that, then Subud will become known, not only by the fact that we worship God but by its reputation for its contribution to social work in all spheres.
This is what is necessary. This is what is right, and this is what is needed. So, we can only receive this if we put into practice the idea of enterprises. We do not want to be people who depend on charity, people who go around asking for money all the time, people who always accept other people's monies and then do something with it. It is right that we should stand on our own feet. It is right that we should furnish our own funds with our own work and then do these various things that Bapak has said. That way, if you can really put this idea of enterprises into practice, you will certainly have your own latihan halls, your own guest houses and have something left over for social work and social undertakings.
Then Subud will become known for its work in this world, for its help to humanity. It will be recognized, accepted, and seen by governments and by people with influence. Actually, this is the way that Subud can become known and can spread. That is why Bapak never allows you to make propaganda for Subud. Propaganda is useless if it is not backed up by reality, if you cannot show what Subud can do. This is why, first of all, we have to learn to stand on our own feet. The first step is to fulfil the needs of your own life, so that at least you, personally, can become an example to society, so that people will have some respect for you and look up to you in some way. That is the beginning of fulfilling, of people seeing what Subud really is.
Cilandak, Indonesia - November 5, 1978
Code Number : 78 CDK 24
At the moment, brothers and sisters, it is the fashion to wear batik shirts, such as the one that Bapak is wearing now. I used not to wear them, but now I like wearing them. As a rule, what Bapak likes is what people in general will like. When I used to smoke clove cigarettes, these were not yet distributed outside this country, and the first person to smoke them abroad was Bapak. He was even forbidden to smoke them by the stewardess on the plane. 'Please don't smoke these, sir,' she said, 'they are too strong, and they make people's heads swim.' Whereas nowadays many people are smoking them. Is that nice, I ask you? Yes, nice enough for you, but not for other people. It is like that.
At that time, Bapak was smoking 'Bentul' cigarettes. He smoked Bentuls everywhere he went; to South Africa, South America, Canada, all over the world. Thus the taste for Bentul cigarettes was transmitted to many people, so that was a stroke of good luck for the manufacturers of clove cigarettes. Yes; Bapak made a kind of propaganda for them, but they were the people who profited by it. Yes; now Bentuls are in demand everywhere, and many people are addicted to them. Now, because Bentuls sell so well, other kinds of clove cigarettes have sprung up, such as 'Gudang-Garam.' Are there any other brands? It seems that clove cigarettes are now very much in demand outside this country, and it was Bapak who took them abroad in the first place. Until Bapak gave up smoking a little while ago, when he gave it up about six years ago, Bapak used to receive three or four tins of Bentuls every month from the Bentul factory, specially for Bapak. Every month he received these tins from the proprietor of the factory, because the proprietor chanced to have a child at school in Hawaii, and the professor who was teaching this child in Hawaii was a Subud member. So it was he who told the factory owner about how Bapak liked smoking these Bentul cigarettes.
So it is obvious, brothers and sisters, that when you make anything you must first look for a market for it, and see where there will be a demand and what will show a profit. Well, at present there are some people who are working very hard on this. There are a lot of women members whose hands are still not full; not full of work. They should get together and try to set up a business, working gotong-royong, co-operatively, to make shirts like this one; that is, to make batik shirts. And, of course, there are other possibilities if one looks further. I hear that the people who are going to open a restaurant ( at the S. Widjojo Building ) are now very busy making a feasibility study as to whether to have a restaurant there, whether there is a demand for one, whether it is a good place for one and, of course, they are looking into the costs. Then they will also establish a restaurant.
Thus it is clear, brothers and sisters, that there is always work to be done if you stand on your own feet, as Bapak said just now, and if you can keep a check on your own self and control your own work and know how it is going and work hard at it. For, of course, your minds and hearts are your instruments for living, to provide for your lives while you are living in this world, whereas in seeking ilmu ( divine knowledge ) and worshipping God, it is enough if you receive. Just go on receiving your latihan every time you do it. Will this develop automatically? Oh yes, it will. Bapak has experienced proof of this. There is a lot of difference between Bapak as he used to be in the old days and Bapak as he is now. Now he can grasp things that are not easy or even possible to grasp. Why is that? It is because Bapak always has a place prepared to receive understanding; there is a place for being able to understand things that Bapak does not yet understand. That is how it is, brothers and sisters, and so you must not say because Bapak is always urging people to do enterprises that Bapak is putting a load on their latihan. In reality it is not like that, brothers and sisters. Bapak gives you this suggestion about enterprises so that you can fulfil the two responsibilities that are really important for your lives.
Toronto, Canada - August 19, 1979
Code Number : 79 YYZ 9
Brothers and sisters, you are in fact really working to carry out your duty as human beings according to the commandments of the one Almighty God. Thus it is your duty to work so as to do everything in Subud, because Subud has been created by the will of the one Almighty God. This is proved by the fact that Subud has spread all over the world in an easy way, without any propaganda or persuasion and without any application of force to anyone. As a rule brothers and sisters, it is sometimes difficult to produce harmony with your own kith and kin, let alone harmony between one religion or one race and another. But things can really go well in Subud, so that the feeling is implanted within your selves that you are all really part of one and the same human race; the human race created in this world by the One God Who embraces and protects His entire creation.
London, England - April 10, 1981
Code Number : 81 LON 9
This is the sign that you should be looking for in your own lives if you want to know whether you have made progress in the latihan kejiwaan or not. This is what Bapak hopes from us all, that at the very least, our outer lives will reflect some improvement as a result of our latihan kejiwaan, and more than that, those of you who have been made helpers should already now be able to answer the questions of the members who are newer or are less experienced than yourselves.
This should be now already possible for you. If you do that, then the members will at least have some respect for you. The members will at least have some faith in the helpers. Why should they have faith, why should they have respect for you as helpers if you are not yet able to answer their questions? Why should they respect you if you are as confused as they are by their experiences or by their problems?
Bapak still continuously gets letters from members saying, "Oh Bapak, I don't know what my right work ought to be; oh Bapak, I don't know how to make my marriage work; oh Bapak, I don't know how to make ends meet," and so forth. Constantly Bapak is having questions like this. At the very least, a person who has received the latihan kejiwaan should be able to organize his life. This is the way that Subud is supposed to spread - not through propaganda.
Subud will eventually spread when people see that there is something about you different from other people, not because we sit up on a rostrum and explain to the public at large that Subud is like this and like that. That is not the way. People will be attracted to Subud when they see something different about you, in your ordinary life. That is how it ought to be, once you have done the latihan for a long time. There should already be a sparkle about you, a spark which people around you can see and be aware of, so that they ask, "What is it that you have got? What is it that is special about you?" Then Subud will spread.
So, brothers and sisters, what is missing with many of you is that you are not attentive to what you receive in the latihan kejiwaan. You are not patient enough to be attentive to what you receive in the latihan kejiwaan. Bapak sometimes sees there are people who have been twenty years in Subud and yet their lives are in a mess; they still don't understand anything; they still don't feel anything; they still haven't received anything. The reason for this is that they are still not able to be attentive to what they receive-in their latihan. That is what is required.
If you really pay attention to what you receive in the latihan, you will become aware more and more that your life changes, and your understanding becomes broader. Your understanding both in this world and the next, becomes wider. You won't be someone who is always running after what people say, who is always believing in what people say. You know, people are full of advice nowadays. They say, "If you do this, you will go to heaven; if you understand this, you will go to heaven". But how can you prove what will happen when you die? How do you know whether you will go to heaven or not? You will only once you are dead.
Wendhausen, Germany - April 28, 1981
Code Number : 81 WEN 5
Brothers and sisters, Bapak has often told us that we are not allowed to use propaganda, but we should set an example as to how a helper in Subud receives the latihan kejiwaan, and what are the results of the latihan in the way he behaves in his life. And Bapak is sure, and Bapak knows, that if the helpers really practice this, if they really are able to show the fruits of their latihan in their everyday life and in the way they behave towards the members, and in carrying out their responsibilities, then Subud will progress and people outside Subud will be drawn to wish to do the latihan kejiwaan. And this is really Bapak's hope for all of you helpers and committees.
Bapak knows that you helpers have made progress, and Bapak knows the progress that you have made, but there is this one thing that Bapak is concerned about, and that is the degree of attention you give to the members because, actually, the progress which the members make in the latihan, the progress that they make in Subud, is dependent on the attention that they receive from you helpers. So that if there is a lack of progress in Subud or a lack of progress among the members, then it comes back to this point that the helpers are not attentive enough and do not give enough help and support to the members whom they have opened.
Schloss Wendhausen, Germany - May 2, 1981
Code Number : 81 WOB 5
There it is, Brothers and Sisters. Bapak's words are said to set on fire your inner feeling. And by this is meant not to light a fire and create an atmosphere which is disturbing, but to set on fire your enthusiasm to struggle, to build, to develop your nation and to build up our brotherhood through the worship of Almighty God.
Brothers and Sisters, if, in Java, which is normally considered a place that is backward, Bapak can build a place for the worship of God, and here you are in a country which is already developed, whose progress is already evident, why then can't you do it?
Bapak doesn't mean you should force yourself to be able to do it, but rather, worship Almighty God, so that God Almighty may give you the strength and guide you to find the way to build Subud in the best possible way.
To develop Subud, Bapak does not need to make propaganda for it, explaining to people how good Subud is. Brothers and Sisters, we should more or lees be able to demonstrate that by means of our worship we can build. It is this which will make people stare and will make people surprised; "How can you people build these things, from where do you get the money?." "From God."
This is what will attract the people. For, in general, society, and not only society but all of you, cannot progress if there is no money or material wealth.
But it is different for people outside of Subud compared with you.
When other people pursue this world and achieve their aim, they then behave as they like. One can say they are capable of anything, capable of oppressing others who are weak.
But you Subud members are not like that. The richer you are, and the better you inner feelings, the more you feel love towards your fellow human beings, the more compassionate you are. You have to express this compassion so that society can draw a conclusion from our actions, from the fact that we use our funds to help others through charitable undertakings for the benefit of mankind.
Such action is expressed nowadays by the words "social democracy." But don't forget that social democracy should not be only on one's lips, but must be put into practice. Such is God.
Baden, Austria - May 5, 1981
Code Number : 81 VIE 1
This is why, brothers and sisters, quite frankly, when Bapak still gets letters from Subud groups here and there saying that so and so is still quarrelling with so and so, and how can we solve it, or, even worse, the helpers are quarrelling among themselves or the helpers do not get along with so and so, Bapak still wonders why it is like that/why people are still behaving in this way. Because certainly it means that still you have not yet understood, not yet been able to reap the benefits of this latihan kejiwaan.
Brothers and sisters, in this latihan we do not need to make any propaganda; actually Bapak never feels the need for us to go out and say to people, "Subud is wonderful, Subud is like this, Subud is like that, you must join Subud because it is good for you." in fact, we never need to say that because if you can just show, if you can just really understand and manifest the use and the benefits of the latihan within your own nature, that propaganda will not be necessary. In other words, if you can truly feel and make something real within yourself, so that you really get close to each other within your own group, if you can really work well together and really act in harmony with people of your own Subud group, then any propaganda will be easy.
This harmony among you will stick out and people outside will see it and will come to you and say, "What has happened to you? When we knew you before, you were like this and like this, and now how come you are like that? And how come a group of people, simply an ordinary group of people, can build this and build that, and achieve this and achieve that?" Then you will be able to say, "This is because of the latihan kejiwaan." So actually you don't need to make propaganda for Subud; the propaganda will be done in your own lives and in your own actions and behavior.
Brothers and sisters, nor do we need to use a lot of theory; we do not need to discuss theoretical points and theoretical ideas. The time has come now for practice, because there is no lack of theory, there is no lack of advice from he prophets and from people who are very clever in their ideas and behavior. All that is already there, but what we need now is the ability to put everything into practice, because practice is the completeness of knowledge. This is a saying: knowledge is complete when it is practiced.
So in a school, no matter how high the teaching you give to your pupils, no matter how fantastic and deep the knowledge you impart to the pupils, if you don't give them the practical experience, if you don't teach them how to practice it, it is still nothing, it is still only an image or a mirage. The reality comes when you put into practice what you teach, and this is the purpose behind the latihan kejiwaan. The purpose behind the latihan is that we should experience it within ourselves and put it into practice. So it is necessary for us that we put into practice, in our everyday life, what we receive within our own being from Almighty God.
Sao Paulo, Brazil - May 31, 1981
Code Number : 81 SAO 3
And this is why the nature of the latihan kejiwaan which you have received, the nature of the Gift of God which you have felt and understood, comes only through your surrender. In other words all you have to do is be patient, accepting, and submitted to the Power of God.
This is the proof that you yourself have experienced when you were opened. So there is the paradox of how the latihan kejiwaan of Subud can spread to the whole of mankind to whom it is destined, without efforts from us like propaganda or something involving our will and our nafsu.
The answer to this paradox is that the only way this can happen is if we can put into practice what we receive in the latihan kejiwaan. What we receive in the latihan kejiwaan is that it is God's Will for us to be harmonious and in a state of cooperation with our fellow human beings. The way in which this latihan can spread to others is if we can become in our lives examples to other people outside Subud. The nature of this example is that we become people who truly love each other, who truly help each other, who truly are aware of each other's needs. This is something that we have to achieve.
But it is very difficult for us to obtain or to achieve a character which is similar to the messengers of God in the olden days or the holy people, the saints who lived in the olden days; in other words, people who only followed what was the Will of God.
We have the proof of this difficulty in that, in Subud, even sometimes people who have been doing the latihan for twenty years, still don't show evidence of having the ability to be harmonious, to cooperate and to love their fellow brothers and sisters. On the contrary, they still struggle for power among themselves. This means that they are not only not yet a good example for people outside Subud, but even within Subud itself they are still not a good example.
What is needed is that we should truly try to put into practice what we receive in the latihan kejiwaan: to love one another, help one another, support one another, and be truly aware of each other's needs. We must know each other. We must be aware of each other. And if we can achieve that, it will not be necessary for us to announce to the world that Subud is the best, that Subud is the only way to God, that Subud is this and that, because the proof will be there.
Jakarta, Indonesia - February 3, 1983
A center for young people
Code Number : 83na1
The project for an inner-city hostel/skills center proposed by Machmud Fiedorowicz for Susila Dharma, Sydney, and able to be done elsewhere was explained to Bapak by Sharif Horthy at Bank Susila Bakti, on 3 February' 1983
( Bapak ) Machmud, Bapak likes your idea for this center for young people. That is the way to help young people, to help them by working together: and in the future to do manual work, whereby it reduces the thinking they have to do, doing something physical with the hands. It's a very good idea. Later they can also do social projects to help the society around them.
Bapak likes the idea. You have to discuss it with all the people in this area; and with the National Committees and so on, and try to do something like that. Since you yourself have had the experience of being a drug addict and have been helped by Subud, try to make propaganda for this, so people whose children have this problem can be dealt with. Very often you find that parents of people who have this problem are well-to-do. So you can set the thing up like that then, and run it with fees for the children and so on.
Bapak asks, for example, have you ever met the son of ..... ? He was taking drugs and Bapak advised working on a farm or something like that, but that did not help. Now he is in a mental hospital being looked after. It may be possible - or it may not be possible - that they might help. But there are several people like that in Subud.
London, England - August 2, 1983
Code Number : 83 LON 2
For indeed this latihan kejiwaan which Bapak has been spreading has now reached 78 countries - so Bapak is told. And really, if you think about it, this could not possibly have happened if it was not God's will. It is God's will that Bapak should not write books but instead that Bapak should travel, that he should come here and meet you. And here you all are, listening to Bapak, and to some extent you even feel that you trust Bapak, you are interested in what he is saying. If you think about it, you must admit that this could not have happened if it was not God's will. To achieve this by propaganda, by making claims or by some such means, would have been quite impossible. And indeed Bapak has never used propaganda. And never persuaded you to listen to him or to pay attention to him or to trust him or to love him. Not at all. So it is clear that what has happened through Bapak, and what Bapak has done, is by God's will and by God's intention.
Jakarta, Indonesia - June 29, 1984
Code Number : 84 JKT 4
The important thing to remember is that Subud occupies the middle ground in relation to all the different kinds of opinions, attitudes and systems. We must always remember that we are in the middle. We don't take sides. And we have to be gentle in our way of coming into these different camps.
Really it comes back to the nature of the latihan. The nature of the latihan is that it is not influenced by the heart and mind. It's a receiving. So, in our dealings with people outside Subud, we must never have the attitude, "I want you to like me, I want you to like Subud, we want you to join Subud." Our attitude must be that we are more concerned with God's Will than about our will. And this then leads to an attitude which does not take sides in the world.
Basically in the debate in the world today there are three sides. First there is religion. The problem with religions is they have no proof for anything they propose or promote. Second, there is capitalism. The evidence is that is does not solve the problems of society. In the end the common people are enslaved by it. And then, third, there is communism, which says we've got the answer because, with us, everything is for everybody. Everything is democratic and for the people. But the reality is that it is for the leaders, it is not at all for the people.
In our attitude, we don't take sides with any of them. We follow our own receiving, which is from the power of God, not from our own will or our own ideas.
Look back at Bapak's story, at how Subud spread. It didn't spread through our trying to influence people to follow it. It spread purely through God's power. Bapak never has to order you; Bapak didn't go around ordering people to have faith in God and to be close to each other. It arose spontaneously from the people doing the latihan. In other words, the effect of Subud, the spread of Subud is something spontaneous. Bapak only provides the opportunity and then it arises from itself. We don't spread Subud through influence.
It is the same as in religion. If you fast for twenty days, you can receive the lailatul qodar. The lailatul qodar means you become spontaneously aware of the need to help others and to love other people and that you are not allowed to quarrel. If people can experience that, then the people of this world can learn to be one, to trust each other and to love each other. Similarly there is no force forcing people to join Subud. It must be spontaneous. People join Subud out of a spontaneous wish, through being touched.
Bapak is not telling you to go out and spread Subud by lecturing to people. The only thing that is new in what Bapak said the other day is that Bapak wants you to be aware that the latihan kejiwaan is not for you but for mankind. That the way to spread it to them is not by lecturing them, but by loving them. If you want to spread Subud you do it by loving your fellow man, and that will awaken his interest in Subud and his understanding of Subud. The difference is that if you lecture to people, then that is propaganda, that comes from the nafsu. But what Bapak is talking about is the propaganda that comes from God. When people love Subud because you love them, then that is propaganda from God.
Take Bapak as an example. Bapak never said to you that you have to have faith in Bapak and you have to love Bapak. All Bapak ever said to you was: do the latihan kejiwaan. But the result is that you trust Bapak and you love Bapak. Now, the difference between. Subud and religion is that each religion contains it own dogma. Subud does not contain any dogma and therefore it can penetrate all religions.
Amen. Bapak Muhammad-Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo