Ibu Rahayu's talk - Conway Hall, London

Talk Ref: 99 LON 02

Approved Translation
(Retranslated from the recording by Raymond Lee and checked by Sharif Horthy)

Brothers and sisters, whom I respect, good evening and welcome once again. Today I will continue with my explanations about the spiritual path. And even though you may have already listened to or read Bapak's explanations, my purpose is to re-awaken a sense of oneness and closeness between all of us Subud members who follow the latihan.

I will start with the four phases of living that each of us will pass through as followers of Subud. The first is the essence of the power of God, which manifests in every being, in each of God's creatures. Because this essence of God fills the whole universe, both the visible and the unseen, and because a nature that is filled with God's power is alive, so God's power is not only found in human beings. It is not just humans that are God's creatures; God's power exists in plants, animals, material objects and beings we cannot see, such as higher beings and satanic beings. Each of these are aspects of God, which manifests in each and every creature.

The essence of God that manifests within a human being manifests in your soul because it is the soul that is alive. This is why we call the Subud training latihan kejiwaan [training of the soul]. So it's not a theory, or any other kind of training it is a training of the soul. I believe every Subud member experienced this at the time of their opening; at that time when you first received the contact the great contact with the power of God that touched the power of God within you.

The third stage is what we call asma, which means 'working', where our soul is introduced to this life through the latihan. Our soul undergoes a process of cleansing within us, a process of awakening and a process of preparation, to enable us to return to God. And concerning this working of the soul because we have been born and live in this world it is not enough if we only concern ourselves with, or pursue, our spiritual training. This working, the life [of the soul] encompasses every aspect of our life in this world.

In truth there is no distinction between the spiritual life and our everyday life. This is why it is recommended that during our training to develop and awaken our soul, we should not neglect our daily lives, where we must meet our needs for our life here. But please note that in order that the life of our soul does not conflict with the path of our life in this world, we must put into practice everything we receive in our latihan. This is why you need to do latihan regularly. Don't think that your latihan has no value in your daily life the latihan is a training that can become the basis of your life.

There is no end to the development of the soul. As we know, our soul will continue to live even after we are no longer in this world. Why do we have to go through such a long process? The reason is that, as human beings, we cannot be sure whether the essence within us, from the time of our birth or even before that, is a soul that is truly human. So although our appearance is human and our soul ought to be human, as a consequence of the effects of our environment, or what we have inherited from our parents and our ancestors, whether we like it or not, we possess a life that is not fully our own. This is why you need the latihan, so that the parts of your being that are truly yours are uncovered.

In addition there are the low forces below the human level, which God provides for you to assist you to perform your duty in this world. Through this process we work to become the masters of our own being, so we can organise all the forces below the human level. Then we will not feel disturbed by whatever develops within us, because these companions of ours will not disturb us unless we give them the opportunity to do so. In reality, it is not the low forces that are at fault; it is we who are sometimes neglectful, or we forget, so that we, who should be the ones giving the orders, are beaten to it by the forces below the human level.

So we need the latihan. For we use these forces within us and are helped by them. And through our latihan they too are raised up along with us, so that when we die we will not be burdened or pursued by them. And for us, the latihan constitutes a development process for our own soul. Because the human soul also needs to grow and develop, so that all its members every part of the soul come to life, until we are conscious of all God's commands.

Take for example, the head: your mouth, your ears your hearing and so on. If they are alive, then what you say, what you hear, what you touch, will accord with God's will. Because once your soul is alive and complete, you will be able to accept what God gives you. But if, for example, your hand is not alive yet, and God gives something to you, you will not know how to receive it.

This is the reason why you make movements in your latihan. But if you can, don't just move, feel the content of your movements, so you can feel that there is life within your hand. Because when your latihan has penetrated deep enough, you won't just feel the external movement of your hand, you will even feel the motion of your blood. So don't be quickly dismayed if your latihan is only movements and there [appears to be] no change. In reality, spiritual progress, or progress in the latihan, goes deeper and deeper until it reaches your understanding and your consciousness.

Many of you have done latihan for years but feel you are not making any progress, or you feel disappointed because in your latihan you only receive movements, and you don't get anything that satisfies you. This happens because you do not make use of your own latihan. If you need something, God will not ignore you. If you pray with total surrender, then your teacher will be your own self the power within you. This is why Bapak said that your teacher is within your own self.

If you go searching for methods or energies other than from the power of God, they cause your soul, which you have worked hard to clean and to bring to life, to be covered up again. Because there are many kinds of powers in this world, but perhaps you do not realise where these powers come from. Although these powers seem to give strength, you must realise that anything that comes from the power of this world is also limited to this world. So whatever you obtain through powers from this world cannot be taken with you when you die. Your soul, on the other hand, which has been brought to life, will always be with you in the life you will be given after death. So this is the journey or the work of your soul.

The last stage is af'al [Arab.]. Af'al means proof or reality. So with the progress of your latihan, whereby you pass through this life's many experiences, you will pass through it according to your own ability and state of readiness. This proof or reality is in fact the aim of every human being therefore let the latihan show you the true way. Don't be too quickly satisfied by listening to what other people tell you. We have to find our own reality in what we do.

So it is your own life that will bring you to your truth. You cannot reach it with anyone else's help; it is you yourself who will bear witness to the reality of this life and the truth of the latihan. And there is not just one way to do this. It will be different for each one of you. Each of you will experience it according to your own capacity and state of preparation.

Perhaps among you there are those who have done latihan for a long time or even just a short time and have been granted or received the benefit of the latihan. But indeed it sometimes needs patience. For if [in the latihan] you make efforts from your own will [nafsu] or from your thinking, it will not help you; rather, it will create chaos within you. This is why I have advised you earlier that, as human beings, we must be able to distinguish between our different needs our spiritual needs and our needs in this world. Then you won't mix what you achieve [in the latihan] with things that are in fact unnecessary.

So this latihan, which we use to find our true self, must not be mixed with any of the sort of things that I mentioned, with forces other than the power of God. But if, for example, in your work you need to use a method or something that you have learned according to your ability that isn't forbidden in Subud. So do not say that there is mixing in Subud. This has become an issue in Subud circles, where some are for and some against using such methods to earn a living; for example, in giving treatments, in health care, in sport and so on.

But, brothers and sisters, because these methods will grow inside you as in fact everything outside is mixed within you it may happen that you go too far, and it reaches your soul. Then you have to decide which one you need, your worship of God or what you use in your work. Because if you continue, it may create an inner conflict, which won't just soil you, it may destroy your life.

But if your [ability] comes entirely from your latihan, meaning that you receive it unexpectedly as a gift from God with the result that you can help others, then it is all right to continue with it. But please know that the purpose of the latihan is not just to earn your living. You need to continue with your original purpose, which is your worship of God, in order that, being human, you will return to God as a human being.

So this explanation about the spiritual path is not a story that is untrue. As I said earlier, in this life, even though we do the latihan we still have to look for the truth. This is why we sometimes use testing to find our self or to correct our self. Even though your testing may not be one hundred percent or even fifty percent correct, to some extent you can check and correct yourself. If the testing is wrong, it means that what is within you is not complete yet.

If you pray to God, or you test with someone else, or the helpers test with you, this does not mean you influence each other. What operates at that moment is the language of God. The language of God is a language that cannot be, and does not need to be, expressed in words. It provides a connection of one language and one feeling within God's power.

When Bapak received the latihan, he was not just given the contact, he was shown all the workings and the purpose of the latihan. This is indeed a grace from God, one that cannot be sought. So why did Bapak receive this grace? Perhaps it was God's will that he was chosen to receive this contact and to pass it on to everyone who needs to worship God through the latihan.

So, as Bapak's children, who follow the latihan and have the ability to pass it on to others, we should not forget where this flame came from. Even though Subud is more than fifty years old, we still need what Bapak laid down regarding this spiritual way. This does not mean that Bapak is obstructing your direct worship of God.

While Bapak was here, long before he left us, Bapak gave us the framework or direction for the growth of Subud. And this framework is the foundation for continuing the development of Subud over the generations to come. It is we who follow the latihan who will fill this framework of Subud. For with the latihan, it is certain that in future years say in a hundred years time [the way we do things now] will no longer be appropriate. So this is the responsibility of the helpers to fill out the framework that Bapak set up.

But I don't mean helpers as individuals. Bapak formed helpers' councils, starting with the helpers at the group level up to the international helpers. In fact, it is the responsibility of the helpers to resolve the problems that arise in life, but they should always be resolved by the council, the helpers' council. It should not be decided by an individual helper, each helper making their own decisions, with the consequence that there are many opinions; this can easily create disharmony among the helpers.

This is why you should deal with everything in the helpers' group; when you make decisions, have a feeling of mutual understanding and a feeling of unity. In that way what you receive will be of use to everyone. In fact, the helpers have a lot of work to do, and maybe you are not aware how many problems need to be dealt with by the helpers' groups.

So, when you act as a helper, don't feel you are the wisest or the highest; always work together, because this spiritual path involves every aspect of human life, and this can be hard to deal with using the thinking mind. But if you feel that you are unimportant, and simply prepare yourself to be a vessel or channel, whereby you submit to help another, then the answer will come by itself and will help your work. And it can happen that when we help someone else, we help ourselves.

So too when you give explanations to members and to applicants who wish to join Subud. This is also the helpers' responsibility. Why? It's because the helpers form the gateway to Subud; it is the helpers who open new members, it is the helpers who explain Subud to others so that they understand what is needed in Subud.

Naturally this is not easy, because sometimes the helpers themselves don't understand this spiritual path. This is why it is essential for us to listen to and to read Bapak's talks but don't regard it as a teaching. By reading Bapak's talks you will understand the purpose of the latihan, and in turn you will be able to explain it to others who need it. So you won't just be telling the applicants your own experiences. Your experiences may differ from the experiences of the other helpers. When this happens, the applicants become confused and don't understand what Subud is about. This happens in many groups and it is worrying that many members don't do latihan any more and that there is little interest in Subud.

Indeed it is hard for people outside Subud to understand, because the latihan cannot be explained to someone who has not experienced it. So explain Subud simply. There is no need to explain deep subjects, which are difficult to grasp, with the result that the person who wishes to join Subud becomes apprehensive.

So how can we spread Subud in a way that lets those outside Subud understand the content of Subud? It's for this that Bapak formed Susila Dharma International, Subud International Cultural association, Subud Youth, Subud Enterprise Services, and so on. The purpose of this was to reach our non-Subud brothers and sisters. Through the results of our work, through helping others, through giving a good example, we will be able, perhaps, to attract the attention of people outside Subud.

This is part of af'al or obtaining proof. So, if you work in SICA and you create something interesting that attracts people outside Subud, this is a proof that what you are doing is right. Similarly with the other Wings, such as Subud Youth. In setting up the Subud Youth Association, Bapak did not intend to separate the old and the young, because in the spiritual world there is no difference between the old and the young. If we set up Subud Youth groups, it is so they can do things that fulfill their needs as young people. But even though they are young, because it is based on the latihan, we expect Subud Youth to produce something that sets a good example. So then it will be easy for outside people to participate. But we cannot expect others to join us if we, as Subud members, are still unable to put ourselves in order or correct ourselves.

So, brothers and sisters, I will end our meeting today, because tomorrow we have to go to Paris. So my family and I take this opportunity to say goodbye, because with my schedule which is in fact too tight we still have to visit many countries. Therefore please excuse me, as I have to leave tomorrow. Thank you.