Ibu Rahayu's Talk to the Subud Youth Kejiwaan Gathering

Wisma Subud, Cilandak Jakarta

Talk Ref: 99 CDK 3

Provisional Translation by Raymond Lee

May the peace and blessings of Almighty God be with you. Chairman of Subud Indonesia, whom I respect, helpers whom I respect, brothers and sisters and children whom I love, I want to thank you for your invitation to give a theme for this gathering - this Subud Youth Kejiwaan Gathering.

These days, "gathering" is a popular term in Subud, because the term "gathering" is widely used and widely understood by Subud members here in Indonesia and abroad. This is because the word 'gathering' has a wide meaning and conveys a sense of harmony.

Today is a case in point. Although this is a Subud Youth gathering, there are many more..or rather, most of you are older members who, perhaps, are not young anymore.

Well, they are here for a variety of reasons. Some are curious to know what will be discussed at this Subud Youth Gathering. Some have sons or daughters and want to know what it is that Subud children should do. And some are here because they were once young.

So brothers and sisters, it's not a surprise if among all of you young people there are many older brothers and sisters who will participate in this Youth Gathering.

Brothers and sisters, as I have said in the past, in the realm of the soul, there is no difference between old and young. The truth is that, as human beings, we have two duties in this world. The first is to prepare ourselves by developing our soul so that later we can return to God as God wills. Of course, this spiritual process cannot be explained briefly, because all of it must be experienced by each individual soul, in that each soul passes through processes which have no end, no limit.

So on this spiritual path, whether we are old or young, we need no method or study to make progress in the spiritual because this is God's work through the human soul. This is why, as I just said, our job is only to prepare ourselves with patience, acceptance and submission, because God alone is the One that can or is able to work on your soul.

The second duty is to meet the needs of your life as a human being. As we are alive, of course we have needs to be able to live. This gives rise to our obligation to make a living, to bear the responsibility of a human being in this world.

Although both duties are related, our approach to them is different. When it comes to the growth of your soul, it is enough to surrender. But with respect to the second duty, human beings are required to work, to make efforts, to use our minds, and everything else that God has equipped human beings with.

So in Subud life, you are not meant to just focus on the spiritual, with the result that many of you think that after you join Subud you have to concentrate on your spiritual development. That's not so! As human beings that live in the world, we must work with what we have, according to each of our abilities.

Why is it that within Subud, or the Subud organisation, we separate the youth and have a wing for young people, Subud Youth? It is to give an opportunity for their spiritual growth to receive inspiration in a setting which is in line with the nature of a young person - something which is in the past for older members.

This does not mean that the older members just give the young free rein, or that the youth should be independent from the older members. Because as you lead your lives, the world is full of risks and full of consequences.

Don't feel that your activities are being limited to only those activities which are considered to be in keeping with this spiritual path that was received by Bapak as the first person to receive this spiritual path with all its meaning and content.

For example, as you take part in your worldly activities, you may encounter something that can damage or impair your own growth. Because the purpose of Subud, of doing latihan, is to be led by God to rediscover your true self, your eternal being, which has long been overpowered or obscured by other influences, both influences from our environment and from our ancestors.

So with this spiritual training, God gives us the opportunity to find our true self, whom you yourself don't know, and you don't know where to look for your true self.

Take the example these days of the influence or effect of illegal drugs which are not strange to you, and which not only dominate and have spread to teenagers, but even to children, too. This causes great suffering to these people, because the effect of these drugs is to damage or impair the human neural system and reduce your will to live, until you can no longer control it.

So if we in Subud do not shun drugs, what will happen to the generation to come? I hope that none of you young people will become slaves to drugs.

This is because Subud, or this training, requires a person's complete consciousness. It is only with complete consciousness or as a healthy human being, that you can be aware of what God gives you.

I am raising this issue because it seems that.and I hope that this is not the case here.that abroad many young people in Subud use drugs to the point that I have heard, or I was told, that there is a group of Subud youth who take drugs before they do latihan. They find that if they take drugs before latihan, that their latihan is "strong".

If you just look superficially, it seems that there is no problem, and they feel there's nothing wrong with this. All they are aware of is that they have a "good" latihan and it's pleasurable. But they don't know "who" makes their latihan pleasurable, or "who" makes their latihan strong.

It's clear that what manifests in their latihan is no longer the power of God which touches them, but the power of matter which manifests in the drugs.

Naturally it is not easy for the older members to reproach or advise these young people. Because the young people claim that their movements are not from their will, but arise spontaneously. But as I said earlier, although the movements that come spontaneously in the latihan are made by the touch of God, what is touched or that which God can touch, may not be your soul yet. It may just be the effect of God's touch on the low forces within you. So you cannot be certain that what comes out in your latihan is definitely from God. It may still be that person's purification.

This is why we say the latihan has no end because there is still much work for us to do before we can reinstate every part of us that is truly our own as a human being. So for you young people - stay away from influences which are not good, which threaten the growth of your soul.

So as your latihan progresses, care for the light that shines within each one of you. Then later you will get the proof of the result of all your sacrifices and sincere efforts and you will find a way to create something unexpected, or produce a result in your work.

Then a talent will grow that you can feel yourself, as it will show through in your behaviour. And the talent will develop according to your true vocation, for example in education, or in culture or art and so on. This is what you as Subud members need to possess to be able to create or do something that accords with your true self.

This talent will grow by itself. It will develop in line with your true ability and you will feel what this ability is, and that what you enjoy doing or what makes you happy comes from your own self.

So it won't be like it is now, that once people hear about talents, they all write to me to ask me what their talent is. If I have to tell each of you what your talent is, when there are thousands of members now, I will have no time at all.

In addition, it is a heavy burden for me, because to do this I have to feel what you feel; I have to become like you. If you think about it, this is impossible. But if I tell them I can't do it, they don't believe me and they say, "But Ibu, you are close to God, so it's easy. Just ask God!" Well, it doesn't work like that.

So, if you want to know what your talent is, as I just explained, don't ask me. Look for it yourself, for the talent that is bottled up inside you. Yes.you have to work. You are not allowed to take short cuts, "Oh, rather than wait for years, I will just ask Ibu Rahayu so it's faster."

There is even a school that asks me what the talents of its students are!

There are parents with small children that ask me what their children's talents are. Actually, it's not possible for me to answer them, but if I don't answer, the person concerned will despair. Even more so if it is a young person who is already in despair and doesn't know what to do in their life.

But because I feel a responsibility, even though it is difficult for me, I do it for a few people, one or two or ten. But if it is for hundreds, I am not available for that, particularly as I am old now. I am over 70.

So share this work with me so that you too feel responsible to search for your own talent, and to do this, you need the latihan. So through youth activities, you can try out what may become your talent. Even if you can't say it is your talent yet, you can find the direction that you can take. Develop and work on it together with your friends, to create something of benefit to you and your friends. Then you will feel satisfied that what you do is the result of the latihan, of guidance by God.

Take for example, sport. These days martial arts are popular here and abroad. But why isn't there anyone in Subud who has an ability or an interest in martial arts so that this martial practice is like a latihan?

In the past, Bapak developed a form of martial arts which was beneficial for young people at the time. During the time of the Dutch and the Japanese occupations, young people were not permitted to hold activities or to meet. But Bapak at the time, being a martial arts instructor, was appointed to teach youngsters martial arts.

At that time Bapak did a form of martial arts that in essence was like the latihan in that the movements were guided by the power of God, so that this training did not damage the soul.

But these days martial arts schools compete with each other to see whose power is strongest. But they don't know where their power comes from, and that it may endanger a person's spiritual growth.

I am telling you this because we are all Subud members, and I have a duty to tell those of you who follow a martial arts school that you need to know how to maintain yourself in these outside activities. I am not saying that Subud is best, no! But be careful when you choose what outside activities that are developing in society that you want to follow.

Brothers and sisters, I hope that Subud Youth will become a healthy vehicle for young people and that it will help other young people who need to find their way or need contentment, through worshipping Almighty God with the latihan.

Although you are still young, through God's grace you have been touched by the power of God in your life. I hope that what you do today will help prepare for the World Congress, so that the youth in Indonesia can be a model, or a friend, or an example for the other youth. I think this is enough by way of a theme.

Please forgive me if there are any words which are out of place or didn't meet your needs.

May the peace and blessings of Almighty God be with you.

SubudYouthTalk99CDK3

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