Official Translation by Sharif Horthy
(As printed in Subud Voice August 98)
First of all, I want to thank you on behalf of the members here in Indonesia, because during the time that they have been experiencing hardship, we have received many letters and prayers for our well-being, asking for God's protection for all the members in Indonesia. So I want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and ask you, as representatives of your groups, to convey the greetings and thanks from all of us in Indonesia to your groups. It is true that we are experiencing a period of hardship or trial, but God willing this will not interfere with our surrender, as we must leave everything to the One Almighty God.
While I attended the meetings that we have been having, I felt a oneness, a unity with all of you. This shows more and more how Subud can work to unite us with one-another, to unite different nationalities and different religions. This is a sign that Subud is not something made up by human beings, but is truly willed by Almighty God, who has granted us this unexpected grace through an [ordinary] man like Bapak.
Indeed, the history of humankind clearly shows that each time the world has strayed too far, or becomes increasingly overwhelmed by people’s uncontrolled egos and desires, God has sent His messengers, with the intention of restoring the true quality of humankind. This is proof that God is All Giving and All Loving.
The coming of Subud may well be the will of God at a time when most people can no longer control themselves or restrain their ego and desire and limit their worldly needs. Whether this is true or not, only time will tell.
The enormous responsibility that comes with Subud
Apart from feeling that we have received a gift from God, we are required to shoulder the enormous responsibility that comes with Subud. With the spread of Subud, as we look to the future and at the state of the world around us, it is clear that we in Subud cannot just pay attention to ourselves, or solely fulfil our spiritual obligations - but we are not aware of this.
It is not enough for us just to do latihan, because the latihan, or the development of the latihan, has to be accompanied by the development of our material resources. The spread of Subud is certainly not going to be financed or provided for by any person or institution other than we ourselves as Subud members.
This is the responsibility of all of us. Apart from those who are responsible for our finances or who manage enterprises, each one of us as Subud members should be thinking about and contributing to the challenge of how Subud can be sustained and thrive, so that what we hope from it will come to be.
This may seem strange to you - it's as if you have to buy, or pay for, Subud. But this is the reality we face, as it's been shown that without the resources to foster the growth of Subud, Subud will not progress.
It's not like the early days, when Bapak first received the latihan. Then the latihan was only followed by his friends and it was easy to manage such a small membership. He could handle it on his own. But nowadays, given the spread of the Subud membership and the distances between them, how are we going to meet the needs of Subud and bring unity to its members all over the world?
Many people still compare things with the way they were and wonder, ‘If we could do it like that before, why do we now have to spend so much money for all these purposes?’ This then draws criticism from certain members who compare these two situations.
Of course, this criticism is about money - it's about how we are going to pay for all our needs. But it arises too in another area - regarding the spiritual development of each one of you. This spiritual way is no longer limited to Indonesia, as in the beginning. It has spread all over the world, and while our souls may be similar, we look different and our customs and behaviour differ according to our race and our nationality.
For example, according to the customs of one country, something is considered normal, but in another country it's unacceptable. So we need to be attentive to this. Although we may each feel differently about something, but God’s will is the same for all.
We sometimes permit things that are in reality forbidden
Because the worldly influence is so strong, and human thought has progressed so far, we sometimes permit things that are in reality forbidden. The part of us which permits something like this, or which gives rise to a feeling that it is all right, is in fact our own desire. The fact that something is really forbidden may seem to be like an obstacle that is in our way.
Well, brothers and sisters, in our spiritual path we don't have laws or a system for punishing each other. So, when someone complains that this person has done something wrong or that person has done something wrong, as a fellow Subud member all we can do is to give advice and explain it in a way the person can accept, so that they are able correct themselves. Because when it comes to punishing someone in Subud, we have no authority to punish each-other since each one of us worships Almighty God.
Suppose for a moment we punish someone by forbidding them to do latihan, they can still do latihan at home by themselves. The reality, which is obvious to all of us, is that in our spiritual community there is no law we can enforce on other members.
But it does not follow that as a Subud member you can do whatever you please. Because at the moment of your opening, God witnessed that you entrusted yourself into His hands by awakening the Life Forces that always accompany you. These are the Life Forces of God which you feel in your latihan as they manifest within your being.
In Islam these are known as the Roh Ilofi and the Roh Kudus, which always watch over whatever you do. So even if no one else knows about it, whatever you do is recorded, as there is no longer any separation between you and God's power.
Whatever you do is recorded
This is why, once we are doing the latihan, if we still do something that is wrong, or knowingly act badly, it is truly surprising. Because if you are dishonest, for example, your dishonesty is towards yourself; it is your own self you are lying to. Other people may know about it or not, but you keep your own record. This record will still exist after your mind and feelings cease to function.
As long as your thinking mind still functions you can use it to lie, as with your mind can lie to yourself. But after it has stopped and you cannot use it, it is your soul that will speak. This is the way God can prove your wrong-doings and your right actions.
If this is the case in Subud, why is it then that when a mistake is made, Subud is blamed for it? For it is not Subud that is at fault. Subud is based on something very clear - that to follow the latihan is to truly do what is willed by God. If something peculiar happens in Subud, that is the behaviour of the people in it.
It also happens that people who have experienced the latihan but are dissatisfied with their experience, decide that Subud is not a true worship or faith. But it may be that their dissatisfaction arises not from Subud, but from the people in Subud, for example from the helpers in the way they approach the members. But they don’t blame their disappointment on those helpers, but on Subud.
For instance, most of the members who leave Subud say that they are dissatisfied with the behaviour of helpers who think they can give the right guidance, but may themselves be unable to set a good example. This is something that happens a lot these days. I am not saying that all helpers behave this way - maybe it's just a few - but I want to warn those who do: it's as though you are manipulating Subud.
This is why it is essential for helpers groups not to just feel proud of being helpers, but to really fill yourselves with the capacity to be true helpers, or Bapak's helpers. Otherwise, you will be burdened by two sins. The first is your sin towards God, and the second is your sin towards those you mislead.
Indeed, a helper's duty is neither simple nor easy. It's not something you should be happy about because you have a new freedom to guide others. That is precisely where you now have a greater obligation and carry a greater responsibility: because, apart from the having to develop yourself, you now have to be able to deal with all kinds of situations correctly.
So don't be too quick to feel proud, capable or wiser than others, with the result that you don't accept other people’s views. This is why harmony is so vital - a working harmony between the helpers. The problem is that sometimes one helper will be too sure that their receiving is right and they won't be open to the feelings of others, or discuss their receiving with others.
About a true receiving
On this question of receiving, you need a deeper explanation. Why is that if you receive something, you cannot be certain it is true? To understand this, we have to remember how human beings were formed, as within the human self there are also the lower forces.
In the days of the prophets, there was nothing in the way between God and His messengers, so whatever God said was received directly by the messenger. Then why is it that when we receive something we cannot be certain it is true? It is because we are raised and grow up in this world - humankind has lived in this world for years and for centuries. So, even if their influence within you is small, the lower forces are always with you during your life in this world.
The presence of these forces means that your contact with the power of God is through various layers. So if you receive something, don't regard it as something that must be right, and then explain this receiving that may not be right to others. Don’t make something that is still uncertain into a guideline that everyone else has to follow.
With this latihan we are trying, or we have been given an opportunity by God, to improve and clean our being and to reduce the influence of the lower forces, which are heavily present in the human self. So if we want to find out something through the latihan - for example if the helpers want to determine something - then, as I explained earlier, you should consider it together, receive about it together, so that together you get closer to the truth. But we cannot say that we have found the truth - it is only an approximation of the truth.
You are probably asking yourselves, ‘So, when or under what circumstances can I trust my own receiving?’ It's when a receiving comes by itself and you are in a state when you are completely incapable of using your mind and feelings. If you experience this, it's as if everything, all the senses that you use in this world, have been turned off by the power of God. Only then can you be sure that the receiving really comes from God’s power.
If for example during your latihan you say something like, ‘Oh, I must change my name!’ Your mouth said it, but we cannot be certain that this is a true receiving. It was expressed by your mouth, but maybe your mouth just received it from your thinking. This is just an example.
I only want to put things into perspective. Take another example, Bapak's guidance may say one thing, but a helper says, ‘I've received differently…’ and no longer wants to follow Bapak's advice.
So don't take receiving lightly and go around saying, ‘I received…’, ‘I received…’. If everyone says, ‘I received’… Everyone else should follow the one who says ‘I received!’ - but the receiving of each one will be different.
This is by way of example, but I don't want to just go on talking, I want to hear from you, who have come from various countries, whether this is the case or not.
I often receive letters from members which complain that one helper has received something, that it has to be like this, then another helper has a different receiving, that it has to be like that. So of course the members are confused - which helper should they follow? I don't think this problem is limited to just one country, but exists in many places.
Of course, in replying to these letters, I don't want to put you down as helpers. So my advice is simply that the helpers must work together and not feel that any helper is higher or receives more than the others.
Indeed, this spiritual path is complex and difficult because it encompasses all aspects of human life. So we cannot be sure about, or maybe we won't know how to answer a problem which is far removed (from us) or where we have no understanding at all.
[Ibu Rahayu concludes her talk by discussing correspondence she wants the international helpers to deal with.]