Bapak's Talk

Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, before saying what this talk will be about, Bapak expresses the hope that those in the audience who have missed Bapak's previous talks will get to listen to the tape-recorder here, so they can follow the explanation of the kejiwaan from the start.

Bapak will now say a bit more about the activity of the mind, imagination and feelings during the time you are receiving the latihan.

In the latihan, which you have now received, a situation may arise where thoughts, desires [nafsu] and daydreams seem to interfere. It may even happen in the latihan, although without conscious effort, that one occasionally gets an awareness or recollection of things one has done or gone through in the past.

This should come as no surprise, and it is nothing to worry about, since it is actually quite normal for such thoughts and feelings to arise in conditions of peace and quiet; when you are ready for bed, for instance, in the quiet moments before you drop off to sleep you may sometimes find yourselves recalling things that happened to you long ago.

It has in fact become so normal for the human mind or brain to be always busy thinking, and for human sensitivities to be constantly active, that it is extremely difficult for anyone to achieve tranquillity of the spirit [jiwa], even if he tries to do so by persistently using his own will-power [nafsu] to cut down on food and sleep, as well as isolating himself from society.

It is so hard to get rid of, to put a stop to the incessant mental, sensual and emotional activity. A person making every effort to pacify his mind, desires and feelings, would certainly need more than a short space of time; it would take him twenty or thirty years at the very least.

Of course there are people who say (Bapak has often heard this) that it can take just a moment to quieten the mind, just a moment to calm the feelings. For example, during the Japanese period, before a person spoke, he was required to meditate briefly for the sake of the soul of someone who had died.

But this is not yet relevant to quietening in the true sense; it is merely about concentrating or focusing one's thoughts on the person concerned, the one who has left this world, to seek pardon for his sins from the One Almighty.

It is therefore quite clear that quietening the mind and feelings is a very hard task indeed. For us, however, as Bapak is always saying, through the mercy of God, the gift of God, the will of God, without any strenuous exertion or deliberate effort on our part, without our having to do anything by force, the quietening of the mind and the calming of the inner feeling [rasadiri] come about of their own accord.

Why does Bapak say that what we have received is indeed help, is truly a gift from God? Because it is surely impossible for human beings to calm their inner feelings, to still their processes of thought, imagination, sensation and emotion, without isolating themselves from society, doing with little sleep, and abstaining from everything they have been accustomed to wanting.

In our case, however, the fact is that we remain in a normal state, in an ordinary environment, not depriving ourselves of anything, and yet we are actually able to receive this quite spontaneously, without deliberate effort of will. Whether voluntarily or involuntarily, therefore, we must acknowledge that what was required has arisen within the bosom, has arisen inside our being, of itself and not from our human intention, but through the power of God.

It is clear that what we can do in the latihan, as well as what we receive in the latihan, is something the Dutch would call "wonderbaarlijk", meaning something quite miraculous, which human beings could not cause to happen by the force of their own will.

In due course, when all of you are finally able to receive continuously, it is not inconceivable that, although you cannot manipulate the spiritual power that has arisen within your being, it may serve to provide help to someone who is sick, who is considered to be incurably sick.

This person may be restored to health, although not through your personal will-power, but rather through the power that Bapak just described as "miraculous", the power that comes from the One Almighty God.

Do such things really happen? Can they really and truly be accomplished? Well, examples can be cited. Christians in particular can point to stories in their Bible, telling how the Prophet Jesus healed the sick, how the Prophet Jesus healed the suffering.

Notice how this work of the Prophet Jesus was performed quite easily; he exerted no force of any kind, yet it was able to happen, it could be accomplished.

This was not because of him, not because of the Prophet Jesus, but because of God's majesty and power, which had become incarnate in the Prophet Jesus.

For all of you here, and perhaps Bapak can say the same of brothers and sisters elsewhere in the West, since you have heard about this and already know about such workings of the power received by mankind from God, it will probably come as no surprise; it will not be considered impossible, since examples exist, since the Bible teaches that such things really do happen.

Christians and Muslims, as well as other religious communities, are therefore taught to believe in the Unseen [goib/gaib, from Arabic ghaib], meaning a realm of being that is beyond the human sphere.

It is a positive fact that what you receive, because it is from God Himself, because it is received by you yourselves, eventually harmonises with your personal condition, in accordance with your own strength, and in keeping with the make-up of your individual character.

Eventually, therefore, you will not feel strange; you will not feel that you are receiving something that is incompatible with your own nature, because this gift from the One Almighty God is in conformity with the power that exists within your own being.

Suppose Bapak takes the Dutch people as an example: Dutch is the language you use in contexts that are specifically Dutch.

When you receive the gift from God, which you always accept and receive in the latihan, it must surely be in the Dutch language; it cannot be in some other language that is unintelligible to you yourselves.

This is so vast and unbounded because the One Almighty God actually knows all languages, not only those of mankind, but also other languages peculiar to animals, plants and other things as well, which you cannot know or feel; they are all known by God, they are all understood by God.

This is why it is said that God has no particular nationality, and no particular language. It is also why, as you will eventually be able to experience and understand through the gift of God in the latihan you always practice, it is not only human beings who can worship God. Animals, plants and even things can worship God, because God is All-Knowing and Understanding. In religion too, it is related, it is said, that religion is not confined to one nation, to one country, but that it is possible for to anyone at all who sincerely wishes to accept it, to become a member of the religion of his choice.

The same applies in the case of the latihan kejiwaan which you are receiving. This also must not be restricted or confined to any nation or country, because Bapak is quite convinced, as perhaps you are now equally convinced, that everything we receive is from none other than the One Almighty God.

Such being the situation, that is to say, since it is as convincing as Bapak has observed and as your receiving has confirmed, this situation of ours really does contain a teaching that comes from God, an open-ended course of instruction, that is not subject to measurements, calculations or even rough estimates.

Thus it is surely clear to you all how far we may progress through this latihan of ours, and what kind of fruit we shall be able to gather, shall be able to receive, shall come to possess. These pictures which Bapak describes already exist in reality, as you can experience to the greatest and fullest extent that is consistent with the inner strength granted to you by God.

Bapak therefore offers you all the following suggestion and advice: Do not suppose that you need to be in a hurry and try to speed things up, because God knows, God knows better than you the extent of your capacity for receiving the gift of God. Because God knows that when the power within your being is not yet complete, what you are given by God will be quite useless.

The nature of the latihan you are doing and receiving is, in fact, a means by which,

through the will of God, you make your receptive instruments ready to receive the gift of God, so that it does not to go to waste, and also to be able to perform the tasks that need to be performed.

It is usually said that the nature of God is what, in Islam, is called "Rahmani-Rahim", which means All-Giving, All-Compassionate, All-Loving toward everything created by Him, including mankind.

Thus it is clear that God has already given, has provided completely for all human needs, ever since mankind first appeared on this earth. Human beings, however, are no longer capable of recognising, understanding and being aware of the providence they have received from God, due to the experience people go through when they are small, and then as adults.

What is always experienced in this way has the effect of making human beings forget every kind of provision they have receive, which was promised by God to serve mankind as guidance, as a staff, as a path by which mankind could eventually find the way to God, could truly worship God.

Thus it is obvious that God did not create human beings in a stupid fashion, but in such a way that they were clearly informed, down to the last detail, were made to understand, were shown what things were for, and how they must be arranged. But at that time human beings were not yet ready to manifest their capacity for obedience, in order to fulfil the promise God had made them.

For it is indeed the will of God that mankind should be able to return to God, should be able to return to Him who created them. Human beings, on the other hand, only manufacture goods and make machines. Besides being perfectly constructed, machines that are bought and sold are accompanied by illustrations, plus explanations of their tiniest components, for the information of the buyer. And when an article gets damaged, or does not work properly, it gets to be repaired.

It is God, however, who is more Skilful, who is Wiser than mankind, so what Bapak mentioned has indeed been fully prepared, with nothing at all lacking, for such is the perfection of that creation.

Thus it is said that mankind was brought forth on the earth as an attribute of the spirit [jiwa], which is called the perfect human being or Insan Kamil [in Arabic].

Where then lies the knowledge, where lies the true path to God, and where is the true guidance of God for mankind on this earth? It is not just anywhere. It is not in the mountains, not on the shore of the ocean. It is not in the dense jungle, nor must it be sought in distant places far removed from ordinary society, far removed from one's fellow men and women. Where it does exist is within one's own individual being [diripripadi].

This being so, there are many people, especially in Islamic circles, who say what may be interpreted as meaning: "Whoever knows the real 'I', actually knows God."

This saying is very difficult to decipher, however. It is very hard to comprehend without misunderstanding, because unless we already know, unless we have already experienced the condition of the human spirit [jiwa], we may even take it to mean: "To know me is to know God."

It could even give the idea that God may be just like me, that God may be just like Pak Subuh, for instance.

What is really meant is nothing of the sort, but rather: "To know 'I' when I know 'I', means the same as 'I know God.' "

Not: "To know me is exactly the same as knowing God."

'I' does not mean 'I, Pak Subuh,' but 'I' within the total context, such that I know the trade-marks and labels on my limbs and organs, inscribed with gold ink by God, whom each of those members can extol, saying: "Allaahu Akbar! God is Supremely Great!"

This means that every part of the human being, all the members of your bodies have come to life, can now feel and be aware of the 'I' that was created by God, 'I' as a partner of mankind.

It is this 'I' that has actually been prepared, so that when the force of 'I' is assembled, the human being becomes integrated in order to fulfil his life, both in this world and in the hereafter.

When every part of us is alive, when every part of us is aware, we become more familiar with 'I', we become more familiar with ourselves, or your parts become more familiar with you as you really are. We also get to know the concomitants of humanity, namely the subhuman forces which always contribute to human development.

Thus each of our members, each member of your body, is able to know and understand that what is flowing to and fro through various parts of ourselves is always attributable to this force or that, because they have now come to be alive, to feel, to understand and to be aware.

It may now be said, therefore, that when I know 'I', I shall know God and His power, because I in my entirety, in all parts of my being, have come to be alive, to feel, to understand and to receive the condition of all these parts of myself, as they were at the moment when God created them, and when God gave them His promise about the time that will come for all.

Each individual displays the trade-mark and label given to his personal identity by God, just like a machine, for the case of a human being is just like that of a car, which has all its parts stamped with the name of its manufacturer. So that these items will identify their maker, they carry the name Ford or whatever.

Likewise with a human being, each of his members bears that name, meaning the name that exists within his individuality, which comes to supply the contents of the various parts, so that they become familiar with the greatness of God, with the existence of God. This is precisely because it is they that have been created through the will of God, have truly been created through the wisdom of God, so that they can become genuinely aware of the reality and nature of God's power.

Thus we are now being trained in the latihan to be able to receive the gift of God, so that we can bring to life all the parts of our body, to serve as our equipment for working out and conducting our lives, both in this world and in the hereafter. This should become a means or a partner that can really restore all of us to our original place as human beings, which is above and beyond this world we now inhabit.

Well then, it is clear that we keep looking for new things, for new instruments, instead of seeking our own tools, instead of seeking what are our vital needs if we are to secure our human status, long lost and hidden away. The reason we have neglected it for so long is that our selfish desires [nafsu] are only interested in the pursuit of worldly glory, the pursuit of personal vanity, the pursuit of angry feelings, to the neglect of our worship of the One Almighty God.

About what has been received, therefore, like maybe just now in the latihan, you may say: "Bapak, I see, I hear, I sense something very weird!" But it is not really anything weird or strange for you, because you already had it inside you. All that is new is that it can now be recognised, that it can now be sensed, that it can now be heard. Because the moment your inner feeling [rasadiri] gets to be opened, that which you have always suppressed within it is immediately released.

It is obvious that what we discover in the latihan is not a new condition, but one that long ago became the property of mankind. Only it has been closed off by self-willed desire [nafsu], by the worldly preoccupation's of mankind: all the more tightly and firmly closed with the passage of time, which has made it ever more remote.

This point is quite clear from what Bapak has previously explained.

What is the state of being of a little child, just born on this earth?

Even though this little child is not yet able to see the shapes and forms existing in this world, still cannot hear anything, still cannot smell anything, still cannot feel pleasant sensations, and is not tasting food, it is nevertheless apparent from its facial expression and its whole bearing whether it is sad or cheerful, suffering or happy.

The reason for this is simply that such a tiny baby is still close to the promises God gave it. It still remembers, still understands, still sees, is still able to see something which we adults cannot easily see. We can see how such a tiny baby will cry for no apparent reason, and we can also see how that tiny baby seems to feel afraid of what we fear. As far as we can tell, there is no reason why it should feel that way. All these movements of the little child are what we have come to recognise, and the state of being we have just heard described seems to correspond exactly to our own state in the latihan.

In the course of our latihan, we may weep for no reason; we may wave our hands, again for no reason; we may hop and jump, yet again for no reason; and we may sometimes feel happy, though without any cause. This is so that you can all begin to feel exactly how it was for you when you were still tiny, at the time you were born on this earth. For by repeating that experience you will be able to recapture, to receive feelings that are as clear and pure as those of that little child.

It is indeed very hard to translate these words of Bapak's, because in speaking them Bapak is not using his thinking mind at all. They just come out like this through the jiwa, so the translator gets hazy through operating mentally. He sometimes cannot recall what Bapak has been saying, because in this spiritual [kejiwaan] realm our mental faculties do indeed seem to get totally paralysed!

Bapak will now continue:

It is clear, then, that what you have received in the latihan may be described as a repetition of physical movements corresponding to those you made when your body was still that of a baby, still pure and not yet contaminated by the passions [nafsu], the activity of the mind, and whatever all of you have subsequently introduced into your various ways of thinking.

Through the latihan we rediscover our instinctive nature, as if we were still in the state of a new-born baby, and so we are finally able to feel what it really is that makes such a baby laugh, what causes that tiny baby to suffer. We can also come to know that it does in fact see things, does in fact hear things, and that there are in fact things that it likes and enjoys.

Once I am able to comprehend, to receive and understand the nature of my own being, as it was at the moment of my birth, I can easily get to know my condition before and after I came to exist.

Finally, we shall come to realise for ourselves the right and proper understanding of the union between man and woman, which produces the seed of a human being. Then we shall also be able to recognise and be aware of the content of this seed of the future human being. Whether it is good or not, and from whence it originates, all this we shall also be able to know.

Thus human beings can truly be acknowledged as God's helpers in creating their own kind, new human beings, as it is told in the book of scripture, namely the Old Testament, which says that those first created by God were only Adam and Eve. From then on, the task of creating his own kind was assigned to man himself, as an individual person accompanied by his wife as his partner.

Such is the development or result to be obtained in the latihan you have all received.

As Bapak has already told you, the location and focus of this knowledge is actually right there inside the individual being of each one of you. The way to find it, therefore, is never to go looking for it outside yourself; it must be obtained from your own inner being, where it will all arise spontaneously, like your receiving in the latihan.

All that is really required in order to achieve this, is that each of you men should always have a wife to accompany him in his receiving. Your own wife, not the wife of another, because a man's partner in life ..... [?tape inaudible at this point]....

Therein lies that which constitutes true worship, therein is the begetting of the human seed to produce human beings like yourselves. For in the union or harmony of husband and wife it is very necessary that both partners should know the true path to God, so that this couple, instead of having the character of two separate links, become like a single unit which has been obliged by God, for the purposes of life in this world, to split into two.

Bapak will now conclude this explanation of the spiritual [kejiwaan] path and of what is necessary for you all in practicing the latihan kejiwaan, because it has gone on till quite late and it is already half past eleven.

If next Sunday evening is convenient, Bapak will continue then, and go over some things a bit more. Perhaps on that occasion it will go more smoothly, because this evening in the testing it did not seem possible to speed things up, so Bapak must apologize to you all. Bapak hopes that this little bit of explanation from Bapak can be accepted with some feeling of satisfaction. That is all for now.