Subud is an association of people who share a certain inner experience
based on surrender to what may be called the Great Life Force, or the power
of God. As an outer expression of its aims, the association has set up
health, educational and social projects around the world, funded in some
cases by business enterprises.
Subud is based primarily on direct experience, not on belief or teaching.
There is no leader, nor any hierarchy within the movement. The path of
Subud is the path of spiritual completion as a human being; the word Subud
itself has a meaning denoting wholeness or completeness. It is also an
acronym of the three Sanskrit words Susila (right living), Budhi (inner
life force) and Dharma (will of God).
Subud is non political and open to members of all races, nationalities and
creeds, without distinction. Since no belief or behaviour system is
involved, members of all religions as well as those with no religious
beliefs - even atheists - are attracted to Subud. The purpose of Subud is
not to supplant religion. Subud is not an alternative to religious
practice, but on the contrary produces a deeper understanding of religion
and a stronger commitment towards it.
Subud does not engage in any kind of advertising or propaganda, and does
not seek to attract members by such means. However, there are books about
it, and about the experiences of individuals in Subud.
THE LATIHAN
Latihan is a common Indonesian word meaning "training" or "exercise". In
the case of Subud it has a specialised meaning. It refers to the spiritual
experience which was originally received by Muhammad Subuh and which anyone
can now be given. Latihan here means "training and exercise in bringing the
content of the inner self to life."
Life is movement. The Subud latihan awakens and develops individual being
starting with the lowest level (that of physical movement) and progressing
by stages to the awakening and movement of the finer levels of feeling,
understanding and conscious awareness. The first latihan attended by a new
member is normally experienced as a vibration of subtle energy at some
level, followed by the impulse to move, utter sounds, dance, laugh, cry,
sing or pray. This movement is a sign that the latihan is working and the
the individual has been "opened". Movement may not occur for some until
after many attendances at the exercise, however, and there are a few who
never feel it at all.
The other important function of the latihan is purification. Doing the
latihan can make us painfully aware of our faults, and may also cause
temporary states of ill-health in which psychological and physical
impurities are safely brought out.
Every person in the world is unique and different, and the latihan is
unique and different for each person that experiences it. No two people
manifest latihan movement in the same way. There are no rules for "how to
do the latihan"; the higher energy that manifests in the latihan is
unconditioned, and cannot be formulated by the human mind. The only
arrangements made are that a group of Subud members meets twice a week to
receive the latihan for half an hour or so, either in a rented hall or in a
Subud-owned property if they have one. The only rule is that men and women
should do the latihan separately. This is in order to avoid the distraction
of sexual feelings during the latihan.
The effects of the latihan vary greatly. People usually have a feeling of
well-being and relaxation after doing latihan. In the longer term, the
process for some may bring a peaceful, gradual development in their
acceptance of themselves and others and their experience of constant inward
wholeness. For others it may initiate dramatic changes in their lives.
Often people experience suffering and difficulties at some stage as the
purification begun by the latihan takes its course.
WELFARE
Muhammad Subuh many times stated that it is essential for Subud to
undertake social projects such as schools for neglected children, hospitals
for the sick and homes for the elderly who are neglected by their families.
Subud has initiated many such projects, co-ordinated under Susila Dharma
International (SDI), the charitable wing of the Subud association.
These projects have received funding from organisations like Oxfam, Terre
des Hommes and NORAD (Norway), as well as from Subud itself.
Welfare projects in many countries include:
Collegio Amor (Colombia), a school and developing community centre project
in the slums of Bogota.
Yayasan Usaha Mulia (Indonesia), an umbrella for many local welfare
projects including a childrens' village, schools, community centres,
vocational training centres and a clinic.
Pestalozzi Schools (Ecuador), providing a free and active approach to
education which particularly benefits the indigenous children.
Suhadha (Sri Lanka), a day centre and school in the slums of Colombo.
American Overseas Medical Aid (USA), which sends packages of medical
equipment to third world countries.
Alfragide (Portugal), a community project and school for refugee children
International Child Development Programme (ICDP), developed by Subud
members in Norway and England and sponsored by UNICEF, the Leger Foundation
and Save the Children.
AN ARTICLE ABOUT SUBUD - Leonard Lassalle
In my experience Subud can be explained in many different ways. I hope that
this explanation will help the reader to get a clear feeling of what it is
about.
Subud is not a religion, nor a technique, nor any kind of system, but it
is directly related to the experience of the person practising it.
Therefore each person can only talk about it from his or her own
experience.
Subud is a very ancient word. It means 'complete'. Complete in the sense
that nothing is missing, nothing can be added or taken away. Everything
needed is there. It does not mean 'completed' as if something had been made
or finished, for at the same time it expresses movement, growth, evolution.
Through the practice of Subud each person evolves in accordance with his or
her own nature, in harmony with their own deep inner being.
Let us return to the time in our life when we were young children, before
we understood the relative sense of words. All human beings at the
beginning of their life have been through this experience: one of being
'conscious' without the interference of words.
This was a state in which there were no associations, comparisons or
judgement: simply observation, attention, presence. This aware and
receptive state in the young child was not due to the parents' will or
effort. There clearly is a consciousness at the beginning of every human
life.
Each one of us goes through a similar evolution, from embryo to infancy and
childhood. We cannot avoid this. Every movement and development, be it
physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, is tied to our true inner nature,
in an evolution of life that we would call natural.
In infancy this inner awareness disappears little by little as everything
in the outer world becomes more attractive. It seems that most human beings
lose contact with their original awareness, their finer feelings. The pull
of the material world, especially today, has undoubtedly much to do with
this.
The practice of Subud reawakens our natural evolution so that our latent
potential can find a harmonious development in our whole being. I have
noticed that many Subud members throughout the world have rediscovered this
original awareness of 'being' growing within them. It is as if the original
consciousness which has been asleep reawakens, little by little, sometimes
slowly at first, and begins to grow. The spiritual awareness that has
generally been so neglected really exists within us, even if dormant, and
is accessible and can be awakened.
Through our practice it is possible to create an inner space, in which this
initial consciousness allows us to develop in a similar way to that of our
early childhood. It can only happen, though, if during the practice we are
in a state of great humility and sincerity, attentiveness and
receptiveness, but at the same time letting the process take its course and
following everything that surfaces from deep within us, whether it is
sound, movement, feelings or simply a state of being. This state of
receptivity and following allows us to reach the awareness of our deep
inner feelings, and through it, to follow an inner guidance which comes not
from our desires, ego or thoughts, but from our original true nature.
Subud is universal and accessible to all. It is in harmony with the
different religions of the world, with different faiths, even with
non-believers, because the inner being does not have a belief in anything;
it is beyond differences.
In order to be at one with our inner being nothing must come in between. In
our practice there are no words, no dogma, no teacher; simply, through a
contact, we can find the original guidance from within.
Our practice consists of meeting two or three times a week, each session
lasting 30 to 40 minutes. Through a state of quiet we make room for the
inner space that is necessary for our awareness to reach our inner being.
It then manifests itself through different experiences, perhaps physically
by sound or spontaneous movements; inwardly through emotions or thoughts;
or spiritually through the more subtle vibrations of one's own inner being.
Each person receives in accordance with his or her own nature.
During the sessions men and women are separate. We have realised that this
is appropriate due to the different nature of men and women. Most members
who practise regularly find that, little by little, a consciousness awakens
in their inner feelings which will gently change and enlarge their whole
being, making them more receptive to others. Then, after a certain time
they develop the capacity to find equilibrium between their inner and outer
selves.
Because it does not come from without but from deep within, this practice
can give life to all parts of our being that were dormant, even those parts
that we thought were awake. It can bring to the surface our good qualities,
while at the same time making us aware of our shortcomings, which can then
be corrected. This comes about according to our capacity, to our real need
to change and awaken. It is an evolution which does not come from our
desires or will, but from a natural and spontaneous inner process.
That is why Subud members do not need a teacher or a technique from the
outside but simply a complete letting go in trust and sincerity during our
sessions. These can be done alone but experience shows that in a group the
effect of the presence of others helps the process of bringing awareness to
the inner being. After the session we generally feel calm and have a sense
of deep well-being.
Personally, Subud has helped me to discover and use the potential dormant
within me, so that my actions, my movements and my way of living are more
in agreement with my true nature. For me it is a perpetual rebirth, where
everyday life and inner life are in harmony. I have observed that when
there is inner harmony it is reflected in our outer behaviour.
Here is a short history of Subud and a little about its organisation. It
was an Indonesian, Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo, who first had a series
of spontaneous experiences that changed his life and himself, to the point
that he became a remarkably wise and knowledgeable person, greatly loved by
many. It became clear to him that this deep change, which was so, complete,
and beneficial to himself and those close to him, was accessible to all of
mankind. In 1956 and 1957 Subud quickly spread from Indonesia throughout
the world to more than 75 countries. An international organisation exists
to serve the needs of our members, mainly to provide facilities to meet in
local groups and at large congresses.
It is often found that the humanitarian qualities of our members evolve;
for this, we have created different organisations to help them use those
qualities. For example, an organisation to help families and the young,
another for encouraging enterprises, another for human welfare, another for
assisting the blossoming of the creative expression of individuals, in
groups and in society.
I feel I must tell the reader that the terminology used by the majority of
Subud members comes from the fact that at the beginning, when Subud came
out of Indonesia, all the explanations given in talks were translated from
Indonesian and high Javanese. The language that Bapak (Muhammad Subuh
Sumohadiwidjojo) used came from Indo-Javanese and Muslim origins. A 'Subud
language' then appeared containing a few Indonesian and Javanese words.
I will close this short explanation in the hope that it is clear to you. I
have found that the reality of the experience is well beyond and above any
words. It has brought a new dimension to my inner and outer life.
webmaster 
