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A Perception of the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud |
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| This text is based on the personal experiences of Erling Week a Subud Helper and is mostly copied from a pamphlet published in October 1981. Readers should draw their own conclusions on how the content should relate to their own inner understanding. | ||
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The "Subud Brotherhood" is a world-wide body of people who have received and practice the latihan kedjiwaan of Subud. "Latihan Kedjiwaan" are Indonesian words which mean "Spiritual Exercise". The first member and spiritual guide of the Brotherhood was born in Java. Mohammed Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo, known to the members of Subud as "Bapak" (father) was born in Semarang, Central Java on June 22, 1901. As a culmination of years of spontaneously occurring spiritual experiences, at the age of 32, Bapak one night passed through all the 'heavens' and ascended to the 'Throne of God'. There he received a mission: to bring to the members of mankind a contact with the Power of God which he himself had been given. The how and why of this extraordinary happening need not be known by us. Its validity may be tested by its fruits. This opportunity to receive a contact with the Power of God was not actively offered, in accordance with indications received by Bapak. The growth of what we now call the Subud Brotherhood was therefore dependant upon people who came and asked. Subud only spread to the West in 1956, through the travel of an Englishman, Husein Rofe, who had commenced the practice of the latihan kedjiwaan while staying with Bapak in Java several years before. The first Western "opening", as the transmittal of the contact is called, took place in Cyprus. Subud then spread to London, and expanded rapidly during 1957, 1958 and 1959, extending throughout most of the non-communist world. Since its original surge of rapid growth and geographical expansion, the Subud Brotherhood has passed through some years of relative stability in point of numbers, while the Power of God received in the latihan has penetrated and matured the inner selves of the Subud members. The Brotherhood now has available a significant number of spiritually mature brothers and sister, to undertake the care and attention of a substantially increased membership. (Note: this comment was published in 1981 and the situation stayed much the same until recently - a further 15 years. We are now experiencing an increase in the numbers world wide and an expansion into Eastern Europe.) Those in the Brotherhood who are able, and have accepted the responsibility of the 'spiritual side' are called Subud "helpers". Those who have the responsibility for the necessary material arrangements, are members of the various local national and international committees and organisations. The nature and action of Subud may be viewed either in its universal and historical context or in relation to its meaning in the life of the individual. The history of God's creative activity relative to man, shows that God has always given guidance to man, through Messengers, Prophets, Apostles and Saints. It is clear from this guidance, that God has a purpose and an objective in His work of creating man. His Guidance, His Laws, His Will, all shape and form man in accordance with his Purpose. God's guidance in some form has been given to every race of man, in every part of the world, during every period in history. The major guidance’s which dominate the western civilisations have come through a series of spiritual influxes, brought down to us through the centuries by what we know as Judaic, Christian and Islamic religions. Each of these has a Holy Book. The Torah, the New Testament and the Koran represent successive inpourings of God's power and God's guidance, all flowing from a single source, each building on its predecessors. Christianity accepts the teachings of the 'Old Testament' prophets; Islam accepts the Torah and the New Testament as being Holy Books inspired by God. Each of these great religions, so influential in the culture of our times, has a traditional expectancy of a future 'coming'. The Jews look forward to the coming of the 'Messiah'. Christians and Muslims anticipate the 'Second Coming' of Christ. The reality of Subud is in the process of fulfilling these expectations. As mankind has grown in its experiencing of this world, so God's guidance has shifted its emphasis to suit new stages of growth. From the earliest times, man has always shown a tendency to fall away from God's guidance, after an initial flourishing under its light. Thus we see that the Old Testament relates again and again, with variations, the stories of a spiritually informed people falling away from God's path. And again and again, with variations, the stories of God's compassion in sending a prophet to bring them back to His way. God's help has always been forthcoming when man's need was great. Both Jesus and Mohammed were sent into the world by God at times and places when the spiritual state of man was desperate. The magnitude of the forces which flowed through them is evident from their continuing influence on billions of lives. more than a thousand years after their physical departure. The present days are full of evidence that man's need for help from a source beyond himself is greater than ever. God knows man's needs, and He has sent His Power into the world to meet these needs. In the days of the Old Testament, man was encouraged to do God's Will through fear. The God of the Old Testament was a jealous God, an avenging God, a punishing God. The Ten Commandments were given with punishments for individuals who broke God's Laws. Whole cities, nations and world populations, were also punished for their deviations. The message of Christ is a message of love. Love for God should penetrate every part of man. Thus, man obeys God's Commandments because his entire will is directed to doing only those things that please God. The message of the Koran is a message of understanding. Man should obey because he understands that God, the One God, is the Creator of all things. God is all-knowing, all-present and all-powerful. Everything is dependant on God's Will. Therefore, man will obey God because he understands it to be necessary; it is the only way. In all these teachings, the intent has been to influence man's will in the right way. However, man has proven unable to follow these teachings to the fulfilment of their intended fruits. Thus, God , in sending Subud to mankind, has sent it in a way which begins at what has formerly been the end. Subud begins with the surrendering of the self-will, surrendering it to God, insofar as the individual is able to do so. Subud, therefore, goes beyond the emotions (fear), the heart (love) and the mind (understanding) and proceeds directly to the will (Gods). For that reason, in Subud there is no teaching, dogma or doctrine. The surrender to God's Will through fear of God's punishment; the 'unification of the will' with God's Will through the love of God; and the submission to God's Will through wisdom and understanding; have their exact equivalent in Subud, without employing the emotions, heart or mind. Subud simply ' is' submission to the Will of God. For the individual, therefore, Subud represents a unique opportunity to receive God's Gift, God's Grace, a contact with God's own Power. This Gift is not new to the world, as every Messenger, Prophet and Apostle of God has received it. But the manner of receiving it is different, and its availability - because of man's great need in these times - is greater than ever before. In the days of the Old Testament, God gave the Gift of His Power to the Judges and Prophets of Israel individually and directly. In the case of Saul and David, God instructed the Prophet Samuel to transmit to them the contact with His Power, by anointing their heads with oil. On the day of Pentecost, by prayer and the promise made by Christ, the disciples and followers of Jesus received the same Power. Thereafter, the Apostles transmitted the contact with the Holy Spirit to converts by prayer and the laying on of hands. But only those who first accepted the teachings of Jesus were entitled to this second baptism. Not all the members of the primitive Christian Church were able to spiritually grow and actively receive this Grace. Within a relatively short time, the majority of members became to depend on external observances and dogmatic interpretation of inspired scripture. The receiving of 'Sanctifying Grace' finally became a very rare thing within the Church, and remains so to this day. In Islam, after the death of Muhammad, and the first four (true) Caliphs who succeeded him, leadership became a power struggle amongst the followers of Muhammad. The receiving of God's Grace became also very rare, and those who did receive God's Grace were sometimes persecuted to martyrdom. Subud has not come into the world without preparation. In fact, the beginning of a new penetration of higher spiritual forces in the world has been evident since the start of the nineteenth century. Within the Roman Catholic Church, a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been notable. Non-Roman Christianity has seen a number of inspired revelations, which though partial or incomplete, have given rise to a number of new and active sects. Islam and Judaism have parallel stirrings. A common characteristic of these recent spiritual upwellings has been predictions of the impending 'Second Coming'. However, none of these apparitions, revelations, new teachings and sects, constitute in themselves the predicted 'Second Coming'. Amongst the followers of the new sects, or amongst the newly arisen 'Charismatic' groups within the established churches, many know that they are still looking for 'something'. Others are consciously awaiting the 'Second Coming'. The biblical predictions of the 'Second Coming' state that 'Christ will come to rule' after 'God has made the Earth His footstool' In other words, after God's Power has entered in, and brought mankind 'under his foot' (to a state of submission to His Will). This entering of God's power is an integral and essential part of the process of the 'Second coming'; and the entering of God's Power into the body of mankind as a whole takes place by way of its individual members (i.e. men and women). The word Subud is a contraction of three Sanskrit words: susila, budhi and dharma. These words, in this context, can be taken to mean: susila - right living, according to God's Will for man; budhi - the spark of life which comes from God, and Dwells within every part of God's creation, but especially within man; and dharma - total surrender to God's will. Taken together, these words characterise the state of an individual who has come to the state of 'unification of the will with the Will of God' Anyone seventeen years or older, may ask to receive the Subud contact with the Power of God, and commence the practice of the Subud spiritual exercise (latihan). After a request is once made, there is awaiting period of three months, during which time the applicant has an opportunity to meet and talk with members, get a 'feel' of 'Subud', and come to a mature 'inner' decision to commence the latihan. If at the end of the three months waiting period the applicant asks to receive the contact with the Power of God, it is given (with very few exceptions, involving health). Prior to their initial spiritual exercise, new members are asked to affirm their belief in God. For an atheist to ask for the Gift of God would seem impossible. However, Subud is open to adherents of all religions. Subud is not a religion, as it has no teaching, doctrine or dogma. Therefore, there is nothing in Subud which is contradictory to any of the paths of true religions. In fact, that which is received in the Subud latihan is the inner content of all true religions, and will make possible the realisation of the teachings of God's Messengers and Prophets. The initial spiritual exercise of the new member is called the 'opening' (to the contact with the Power of God). In Christian terms, this may be called the 'baptism of the Holy Spirit' or the 'baptism of the Apostolic succession'. In the 'opening', the new member is simply asked to stand 'at ease', close his eyes, and avoid concentrating his mind or directing his feelings. The member submissively receives the Grace of God (true worship) and allows such inner or outer movements as may be brought about by the latihan to proceed without hindrance. The contact with the Power of God takes place directly and individually. The Subud helpers responsible for the conduct of the 'opening' are there as witnesses. They themselves participate only by receiving their own latihan. The 'opening' as well as successive latihans, has a normal duration of half an hour. After their 'opening', members practice the latihan together with other members of their local group, twice a week. The times are arranged to be convenient for the average member, and are usually in the early evening. With the receiving of God's Grace, the first aspect of change which is experienced is the process of purification. This is evidenced by physical movements. Later stages of purification penetrate ever more deeply, involving the feelings, the heart and the mind. At the same time, the 'inner self' is awakened from a state of dormancy, and in effect is caused to expand and grow by reason of the 'spiritual food and drink' of God's Grace. Channels of communication between the 'inner self' and the 'outer self' are broadened and strengthened. Awareness and consciousness expand. New perceptions and new understandings arise. The balance and control of one's life begins to shift from the concerns of the 'outer self' or ego, to the aims and purpose of the 'inner self'. The life activity, therefore, gradually begins to conform more correctly to that which is intended for the individual in accordance with God's Will. The appropriate end of this process is the complete submission to God's Will, or what is also called 'unification of the will with the Will of God'. Whether the individual member actually achieves this state during his or her present lifetime, depends on many factors, such as the member's spiritual state at the time of commencing the latihan, the member's inherent capacity, the member’s diligence in practising the latihan, the member's conscious co-operation with the on going purification, and so on. In any case, members who do not 'reach heaven' before death of the physical body, will be able to receive latihan after death, and thereby to eventually come to the proper abode for the human soul (human heaven).
It will be seen from the foregoing, that the spiritual process set in motion by the receiving of the Subud latihan, is the same process as that experienced by men and woman who have received the Grace of God in the past. The classical stages of this process have been denominated:
Therefore Subud members are advised not to retire from, or separate themselves from, the activities of man's daily life. They are encouraged to work, to develop new enterprises, to be active participants in the evolution of new ways of working productivity and harmoniously together. It is through their contact with the daily affairs of man that the effects of the working of the Power of God can more readily change the state of the world. Only the Power of God can bring peace permanently to the world. Only the Power of God can create a world where all men live harmoniously, in unity and brotherhood. Only the Power of God can give mankind the wisdom and compassion to maintain and nurture beauty and balance in the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. Now is the time when every man and woman who believes in God, irrespective of religious affiliation, humble or exalted, lay person or religious, should ask himself this question:
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