Subud

Subud () is an international spiritual association that began in Indonesia in the 1920s as a movement founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo. The basis of Subud is a spiritual exercise commonly referred to as the latihan kejiwaan which was said by Muhammad Subuh to represent guidance from the "Power of God" or "the Great Life Force".

Muhammad Subuh saw the present age as one of 'reality' that demands evidence and proof, as people no longer just believe in words. He claimed that Subud is not a new teaching or religion but only that the latihan kejiwaan itself represents a kind of proof that humanity is looking for. His 1957 world tour spread Subud globally; there are now groups in over 70 countries throughout the world, with a current worldwide membership of about 10,000.

Practices

The Spiritual Training (Latihan Kejiwaan)

Main article: Latihan

The central practice of Subud is the latihan kejiwaan (literally "spiritual exercise" or "training of the spirit") or simply the 'latihan'. About twice a week, Subud members go to their local centers to participate in a group latihan, men and women separately. The experience takes place in a room or a hall with open space, uncluttered by furniture. After a period of sitting quietly, the members are typically asked to stand and relax by a helper, who then announces the start of the exercise.

In the practice of the exercise, members are advised to surrender to God and follow 'what arises from within', not expecting anything in advance. One is recommended not to focus on any image or recite any mantra, not to mix other activities like meditation and use of drug, but to simply intend to surrender to the will of God. One is not to pay attention to others in the room, each of whom is doing his or her own latihan. During the exercise, practitioners may find that, in terms of physical and emotional expression, they involuntarily move, make sounds, walk around, dance, jump, skip, laugh, cry or whatever. The experience varies for different people, but the practitioner is wholly conscious and free to stop the exercise at any time.

Many Subud members believe that this experience, apparently arising from within each person, provides them with something of what they currently need in life. For some, the latihan may appear to initially involve a 'purification' which possibly permits subsequently deeper experience. Members may describe their latihan as leaving them feeling "cleansed", "centered", "at peace", or "energized". The latihan is sometimes said to work 24 hours a day -- not only when one is "doing" it. Supposedly, the regular practice of the latihan will enable people to experience a positive personal development in various aspects of their daily life and being.

Although the latihan can be practiced individually, members are advised to participate regularly in the group latihan. When a member is more experienced and can reliably sense the appropriate time to finish his latihan, he may then add a third weekly latihan at home.

The Opening

The 'opening' refers to a person's first latihan which is especially arranged to initiate a person into Subud. Only after the opening is a person allowed to participate in the usual group latihan. In the opening, the person is accompanied by one or more experienced members called 'helpers'. The person is asked to simply stand in the middle of the room and relax with the helpers standing nearby. A simple terse opening statement is read out and it acknowledges that the person has agreed to receive the exercise. Then one of the helpers might say "Please relax and surrender to God. Begin" or something similar. This signifies the moment of the person's first connection with the latihan kejiwaan of Subud.

Testing

Testing is a distinct aspect of the latihan in which the exercise is directed toward receiving guidance or insight on a particular issue. Some question or request for clarification is acknowledged, and then the exercise is performed with openness to the issue. The original word for testing used by Muhammad Subud was "terimah" which is Indonesian for "receiving". Many people who have been practicing the latihan for some time claim to be able to recognize indications or intuitions 'from their inner feeling' in response to questions that are put forward.

Such indications may take various forms including sounds, visions, vibrations and/or spontaneous physical movements similar to (but perhaps more intense than) those in the usual latihan. However, it appears that such indications often defy intellectual analysis and that the supposed guidance can be obscured or biased by the mental or emotional attitudes of those present. Testing should be taken as a tool to clarify issues in the present, and may lead to confusion if treated as fortune-telling. Nevertheless, many Subud members find benefit from testing in terms of resolving issues. Deeper understanding may help with almost any problem, but never offers a magic formula.

Testing is used to select helpers, and often local committee members, throughout the World Subud Association. Pak Subuh's book "Susila Budhi Dharma" cites examples of situations in which testing may be useful in the process of training oneself in terms of putting the latihan into practice. (The first time "testing" was called by that name was in 1957 by John Bennett. Therefore throughout the book "Susila Budhi Dharma", which was written in 1952, testing is always referred to as "feeling" or "receiving".)

Fasting

Individual Subud members often voluntarily engage in occasional fasting as Pak Subuh recommended. Each year, some members fast at the same time as the Muslim fast of Ramadan which Pak Subuh, himself a Muslim, claimed to be alright for non-Muslims. Others fast during Lent or simply on a regular, private basis. In this context, fasting is frequently seen as spiritually edifying, although fasting in Subud is certainly not compulsory or even expected.

Rules

Pak Subuh provided advice and guidance in his talks to provide direction to members as their latihan deepens. A couple of important practices that might be called ‘rules’ in relation to the latihan include: men and women do not do latihan together, and non-members may not attend the latihan exercise without first receiving the contact referred to above, known as their opening.

History

Bapak Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo

Pak Subuh explained (in talks to Subud members given beginning in the 1940s) that during 1925 he was taking a late-night walk when he had an unexpected and unusual experience. He said he found himself enveloped in a brilliant light, and looked up to see what seemed like the sun falling directly onto his body, and he thought that he was having a heart attack. He said he went directly home, lay down on his bed, and prepared to die with the feeling that maybe it was his time, and that he could not fight it, so he surrendered himself to God.

According to the story, however, instead of dying he was moved from within to stand up and perform movements similar to his normal Muslim prayer routine. It seemed that he was not moving through his own volition; but was being guided by what he interpreted as the power of God. This same kind of experience happened to him for a few hours each night over a period of about 1000 days during which he slept little but was able to continue working full-time. He said he experienced a kind of 'inner teaching' whereby he was given to understand a variety of things spontaneously.

As these experiences proceeded, Pak Subuh explained, he gained spontaneous insight into people and situations that he did not possess before. Around 1933, as he reported, he received that if other people were physically near him while he was in a state of 'latihan', then the experience would begin in them also. While still in his early thirties, Pak Subuh's reputation grew as someone with spiritual insight, and people went him to be opened. They in turn could open others, and this is how Subud eventually spread around the world.

Husein Rofé in 1955 in Hong Kong

In Jakarta, Husein Rofé, an English linguist who had been living in Indonesia since 1950, met Pak Subuh. Rofé had been searching for a spiritual path and became the first non-Indonesian to be opened. Subud moved outside of Indonesia when Rofé attended a religious congress in Japan in 1954. Subud first spread internationally into Japan, followed by Hong Kong and Cyprus. In 1957, Rofé (who was then in London) suggested that Pak Subuh visit Britain. Pak Subuh accepted the invitation and visited the home of John G. Bennett in Coombe Springs. It was at this time that many UK followers of G. I. Gurdjieff were initiated into Subud (including Bennett himself, though he later left the group). Over the next 14 months Pak Subuh visited many countries before returning to Indonesia.

The name "Subud"

The name "Subud" is an acronym that stands for three Javanese words of Sanskrit derivation, Susila Budhi Dharma.

What these words mean depends on whether referring to :

• the original Sanskrit root word meaning.
• definitions in a modern Indonesian language dictionary.
• the explanation and definition given by the founder of Subud in his talks to members.

These three meanings are somewhat different from one another. The following is a quotation from The Basis and Aim of Subud , published by Subud Publications International (SPI), as an ostensibly authorized translation of the words Pak Subuh. (It must however be noted that SPI is not an official part of the Subud Association.)

"Susila means: the good character of man in accordance with the Will of Almighty God..

"Budhi means: the force of the inner self within man.

"Dharma means: surrender, trust and sincerity towards Almighty God.

"This is the symbol of a person who has a calm and peaceful inner feeling and who is able to receive the contact with the Great Holy Life Force"

"As the spiritual training (latihan kedjiwaan) of Subud is free from the influence of the passions, desires and thinking, and is truly awakened by the Power of Almighty God, the aim of Subud is naturally toward perfection of character according to the Will of the One Who awakens it, namely: Almighty God."

"It is also necessary to explain that Subud is neither a kind of religion nor a teaching, but is a spiritual experience awakened by the Power of God leading to spiritual reality free from the influence of the passions, desires and thinking."

Symbol

"Seven Circles" symbol of Subud

The Subud symbol was envisioned by Pak Subuh in 1959. The design consists of seven concentric circles and seven spokes, which represent seven levels of life forces as well as the Great Life Force that connects them. Each circle grows wider, the further out from the center, and each spoke narrows as it approaches the center. The space between the circles remains constant.

The symbol is often printed in black and white when color printing is not available. When colors are used, usually the circles and spokes are gold and the background is dark blue to black. However, the symbol is also sometimes blue on white or white on blue. The World Subud Association has registered this design, as well as the name "Subud", as a trade or service mark in several countries.

Association

Members who wish to perform some type of organizational responsibility in Subud can volunteer as a committee member or as a helper. Each responsibility can be performed at the local, regional, national, and international levels. Members often move from one responsibility to another, as needed.

The broadest organizational responsibility rests with the World Subud Association, which meets at a World Congress every four years and consists of the Subud World Council, Subud representatives from each country, and also individual members who wish to participate. The headquarters of the international organization moves to a different country every four years.

Helpers

Main article: Helper (Subud)

Each level of the association has members called 'helpers' whose role is to coordinate the timing of group latihan, witness the opening of new members, speak to those interested in the Subud latihan, be available to discuss problems relating to the latihan, and sometimes attend to the latihan needs of isolated or indisposed Subud members. Helpers are usually selected from members who are willing to perform the duties, and selection generally occurs through testing. In no way does selection mean that a person is more spiritually advanced than a member who is not a helper.

Helpers exist at the local, regional (in some countries), national and international levels. Helpers' geographical status relates to the regional or national supportive duties they are expected to provide – otherwise, there are no geographical restrictions on where a helper is considered to be a helper. A local helper from London who travels to Jakarta, for example, will be seen as a helper there, and can do testing or participate in a new member's opening in the same way as any Indonesian helper.

There are normally 18 international helpers -- nine men and nine women. Three men and three women are assigned to each of the three areas in Subud:

• Area I covers Zones 1 & 2 (Australasia and Asia)
• Area II covers Zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 (Europe and Africa)
• Area III covers Zones 7, 8 & 9 (the Americas)

The international helpers are members of the World Subud Council. They serve a voluntary four year term between World Congresses. There is no distinction in 'rank' between local, national, or international helpers. Being a helper is seen not as a talent but as a capacity.

Ibu Rahayu

Ibu Siti Rahayu Wiryohudoyo, Pak Subuh's eldest daughter, is regarded by some members as a 'spiritual guide', a phrase formerly applied to Pak Subuh. After his death, Siti Rahayu said that she had had a dream in which she met Pak Subuh, and that in the course of this dream he had designated her as his successor.

Committees

Most Subud groups have a committee including a chairperson, vice-chair, treasurer, secretary, etc. This committee is tasked with making sure there is a place to do group latihan, with communications, budgeting, and supporting the mutual efforts of members at the local group. A similar structure functions at the regional (in certain countries), national, zonal and international level.

The international executive team is the International Subud Committee (ISC). Apart from ensuring international communication, publishing, budgeting, archives, support of affiliates, etc., it organizes a World Congress every four years. The chairperson of ISC sits on the World Subud Council.

For purposes of a practical organizational structure, the Subud association is divided into nine multinational zones, more or less as follows:

• Zones 1 & 2 -- Australasia and Asia
• Zone 3 -- includes 8 countries of western Europe
• Zone 4 -- central and eastern European countries
• Zones 5 & 6 -- Francophone and Anglophone African countries, respectively
• Zone 7 -- USA, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Surinam, and the Caribbean
• Zone 8 -- the upper part of South America
• Zone 9 -- the lower part of South America

Each Zone has its own four representatives that are the voting members on the World Subud Council. They also serve as volunteers a four year term like helpers. They are selected at Zone Meetings.

A chairperson for the World Subud Association serves a four-year term from one World Congress to the next, and is also the chairperson of the World Subud Council. The World Subud Council is responsible to ensuring that decisions made at World Congress are carried through. The current Chairperson is Osanna Vaughn, who was appointed at the 2005 World Congress in Innsbruck, Austria.

Affiliations

Subud affiliations (sometimes called ‘Wings’) are technically independent but have overlapping boards of trustees. These are subsidiary organizations that focus on specific projects, often at a national or international level and include activities such as the:

• Susila Dharma International Association (SDI or SDIA) -- humanitarian projects
• Subud International Cultural Association (SICA) -- networking cultural activities
• Subud Enterprise Services International (SES or SESI) -- networks between entrepreneurial activities
• Subud Youth Association (SYA) -- networks among younger Subud members

Some chairpersons of these affiliations also sit on the World Subud Council and serve a four-year term.

In addition to the above affiliations, a foundation has been set up to preserve Pak Subuh's legacy, with a primary emphasis on helping groups acquire their own latihan premises. It is the

• Muhammad Subuh Foundation (MSF)

Its chairperson reports to the World Subud Council.

Enterprises

When Subud first spread to the West, Pak Subuh talked mainly about the spiritual aspect of Subud. Later he started to encourage Subud members to engage in enterprises and donate a proportion of profits to the Subud organisation. He explained that the fact of the latihan 'bringing to life' the physical body indicates that worship need not be viewed as narrowly as prayer in places of worship; that our very lives, when following and guided by the Power of God, are ongoing worship - so there is no need to distinguish between "material" life and "spiritual" life. Therefore his encouragement for Subud members to engage in enterprise is seen in the context of putting the latihan into practice.

Membership

Membership is open to any person over 17 years of age irrespective of the person's religion. The exception is that a person who is suffering from a mental illness cannot be initiated as a member.

There is normally a waiting period of about 3 months before a person interested in Subud may be opened. During this period, the inquirer is expected to meet a few times with the helpers so that he can learn more about the latihan and to have questions and doubts clarified.

There is no fee of any kind to join Subud or to practice the latihan, though most Subud members contribute, for example, towards the rent or upkeep of the premises where they meet.

References

• Chryssides, George D. (1999). Exploring New Religions. London and New York: Continuum. ISBN 0826459595.
• Geels, Antoon (1997). Subud and the Javanese mystical tradition. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press. ISBN 0700706232.
• Hunt, Stephen J. (2003). Alternative Religions: A Sociological Introduction. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 0754634108.
• Mulder, Niels Mysticism & everyday life in contemporary Java : cultural persistence and change Singapore : Singapore University Press, c1978
• Sumohadiwidjojo, M. S. "Autobiography" ISBN 1869822072, Subud Publications International (March 1990)
• The International Helpers, "On the Subud Way" ISBN 0975749706, (c) The World Subud Association (WSA) 2005
• Webb, G. (1995), "Subud", in Miller, T. (ed.), America's Alternative Religions, New York: SUNY Press, pp. 267–275. ISBN 0791423980.

External links

• www.subud.org. Official site
• www.subud.net. Official members' site
• Subud Vision. Unofficial site publishing critiques of Subud by Subud members. 100 articles readable online.