Sudarto Martohudojo's
Experiences
From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud
Volume 1 - Number 1 - 16 September 1960
Dear readers of the Pewarta,
I began the latihan of Subud when I was studying at a teachers college, that was 25 years ago, and during this long time I have had many experiences of different kinds and have also continuously received advice and explanations on spiritual matters directly from Bapak Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo himself. It should be stated too, that in those days there was still no organization for the members of Subud. Now however the opportunity given by the publication ofPewarta KejJwaan Subud makes it possible for me to put in writing those experiences, as asked by Bapak, for the benefit of all our brothers and sisters in Subud everywhere. some important ones will be described below.
I still remember a certain unforgettable event on an occasion while I was teaching when I had to stop teaching because of the arrival of an unusual visitor. I was not conscious from which direction he entered the classroom, for suddenly he was in my presence. I was filled by a happy feeling at that moment. The visitor had a normal appearance, but the nose and eyes were triangular in shape and on each hand he had only three fingers and each foot only three toes. The extraordinary effect increased by his friendly address to me:
"Darto, I have come to see you here and I'll pray for your faithfulness and sincerity of worshipping God. As a proof that I have visited you, I'll spit three times on the ground in front of you and ask a souvenir from you."
I was surprised to learn that he knew my name and to comply with his request I handed him a coin worth half a rupiah. After taking it he suddenly vanished, frightening all the pupils. I ordered all the pupils afterwards to search for him, but nobody could find out where he had gone.
Ten days afterwards, again I had to stop my lecture as it was interrupted by the entrance of a man of bad appearance whose body was misshapen, but on looking into his eyes I become aware that he was a man of virtue. At the same time my body was chilled and I was conscious of strong vibrations. Learning from my former experience I followed him after having given him a small coin as alms. As he left, at every 7 metres he turned and smiled at me. A strange fact was that he hid himself behind a tree, and when I arrived at the tree he vanished. Such extraordinary an event was reported to Bapak. Bapak told me to test for myself in the presence of Bapak. The result of the test should show whether the two embodiments were satanic or those of a Saint (Waliullah). After the test Bapak explained that both appearances were those of a Saint, therefore he advised me to be very attentive and heedful to such apparitions.
On another occasion while surrounded by my boarding pupils, one of them told me of his grandfather's supernatural knowledge, and I jokingly explained to him that the experiences of which he spoke were of satanic origin.
My words seemed to trouble him and he asked permission to go and ask his grandfather. The next night as I was doing latihan, a voice came out of me warning me to be careful. During my sleep two nights afterwards my body was very light and hot. When I woke up I could not see my body even when I looked into the mirror. It was a strange feeling to me being conscious of walking and opening the front door without my body and I saw my own physical body in the front room smoking while sitting on a chair. As I came closer to it I felt that I should not touch it. Then the front door that was locked flew open by itself and 2 men and 2 women entered the room.
These four people approached my body in order to attack it, but before reaching it they fell down. Several times they rose to make an attack but failed. At last they disappeared the same way as they had come in. I was confused because I was separated from my physical body. Then I went into latihan. After the latihan I was very surprised, because I was one again with my physical body. The next morning something strange happened: glasses, plates, spoons and forks moved away from me if I tried to touch them. I supposed these satanical forces from the evening before were working again. This occurred seven nights in succession. In the latihan I received a pail filled with water and I threw this water to the four devils and they disappeared. Strangely enough at that moment I smelled roasted meat. According to Bapak's explanation I was tested by an old man, the grandfather of the pupil that boarded with me.
At another time three days before vacation the teachers were chatting together. One of them was telling us about a strange case - a certain teacher of religion who died and was buried. Later it was noticed that the body had vanished from the grave and only the shroud remained; and in the evening, light was visible coming from the grave. The other teachers felt this was very strange and I explained to them that the physical body had disappeared into the satanical world and that the light was a sign that the holy earth did not want to receive the body because it was polluted by satanical forces. It seemed that the narrator did not agree with my explanation. Five days after this, I felt when I was asleep that something sharp was pierced into my heart. At that moment I started latihan and my body moved. At last the sharp thing left my body and disappeared.
After the disappearance of the sharp thing I saw a cloud of smoke and a vampire appeared out of the smoke. The body of the vampire was as large as the body of a dog and its wings were one metre wide. I woke up the people who were sleeping in the house. They took a stick with the intention of killing the animal which was still visible but I forbade them because it would disturb the neighbours.At daylight the animal turned into smoke again and disappeared. Afterwards I went to latihan and I received as follows:
"if someone had killed that animal, that would mean that that person would also die."
After all this had happened I told Bapak the whole story. Bapak said:
"You are now being tested by people who practised black magic, so you must do your latihan diligently. But do not be afraid, believe that God will always be there to protect you".Read more of Mas Sudarto
Write about Subud experiences - not about teachings.
Bapak did not mean that you should write a book about the relationship of the physical body and the jiwa, let alone about higher matters.
What Bapak meant was that members should write about their experiences since being in Subud and following the latihan kejiwaan, for other members to read. The content of the writings will thus not depart very far from what exists in the sphere of the kejiwaan, based on the Grace of Al mighty God manifested in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, which in reality is guidance and direction from the Power of Almighty God.
If you write about things you have learned from books or from teachings, even though these teachings are generally called spiritual knowledge, and you then relate these things to what you receive in following the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, which in reality is the guidance and direction of Almighty God - this can cause your inner-feeling to feel empty or dead.
by K Mangoendjaja
Jakarta, Indonesia
When I was opened by Bapak in October 1947 in Jogjakarta, Central Java, which at that time was the temporary capital of the Republic of Indonesia, the group was not yet formally organized. The name Subud was not known, and I did not hear of it until a few years later. What we were doing was just called the 'latihan' which, in English, means 'exercise' . There were no formalities, no waiting periods, no registration or any activities which were normally done be an organization. The group itself was still small, its number at every meeting did not exceed 15 people. Perhaps it was better this way, because the latihan was held in Bapak's sitting room, not large enough to accommodate more. When, due to the tense political situation between the Republic and the Dutch, curfew was imposed starting at 22.00 hours p.m., we came early and finished before curfew. But on Saturday we arrived before curfew and stayed the whole night.
We Worship Almighty God