1. Meaning of the word 'Opening'

THE Opening in the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud means to open (release, relieve) the pressure the nafsu always exert on the self of the person who wants to be able to receive contact with the power of the One God, which envelops both the outer and the inner. From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. VIII, No. 5, page 153 - (letter) 1 March 1971.

2. Helpers and the Opening

BAPAK hopes and advises that the helpers will be really aware and really feel the nature of the Opening, so that they will know that neither do they themselves do anything in this, nor are they sources of the power of God. They are merely channels through which the contact passes to others. Let there be no feeling in you that you yourself are able to give the contact or to open people. Never feel yourself to be powerful, one who knows more, an elder, one who has something to give to others – never! You are nothing but a channel, and God alone is the source of all this.

It can easily happen that the person who is being opened is able to receive more quickly and has a higher jiwa than the opener who serves as the channel for him to receive the contact. But although his jiwa is of a higher quality than that of the opener, until the time of his Opening it remains closed. Once he has received the contact which flows through the being of the opener, his jiwa is awakened and his experience of this awakening may be more than that of the one who opens him.

This can easily happen. Bapak says therefore that there can be no elder in the helpers' group; they are all the same. It is only God Who can know the higher and the lower, the much or the little received by the helpers, or to what level anyone has attained. We can only receive what God bestows upon us.

When Bapak says that it is God alone Who knows these things, it means that we can know only if God wills, so that our knowledge is founded upon what is bestowed upon us by God. So also when Bapak tests with you, it is not a question of what he wishes to know; he only surrenders to God and receives what God bestows. This is but another way of saying that man is no more than a channel. It is true for Bapak himself; for there may be someone who after receiving the contact will receive more than does Bapak, and Bapak cannot complain to God about this.

It should be clear, therefore, with the explanations Bapak has given, that the work of the helpers or openers is not to guide others, but only to act as witnesses when people are being opened. It should also be understood that the way to do so is simply that the helpers should carry out their own worship of God in exactly the same way as usual, so that no influence from themselves can enter. In this way the openers can also receive from God for themselves, for their minds and feelings will not be directed towards the one being opened, but they will only be standing before Almighty God. From 'Subud and the Active Life ', page 173 (1st ed), page 12 7 (2nd ed.) - 1959.

3. Helpers' cleansing latihan before the Opening

BEFORE coming to an Opening it is desirable for the helpers to do a latihan. This is done in order that your own state should be purified, because otherwise you may be thinking about your unpaid bills or your sick child or some quarrel you have had; and if your thoughts and feelings are not quiet when you come to an Opening, then instead of being just a channel through which the Life Force can reach the newcomers, all the turmoil accumulated in you will flow towards them, and both the helpers and those being opened will lose thereby. There will be a greater profit for you as helpers if you follow this practice of quieting yourselves before an Opening than if you neglect it. Not only will it result in satisfaction for the inner feelings of those receiving the contact, but at that moment the helpers themselves will be able to receive and be in contact with the truly great and powerful Life Force. From 'Subud and the Active Life ', page 175 (1st ed.), page 128 (2nd ed.) - 1959.

4. Declaration of faith before the Opening

AS for the way to open someone who wishes to join Subud, that person is requested to stand facing the helper-opener. He is then asked to declare that he truly believes in God and His Power, and that he will worship none other than Almighty God. From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. VIII, No. 1, page 21 - (letter A 602) 1970.

5. Declaration must be made by person to be opened

CONCERNING the statement of declaration of belief in the greatness of the One God and willingness to obey and follow His instruction and guidance that manifest in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, this declaration must be made by the people who are to be opened. Because if it is the helper-opener who makes the declaration, then the persons being opened are like people being directed, and not acting through their own full determination. The helpers have to be aware of this. Thus, it is not something new or something old but something that must be this way. From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. VIII, No. 6, page 169 - (letter) 1 April 1971.

6. Further to above

JUST before the 'Opening words' are spoken, before an Opening, when a declaration of belief in God is asked of the candidate members, Rahayu said it was best to have the candidates make the full statement themselves. It is not enough for the helpers to ask the candidates: 'Do you believe in God and wish to worship only Him?' with the candidates only having to answer 'Yes' or 'I do'. It is important for the candidate members to state in their own words: 'I believe in One Almighty God and wish to worship only Him'.

However it is easier for candidates, and still acceptable, for helpers to ask the candidates to

'Repeat after me':

'I believe in the One Almighty God' (wait for candidate to repeat):

'And I wish to worship only God' (wait for candidate to repeat).

However it is best to be flexible and to reword the statement for those who are as yet unable to believe in God, to:

'I wish to believe in the One Almighty God and worship only Him',

with the reminder that Bapak says we must accept anybody into Subud who sincerely asks to receive the Contact.

Answers to questions to be made available to all helpers throughout the world via regional and group helpers, sent by ISC Helpers to all Councilors, 4 January 1979.

7. The Opening (the first latihan Of a new member in Subud)

IT is necessary for you, as helpers, to know the right way of opening applicants who have reached the time for being opened. The way to open them is as follows:

When the helpers stand in front of those who are to be opened, it is necessary for one of the helpers to say this:

OPENING WORDS

'WE are helpers in the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud and we are here to be as witnesses to your wish to worship the One Almighty God. We hope that your wish is truly based on sincerity.

You know that the One Almighty God is the Creator of the whole universe, of all that can be seen as well as of all that cannot be seen with our ordinary eyes. God is All-Glorious, All-Knowing and All-Powerful. Therefore in your worship, to which we bear witness, it will not be right to make use of your own self-willed desires and thoughts. For this reason we hope that at this moment you do not concentrate your thought, but open your feelings, truly surrender and submit your own will to the will of God, and be patient and sincere before the glory and greatness of the One Almighty God.

So that your feelings can become calm, we would like you to close your eyes, and to stand quite relaxed and to pay no attention to other people exercising. Also, when movement arises within your body, do not resist it and do not feel anxiety, but freely follow whatever arises within you.'

When the helper has spoken as explained above, all the helpers themselves should do their own latihan as usual. It is not necessary to think of the people who have been opened - leave it to the power of Almighty God. In this way the condition in the Opening will be clear, so that those on each side - that is, the helpers on one side and those being opened on the other - will receive what is necessary for themselves. From Bapak's letter to Sjafrudin Achmad and the Bournemouth Committee, 3 September 1958.

8. Take turns as openers

WHEN a new member is being opened: this can be done by one helper as opener, while the other helpers stand by. This is sufficient. It should be done like this so that they can take turns if there are many members to be opened. From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. VII, No. 2, page 19 - relevant recording: 67 NYC 2.

9. Helpers during the Opening

IF there is a new member who wishes to be opened, it is normal that he will, first of all, listen to explanations about Subud and then, finally when the time comes to be opened, he will meet with the helpers and prepare to do the latihan. At that time normally the new member has to say a few words which express his faith in God Almighty, followed by some words which are normally spoken by the helper. And at that moment the helper who is doing the Opening must surrender completely the state of this new member to God Almighty. So the helper only says to himself: 'Oh, God, I bring to You this person who wishes to worship God Almighty. Please grant him his wish in accordance with his own nature; in accordance with what he is able to receive.' Then the helper only does his own latihan, surrendering everything to God Almighty, and then God Almighty will give to the member who is being opened. It is not that the helper opens the member, or that the helper is directing his attention to the member who is being opened. And if the Opening is done in the way that Bapak has explained, then the helper who is doing the Opening will not feel any burden, or any heaviness, from opening this new member.

It is clear, and we know very well, that usually people who are coming to be opened have many many things on their mind. More than that, very often they have done all sorts of things before, like occultism and magic and all these sorts of things. So if the helper feels or receives something from the new member, at that moment he can feel very very unwell and very heavy from the Opening. But if this happens it is because the helper is still paying attention to the member who is being opened.

If the helper at that moment completely surrenders only to God Almighty, then not only will the helper not feel heavy from the Opening, but, more than that, he will receive something for himself as a reward for having brought a new person to the worship of God - while the person being opened will himself receive something from God Almighty that he can feel, and that will really be satisfying for his needs. From Pewarta Special Supplement No. 10, page 231 - relevant recording: 77 BUE 2.

10. Acting as a channel

BAPAK has often said that a helper's work is indeed really heavy, since he or she is, in effect, acting as a channel for the Life Force which awakens the inner-feeling of the person being opened. This happens because of the fact that the helper is one who has already received the contact with the power of God. Therefore the helper is obliged to feel everything that is felt by the person being opened. Thus if, for example, the person to be opened has some sorrow in his heart, the helper who opens him is bound to feel sad; and so too if the person to be opened is suffering from illness, the helper or opener will also feel his illness. But if, on the other hand, it so happens that the person being opened is pure in heart and has had a virtuous life, the opener in turn will feel pure, calm and satisfied in his inner-feeling.

This is how. it is for someone who has become a helper, although the pain he suffers or the feeling of peace and satisfaction he receives do not remain in him for long. For this reason it is therefore very necessary for Subud helpers that they should be strong of heart and truly have a feeling of surrendering patiently and sincerely to the power of God. From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. V, No. 3, page 77 - (letter) 5 August 1966.

11. Duties of helpers to those they have opened

SUBUD helpers are called 'pembantu pelatih'. 'Pembantu' means 'to help', 'pelatih' means 'to train'. Thus, pembantu-pelatih means assistant trainer. Supposing that the trainer is Bapak, the helpers are thus Bapak's helpers. They should be like Bapak, or at least a little.

What is important and what is needed for helpers is that they should open a brother or sister who wishes to join Subud; and after opening him or her the helper should not behave like someone who is flying a kite and after flying it, cutting the string and letting it go. Thus, helpers should not open a person and then leave him to do as he wishes.

But after an opening, it is necessary that there should be an inner bond, a relationship in the inner feeling, between the opener and the person who is opened, because when you open a new member you affirm that you are a witness. Although it cannot be seen because you have not reached the required level for it, yet it has been witnessed by the power of God that you open a new brother. If you just let him walk as best he can after you have opened him, and if you are asked: 'Why don't you look at him again?' you answer: 'Why should I bother?' it means that you do not take responsibility. You commit a sin.

Thus, if you have opened a new brother you should feel how he is. If necessary you should visit him so that he will really be aware of the nature of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, Susila Budhi Dharma.

Bapak has had this experience everywhere, brothers and sisters. Recently in Surabaja, Bapak received a brother who came to Bapak and said: <

/p>

'Pak, if I may, I want to speak to Bapak.'

'What about, son?'

'I have been a member of Subud for five years, and I do not understand what is called the latihan.'

'Well, what is this? Who opened you?'

'Mr. A.'

Then Bapak asked Mr. A: 'How is this? After five years and still like this?'

Mr. A. replied: 'Well, he never appears.'

Well, both sides wish to be right, and both are wrong. If the member does not appear, you should look for him so that he will appear.

Bapak then told this member to enter the latihan room, and Bapak assisted his latihan. Afterwards, when he was asked: 'How is it?' the member said: 'Oh, is this what is called the latihan?' 'Yes, it is that.'

'Well, that is the first time I could feel it.'

There are cases like this in Malang, in Surabaja, in Solo, and in Jogja; and Bapak does not know about here but you should not ask Bapak about it again. Actually, if there is a brother who is like that, the opener should be concerned - concerned: 'Oh, what is the matter? Why is he like that?' He must find out why the member in question cannot receive the latihan.

This, brothers and sisters, is what Bapak always needs to say to you. This is one of the reasons for the lack of a feeling of brotherhood, and for the split and lack of unity in the Brotherhood; and if it is so, there is no use saying: 'Assalanm 'alaikum rahmatullahi wa barakatuh' (Peace be with you and the blessing of God and His Grace), which is a salaam of love, a salaam of real brotherhood.

Thus, if there is a brother who does not come he should be asked the reason why. If he really does it intentionally and says: 'No, you should leave' me alone, I have asked to resign', or 'l am no longer a Subud member'; well, then it is not your fault and it is not your sin, but the sin of the brother himself; for he does not keep the promise he made when he was opened.

But if you yourself do not carry out your obligation, then it is you who do not keep your promise to God - you who have become His intermediary at the time of opening. From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. V, No. 5, page 31 known as Second Bandung Talk. Relevant recording.. 66 BDO 1.

12. Best to have openings separately from group latihan

SITI Rahayu said it was really best to have Openings separately from the group latihan. In other words, the helpers should be alone with the candidate members to be opened for the entire latihan, instead of having the rest of the members join in after a while. Such private Openings would also enable the helpers to allow the newly opened members to do latihan as long as was needed for them to receive and feel the latihan (as suggested in Bapak's talk). From Ibu Siti Rahayu, (letter) 4 January 1979.

13. Helpers to continue the Opening until the person can receive

IF helpers open someone, they must wait there until that person can receive. Supposing it takes an hour or an hour and a half and that person still cannot yet receive, then the helpers repeat it again and again on subsequent days, until he or she really can receive. And in that way that person will not eventually feel disappointed, and will not say: 'What in fact is this spiritual opening? I do not understand.' From Bapak's talk in Hawaii - relevant recording: 77 HNL 2.

14. Leave Opening to God

BAPAK always advises helpers, who are opening somebody, not to have a feeling that they are opening somebody, but instead to surrender the matter completely to the power of God Almighty. The process is like this - it goes from the helper to God Almighty, and then God Almighty gives to the person being opened, the Opening that we know. This is very important because in that case the helper is free from all responsibility or sin in this matter, because there is no man who is free from sin. If the helper opens someone with an attitude of 'I, the helper, am opening this person', then automatically the sins of this person who is being opened will affect the inner being of the helper who is doing the opening. For that reason it is very important for the helper to leave the matter entirely to God Almighty, and then the one who does the opening of the new member concerned is God Almighty - and in that case both the helper and the new member will receive what they need. The helper will himself then receive grace and a benefit from God Almighty, because he has been willing to surrender the whole matter to God Almighty.

This is certainly something that those of you who are helpers have experienced. But supposing you are about to open somebody, and let's say his thinking is still in a great mess when you face him - the moment you face him, at the moment of the Opening, you feel very unwell, and you can say that you feel extremely awful. This is a sign that you are already affected by that person, right at the beginning, at the beginning of the Opening. And this is so because that person who is just being opened, is still completely under the influence of many many lower forces - these influences are still 100 per cent strong within him, and so his state is still very very dirty, and this dirt will, of course, affect the being of the helper at that moment.

The reason that this happens is because the helper is thinking about the paying attention to the person who is being opened, whereas what he should do 100 per cent is to turn only towards the power of God Almighty, so that as, far as the person who is being opened - it's enough just to take note of him, but it's not necessary to pay attention to him, or to think about him.

You can take Bapak himself as an example of this. When Bapak faces all of you, it may be that among you there are people who are very confused, or who are in a bad state, or something like that. But none of this touches Bapak in any way, because at the moment Bapak confronts you Bapak is not confronting you, but is only confronting God Almighty. Therefore it does not affect Bapak at all what state you happen to be in when you are in front of Bapak, because Bapak is only facing God Almighty.

Conversely, you yourself are not facing Bapak, but you are also facing God Almighty, so that Bapak receives what he needs, which is that Bapak is facing something clean, that is the power of God, and you are also facing something clean, so that you can feel this cleanness within yourself at that moment. This is why Bapak says it is very important - and Bapak would like from now on, that the helpers (if you are opening someone) should take note of this and try to do the Opening in this way, because if you can do that then you will from the beginning not be affected.

If you come in front of someone who is in a confused state and you then feel sick, it means from the very beginning you are already affected by him. What is necessary is that from the very beginning, before you meet the person, you already surrender completely to God Almighty, and you continue this surrendering all through the Opening, so that you will in no way be affected by the state of the person being opened, whereas he himself will receive what he needs because he will be face to face with the power of God.

This is something that Bapak can illustrate so that you can grasp it with your mind. If you are facing a cool stream or cool water, then you will feel cool. If you are facing fire then you will feel hot. Bapak gives this advice to the helpers, and Bapak really hopes that you can carry this out to some extent - maybe not 100 per cent to start with, but at least you can try to make a start. If you can open people in this way, then it will be for you like an exercise or a practice in being able to distinguish between what comes from the nafsu and what comes from the power of God.

If Bapak can give you an example - Bapak himself. Bapak, at all times, is in a state which, if you could see it, is like this - Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, all the time. That means that Bapak is at every second, every moment of the day, worshipping God Almighty; that means that if something unpleasant is coming towards Bapak, in front of Bapak, that unpleasant something immediately disappears - and what makes it disappear is not Bapak, but the power of God Almighty. From Pewarta Special Supplement No. 5, page 9 7 - relevant recording: 77 WOB 3.

15. Cleansing latihan after an Opening

A 'CLEANSING' latihan is only for helpers and should be carried out for about fifteen minutes after an Opening.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. II, No. 3/4, page 64 - (letter) 1961.

Note: See also 'Cleansing latihan' at end of Chapter 'Aspects of the latihan'