1. Questions for testing

1. In order to test a question, the question should be expressed clearly by the person who asks it. But it the questioner asks about something in written form, the meaning of what he has written should be really and truly understood by the helpers who are to do the testing.

2. It is quite permissible for members to submit questions concerning subjects such as a change of job or house, marriage problems and so on, and for the helpers to test these questions. Only it is necessary to fix the days for this, for example once or twice a week. This is necessary so that the helpers can be assembled to do the testing together.

3. The testing on questions submitted by women members should be done by the Women helpers, and the testing on questions for men members should be done by the men helpers. This testing can be done both on questions submitted in written form and on questions submitted personally.

4. It is best not to permit anyone except the person submitting the question,to be present at the testing, as there is the possibility that it is not necessary for others to know and hear the question.

5. It is not yet permissible for helpers to test in the way Bapak does with members, when Bapak asks them: 'Where are your hands? Where are your feet? Where is your head? etc.' because most of the helpers are not yet on a suitable level to do such testing. And, in reality, the testing mentioned in this paragraph that Bapak does is an examination for you (to test how far you have progressed).

The helpers should not test in order to find out how far the jiwa of the members has progressed. This work can only be clone by a member or helper who is really on a high level in the field of the kejiwaan. For this reason, just to be obedient in receiving and following the way of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud with kesabaran (patience), ketawakalan (trustful acceptance), and keichlasan (sincere submission). For patience, trustful acceptance and sincere submission to the will of Almighty God are absolutely essential for the jiwa's development that you need.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud, Vol. VIII, No. 2, pages 41-43:(letter) 1 June 1970.

2. Concerning testing

WHEN a helper or a member carries out testing in the spiritual way (kejiwaan) of Subud it is similar to doing the latihan kejiwaan. The difference is that, when testing, the person who tests has a question to ask before doing the latihan, to which he or she then receives an answer in whatever form he is able to receive it. Whereas when one does the latihan it is necessary first to empty oneself of ideas and imaginings, to surrender in trust and sincerity to the will of Almighty God, and then one will receive and follow the guidance and direction that comes from the power of God manifested in the latihan kejiwaan.

This then is the difference between testing and just receiving and following the latihan kejiwaan. If, therefore, a member or a helper tests frequently, because there are many different questions, he will be obliged to reduce the time spent in receiving and practicing his latihan, which is, essentially, following the guidance and direction that come from the power of Almighty God.

Indeed it is necessary for people to test as well, but if this is done it is for reasons such as the need to know on what spiritual (kejiwaan) level a person now stands, or to enable one to know for oneself why it is that after being in Subud for a number of years one is still unable to receive experiences that can be felt. Testing can also be carried out when someone wishes to know how to behave in order to lessen the influence of the passions (nafsu) that still continually oppress his inner feeling, and in other cases where there is a connection with spiritual matters (kejiwaan).

Testing can also be done to select someone' to serve on a committee or as a helper, since these duties are always connected with spiritual matters.

The cases just mentioned certainly fall within the spiritual category and are in harmony with the way of the latihan kejiwaan, which is essentially guidance and direction from the power of Almighty God.

As you know, the latihan kejiwaan of Subud has its being and comes through the grace of Almighty God. Evidence of this is that its presence stills the thoughts and imagination and causes the working of heart and ,mind to cease. This is clear proof, and you yourselves have witnessed it.

If the latihan kejiwaan has come into being by the grace of Almighty God, it is only fitting that we should hold R in high respect, and not practice it simply as our hearts wish. For if we only follow the desires of our hearts when we do the latihan, it means that we degrade the guidance and direction of Almighty God, the All-Glorious and All-Wise.

On the other hand, if we do the latihan kejiwaan and use it following the spiritual way, this means that we truly hold in high esteem the guidance and direction of Almighty God, manifested in the latihan kejiwaan which we have received and are practicing. For this reason, so far as is possible, we should not employ testing for purposes that fall outside the field of spiritual matters.

If necessary, you may also test in order to be able to know your fate, and what to do to be able to change it for the better. But you should not then ask about all your various needs, as if you were questioning a 'dukun' (witch-doctor or fortune-teller). This sort of thing is indeed work for a witch-doctor or fortune-teller. But for us, whose primary aim is the worship of Almighty God in accordance with His direction and guidance, such a habit is rather far removed from our original objective.

The fact is that many questions can be weighed and examined with your hearts and minds, such as wanting to move house, to change your work, to discover how to pay your debts, to know how to manage your property, to find a marriage-partner or to improve an unfortunate lot in life. But occasionally, it is obvious that heart and mind are inadequate to reach a satisfactory conclusion, only then should you ask the helpers to test about such a problem. For if you fall into the habit of asking about all kind of things, you will eventually get into the way of being just an expert questioner, and you will not understand that the Subud latihan kejiwaan, which exists by the grace of Almighty God, will enable you to know for yourself all that is necessary. It is better, therefore, not to make a habit of testing such problems.

It may be that you feel such questions as these to be very important for you. Well, yes, if you feel that they are important, maybe every kind of problem that becomes a necessity in your life is important. But the essential purpose and content of these questions does not tally or correspond with your intentions at the time when you were about to enter the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud.

If you will remember the situation at the time when you were about to enter Subud, you were reminded that the Subud latihan exists by and comes through the grace of Almighty God, and is in its essence man's Worship of God according to His guidance and direction manifested in the latihan kejiwaan.

This is the purport of what you were told. As for questions of healing, setting right the inner force (jiwa) and the purification of the inner feeling, which relate to one's fate in life, all this will proceed of itself, because the improvement of the inner force and purification of the inner feeling are carried out in the course of the latihan kejiwaan, which is in truth direction and guidance from Almighty God.

So it is clear that if you really do surrender patiently, sincerely and trustfully to the will of Almighty God, your inner force will be raised up towards a superior level, and your inner feeling will be cleansed of the impurities and faults which are the cause of your misfortune, so that subsequently you will be filled by an inner force of superior quality, and the purity of your inner feeling will cause your fate in life to become a good one.

You will not, of course, be able to experience all these results immediately, because your inner force has sunk too low, and the impurities and faults of your inner feeling form a closely interwoven network. Except through the grace of God, these results could never be achieved at all.

In fact, the reason why a person experiences misfortune is only because his inner force has not yet risen to a higher level, and his inner feeling is still full of impurities and faults. This is why their elders advise people to accept the misfortunes that they experience as a test or trial in their lives. For if the experience of misfortune is accepted as a test or trial in one's life, then, far from falling into despair, the heart and feelings will be surrendered. It is from just such a state that there arises a feeling of prihatin (self restraint in eating, sleeping and pleasures, combined with an attitude of surrender to God), of making an effort to correct one's fate by way of cutting down food and sleep, marital relations and all kinds of pleasures.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud, Vol. VII, No. 2, pages 3-9: relevant recording: 77 QLS 1.

3. Helpers should answer from testing, not conscience

AS for your saying that 'some helpers want to make tests about everything and about all decisions, etc.' Bapak says that it is indeed necessary that the testing be carried out by helpers who are able to do it well. But although this is the case, Bapak hopes that you will not carry out the testing in order to know things that are not necessary.

1. In reply to your questions:

'Can a helper be under an obligation to make a test?' Bapak says that for someone who is already able to do the testing well it is indeed necessary.

2. And in answer to your question:

'May a helper give the answer indicated by his conscience, without testing?' Bapak says: 'NO!'. It is necessary for the helper to give an answer to a question by testing, because an answer from carrying out the testing comes from within and is free from the influence of the passions.

3. Bapak's advice to your question:

'May a helper give his opinion as dictated by this conscience if he feels he cannot receive a sufficient answer by testing', is the same as in 2. above.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud, Vol. II, No. 4, page 117 - (letter) 2 March 1967.

THOSE who are going to test should first of all understand the meaning of the questions and then, not thinking about it any more, simply surrender to the power of Almighty God and begin to do the latihan in the ordinary way.

In the course of this they will be able to receive the answer to the question, with which they have already acquainted themselves, following the usual way in which they receive and do the latihan kejiwaan; that is, one will receive in the form of movements, another in the form of speech, and yet another will be already able to receive in the feelings and understanding.

For someone who receives in the form of movements, the answer may, for example, take the form of shaking the head to right and left for 'no', or if the movement is in the hands, the hands will move in such a way as to indicate ~o'. On the contrary, if the answer indicated in the movement is 'yes', the head will nod up and down, whilst if it is received through the movement of the hands, it is the movement of the hands which convey the meaning of 'yes'.

In the case of receiving in speech, apart from that which comes from the inner and without thinking about it, the mouth and tongue merely follow the words being spoken: 'Yes' or 'No'.

As to the last thing mentioned above - that is, receiving in the feelings and understanding - it seems that for you it is too soon to do this, for this stage seems still to lie far beyond your present situation.

Further to this, it is necessary to understand that in carrying out the work of testing as above, you should not let the person who is involved in the question take part in it, in order that those who are testing should feel free.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. V, No. 1, page 23 - (letter) 6 May 1966.

NOTE from the Dewan of International Helpers:

You will notice the variations in Bapak's answers as to whether the person who is asking a question should take part in the testing or not. It is up to the helpers to decide whether the questioner might disturb their receiving, or whether he himself can receive and it is useful for him later on to carry out what he and the helpers have received.

4. Testing if a member should have an operation

WHEN a question arises as to whether a sick person should or not undergo an operation, Bapak hopes that those of you who are helpers will be able to answer and give guidance to people who ask such questions, since by testing together you can establish whether or not an operation is necessary for the person who asks.

From 'Subud and the Active Life ', page 112 (1st ed.), page 82 (2nd ed.) - 1959.

5. Testing and worldly matters

IF we receive something from within we are still not sure whether this something is right or not. We cannot immediately assume that this is something from God, because there are within us so many other things which are from a lower source.

So, therefore, when it comes to making decisions about ordinary things in the outer world, then it is also right to take these decisions in an ordinary way - that is, just by thinking about them in the normal way, using the apparatus that we have been given by God Almighty for living in this world.

If we always have the feeling, or if we nurture the feeling within ourselves that no matter what we want to do we must get God's permission first, this will actually not bring us a situation which is light and free and open - but, on the contrary, it will bring us into a state that is more and more dark and confused.

So Bapak really advises you, in this case, when it comes to making decisions about practical matters, to do it in a normal way and not to do too much testing - because, as Bapak just said, this will not make you feel lighter and more open and more clear within yourself but, on the contrary, will bring you into a state of darkness.

From Pewarta Special Supplement No. 7, page 135 - relevant recording: 77 QLS 1.

6. Name and relevant problem should be known

WITH regard to your question whether numbers may be used instead of names, Bapak says the helpers may not use numbers; the name of the person should be known properly, and the person's problems understood.

From Bapak, (letter) October 1966

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