1. Helpers should set an example

CONCERNING the helpers: these are in truth Bapak's helpers because Bapak cannot always come here or anywhere else. Therefore Bapak hopes that the helpers in their behavior or character will become an example to other members.

What kind of example does Bapak propose? It is nothing else but that the helpers should remember that the presence of the latihan kejiwaan is received from God, and that it is God's will for man to be able to receive the bettering of his inner being and always to be able to follow the way of life which is orderly and good. Remembering this, helpers should be in harmony with one another, they should appreciate each other in mutual love, and not quarrel, because in the spiritual life this is useless. It is useless for a helper to argue with another helper in order to convince him of what he has received.

Every helper, as Bapak has said before, can become an example to members and have a character which likes both receiving and giving. Do not just enjoy receiving, without liking to give, or only enjoy giving without liking to receive. If the helpers' group has such a nature or such a condition nothing will happen to deviate from what we receive in the latihan kejiwaan.

To clarify and confirm what Bapak has said: a helper is a member who has been chosen as having more experience in the latihan kejiwaan, so it is very necessary to come to decisions by way of testing together to find the way to do what has to be done, not relying on desires, heart and mind, but on the power of Almighty God Who gives guidance which we receive within ourselves. In this way, the possibility of friction and breach between helpers will not arise.

As you know, rightness, truth and goodness depend on Almighty God, or are in the hands of Almighty God. Man is not able to do anything. In other words, man is not able to know whether he is good and how far his goodness extends and whether his action is right or wrong. Man is not able to know this because of the nature of man, possessing a heart and mind which are changing all the time. He says now: this is good. Tomorrow something else is better. Tomorrow he says: that is good, and the day after tomorrow something else is even better. Such is the character of heart and mind. So man is not able to define the extent of goodness and truth unless the knowledge is given to him by God.

If you consider it further: what is the use of conflict, what is the use of disagreement among the helpers, when the way that leads to God, enabling us to receive the gift of God in harmony with our inner being, can only be reached when man has a feeling of patience and love towards his fellow men, and is willing both to receive and to give? Clearly, the way to God lies within the self or the inner being of man when it is truly patient, trusting, sincere and obedient towards the command of God.

Therefore, as far as possible, helpers should act or behave in accordance with the action and behavior of the prophets of former times, who in their life story, as many of you have heard, are symbolized as shepherds, as shepherds of sheep. The meaning of this is that the helpers should take care of and serve the members, giving guidance to those who need it, and clear and helpful explanations.

If you are a helper, do not have the wish to behave forcefully towards other members as much as to say: 'It must be like this whatever happens.' You should not do that, for as a helper you are rather like a parent and the ordinary member like his child, even though the child should follow his mother, or his parents, they should behave carefully and not force the child to follow their actions. The parent should know the extent of the child's wishes and the child's strength. Therefore the burden or responsibility of the helper is really very heavy, for he should at least be able to know the character and the condition of the members.

If helpers behave forcefully or harshly towards the members, their actions do not reach !this standard. So, as time goes on, the membership does not grow well and increase, but it decreases. However, in our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud it is necessary for helpers to be able to give very clear explanations to members, so that the members, in their wishing and in their feeling, grow close to the helpers, in a relationship like that with a parent or guardian who is tactfully taking care of them.

In their own group, that is, in the helper's group, as Bapak has previously suggested, the helpers should work as harmoniously as possible 'so that co-operation one with another is achieved, and so that inner temptation will of itself diminish or cease; namely, the temptation of the lower forces which are always in the inner feeling, and which always tempt the heart and mind. In this way you can receive the gift of God which manifests in the latihan, and you can receive in a smooth and consistent way.

Clearly such a relationship .among the helpers is also a kind of latihan. The latihan is not only practiced every Saturday, every Thursday, or every Tuesday and Wednesday evening; but your heart and mind, which are always tempted by the desires and used as instruments by the lower forces, should also be trained as much as possible to avoid the lower forces, so that you are not again easily tempted by the nafsu.

It means also that in such a situation you assist the work of God, as it were. In this case, you do not help as one man ordinarily helps another, but it means that you do not continually use the nafsus which easily cause friction among helpers and between helpers and :members. This can be called helping the work of God, because you do not bring back again the dirt and the faults which have been removed and eliminated by the power of Almighty God. Therefore if you do not act in this way, it means that you are not grateful to God, as you do not pay heed to God's help to you. Also, you sin greatly against your inner life which has received the contact from the greatness of God, and it is hoped that through the contact which you have received you can return to your noble state and can be sure of the true path.

It is indeed very necessary and of great benefit to' you all, if you can really do as Bapak has just advised, because nobility, the high estate of man that will enable him to reach a high level and to know the secret of life, can only be achieved if a man is truly patient, and really able to become a guardian, a shepherd, someone who takes care of his brothers and his fellow men.

Therefore, Bapak suggests to you all, especially to the helpers, that you work together in your activities. Do not let it happen that one blames the other and that he in turn blames others again, and one calls another no good and vice-versa. It is indeed very necessary that you hold a helpers' meeting at least once a month, with the special purpose of discussing what you think and feel needs consideration. In this meeting do not make decisions with heart and mind, but come to decisions by testing in latihan together, so that you reach decisions from within, Which need to be trusted by all the helpers.

From Bapak ~ talk in Planegg near Munich

relevant recording.' 64 PLG 4.

2. The duties and obligations of a helper are:

1. To give explanations concerning the basis and aim of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud to those who are interested in joining Subud. It is necessary to explain that the latihan kejiwaan of Subud cannot be obtained through the teaching or the practice of a theory, but that it is received through the grace of the One Almighty God and is based on surrender to His greatness, with complete patience, trustful acceptance and sincere submission. So the basis of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud is our constant devotion to Almighty God in accordance with His guidance and direction which manifest in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, and the aim is that we may become human beings who have the character of a noble nature. Such are the explanations that should be given to those who wish to join Subud.

Before joining Subud it is necessary to understand that Subud, or the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, is not a magical practice that will enable a person to make large profits in a commercial enterprise or to obtain promotion in his work, or that will hasten recovery from an illness from which he suffers.

Of course, brothers and sisters, everyone wants to have a healthy body and sufficient means in life, but such things are not the objective in Subud. However, so long as we follow the way of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, we can always receive purification of the inner-feeling and development of the jiwa, which can really change a fate in life that is bad to one that is good, and can lighten the physical sufferings of the body which can eventually become healthy. But in entering Subud, the basis and aim is devotion; that is, constant devotion to the One Almighty God with patience, trustful acceptance and sincere submission. Whether a bad fate in life eventually becomes good and the suffering from a physical illness is cured, depends upon the will of Almighty God. He is the One Who can decide what is beyond our comprehension. This is what the helpers have to explain to people who are interested in joining Subud. This is necessary so that they will not have any misunderstanding about Subud later on.

2. It is the helper's obligation to open people who have completed the time of probation, and to attend their subsequent latihans until they are really able to receive and feel the latihan kejiwaan of Subud.

3. A helper must come to the latihan place whenever there is a latihan and opening of brothers or sisters who have completed the period of probation, even if other helpers are there. This is indeed an obligation of a helper, so that there will always be a good atmosphere in the group and a deep feeling of brotherhood between the members and the helpers, so that the members regard the helpers as older brothers who are worthy of respect and whose advice is trusted.

4. As far as possible, a helper must guard the unity of the membership so that it remains one whole. Thus, if a member does not come to the latihan for some time, the helpers must attend to this and ask why it happens. It is very important for a helper to do this, so that he can come to know the true situation. If the member does not attend the latihan because he is not yet able to receive and feel what is called the latihan kejiwaan of Subud, then the helpers must immediately take steps so that he can really receive and feel it.

The way to do this is by having him stand up and close his eyes, and not think of anything but just have a feeling of surrender to the One Almighty God with trustful acceptance and sincere submission; and then the helpers do their latihan in front of him. It must be remembered, however, that the helpers should never touch the member nor should they give him any advice when they do the latihan kejiwaan in front of him, but only surrender everything to the greatness of Almighty God. If this practice is really followed, both the helpers and the' member who is being opened feel content and light, because the person being opened is able to receive and feel the presence of the latihan kejiwaan of Subud and the helpers also feel the progress in the realm of the kejiwaan.

However, brothers and sisters, if the situation is otherwise - for instance, if helpers have made several visits to the member who has not come to the latihan for a long time and it is clear that the member really does not want to be in Subud any longer - then the helpers can discuss this matter with the committee, who should send a letter to the member in order to ascertain his wishes. If it is the person's sincere wish to leave the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud, his name is to be removed from the members' register immediately. In this way, the helpers and committee members no longer have to give that member any further thought and our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud is free from responsibility for any of his actions.

5. The helpers have no obligation to arrange financial matters. Thus the helpers' particular obligation is to take care of matters concerning the kejiwaan. Consequently, the committee must make the preparations and provide for the needs of the helpers when they visit homes of members who are ill or members who have not attended the latihan for some time.

6. There is no chairman, secretary or treasurer in the helpers' group. Therefore the helpers can hand over to the committee any necessary correspondence and the committee will attend to it. If the helpers have to make a decision about something, the way to do so is by testing together. This is essential so that decisions of this kind can be reached from within, free from the influence of the nafsu.

7. If some group needs an additional helper, the helpers have the right to propose to Bapak a member to be appointed as a helper. But it must be remembered that, apart from having experience in the kejiwaan, the proposed helper must be a person of good behavior and able to care for the members.

8. As the helper's duties are international in character, a helper's position cannot be the same as that of a committee member. Outside his group he remains a helper, so that if he visits a place that is still without a Subud committee or organization, and if there happens to be some people there who wish to join Subud, he has the right to open them. But in this case he must inform his fellow helpers in his home group.

9. Women who wish to join Subud must be opened by women helpers who then continue to attend their latihan. The same applies in the case of men who wish to join Subud. They must be opened by men helpers. Also, concerning visiting the sick: if the member is a woman, it is the women helpers who visit her, and if the sick member is a man, the visit is made by men helpers. The same applies when testing for answers to questions presented by the members. Questions from women members must be dealt with by women helpers and those of men members by men helpers.

I0. Helpers are not permitted to mix other theories and practices with the latihan kejiwaan of Subud.

11. A helper who is chosen by the general membership to serve on the committee of the organization must become non-active and be relieved of his helper's duties. He becomes active again and takes up his duties when he is no longer a member of the organizational committee.

12. The duties of a helper are not limited in time. A helper can continue to carry out his duties as a helper year after year. he may give up his duties only when he feels that he is no longer capable of fulfilling them, and in that case he himself must send a written statement, endorsed by his fellow helpers, in order to obtain Bapak's approval. Furthermore, a helper can be compelled to resign from his duties as a helper if he deliberately mixes the practices and theories of some teaching with the latihan kejiwaan of Subud.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. VIII, No. 3, page 67 Statement by Bapak - 30 October 1970.

3. Helpers responsible for new members and for their development

THE duty of a helper, once he has opened a member, is no different from that of a teacher towards his pupil. There is no teacher who will stand up and ignore what happens to his pupils, or who will not take an interest and make sure that they are able to receive and understand that which he has taught them. There is no teacher who will just stand by idly, while his pupils go off to someone else halfway through what he is teaching them - they suddenly leave and go off and start learning something else. A teacher will feel responsible, and will try to help and to guide his pupils until they are able to understand truly what he has to give them.

From Pewarta Special Supplement No. 14, page 306 relevant recording: 77 SFO 2.

4. Helper only an intermediary

... I do not blame you for having a feeling of responsibility as a helper who wishes to do something for Subud, which, in fact, is indeed difficult, because it is not within reach of your capacity, nor perhaps of the capacity of us all.

Therefore, to overcome this situation, don't force yourself to break through this with the mind and your inner feeling, which are limited; because if this continues, it will not result in clarity or purity but, on the contrary, will bring darkness, discouragement and despair. Surrender it all to One Almighty God so that you yourself do not lose your direction and control, so that within your quietness later a wide way will open.

Your duty as a helper is only to help your brothers or sisters in what is needed in accordance with your capacity, because you are only as an intermediary. If each helper can carry out his or her duties well, keeping himself far from his own self-interests so that one will be able to create harmony, and work together ˇ with his fellow helpers, then this will bring a great influence to the members

From Ibu Siti Rahayu, [letter} 2 May 1980.

5. Include the committee in the helper's latihan

AT the latihan of the helpers twice a month it is also very necessary that the helpers should always invite the committee members to be present, because the committee, although they are charged with worldly duties in the Brotherhood, need to experience a deepening of their understanding of the kejiwaan, they need to experience and to understand the kejiwaan. For this reason it is important that they should be included in the helper's latihan, so that they do not feel left out of the kejiwaan by the helpers.

If you do leave them out, sooner or later you will find that less and less people want to be on the committee, until in the end nobody will want to work on the committee, because they will feel it is as though they are not included in the kejiwaan, or that they are only required to deal with worldly things.

It is very important to do this in order to have a good feeling and a good co-operation between the helpers and the committee.

From Pewarta Special Supplement No. 14, page 308 - relevant recording: 77 SFO 2.

6. Attendance of helpers at Committee meetings

THE attendance of helpers at committee meetings is at the request of the committee when the committee feels it is necessary. In general, Bapak does not encourage helpers sitting in on committee meetings because Bapak feels that the work of helpers is already very heavy and having to listen to all the discussions of the committee is not something that should be inflicted on them as a regular thing. Nevertheless, if the committee have problems where they require the presence of helpers during the discussions then it is indeed the duty of the helpers to attend and give whatever advice is required. From Bapak, (letter 3 July 1978.

7. Helpers to guide, look after and build up the membership

THE helpers are, in fact, the pioneers of Subud. Without the helpers there will be no members, because it is the helpers who open the members. So it is truly the helpers who hold the position of guidance or leadership in the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud; it is they who have to be able to give explanations and to make the members aware of what the latihan really is and what Subud really is.

For this it is necessary, as Bapak has said very frequently before, that the members must have a feeling of love and admiration and respect for the helpers, so that they like to hear and to follow the indication and the explanations of the helpers. The helpers should not any more have a feeling that they cut themselves off from the members, or that they keep their distance from the members, because actually they, as pioneers, have to help the members, advise the members, serve the members. So it should not be the other way around, that it is the members who look after the helpers and take care of them and serve them.

As for finding new members, or trying to increase the membership of Subud, actually it is not necessary for you to work hard and try to attract members to Subud and to find new members, because if you really do your job as a helper and really act and behave as helpers should, then the number of members in the group will increase automatically by itself without your doing anything about it. The job of the helpers, therefore, is that they are actually responsible for building up the membership - that is, for looking after the composition of the group, guiding the whole membership and looking after the needs of the membership.

From Pewarta Special Supplement No. 6, page 122 - relevant recording: 77 BCN 2.

8. What is an active and what is a non-active member.

CONCERNING the definition of active membership, for the purposes of your census, Bapak said that an active member is one who does latihan frequently. Bapak did not define what he meant by frequently but I got the feeling that he meant something like once a week on average as being the minimum level which would be classified as frequently. If a member starts to attend latihan infrequently and continues to do so for six months, his name can be removed from the list of active members. Again, Bapak did not define what he meant by infrequently but what I understood him to mean was a level of attendance consistently less than that defined above.

Once somebody's name has been removed from the list of active members he or she is still allowed to attend the latihan whenever he or she likes.

This rule is made because the latihan kejiwaan is worship, therefore it is clear that the activity of somebody in doing the latihan is left to the person concerned, for it is in her or his own interest. This is because the development or decline of the receiving of the brothers and sisters in the latihan kejiwaan is in truth dependent on the perseverance and diligence with which they do it. From Bapak - {letter by Sharif Horthy} 10 September 19 77.

9. Attitude to members who leave the group, then reappear

AS for ordinary members who leave the group, they may simply be received back as members if they reappear. Only it is necessary to inform them that they should not make a habit of doing this

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. V, No. 3, page 75 - (letter) 22 November 1966.

10. How to deal with members who persist in irregular behavior.

IT is actually your obligation as helpers to look after the brothers and sisters (the members) so that they obey all the regulations of the Association of our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud, and also so that they can become people of good character in accordance with the guidance and direction of the power of Almighty God, which manifest in the latihan kejiwaan of Subud. Even so, the helpers do not, in fact, have the right to force a member to follow their advice and their rules if the member does not wish to respect these.

Therefore, if a member is stubborn and does not want to heed the advice and the rules of the helpers, and if this happens several times, the member's name may be immediately removed from the members' register of the Association of the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud, and whatever he does is no longer the responsibility of either the helpers or the committee of the Association of the Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud.

We are obliged to act in this way because we have to remember that, although we are concerned with the spiritual life, we still continue to live as people who are under the protection of tile laws and regulations of our respective countries. And as, in fact, the laws and regulations of these countries are made for the order and safety of the population, if the behavior and the actions of a member really deviate from the rules of the Association of our Spiritual Brotherhood of Subud, which is recognized and legally established in the respective countries, we must act in accordance with the regulations which are laid down for us.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. VII, No. 4, page 29 - (letter A-904) 1970.

11. Helpers are not leaders

IN the reality of spiritual life, a helper should have attained the level at which he is able to correct his own faults and to realize how far his own development has gone; he must also be able to answer questions from members of his group. But those of you who are now serving in this capacity have not yet reached that level, and therefore you should not consider - because you have been appointed by Bapak to be a helper - that you are a real helper. To be a real helper you must continue without neglecting your own latihan kejiwaan for a long time. Bapak has advised - and this advice is also contained in the statement about the duties of helpers - that you should in no way feel yourself to be the leader of a group of people exercising, but that you should simply do your own latihan kejiwaan together with them; you have the duty of watching to see that there are no collisions and that no one goes out of the room while still doing the latihan kejiwaan, and that is all.

The reason why the helpers should not feel themselves to be leaders when they carry out their duties is that if they do, both they themselves and also the other people with .whom they are doing file latihan will lose the benefits of the latihan kejiwaan. But if they refrain from such a feeling, the door will be open for all to receive from the power of God anything that is required for the development Of their own being. Thus it is that the duty of the helpers is only that of accompanying their brethren in their latihan kejiwaan.

From 'Subud and the Active Life ' page 214 (1st ed.), page 155 (2nd ed.) - 1959.

12. To a helper

YOU say you are living with a Subud member to whom you are not yet legally married. While this is so, it is right and proper for you to set an example and give up your position as a helper. From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. VII, No. 5, page 19 - (letter A-13-4).

13. The duties of a helper starting a new group

YOU have the right to open people who wish to join Subud: but at least one month before a person is to be opened you must explain to him the meaning of Subud and the basis and aim of its latihan kejiwaan. At the present time, those who wish to join Subud in your area are permitted to do so after a probationary period of only one month; but later when there are more than ten members it is necessary for applicants to keep to the three month probationary period: that is to say, they can be opened if they have completed the probationary period of three months and have shown sincerity during that time.

It is necessary for you to guard tire unity of the members and, eventually, when the membership has increased to more than ten members, you should form an organization or committee. You yourself can choose the first chairman, and you leave it to the chairman to select his own secretary and treasurer from among the members, who can co-operate with him. When the organization has been set up - that is, when the members of the committee and the working program have been well established - then you can turn to your own need: that is, you should propose from among those who have been able to receive the latihan kejiwaan fairly well, some members to be appointed by Bapak as helpers, because you will certainly need co-workers in the spiritual field so that the opening of new members can later be done by two or three helpers taking turns.

Finally, when the organization of the committee has been established, all matters concerning the requirements of the members - for instance, the payment of the contributions, preparing the place for the latihan and arranging other worldly matters - should be left to the committee members, and you and the other helpers should function only as helpers in the spiritual field. The bi-annual appointments of chairman, secretary and treasurer are to be by election at the general meeting of all the members. From Bapak, (letter 3325) 1969.

14. Helpers knowing and understanding each other

IT is necessary for there to be a contact of mutual understanding and awareness in the helper's group. In this matter, the brother or sister helpers should not feel hesitant or in doubt or worried about the secrets of their lives being found out, because even though there may be some among the helpers who do not wish the secrets of their lives to be known by the other helpers, nevertheless their secrets may become known automatically through the latihan kejiwaan which they follow.

Helpers who are able to understand each other, so that the shortcomings or faults which they have can be pointed out by their other brother helpers, are indeed fortunate, for in this way their shortcomings and faults can be corrected. Also, as a result, the helpers will come to have a wider spiritual outlook, so that they will not subsequently experience any difficulty in answering the questions put to them by the members.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol VI, No. 3, page 3 - (letter) 1968.

15. Helpers reminding each other

BAPAK is very much in agreement if one helper reminds another about his or her mistakes. Supposing one helper is giving advice or is attending to the members in a way which is wrong, or is giving advice which deviates from the truth, Bapak is very much in agreement if another helper will remind him or her about his or her mistakes.

But the way to do this is not by having a feeling of 'I am higher than you' - but simply in the way of co-operating or helping each other, that you correct each other in a way that is truly based on mutual respect.

From ISC Book of Bapak's talks, 19 76 Journey, page 40 - relevant recording: 76 SFO 3.

16. Attend all Openings

A HELPER must attend the latihan kejiwaan whenever there is a general latihan and an Opening of brothers or sisters who have completed their probationary period, even if other helpers are there.

This is indeed an obligation of a helper in order that there may always be a good atmosphere in the group and a deep feeling of brotherhood between members and helpers. Then, automatically, this will enable the inner and outer relationship between members and helpers to become firm, and the members will regard the helpers as older brothers/sisters who are worthy of respect and love.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. IX, No. 3, page 79 - relevant recording: 70 TJK 6.

17. Men helpers should not advise women members and vice versa

ABOUT the giving of advice by a man helper to women members: it is better to prohibit it. Do not delay in doing this, because in Subud advice for women members must be given by women helpers, and advice for men members must be given by men helpers.

In this way, the division of work can be arranged in an orderly manner that does not deviate from the regulations already in being in Subud. So if such things occur - that is, if a man helper likes to advise women members - that is a wrong habit which does not accord with the regulations.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. X, No. 2, page 63 - (letter 2398) 1972.

18. At National Congress

ALTHOUGH enterprises and their expansion will be one of the main subjects of your Congresses, you should also give priority to your latihan kejiwaan and its development. Because our Brotherhood is called the Association of the Kejiwaan Brotherhood, whenever Bapak is personally present at a Subud National Congress, Bapak puts first the latihan kejiwaan, testing and talks, giving guidance and clarification in the kejiwaan; while whenever Bapak is not able to be present at a Congress, it is there that the National Dewan Kejiwaan is needed to be able to act as Bapak's real helpers.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. XI, No. 1, page 3 l - (letter 3558) 1973.

19. At International Congress

EVERYTHING whatsoever that has a connection with the field of the kejiwaan of Subud is within the duties and responsibilities of the helpers. It is the helpers who must report to Bapak, or to the International Subud Congress held every four years, about the progress or lack of progress and about how the members are, active or not, in doing the latihan kejiwaan of Subud.

Also, as Bapak has already arranged, the Regional helpers must keep themselves informed about the helpers in each group, and the National helpers must keep themselves informed about the Regional helpers. It is the National helpers who are authorized to report to the International Congress or to Bapak.

From Pewarta Kejiwaan Subud Vol. VIII, No. 5, page 147 (letter) 21 December 1970.

20. The work of the helpers should really be done properly

IT is essential that the work of the helpers should be really done properly because we still have the situation where people - and it is very frequent still - that people are opened and in a short time they leave Subud, they stop doing the latihan; or that people have been opened many years and still cannot do the latihan.

This is what needs to have the helpers' full attention, so that people truly can feel for themselves when they are opened and when they join Subud what the reality of the latihan kejiwaan is, because if somebody cannot really feel what the latihan is, if he cannot really feel the benefit of it or he cannot feel the reality of it for himself, then his jiwa will very quickly lose its commitment and its contact with our Brotherhood. While if somebody has really felt the latihan and the fruits of the latihan have really entered into his life, then that person will be willing to contribute not only his material wealth, but also from his time and energy to the purposes of the Subud Brotherhood.

From Bapak's talk at Reigate - relevant recording: 79 REI 1.

21. Essence of helpers' work

BAPAK has to look after members of every nationality all over the world, and this is only possible if one possesses the 'hati maknawi', a heart as wide as the ocean. At present it looks as though only Bapak is able to do this, but in fact this is the essence of helpers' work and all helpers should be capable of this.

They should be all-rounders and versatile in their approach. In fact, the helpers already have this ability but they are still prevented from using it by their nafsu, which always wishes to be first or wishes to be right.

From Bapak, (letter) 22 May 1979.