Reynold Osborn: This morning, Bapak, we met and very briefly discussed national organization. Out of that came several questions, and I will take each question...

( inaudible ):

The first perhaps is, what is a national organization? There is a need for a statement of purposes and objectives. In each country the problems are different. And will the national laws in each country make for separation from the international brotherhood?

One question was brought up: can there be independent groups within a country, and how can it be ensured that a national organization won't crush a small group? We have this concern also in the United States. There is, in some localities, a great fear that they will not be able to operate as they want to operate and, Bapak, there are instances in the United States where perhaps the way they want to operate is not according to the way they perhaps should operate. Their opinions may differ considerably from an overall feeling and attitude of... ( inaudible ).

The work of the national organization and the arrangements in it. The arrangements for Bapak; how Bapak wishes to be contacted. Should that contact be made from a central, national place, or from individual places? The question was, what would be the best way for Bapak to be contacted through the organization?

There was the suggestion for the need of a strong organization, and that Bapak perhaps can talk about this. We didn't touch on the financial side of it at all; this will come later.

The one thing that was apparently agreed upon - at least there seemed to be no difference of opinion - had to do with the answering of enquiry’s and the providing of information, which could be handled at a top level, from a national organization.

Unless Mr. Brown has something to add to this, I believe I've covered it.

Bapak: Ladies and gentlemen, before Bapak answers and gives you explanations, Bapak needs to begin by giving thanks to the One Almighty God, who has blessed us and enabled us to organize a congress. Although it is not yet a huge congress, it has been well prepared.

This congress now being held in London is the second congress of Subud; that is, Susila Budhi Dharma. It is true that in starting something new we always encounter difficulties and are unable to provide all that is really needed for the new organization, but we hope that the future will bring improvement.

And Bapak doesn't forget to thank very much those of you who did the preparatory work, and organized the congress so efficiently, diligently and well. He also thanks all those who have come as delegates from the groups in various countries, who have set aside the time to attend the congress, to participate and deepen the bonds between us. Although, as Bapak just said, this congress does not yet truly represent humanity united in the worship of God, nevertheless, Bapak considers and feels it is a sign that our community - human beings in this world who worship God who created them - is making very good progress.

Bapak will now, in the course of answering the questions that have been put forward by the chairman of this section, also explain the aims of Subud in this world, as willed by God. Regarding the organization, it is indeed impossible to unite all the various ( Subud ) bodies and branches wherever they may be, since each country has its own principles, laws and regulations. So in reality the Subud community is not an organization, but a brother - and sister-hood among the people of the whole earth. And what we keep referring to as the organization is not an organization in the ordinary sense of the word, but rather an administrative structure and record keeping that serves our Subud community.

That which gives unity to our Subud community is the latihan, which comes from God, and by means of which we worship God. And this cannot possibly be organized like some worldly undertaking. For the truth is that in our Subud worship it is God alone who is the leader, chairperson and guide of every human being. Therefore this Subud community of ours, standing before God, is beyond the reach of any human regulations.

However, between human beings - to keep us in touch and in harmony, to enable us to understand and help one another - we need, in each place, to have some form of administrative machinery and record-keeping for our Subud community. Since everything that has to do with administration and finance must be related to the laws of each country, Bapak has always recommended that in each place we should formulate by-laws in accordance with the local laws. So Bapak recommends that each country should be autonomous, meaning that each is responsible for its own administration and for the needs of the Subud community in that place.

What Bapak considers of utmost importance in Subud is the correct relationship between the administration and the spiritual side: that is, between committee and helpers. The committee looks after the needs of the membership in its own area. For example, the committee in the United States is concerned solely with all the needs of the members in the United States, not outside it. But the helpers - whom Bapak regards as the spiritual side - may concern themselves with members, give explanations, and open new members in any country. A helper from America can open people in Europe and helpers from Europe can open people in America. Thus the members of a committee are concerned only with their own locality, whereas the helpers may exercise their functions wherever they are needed.

So if questions arise for members in the course of their experiences in the latihan, these can be referred to the local helpers' group. But if this group cannot answer them, then the questions can be forwarded to whoever is considered able to answer them. And if they still cannot be answered satisfactorily, then they can be sent on to Bapak himself. But he hopes that helpers will deal with all the minor problems that continually arise, thereby reducing Bapak's workload of answering all sorts of questions from the members.

So it should be clear that the committees and the organizational side of Subud are no more than instruments to serve our community of human beings in their worship of God. Don't let Subud become yet another 'organization', with the result that our worship of God comes into the world of regulations, as if God could be organized by human beings. So it is only in the committees that there are chairpersons, deputy chairpersons, secretaries and treasurers; on the spiritual side there are none, for here the only chairperson is God. Therefore if something needs to be tested, such as the state of a person who wishes to be opened, this should be tested by the helpers together. Based on their testing together they can decide whether to open the person or not.

The reality is that the organization in Subud is not like other organizations; it is no more than the administrative machinery needed in each country. As you are certainly aware, buildings are needed for us to worship in together, as well as other things. Corresponding and keeping in touch with other places also costs money. Money is needed for all this. It is the committee that must find the money for the needs of the group in their area.

We should not rely solely upon contributions from members to meet all these needs, we have to remember that some of those who come in all sincerity to worship God are unable - having no money and being out of work - to contribute anything. So the committee must make an effort to lighten some of the burden on the members, so no-one is prevented from worshipping God simply because of money. That will avoid the impression that Subud is only open to the prosperous, while those who truly wish to worship God but are poor are not welcome.

Indeed this is the responsibility of all of you who have received God's gift - even if only in small measure. For it is not God's will that people should be burdened, or fall into a state where they are unable to find their way of working to fulfill their worldly needs. God's will is that no human being should be unaware or ignorant of the use of his or her body and being.

You have already begun to receive guidance from God in this way - although the process is not yet complete. This lays upon you the responsibility for opening the way for others who have yet to find the right path; it should be looked upon as an obligation. This heavy obligation now rests upon your shoulders, and you should carry it out earnestly and sincerely, even if you cannot yet do so with your full strength. The way to lead or guide other people so they may follow in your footsteps is by demonstrating the reality and the proof, and by showing an example in yourselves. Then others will be attracted and wish to follow the same path.

It is for this purpose that Bapak hopes, and recommends, that those who sit on the committee - in the administration of Subud - will do something such as establishing a business. The money from this can then be used for whatever is needed by the organization or the Subud community in each place. Apart from this, the money can also be used for other purposes, such as establishing schools, hospitals and homes for those in distress, who cannot see or find their true way in life.

We can employ our own members in such establishments, to guide these distressed people so they can become aware of the right way for them to live in this world. This kind of undertaking also serves the purpose of accustoming us to working in this world while continuing in our worship of God. For this is indeed the will of God: that human beings should worship Him without in any way shutting themselves off from the world, or abandoning all the needs and activities of worldly life.

The latihan you have received provides evidence of this, for it is in truth our worship of God, and yet we are still in a position to give our whole mind to worldly matters; we can still visit places of entertainment and so on. However there will be limits to those activities later on, once you are able to receive about that in the latihan from Almighty God. This all proves that it is indeed God's will that in this century people should be able to worship God without neglecting their needs in this world.

In the course of the latihan it will become possible for you to receive guidance from within as to how you carry out your work. For in our worship of God we are being trained and guided to lead a life that is happy in this world and after death. You will no longer always be facing the questions: 'What sort of work must I do?' and 'How do I get money?' You will receive answers and find guidance from within yourselves. This is easy and belongs to the lowest level of development, and you should already be able to receive this guidance. In this way you need never be at a loss to know how you should lead your life here on earth.

Brothers and sisters, Bapak would like to ask: 'Why is it that so many educated people doubt the validity of the various religions, even though these have existed and been followed for so long?'

The reason for this is that up to the present, what is written in the holy scriptures has remained no more than words, and these cannot provide evidence of reality. This is why so many educated people are unable to accept or believe in the existence of God. It is because they can find no convincing proofs in their respective religions. The prophets, however, to whom these revelations were given, were able, in their time, to demonstrate the evident reality of what they received from God, and taught their followers.

This ( present ) situation arises from the fact that those who profess the various religions cannot yet truly put into practice the truths contained in their scriptures. It is also due to the progress of the age in which we live, and to the development of the thinking mind, the heart and the desires of human beings. It is a fact that the more human beings have developed their minds, desires and will, the weaker the connections have become between them and their souls, and between their souls and God. God knows this and understands what is necessary for human beings.

And the birth of Subud proves that God wishes to give us His grace, for without it, it would be impossible for us to become reconnected with our soul and the Power of God. You yourselves are aware of what happens when someone is opened. The new members who come to be opened are told, 'Only submit yourselves to God, with patience and submission.' Similar words are spoken by many people, even daily. But what happens? What is received through reiterating those phrases? Nothing. Because, though they may be uttered more eloquently and more beautifully than is the case with us, they are not spoken by the will of God but come only from the thinking mind, which is still influenced by the low forces that constantly dominate and oppress the inner self.

In our opening, however, God's will makes it possible for our thinking and desiring to come spontaneously and instantly to a halt. So it has been made very easy for us to receive contact with the greatness of God. The point therefore is not the prayer, or pronouncing the words 'surrender, patience and submission', but something that is in us by the will of God; that is, Subud.

This is in accordance with the meaning of Subud, which is an abbreviated form of Susila Budhi Dharma. Susila denotes a human nature filled with a humane feeling as willed by God. Budhi means there resides within human beings a superior power, which can guide them when they are able to be aware of it. And Dharma signifies the surrender of a human being before the greatness of God above all else, so they recognize and feel that no other wish is stronger in them than their wish for God; of all their love none is greater than their love for God; and that this is beyond everything they have ever wished or could wish for themselves. Hence it is said, as the prophets also said, 'Love God even above your own self and your own soul.'

This is a symbol for us in Subud. It is extremely difficult for you to manifest this symbol in your own individuality, but Bapak hopes - since it is God's will - that in our community of human beings who worship God, we shall all be able to attain this Subud symbol, which is so good, and pass it on to our descendants.

So Subud is not a religion. It stands as a symbol for a human being, both within the various religions and also outside of them. Only if a person's nature corresponds to this Subud symbol can he or she be described as really Subud. In Subud each person will meet with and become aware of reality according to what they themselves have experienced. And through their Subud nature each one will receive the true guidance of God, which exists in and for every individual. They will then be aware of what is right and what is wrong; and they will also understand how to lead their lives on this earth in such a way as to achieve happiness for themselves and their families. Of course, health will then accompany the fulfillment of their worldly needs; not only their souls but also their bodies will enjoy good health. So such people can be said to be healthy both outwardly and inwardly.

In Subud, in the latihan we receive, we are being led from below to above, from the outer to the inner, so that you can be healthy and stay that way. Each of you will also be able to receive what you have to do. And, eventually, you will be able to comprehend the truth of all the advice contained in all the holy books, and become a true follower of the religion to which you belong. The whole of this process is worked in you by God's power alone.

Ladies and gentlemen, you may still wonder where God is and what God and God's power are like; and what heaven is and where it is. These are questions that commonly arise in people's minds. In some ways it is understandable that you think about these matters, because you are curious. When you get something you will certainly ask where it came from and what it is made of, for this knowledge will enable you to use it in accordance with your wishes. Moreover, it is not for nothing that God has equipped human beings with brain, heart and desires; it is indeed the will of God that you should be able to work with them to take care of your well-being on this earth. If we were not allowed to think about things, not allowed to use our brains, hearts and desires, what would be the use of God creating them in us?

But do not misunderstand. Bapak will now explain briefly how these things really are. Before a new physical being - that we can see, hear and so on - comes into existence, there exist the forces of life. These various forces exist on different levels and form a complete system, as decreed by God, beginning with the material life force and continuing through the vegetable, animal and human forces to the rohani and higher still - a total of seven levels. They are not like levels one above the other, but different types of forces - seven universes.

Each of these life forces is a sphere of its own - like a continent. Each is inhabited by its own souls, just as this human world has human inhabitants. The souls inhabiting these worlds will not move unless they find some center of attraction. This can be compared to the light of the sun: a planet will not shine - if viewed from a distance - unless it is illuminated by the light of the sun. The same is true of a soul. It will not move unless it has some objective, which is what Bapak meant by a new physical being.

This new physical being starts off- please excuse Bapak for saying this - as a drop of fluid resulting from the union of man and woman. And if, for example, before their union the husband and wife are entirely filled by the things of this world in their feelings, in their awareness and in their pursuit of pleasure, so that all they dream about is this world - they dream about it when they sleep, they dream about it when they are awake - then all this creates a kind of lens, or focus, which serves to attract a soul from one of these seven worlds. But, because the focus formed in the self of such people will exert a stronger attraction on low souls than on high ones, what enters will not be one of the high souls but a material one.

In this way it can happen that a soul from a low world can become the inner content of a new being. You may not like to think that your soul is a material soul, but if such has become the content of a new being, then, willing or unwilling, he or she will be used by the low forces that are in charge within them.

This as yet unformed new being, which has entered the womb of the woman, begins gradually to acquire the outward form of a human being. And when it is complete the small human being is delivered from its mother's womb and born into this world. Although not yet able to see, hear, smell or apprehend the forms and atmosphere of this world, this little child can nevertheless sense the atmosphere of their own soul. It is from this that expressions of sadness, joy or happiness appear from time to time upon their face; at these moments it is clear that the child is in close contact with their soul and still remote from the atmosphere of the world. What is unknown is the kind of soul that governs the child's individuality.

As the days, weeks and months go by, the child begins to be able to see and hear; in short, every part of their being begins to work. The child can now feel the atmosphere of the world, while the communication with their soul begins to fade. It closes even further when the child reaches the stage of being able to use their brain, their heart and their desires.

But God always watches over human beings. When the young person - whether boy or girl - reaches puberty and becomes able to have the experience of love, then, together with the development of maturity they are experiencing, a powerful life force descends upon them. This is why it is taught in every religion that only when the child attains puberty does the worship of God become obligatory; up to that time the responsibility rests upon their parents. The meaning of puberty is that a boy begins to find pleasure in the sight of a woman, and a girl begins to enjoy the sight of a man.

So it is clear, brothers and sisters, that before your child reaches puberty it is your responsibility to try to receive a change in the level of his or her soul if it happens to be wrong. But after they have reached puberty, the responsibility rests directly upon the young man or woman.

In this way, God is just towards His creatures. God doesn't abandon them but always gives them - always gives human beings - a path so they should not get lost on their way towards... ( inaudible ) But in general, this powerful life force that appears at puberty is not felt or recognized, with the result that the child falls more and more under the influence of the world, and the world is far more present in their awareness than the life of their soul. This is because all the parts of their being have been filled up with the atmosphere of this world, while the atmosphere of their soul has long been blocked and is no longer close to them.

It is therefore not at all surprising, when a person tries to think about God and the nature of heaven, that they should imagine God as a handsome person with a beautiful flowing beard, a beautiful moustache, attired in diamond-encrusted robes, and seated upon a magnificent throne in a splendid palace. And their picture of heaven may resemble - what is the name of that beautiful place? - Monte Carlo.

( Laughter )

This would be Bapak's explanation to you, if you were to ask about what God is like and what heaven is like. This is why he has always advised that in the latihan you should put aside all such speculations, because the means you have for thinking about what exists beyond this world is derived solely from your experience in it. It is impossible for you to use your brain in a way that corresponds to what you are trying to think about. And the images you create will certainly not contradict the knowledge available to your mind.

To a lawyer, for example, God may appear to be the president, the prophets ministers of state, the leading prophet the prime minister, and the angels detectives or police; while a builder may picture God as dwelling in a place that is more magnificent than all the palaces of all the kings of the earth. Each one pictures God as something extraordinary. A businessman or accountant will say, 'Wow, God has lots of money!' and 'He owns enormous fleets of ships for trading purposes', and so on. So, whatever they use to think about God will inevitably accord with what they have experienced on this earth, which is what fills their brains and their desires.

That is why Bapak always tells you, 'Do not use your thinking in the latihan.' Not because you shouldn't use your thinking mind. No. But because the mind that is in your brain is the worldly mind, and it cannot be the receptacle for the gift of God or the revelation that God may give you. In order always to be able to receive God's gifts it is necessary that your whole being should be purified. This does not mean that when this purification is complete you will not use it any more. Not at all. But you need to be able to distinguish between your brain when it is filled with thoughts of this world, and your brain when it is able to think about the world and the life after death.

Just to re-establish the connection with your soul it is important that you put aside the use of your brain, heart and desires; how much more then must they be put aside if you are to reach God. As Bapak explained, at the time when your feeling was still in direct contact with your soul and able to feel its joy and sorrow, your brain, heart, feelings and five senses had not yet begun to function. When they all began to work, the contact with your soul ceased. So even to come in contact with the soul these functions must stop. How much more must they stop to get closer to God - for He is above and beyond the reach of the powers of any creature, including humans.

If you ask; 'What use is the mind if it can't be used to think about spiritual life?' then Bapak's answer is that since the life of the soul is beyond human capabilities - beyond the intelligence, beyond the brain, heart and desires - then clearly it is God's power that will accomplish this. Do not forget that it was only through his surrender, his faith in God and his love of God, which indeed came about through God's will, that Jesus in the end became a leader and a guide of the world, who was able to give counsel valued highly by humanity. He did this without studying or following any theory, but simply by following God.

Have confidence then, that the way to reconnect your feeling with your soul, which will eventually lead you to your God, is to return to the state you experienced as a small child, before you were influenced by the world, when you were still completely free from its influence. It is by the guidance and direction of Almighty God, free from worldly influences, that you will achieve the condition required for a perfect human being. Then your whole being - including your mind, heart and all your senses – will to a large extent be filled by the grace of God, acting through the perfect human soul. You will be able to use all your instruments in the right way, according to the requirements of human life. And if we were to ascribe human attributes to God, Bapak could say that He will then be very pleased and happy, for in this state you will be able to worship in all you do; at all times and in all places. And it will be ever clearer and more evident to you how real the love of God is towards human beings, and also the love of human beings towards God.

In this way human society in this world will attain true happiness, as the world will then be a place for the worship of God. Human beings will truly believe in God, because throughout their daily life they will receive and feel that all their actions are in touch with God's power, which manifests within them. Thus they will bear witness that the worship of human beings towards God is truly beneficial for them, because it is indeed the means whereby they can understand and fulfill their own needs.

To return now to what Bapak explained at the beginning of this talk: he hopes that Subud committees will be formed in every country, each autonomous with regard to its own responsibilities. That which can link the different countries together is the spiritual side. Indeed, there are no frontiers in the spiritual life, and it is world-wide in its scope; for here we stand in the presence of God, who is One for all creatures.

This is Bapak's talk, together with some explanations about what concerns the soul. He hopes that this short explanation satisfies your expectations and the feeling of your hearts. He thanks you for your attention, and asks your forgiveness if anything he has said is out of place. He will continue these talks during the coming days until the end of the congress.