Ladies and gentlemen, first Bapak would like to welcome all of you. Before he explains the spiritual way you have been practicing, it would be as well for Bapak to explain some things that you need to be aware of.

Bapak does not forbid you to do the latihan at home by yourselves, but, because you are not yet aware of the consequences of what happens on the spiritual way, he hopes that for the present you won't do the latihan alone at home. It is best for you to do the latihan together with your friends, accompanied by the helpers.

Also, you shouldn't yet do the latihan with your spouse in the same room and at the same time, because doing so could lead to undesirable consequences. This is what Bapak would suggest, except where conditions dictate otherwise. For example, those of you who live far from here, where there is no group as yet and where it is hard for the helpers to visit, you are allowed to do the latihan alone at home using a clock. First the wife goes into the room, then after half an hour the husband knocks on the door and takes his turn. The wife times his latihan and then knocks on the door after half an hour.

Bapak hopes that you won't ever be in a hurry, urged by your ego, wanting to receive a lot and progress in your latihan as quickly as possible. Because, as Bapak said, receiving this latihan is based on the grace and blessing of God. And the only thing we need to do is to surrender more, and be more accepting and patient, rather than always using our desire and our will, which would like to receive and understand quickly.

Those were some explanations before Bapak goes on to other things. He will now continue to talk about why we are not required to intensify or strengthen our will in order to understand and receive what comes to us in the latihan.

The latihan you have received is a training that is awakened and willed by the One you are worshipping, in other words, by God. Thus everything will be done for you, and it is only God who will decide what it is that each of you needs. Bapak just said that it is God who decides everything. In saying this, he doesn't mean that God is constantly directing human beings. No. God has set out the guidelines for what has to be done for and by the human race, and has delegated their implementation to a life force close to God's power: a life force that is the protector of all creatures, including humans. And this life force, which is the guide for all living things including humans, is the one that opens the door and the way for human beings, enabling their soul, little by little, to awaken, recognize and become aware of the nature of their ( inner ) companions. This makes them able to bring order to their lives, both in this world and after death.

As Bapak has said, the feelings of a grown-up person have been separated for a long time from the pure feeling that is able to be directly in touch with his or her soul. And this has been your situation from the time you were small children - babies - right up into your adulthood. And during this long period you have all grown closer to this world than to the world of the soul. Consequently, your brains, hearts and feelings are now completely filled with images of worldly things and traces left by the world.

So it's not surprising that you now have no choice but to use your thinking and the feelings of your heart to become aware of, and to understand your soul. But in fact this was your content before these other attributes came into being. So any ( understanding ) of that kind is nothing more than a theory drawn from experience of things that exist in this world. Whereas, to become conscious of the world of the soul, your feelings would have to return to how they were before they were affected by this world, as Bapak said just now. Only when you are in the second phase - the way you were before coming under the influence of the world - will you be able to feel who and what is the true content of your nature, the content that fills all the movements of your life.

Of course you wouldn't think it's possible for a human being to contain a soul that is not human, because you can't conceive of such a thing. But in reality nothing is impossible. Although in their minds human beings may consider themselves to be creatures of high degree, whose thinking can reach very far, with regard to the world of the soul - the realm of God - all their understanding and awareness is, in reality, meaningless. So there is no way they will be able to know and become aware of the faults from which they have suffered, faults that are part of their nature.

In truth there are illustrations ( of this ) in the world if you care to look and if you have the ability to see them. Everywhere there are statues and buildings in the form of human bodies with animal heads, or animal bodies with human heads. There are also those in the form of plants with human heads, or human bodies with plants for heads. And in India and Asia there are many people who believe more in animals than in human beings. For example crocodiles are believed to be gods, and cows are believed to be gods. Such things mean that, although those animals may have animal bodies, their content is a human soul, and there are even those with souls higher than the human level.

There are also theories that claim the human race originated from animals, advancing by slow degrees until finally becoming human. It is not really true that the form of human beings long ago was not human. For as long as there have been human beings, they have had a human form. So the truth behind such theories, and the meaning symbolized by the statues Bapak was just speaking about, are not related to the outer form - to this physical form - but to the soul.

If that theory was correct in saying that the human race originated from animals or plants, there would certainly still be remnants of that process, in the form of half-evolved, three-quarters evolved, or quarter-evolved human beings. It's clear that these remnants don't exist, which means that it really didn't happen in that way. It's obvious that all these things refer simply to the state of the soul. So one can't be sure whether the soul within a person is a truly human soul in a human body, or a subhuman soul that is filling and is in charge of a human form.

People will not be able to undo these flaws, or even become aware of them within their self, except through the power of God that encompasses them; that is, unless they are guided by the life force that guides us from within .... ( Section missing ) ( It is only this that enables us ) to receive and to possess the truth we need for our individuality. Why is that? Because for us - for all of you - it is not just strange, but impossible to do. The reason is that the highest authority, the one in charge within your individuality, within your self, is a low force, a force lower than the human force. Even if this subhuman force is the very lowest, it will of course still function like a human being, because it is occupying a human body that can do anything in this world, no matter what. It won't function like an animal, for instance.

So all the parts in a person, starting with the brain, the heart, the feelings and all the rest, are nothing more than tools used by the low force, if that is what is present within. The way these low forces work is also exemplified by the way people behave in their life in this world. Take the material force: the attribute of material things is that they are not aware of each other. A chair will not be aware of the table unless some human being brings them together. Likewise, the table will not be aware of the chair unless a human being connects them or introduces them to each other. So it's clear that the material force has no awareness of anything else; it's truly a low force, and it's bad if it is within the human self and controlling a person's whole being. The character of such a person will be such that they will have no concern for their friends, relatives or anyone else. They will have no love for their fellow creatures and will only follow their own desires, pursue their own excellence, their own victory, pleasure and luxury.

As for the vegetable force: if it gains power within the human self, the person will be greedy. Greedy means that such a person will not only not want to give in to others, but will always try to gain an advantage and chase after victory and glory. It's almost the same as the force below it, but its greed and its ambition to get more than others is stronger.

And when the animal force dominates a human being, they will always pursue pleasure, especially in the relationship between man and woman, or woman and man. Such a person will be very passionate, will have a strong desire for sexual union; they will also be greedy, unwilling to give in, fond of pursuing conquest and self-indulgence.

The fourth is the force of people themselves, called the jasmani force. If this force is in charge in a person's self, then besides being self centered, they will appear to consider themselves to have full authority; to believe that they are capable of creating something. That's why, in the history of the prophets, it is said that when Pharaoh was alive he regarded himself as God, and forced his servants to worship no gods but him. Yes, no gods but Pharaoh. That's how it is when a person is occupied by a soul of this level. Even though this is already a high level for human society, such a person will still give more honor and weight to his or her own learning than to the will or power of God, which should have authority over their being and over their life.

There is another life force, which is called rohani. It is more powerful than all the other forces Bapak spoke of earlier, so if this force is present in a human being, he or she will be able to be aware of the connection between their life in this world and their life after death. This is because the rohani life force encompasses all four other life forces, including the force of people themselves. This means that if you have a soul like that, you will be aware of the reality of God and God's power.

The only way for you to understand everything Bapak has just been saying, is for you to separate your self from the images of the world implanted in your brain, heart and feelings. So in the latihan you need to surrender to God rather than use your mind. This is because all that concerns the soul is not in the realm of thought but in the realm of God, which means that only the power of God can deal with it. You need to use your brains, hearts and feelings to take care of your life on this earth, which is fragile and changeable.

Through the separation of these two things - in other words, after you have become able to distinguish between the working of the mind and the working of the soul within you - you will be able to become aware of the kind of skill each of you ought to have, the skill that will enable you to work while remaining continuously connected with your human soul.

Of course you would all like to be sure that your feelings, your understanding and your awareness remain conscious as you face death. That is in fact the will of God: that human beings should not be blind, or in darkness as they face death, and as they pass through death. For this reason it's necessary that before human beings die, their entire inner feeling should be restored to life, as it was before they were influenced by this world. And this pure inner feeling, which has been brought back to life, will be able to carry everything that is within them - their understanding, their awareness, their feeling - and take it to the perfect human world. Bapak would describe that world as more glorious, more excellent and greater than the world they were living in - the world where you are living now.

As for the low forces that occupy your inner being: once you are able to rise to a higher level they will spontaneously detach themselves and return to where they ought to be. This means that if previously you were inhabited by a low force - let's say from the animal or vegetable level - afterwards you will no longer have a bad character, or just indulge your passions. Instead you will give priority to your worship of God, as well as doing your work as a normal person.

Although, due to people's negligence these low forces have become an obstacle in their lives and in their progress towards the truth, they are very necessary for human life, and very necessary in the makeup of the soul. As an analogy, think of earth, water, air and fire; these are incompatible with each other. For instance, if you have water and fire you can't mix them together; either the water will put out the fire or, if it is big enough, the fire will vaporize the water. But in spite of this, these four can also co-operate and help each other - if one is able to bring this about. For example, earth does not become hard as stone unless it is mixed with water, with air, or with fire. So what is important for our life is not the problem of these low forces holding us up - being an obstacle - but the fact that human beings have a responsibility to be good at managing them. A human being, as the highest soul, is responsible for arranging the lower level energies in the right way, so they cooperate harmoniously in his or her life.

In the latihan you receive, all this will proceed in an orderly manner. Don't imagine that the slow pace of your receiving is due to God's will. No. For you it has to be slow. God is All-knowing. God will work on a person's being in a way that will cause no shortage of this, no excess of that. As a result the process will be orderly in each person. So the low forces, whose effect on people is to impart various kinds of bad characteristics, are not eliminated by force. No. They will depart, they will certainly depart, but in an orderly way, without causing turmoil within the person concerned. 'Turmoil' means something undesirable. In terms of world affairs it would be something like a revolution; but as it's within one's self, it would be a sort of inner revolution. So, to avoid such an inner revolution within you, the latihan trains you slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly. That's how it works.

If an inner revolution, which we usually call a crisis, should occur, it's really very unpleasant. Maybe if you saw it you'd be frightened and stop coming; you wouldn't come for latihan any more. Because if you see the behavior and actions of a person in crisis, it's really not very far from, say, the behavior of a mad person.

Furthermore, a crisis or a revolution within the self is not the end of it; it is not a resolution, only a rebellion. So when the rebellion is over they haven't received anything, they are back where they were. They are back in their original state where they still need to do more latihan. So this crisis is just a rebellion within the self. Therefore Bapak hopes that all of you will be patient, have faith in the justice of God, and believe that God knows everything. If you receive the latihan with patience and surrender, this will help to ease the work of the One who guides us within our being. Then the disappearance the low forces that have been in charge within ourselves - their return to their rightful place - will be orderly. They will retreat in an orderly way, as opposed to being forced out in a way that causes them to rebel. They'll make an orderly retreat, doing it voluntarily, gladly, delighted to be ordered back to where they belong. That's how it is. Then, within the hierarchy of the life forces, they will bring about well-being, order and the harmony of the whole, in a way that will not be disappointing.

Of course, you would all very much like to receive something from God in a state of calm, of peace; something not conspicuous but real, as it was with Jesus. Of course. But don't forget that the kind of human being who can receive God's gifts... ( recording interrupted ) ... their state doesn't change at all. So they are truly complete. If he used to wear a necktie, he still wears a necktie. If he used to wear trousers cut from good cloth, he still wears trousers cut from good cloth. If he used to think about and look after his wife and children, he still thinks about them. Yes, that is how it should be. Truly, what God wants is for human beings to be able to receive God's gifts the way Jesus did, in the way Bapak just described. And don't forget, that human beings in that state will have more faith in God than in anything else. This is because they have been given and possess a pure spirit, a life force that is truly patient, accepting and submitted.

Of course most people would like to have things that are complete and in good condition. ( But, ) brothers and sisters, Bapak hopes that none of you will regard this latihan as a training for getting divine revelations, knowledge, prosperity and so on, but that you will feel and believe that this latihan is an absolute obligation for you, for worshipping God. Once you have this feeling it will mean that you are really worshipping God, that you have really become God's servant, who will finally be allowed to enter through the gate, into the world that is right for a perfect human being.

Remember that there are people who, as yet, don't understand about the reality of worship and where it should be directed; they do not know for certain whether, hidden within the self of human beings, there really is a power that cannot easily be felt and received. Yet these people who just believe, without knowing anything, have such a great faith in God that day and night they worship in a way that is mechanical but full of belief in God. How much more then should you ( believe ), who have to some extent had proof of the reality of an invisible power within your being. So you should be more diligent, more sincere, in doing your training in worship, because you have received proofs that you have felt for yourself, even if only a little.

So don't be in a hurry, wanting to have an experience, or to receive a lot. Don't do that, because if you do you will not be able to receive whatever God gives you in a calm, orderly manner; in a way that will avoid the sort of undesirable consequences Bapak just described.

Nor should you be in a hurry to ask in what way and under what conditions you can receive rapidly and well. Supposing you want to write, but don't have all the necessary equipment. In other words, there is no paper, no pen, no ink, no table, and you don't even know how to draw a line. So if you wanted to be able to do it quickly in some way, that's only a desire, a wish of the heart. And it will remain just that, as opposed to becoming a reality. It is clear that this wish will not be realized, or be accomplished, if it is not brought into reality - if you do nothing about it. So, brothers and sisters, it is necessary to work at it instead of talking about it. You need to make it real, to make it happen, rather than just wishing for it. God knows that there is no preparation evident within you; if God said, 'Yes', how could you do it, since you can't even draw a line? And if you could, you still have no paper, pen or ink. But later, when all that is ready, you won't even have to ask, you will just start writing - scribble, scribble, scribble, scribble - it will go by itself.

That's how it is with spiritual ( growth ); it is truly beyond the mind. As Bapak said earlier, the life of the soul and spiritual problems are God's work. ( That's why ) they are called godsdienst ( Du: God's service, religion ). So it's clear that the latihan we have been doing is entirely the work of God, and this is what we must accept when we do it.

And God's work on our selves is truly not for God's benefit, but for our own. Ultimately it will bring us well-being for life in this world as well as in the hereafter. As the prophets said, 'To enjoy well-being in life, human beings should take refuge in God; and God is always present within you. And remember, to be close to God you need to have a clear heart, and feelings that truly love God's greatness, feelings that are patient, and full of trust in Him.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Bapak's explanation - not a theory! - Bapak's explanation this evening about the spiritual way. And he hopes that this short explanation will give you some satisfaction.

Bapak says thank you and good night.