What does the word SUBUD mean ?
SUBUD is the abbreviated form of SUSILA BUDHI DHARMA.
SUSILA denotes the nature of a man or woman in whom are to be found the
truly human qualities that should be possessed according to the Will of God.
BUDHI means that there resides within mankind a superior power which can
and will guide us when we are able to be aware of and follow such guidance.
DHARMA signifies the submission of mankind before the infinite greatness of
Almighty God.
What actually is Subud ?
Subud is an association of men and women who worship God through a spiritual
training called (in Indonesian) "latihan", or more formally, latihan
kejiwaan. Membership is open to and is made up of people from all the
various religions, countries, cultures and philosophies that comprise mankind.
What's the latihan ?
The latihan is the spiritual practise around which and for which the Subud
Association exists. It is an exercise in which one surrenders to, opens up
one's inner feeling to and comes into contact with the Power of God. During the
latihan, one follows whatever arises spontaneously from within at that
moment. For each member it is an individual experience and, like many
spiritual experiences, cannot adequately be described in words.
Where does Subud originate from ?
The founder of Subud was an Indonesian named Bapak Muhammad Subuh
Sumohadiwidjojo. Bapak (as he is known among Subud members) spontaneously
received the latihan for the first time in the summer of 1925 when he
was 24 years old. But as Pak Subuh himself put it: "Subud is not foreign.
It did not 'originate' in the East and it did not 'come' to the West...
it comes from the Spirit of God, which is nowhere a stranger."
Where does Bapak live today ?
Bapak died in Indonesia in 1987, at the age of 86.
What's the point of the latihan ?
This question is covered elsewhere on this website, but generally speaking,
the main purpose of the latihan is to enable us, by surrendering to and
following the guidance of the power of God, to attain our state as true
human beings in accordance with the will of God. Clearly, we all have a long
way to go.
Can anyone join Subud ?
Under normal circumstances, as long as one is at least 17 years of age and has
informed oneself about Subud during a 3 month waiting period, anyone can join
Subud.
I follow a religion -- is Subud compatible with this ?
Of course. All kinds of people join Subud. Some follow a religion and others
do not. Since the essence of Subud is the worship of Almighty God, and since
there is no teaching, there is no need for a conflict to arise with one's
own religion. On the contrary, Subud members often find that they acquire a
deeper understanding of their own religion and a greater respect for that of
others. Pak Subuh encouraged everyone to continue to follow and practice their
chosen religion.
How often does one do the latihan ?
For the first months after one's opening, members are encouraged to receive the
latihan twice a week. Later on it can be increased to three times a week.
Is the latihan done in a group or alone ?
The latihan may be received in groups or on one's own. Whenever
possible, it is recommended to go twice a week to a group and once a week
to be on one's own.
Do men and women do latihan together ?
No. Due to the different nature of men and women, and to avoid any
distractions, the latihan is received separately. Despite what you might
think, this works well in practise.
Does it cost anything to join ?
No, it costs nothing to experience the Subud latihan.
However, since normal expenses exist -- such as the renting or purchasing of
halls, communications, etc., members are asked to make voluntarily
charitable contributions to their local group. These are usually
tax-deductible.
Are there any leaders in Subud ?
No, the only leader in Subud is Almighty God. But within the
association there are two different and complementary ways of serving the
membership: a body of helpers at the local, regional, national and
international levels, who take on the responsibilities of looking after the
membership, attending group latihan, giving explanations about Subud to new
applicants and attending the opening of new members; and a body of committee
members, also at the local, regional, national and international levels who
look after the organizational needs of the Subud Association.
What does the organization consist of ?
There are some 385 Subud groups in various communities throughout the world.
Local committees take care of organizing the facilities in which to do
latihan. In most countries there are national organizations which sponsor
annual congresses for members so that they have the opportunity to socialize
as well as worship together. All the national organizations are members of the
World Subud Association (WSA) for which they select the directors and
officers. The WSA sponsors an international congress every four years. In 1997
this congress took place in Spokane, Washington, USA. Prior congresses
have been held in Colombia, Australia, England, Canada, Germany, Indonesia,
Japan and the U.S.A.
How can I find out more ?
You have a couple of options... read the various articles published on this
website, then try to get in touch with a Subud Center near you. If you live on the East Coast of the United States, check out the Centers section of this website to see where the closest group is. Alternately, check www.subudusa.org for a list of Centers in the USA, or www.subud.org for International listings.