• What does the word SUBUD mean?
SUBUD is an acronym for three Sanskrit words, Susila, Budhi, and 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.
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.
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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.
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• Where does Subud originate from?
The founder of Subud was an Indonesian named Y.M. 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."
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• Where does Bapak live today?
Bapak died in Indonesia in 1987, at the age of 86.
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• 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.
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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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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Look at the other websites we recommend and check out their contacts pages or you can write to:
The International Subud Committee
email: isc@subud.org
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