
12 Apr Proof & Evidence, Not Propaganda
A by-product of this which goes beyond the people we are helping and the gratitude or the benefit for the people who we help is that if Subud is seen participating in projects of this kind, Subud will become known to those who run the government as an organisation that really does good and is beneficial to society – an organisation that can be trusted. Subud itself will become an organisation that is included when things are being done. Subud may be invited to do projects; Subud may be invited to use this building to do things to help our country. This means we become free to do our work, to worship God, and to pursue the needs of our Subud brotherhood. And this is in line with what we need to always observe in Subud, that we may not just talk about things, we have to show proof. We have to do something that is real, something that people can see, and not stay in the realm of propaganda or nice words or nice stories.[81 WOS 1]
So brothers and sisters, I think it’s clear what Bapak is trying to say, that once you are able to practice this, in other words, to work in the world, to use your heart and mind according to the guidance of God’s power, then it will be possible for people outside Subud, for society in general to begin to understand what Subud is. Because they will see the reality, they will see the evidence of what Subud is in your actions, in the way we run our businesses, in the way we look after other people. They will see that we run our businesses different from what is normal; they will see that in our schools, children who were a bit disturbed have become quiet. So it is easy for people to understand what Subud is. This is why Bapak won’t need to use propaganda in Subud, this is why Bapak has never used propaganda in Subud, because propaganda is in the nature of forcing people. In other words, before somebody really understands what Subud is, before he really wants to join, you persuade him to join by the cleverness of your words, but once he has joined, he leaves again. So what is important is to show people the evidence so that they themselves can understand easily what Subud stands for. And then there will be no question of needing propaganda. Subud will spread by itself through the reality of what we have done. [76 SFO 4]
Then Subud will become known for its work in this world, for its help to humanity. It will be recognised, accepted, and seen by governments and by people with influence. Actually, this is the way that Subud can become known and can spread. That is why Bapak never allows you to make propaganda for Subud. Propaganda is useless if it is not backed up by reality, if you cannot show what Subud can do. This is why, first of all, we have to learn to stand on our own feet. The first step is to fulfil the needs of your own life, so that at least you, personally, can become an example to society, so that people will have some respect for you and look up to you in some way. That is the beginning of fulfilling, of people seeing, what Subud really is. [Perth, 12 February, 1978]
For this reason Bapak hopes that you will not think of this problem in terms of giving money, but rather in terms of how you can help from where you are; how you can help others who have less than you. For if you are able to act in this way, those who have will be helping those who have not. Then our association will progress and stand up straight. Subud will spread quickly and our association will become an example to those around us. It will demonstrate that this association of ours, besides worshipping God, is able to show results and create conditions that are an example for others. [63 BCL 7]
Together with that, we shall be able to establish schools, we shall be able to establish hospitals, we shall be able to establish homes for old people who have no family. All this will require no small amount of money. And because we shall have established enterprises everywhere, we shall also be able to receive large sums of money from everywhere, from our own undertakings. In this way all the aspirations of the Kejiwaan Brotherhood of Subud will truly be achieved. And Subud will really have a high reputation, because Subud members, besides worshipping God, will be people who are good at serving the community of mankind on earth.
Brothers and sisters, may God always protect you and give you His blessing; may He grant you His help and His guidance. If we can accomplish these things, then our path will widen. Doors will always be open to us. We shall be able to do the latihan wherever we wish. For the actions of Subud will be known beyond Subud; it will be known to be truly the worship of God, and to be really serving the public. In this way Subud will really be fulfilling the responsibility God has willed for it – to prepare conditions in the world for it to become a place where men can make their worship of Almighty God perfect. [72 WAS 2]
So brothers and sisters, it’s really necessary that you should prepare yourselves now, and really Bapak hopes that you will not avoid this at this point. Prepare yourselves to start doing enterprises, because eventually these enterprises will not be only an example to mankind in a small way, or will not just be something very small or local, but truly your enterprises will be an example to the whole world. And the reason why is because you will become rich, but your wealth will not have been earned by our nafsu, and therefore you will not deal with this in the way that is usual; you will use it for the welfare of those around you, and you will give to those who need it, and you will use it for the welfare of mankind. [76 YYZ 3]
Thus there is a content, a central core, of compassion in our inner-feeling, which, as it grows ever wider and wider, will be recognized by people who do not even know us at all. This is what happened, brothers and sisters. That is why we must not be too quick to complain, for if we have not become people who are of value in the eyes of the others, that is our own fault. If you have no value in the eyes of other human beings, how can you be of value in the eyes of the angels or the dewas ? And to take it higher still, how can you be of value in the eyes of the One Almighty God? [79 LON 2]
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