Subud is one of hundreds of mystical movements (aliran kebatinan) which have grown significantly in postwar Indonesia. Along with other movements like Sumarah and Pangestu, Subud has attracted people from the West and has now spread to about eighty countries. Despite the fact that Subud leaders deny any relation to the Javanese mystical tradition, it is one of the tasks of this study to show that the greater part of Subud's conceptual apparatus is firmly rooted in the cultural history of Java. Under the banner of change and renewal, Subud presents a message which, fundamentally, is one of continuity in a society in transition. This text presents an overall picture of the history of Javanese mysticism, particularly the concept of God, the view of man, and the techniques recommended in order to bridge the gap between God and man. The text discusses the rise of mystical movements in post-war Java, along with a presentation of three movements which attracted the West. In addition the book provides a biography of the founder of Subud, the basic concepts of Subud and the meaning of the Subud spiritual exercise (latihan kejiwaan), along with an analysis of Subud theory and practice and its relation to the Javanese mystical tradition, and a psychological interpretation of the spiritual exercise.
Subud is a direct and spontaneous spiritual experience that allows people to receive a contact with the Great Life Force. It re-awakens their inner feeling and puts them in touch with their own guidance, eventually bringing to the surface their true nature which was before obstructed and cluttered with erroneous beliefs, ancestral patterns of behavior, culture, education and their family malfunctions. Many have found a deeper understanding of their own religious beliefs from the evidence they receive for themselves. Others have come to actualize their true talent and work. There are Subud groups in eighty countries, bringing together harmoniously people of many different religious and ethnic backgrounds. The spiritual practice, or latihan, arises from within. It is a natural process that occurs without effort or study. This book is the result of the collaborative effort of three women who have practiced the latihan of Subud for decades. It compiles testimonies of Subud members from all over the world, on different topics. Each chapter begins with a short account of observations, experiences, receivings and dreams on the subject. People interviewed were of different age groups, social and ethnic backgrounds, some newly "opened" in Subud, some older members, some second and third generation Subud. The opening latihan - when one first receives this contact - is a ceremony of introduction into the spiritual exercise after a three-month period of inquiry referred to as the probation or investigation period. Through the latihan people renew their contact with the power of God and become aware of the latent powers that reside in all of humankind. The central feature of Subud is the latihankejiwaan, or inner training, which takes place for half an hour up to an hour, two or three times a week, and is practiced by men and women separately. Subud has little doctrinal teaching except for the belief in divine power and higher centers of consciousness. The implication is that people practicing the latihan align themselves with those higher centers. It is available to any person seventeen and older who has a sincere wish to worship God and wants to receive this contact. The action of the latihan within each person allows the power of God to express itself spontaneously through singing, chanting, shouting, moving, dancing, crying, laughing, etc. Subud's founder, Bapak Muhammad Subuh, explains that in this way, when in the latihan we make a complete surrender to the Power of God (or the Great Life Force), we can receive the education of our inner selves, free from interference by our minds and hearts and according to our own individual needs. Participants have often reported strong feelings of rapture and release, psychological and physical healing. During latihan, one lets go of thoughts and emotions in order to follow what surfaces: those movements and sounds that spontaneously arise from deep within. It is a form of cleansing which allows the worship of God to become stronger and less obstructed, a training that lets individuals get in touch, develop and trust their inner guidance, enabling the complete self to emerge through an action that comes from beyond the thinking and the will.
The Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements offers a multinational study of Islam, its variants, influences, and neighbouring movements, from a multidisciplinary range of scholars. These chapters highlight the diversity of Islam, especially in its contemporary manifestations, as a religion of many communities, theologies, and ideologies. Over five sections—on Sunni, Shia, Sufi, fundamentalist, and fringe Islamic movements—the authors provide historical overviews, analyses, and in-depth studies of large and small Islamic and related groups from all around the world. The contents of this volume will be of interest to both newcomers to the study of Islam and established scholars of religion who wish to engage with the dynamic label of Islam and the many impactful movements of the Islamic world.
