Susila Budhi Dharma - Life Forces

Life Forces

The book refers to the series of experiences that practitioners of the Subud 'latihan' (exercise) may go through in the process of training their inner feeling in practical life. It describes how one can feel the various influences of the forces that accompany human beings in this world, i.e. material, vegetable, animal and "ordinary human" forces. The book discusses how, through awareness of their influences upon the inner feeling, it is possible to integrate and be in harmony with these forces, which were provided to humanity for living in this world, and to be no longer dominated by them, through the support of the Great Life Force.

The book explains many examples of how the Subud latihan (the spiritual exercise of Subud) may play a role in daily life. Situations are described whereby a person may feel and 'receive' what occurs in the inner feeling when approaching this or that circumstance. This supposedly represents 'training' in how to understand the various indications so that human beings may be able to deal with the pressure of the life forces and consequently develop their truly human qualities and faculties.

Subuh's writing illustrates how humans come to be in thrall to material things which they own or desire. It offers an explanation as to why inner conflicts arise and how people can so easily be swept up by impulses, moods and emotions inconsistent with humane action. In the book the various "Life Forces" which struggle for dominance within a person's consciousness are referred to as "Nafsu". There are similarities with the Sufi idea of Nafs, and with the Hindu concept of energy vortices or Chakras. A Buddhist who is becoming mindful of thoughts and emotions which lead to suffering can also find much common ground. In particular this writing resonates with contemporary "Engaged Buddhism" and anticipates the widely respected teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh about integrating spiritual development with practical compassionate action.

One can also draw comparisons with the psychological concept of subpersonalities, and the aim of becoming aware of them in order to achieve integration. In his book A Spiritual Psychology, British author John G. Bennett explores connections between Subuh's description of Life Forces and the findings of George Gurdjieff, Peter D. Ouspensky, Carl Jung and other psychologists. (Though generally out of print this book is available from www.bennettbooks.org)