By Sylvia des Tombe
In the wonderful book Subud is Susila Budhi Dharma, edited by Hannah Hurd and published in 2007 by Subud Publications International, there are 29 pages and 41 extracts taken from Volumes 1-16 of Bapak’s talks, all giving quotes of Bapak about those three words. Here are some explanations of “budhi”:
- “Because of God;”
- “Budhi means that the power of God resides or manifests within every human being, within each one of you;”
- “Budhi means the power of the greatness of God that is within the self of a human being;”
- “Budhi means that in every human being the will and power of God manifests;”
- “There is something in ourselves, something residing within our being that we can neither know nor see, but which is a true guide for us—that is budhi;”
- “The meaning of budhi is a power that is complete, a power within human beings that cannot be seen; you could call it a power from God;”
- “Budhi means a power that, although it cannot be seen, just like that, is certainly there within your being, and that you are able to receive and feel;”
- “[Budhi ] signifies that the power of God is already within the self of a human being—not God, but the power of God. Bapak says ‘not God’ because God and God’s power are not only within human beings or on this earth, but are within all natures and creatures that God has created;”
- “Budhi is behavior, power or force. When budhi is still complete, still clear and still pure, then one’s behavior or power comes from God’s power or God’s will. But when behavior is no longer pure and clean, then it is no longer budhi, it is behavior that is motivated by the desires, like your everyday behavior;”
- “Budhi symbolizes that within your individuality you are enveloped by the power of Almighty God, as when we say to each other in the normal way: ‘I pray that God will be with you in everything you do.’ So if this word is your symbol, you of course need to be aware—need to, not have to—that you are truly accompanied by God’s power. Therefore your grudges, or the straying of your inner self even just a little, will be known to God. And you are already sure of this, for you have received and possess boundless good fortune in that this common saying—that God is with human beings—has become a reality for you as a result of regularly receiving the latihan of Susila Budhi Dharma;”
- “Budhi means that within you is a power—the will of God… after God created the heavens and created the angels, God willed that His will should manifest in every being, including human beings. That is what budhi means;”
- “Ultimately your latihan spreads to your inner feeling, to your inner peace, so that the whole of your inner feeling is filled with budhi, is filled with the power of God that manifests within all of you. This is the power that is your guide, that will lead you, that will show you the way to live in this world and how to live your life in the next world, after you die.”