BAPAK AND THE COMING OF THE LATIHAN - II BAPAK'S OPENING...

II  BAPAK'S OPENING


Indeed, brothers and sisters, an important event certainly has a history. 


It is the more so with the event of the coming into existence of the Latihan Kejiwaan of SUBUD, which has made it possible for man to Receive purification of his inner feeling and improvement of his jiwa towards perfection, in accordance with the Will of Almighty God.  It certainly has a history.


As for the reason why it is Bapak who became the pioneer in the field of the Latihan Kejiwaan of SUBUD, Bapak himself does not know the answer, only Almighty God Knows, Who Knows all things.


However, if there is a connection between this event and Bapak, Bapak can say that it so happened that Bapak was born the same day, the same month and year as the Prophet Muhammad.


It is only by coincidence, brothers and sisters - if Bapak tells you - that Bapak was born at daybreak, at 4.30 a.m. in the morning, and the day and the time were the same as at the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. 


Bapak's birth, regarding time, day, month and year, was the same.  This is just a coincidence, it is not that it was arranged that Bapak should be born at the same time. Bapak does not understand it.  It just happened 
that the births took place at the same time. 


But Bapak is not the Prophet Muhammad; Bapak is just Bapak Muhammad Subuh, a poor man, a humble man, a man who is liable to fall sick.


As for the date, month and year of the Christian calendar, Bapak was born on the 22nd of June, 1901, in the village of Kedungjati, in the county of Grobogan, in the Semarang area, in Central Java, just at the time when Mount Kelut erupted heavily.


Bapak was born at dawn, about five o'clock in the morning, that is, at the time when the Moslems offer their morning prayer.  Just after he was born, forty cannon shots were fired to mark the beginning of the Grebeg Sekatan festival, for people say that Grebeg Sekatan is the time determined as the birth time of the Prophet Muhammad, that is, in the month of Maulud, in the year Dhal [according to the Islamic calendar].


Bapak was given the name Soekarno by his grandfather. But with that name Bapak was always ill, and therefore his name was soon changed to another name, Muhammad Subuh, to correspond with the time of 
Bapak's birth which was at subuh (dawn).  After Bapak's name was changed to Muhammad Subuh he was always healthy and seldom fell ill.


Bapak's father was called Chasidi. During his lifetime he worked as an officer of a railway company and after he retired he worked on his own farm as a farmer.  Bapak's late father was a descendant (grandson) of 
Kiaji Muhammad Abubakar, or, originally, Pangeran (meaning "prince") Sajid Muhammad Abubakar.  It was told that he came from Jogjakarta, in Central Java.


Bapak's mother's name is Siti Kursinah. She is a descendant of Pangeran (Prince) Purbokusumo, a descendant of Sunan Kalijogo of Kadilangu Demak.


(BAPAK'S OPENING... To be Continued... God Willing... Thursday July 22nd 2010...)