History of Subud
The Subud movement was founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo, who is called Bapak (Indonesian: Father) by members of Subud. It was brought to the UK in 1957 when Bapak was invited to the home of John G. Bennett in Coombe Springs, where many followers of G. I. Gurdjieff were opened. It has since spread to over 80 countries throughout the world.
Anyone may join Subud, but there is a three-month waiting period between first declaring intention to join, and being "opened". One is "opened" by being near someone who is in the latihan. Members are expected, but not required, to donate money. The purpose of this donation is to pay for the upkeep of the meeting place and maintenance of a national and international committee structure.
Practices of Subud
The latihan is the main and only practice of Subud. Members claim that one cannot be taught the latihan, but must receive it themselves. Subud does not fit the strict definition of a cult (charismatic leader, member isolation, strict teachings). In fact there are no teachings and members are encouraged to develop and follow guidance from within themselves.The Latihan
Although Latihan can be practised individually, at home, members often prefer to practise in groups. In this case, men and women do latihan separately, but (often) at the same time. They start by sitting quietly for fifteen minutes, during which time they attempt to quieten their minds. After this, they stand up, and a helper signals for the group to start doing latihan by saying "begin please". They feel themselves moved to walk around, shout, and sing, by what they claim is a Divine Power. Members doing latihan are always in full control of their actions. After around half an hour the same helper ends the latihan by saying "finish please".Organization
There are two parallel lines of responsibility in Subud. One is non-spiritual and consists of a chairperson, vice-chair, treasurer, etc. This committee is tasked with running the organization, raising funds, publishing newsletters, etc. There is such a committee at each level of Subud, local, regional, national and international. On the spiritual side each level has a group of experienced members, called helpers, to assist members, and to facilitate at meetings.
Helpers also start and stop the group latihans. Subud also has groups called wings, dedicated to the supporting the Arts, Charitable efforts, Health, Education, and Enterprise.