Bapak’s reference is the Subud Subud (pronounced [ˈsʊbʊd]), acronym of Susila Budhi Dharma, is an international, interfaith spiritual movement that began in Indonesia in the 1920s, founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo (1901–1987). The basis of Subud is a spiritual exercise called the latihan kejiwaan, which Muhammad Subuh said represents guidance from "the Power of God" or "the Great Life Force." He asserted that Subud was neither new teaching nor a religion. Rather, Subuh remarked that as a result of following the inner guidance from the latihan, members could be guided towards a religion that was right for them, whether it is Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. While following a religion can provide discipline that can be valuable for a member's inner development, it is not necessary to follow a religion in order to be in Subud and do the latihan. The Subud symbol was envisioned by Pak Subuh in 1959. The design consists of seven concentric circles and seven spokes, which, in traditional Javanese mysticism, represent seven levels of life forces as well as the Great Life Force that connects them. Each circle grows wider, further out from the center, and each spoke narrows as it approaches the center. The space between the circles remains constant. There are Subud groups in about 83 countries, with a worldwide membership of about 10,000 in 2003.