Five Spiritual Powers: The Foundation of Real Happiness

These Five Spiritual Powers are from Thich Nhat Hanh's The Art of Power

1. The Power of Faith

This is about trust and confidence “ inside you and not directed toward something external.”

“When you have faith, your eyes are bright and your steps are confident. This is power.”

2. The Power of Diligence

Practice meditating, mindful walking, and/or mindful breathing every day.

• Do not let negative thoughts in, only positive ones
If you live in a negative environment, that environment will trigger negative thoughts. Choose to be around positive people and places.

• Calm and change any negative emotions that do arise. Do not ignore them. Simply recognize them, then replace them with something uplifting.

• Encourage positive emotions within. Take some action such as reading or making a statement, something that nurtures good thoughts.

• Continue to keep positive emotions nourished; this is a daily task, not a one-time event.

3. The Power of Mindfulness

• Being aware of what is happening in the present moment.

• Having the capacity to recognize things as they are, not as we wish they
were.

• Walking and eating with mindfulness.


4. The Power of Concentration

• Impermanence – Know that everything is constantly changing. Tomorrow may be too late to express thoughts or care for a loved one.

• Non-self – The reality is that we do not have a separate self, so when we suffer, all suffer.

• Interbeing – The interconnectedness of life means that any suffering we cause will also affect us.

5. The Power of Insight

• Impermanence – “Life is precious…we have to treasure every moment…” The positive side of impermanence is that if we have this insight, we can transform any negativity.

• Nondiscrimination – We are all brothers and sisters. “With this insight, we can undo our own fears, sufferings, separateness and loneliness, and we can help others do the same.” Imagine how this can impact the ignorance surrounding conficts in our lives and the world.


More of Thich Nnat Hanh's book is discussed in my latest Practical Spirituality Newsletter