The Five Powers

This year's World Cup football is to be played in Brazil. The country is ready with new and renovated stadiums and looks beautiful. The participating teams have announced their squads and are playing practice games. It will be a combination of factors that will lead one of the teams to victory. Winning the World Cup is not something that happens overnight. Years of preparation go into it, despite the fact that the teams feature professional players. Just one quality like skill on the ball is not enough to win the World Cup. There will be challenges and difficulties. Top teams with skilled players will be competing against each other. Each game will be tough. 

Our Guru-Buddha, Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches the five faculties and powers. He explains that when used as bases these faculties are like a power plant and when used as energies they are like electricity. Success in the World Cup, on the Buddhist path to enlightenment or any other goal is dependent on the amount of power these faculties produce. So it is very important that we learn these well and never forget them 

The first is faith. A game is of two halves. The team that scores first does not necessarily win. So you may have lost your job or you may have broken up with someone, but you don't know what's in store for you in the future. So don't despair. When we cook we can see that it takes a bit of time to transform raw food into cooked food. If someone were to taste the food before it has been fully cooked, they may not enjoy it. Football players know from experience that there is always a chance of winning, no matter how improbable it may appear. Faith becomes stronger as we practice. You may think that you are practicing good actions but not getting the rewards while someone else is getting rich committing fraud and deception. You may feel that it is unfair. You are tasting uncooked food. If we are practicing the five mindfulness trainings then we should be confident that change will always be for the better. 

The second faculty and energy is diligence. If you see a football match, you can see that the players are eager to receive the ball. They want to pass, they want to get past opposition players, they want to tackle, they want to score. If a team is trailing, they are even more eager to get on the ball. We must be diligent if we want to win. Then it becomes engaging. 

The third is mindfulness. The coach may give instructions and come up with brilliant tactics but if the players forget to implement it on the pitch, then it isn't of much use. Mindfulness will remind us to use the five powers when faced with adversity. It will remind us to practice the five mindfulness trainings and it will remind us to be thankful to our Guru-Buddha, Thich Nhat Hanh and to pray for his long life.

The fourth faculty and power is concentration. When concentration wavers players make mistakes. They take their eyes off the ball. They miss opportunities. They concede goals. If we lose our concentration, insight will not arise. We should maintain focus on what we are doing. 

The fifth faculty and power is insight or wisdom. Wrong views cause suffering. Wisdom shatters wrong views and frees us from suffering. Mindfulness leads to concentration which leads to wisdom. On May 25th, 2005, AC Milan played Liverpool in the final of the Champions League. Milan scored three goals in the first half against a hapless Liverpool defense. The game was as good as over. However, luckily the Liverpool manager was mindful enough to concentrate on the events unfolding on the pitch. He made tactical changes at half time, encouraged his players and Liverpool were able to turn the game on its head. From 0-3 to 3-3 and champions on penalties! If we are mindful, we can concentrate and wisdom will arise. We can overcome adversities and progress towards our goals.

The more we deploy these powers the faster we progress. We must remind ourselves everyday to practice the five mindfulness trainings and use the five powers. Then our practice will be joyful and transformation will be faster and easier.

"The mind can go in a thousand directions,

but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace.

With each step, the wind blows.

With each step, a flower blooms."

(Verse by Thich Nhat Hanh).

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