The Six Kinds of Power
70"It began with the forging of the great rings. Three were given to the elves, the wisest and fairest (most just) of all creatures, seven to the dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain' ores and nine...nine rings were gifted to race of men...who above all else desire POWER..." Lord of the Rings
One afternoon, as I was cleaning my spam box I came across an ad and curiously opened it. It was a video about the four kinds of power. It was fascinating in the sense that it only talked about physical power, social power, economic power and spiritual power. It missed or ignored intellectual power, as well as political power. I thought that is odd and then I realized that this was a promotional video. There are probably other kinds of power such as magical power but those I attribute to spiritual power.
Let us talk briefly about these powers.
Physical power is what the martial artists have.
Social power is what the celebrities have.
Economic power is what the wealthy people have. This is the only one that can be bestowed from one person to another, i.e. inheritance money.
Political power is what the elected officials have.
Intellectual power is what the scientists and artists have, and lastly,
Spiritual power is what the magicians/shamans have, and at the highest degree what the sages of the past, and realized beings have.
Except for the last one, all of the other powers overlap to some degree and one can be used to get others.
The last one encompasses them all, the main difference being those endowed with spiritual power can, at will, and in full knowing, take any of the earlier powers if they choose to do so. As in all cases, there are varying degrees.
For the last one, there is an infinite range of degrees.
I am thinking of the sages of the past. One of the most famous lines in a Zen book was the fact that the old Zen Masters, instead of being enfeebled by age were empowered by it.
To acquire any of the six powers one requires discipline. The question then is “What would you give to acquire your chosen power?”
The koan in Wumenguan entitled “The wild fox” asks this question: “Is a greatly cultivated man also subject to causality? The correct answer is : He is not blind to causality”
This was what Jesus Christ meant when he said “To be in the world but not of it.”
Note: If you want economic power then you should be able to say yes to what Milton in the Devil’s Advocate asked Kevin, the lawyer:
“Can you summon your talent at will? Can you deliver on a deadline? Can you sleep at night?”
Lastly, there is nothing wrong with trying to develop/acquire any of these powers. That is what free will is about. Just remember that with privilege always comes responsibility. You define what those are.
© 2010 by Melinda M. Sorensson
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Thank you RevLady!!
Thank you Melinda, for a very informative and very inspiring hub. we have to remember the old adage Beware of what you ask for,because you might get it. Thank you for sharing. Godspeed. creativeone59
Thank you creativeone59. This is so true. We are always responsible for our choices.
God Bless.
Msorensson, Quite thought provoking! This makes us mindful of our choices. With choice comes consequences! "To be in the world and not of the world" is the preferable choice for me!
Knowing that when we seek the Omnipotent Sovereign God above all else; in Him we have all that we will ever need. Yes in Him is "the infinite range of degrees."
Melissa, Thank you for sharing, In HIS love, Peace & Blessings!
i have all the power you just mentioned but do not know how powerful all the power inside me,can we measure all that power or we already certain how powerful we are.anyway thanks for your information and it makes a little confuse already!LOL!
Thank you for such an inspiring hub, I greatly enjoyed reading it.
Aye, Deborrah, This is so true. There are so many tests that we have to go through in order that we may perfect ourselves to the standard of Jesus Christ so that we can be in the world but not of it.
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment. Much appreciated.
Hi, Sord,
We were born with the breath of God. We have forgotten and identify with our personalities and bodies in this lifetime and the previous lifetimes.
All the powers are traps, for one who is truly powerful will never use it..It is the ultimate test.
Jesus manifested miracles because the people required it to believe and so He can deliver a message.
..but we are given the choice as human beings...
That is why the note at the end.
Thank you for dropping by and leaving your comment.
Thank you hello, hello for reading the hub and commenting. I hope it is useful to you in some way.
You are such a clever girl, Melinda. I wish you lived next door so we could sit on sofa chairs drinking tea or coffee and trying to solve the world's problems together in daily afternoon sessions :-))
Of course we would be the only ones listening to the solutions, but that does not really matter, does it?
Wonderful article :-)
Thank you, De Greek. So kind. Well, of course I have friends in Europe whom I might like to visit someday...One day. Perhaps we can visit you and your wife..wow..that would be really lovely.
We cannot solve the world's problems, dear friend. We can at best offer insights...but we have to let people be. This is the greatest compassion we can give. Given the sword of Excalibur and the magic greater than Merlin's, we must not interfere.
Thank you, De Greek for stopping by. I appreciate.
Love this hub, Melinda.
I like that you note that there's nothing inherently wrong with any of these powers, as long as you're not abusing them. Dig the spiritual power. :-)
Scott
Thank you, Scott!! Much appreciated.
ms,loved your hub The six kinds of power.
Thank you, Granny!!
Fascinating hub. The key word for me is "responsibility".
Yes, pop, thanks. Actually, no one can be truly powerful in all of of them unless there is responsibility and if they do access it, and act irresponsibly, it is taken away immediately and painfully.
There is a point when that does not happen anymore, with spiritual power, but the check and balance always works.
Thank you for dropping by.
Hi, I think if you use all the powers together then it is balanced, the trouble starts when one becomes too out of balance, for example someone who uses their power above peoples feelings, thoughtful hub, thanks nell
Thank you Nell. Yes, agreed.
Wow! as usual Melinda, you've inspired me; thank you. That was POWERFUL!
Can anyone achieve all the powers? Hmmmm... I wonder?!!!
Thank you, DynamicS. That is so kind.
Yes, to the question. Many people actually have. The sages have achieved those powers.
By discipline alone, one can achieve miraculous/magical powers. One does not have to be spiritually advanced in order to have them. But they are traps.
love this! thank you for sharing.
Thank you daydreamer. Much appreciated!!
A very thoughtful article. My immediate thoughts upon reading are:
If one has spiritual power, all others can be seen accurately. We may not need physical power beyond health; social power beyond friendship and love; economic power beyond the ability to meet our needs; political power beyond the respect of our peers; and, intellectual power beyond understanding the world around us. Developing each power to a greater degree can be rewarding, of course, but perhaps not necessary.
Spiritual power is least understood and most important. Without a spiritual power, our lives lack purpose and meaning. Our needs remain frozen and unfulfilled. It provides the proper perspective to the pursuit of any other type of power.
Thanks for sharing this most thoughtful and articulate piece.
Mike
Hi Mike, Thank you kindly for the wonderful insights.
The body is a shell. It does have cellular memory. We need it to be in this world, on this planet, in this galaxy.
The mind is like a fly which alighted on a giant's shoulder and thinks itself to be master, but it is largely a programmed mass of imprints...this is sad but it is true.
The spirit, the breath of God, is what animates the body, but in most of us, it is asleep. The mind therefore thinking that it can command the body makes it a slave to the demands of the body and to its own demands...and it has endless demands...we see this when we meditate and see that thoughts arise one after another. It says me me me...me first, me only, serve me.
The spirit or soul is perfect but it is sleeping and needs to reawaken in order to assert itself.
When it has awakened, it sees the cruelty of the mind.
Awake, it sees itself as it really is. Boundless compassion, unlimited and unconditional love, more powerful than what the mind can conceive itself to be, no matter how grandiose the vision.
An awakened spirit knows itself to be eternal, invincible and invulnerable, but to get to that stage there are tests after tests after tests.
Absolute power can corrupt in human terms but one is never given absolute power unless firstly it has developed panoramic awareness which does not allow it to be frivolous in any sense.
In the Buddhist tradition, it makes one lift the cockroach off the floor and take it outside so it can live. In the Christian tradition, it is the story of a saint getting the scissors and cutting off an expensive veil to half because a cat was sleeping on the other half and she needed it.
The temptation of Jesus Christ literally sums it all up.
That was the koan, a riddle, which one could understand intellectually and from the heart but to understand and relate to is different than to know.
Thank you for dropping by, Mike. Much appreciated.
Nice hub! I liked it and thanks for sharing this.
Thank you Nikitha :-)
Excellent thought-provoking well-written article, Melinda! My thoughts on the subject are similar to Mike Lickteig's.
There is a coming together of understanding within one's being - spiritual in nature but beyond that, perhaps, - in which grasping is superfluous A sense if release and inherent possession of power simply IS and is sensed. Its comprehension thereafter nfluences one's comprehension of life's complexities.
Wow..you put it so succinctly..thank you, Nellieanna for coming. I love that phrase...grasping is superfluous :-)
Thank you for stopping by, Nellieanna.
Another great hub from you, Madam. I thought spiritual power have a role to control everything related with habit. If we have good spiritual power, I believe we can avoid the bad things. Very inspiring hub. I love it. Thank you very much. Vote up.
Blessing,
Thank you prasetio. Simply to recognize the spirit within allows us some spiritual power. All others are dependent on it. All others are avenues to increase it if we allow whatever it is we have.
For example Jet Li was a monk for 15 years before becoming a movie star.
Because spiritual power is the cause rather than the effect, it is much harder to perfect.
Thus Jesus Christ fasted and prayed for forty days before he was tempted by the devil, and the Buddha, even after realizing enlightenment, still meditated as a matter of discipline.
It is said that the second Buddha, Padmasambhava, reincarnated continuously for 3,000 years to perfect himself.
Theoretically, they did not have to do anything anymore, but they did.
Thank you for stopping by.
Great hub! Straight and to the point!
Thank you reeltaulk for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Thanks, Melinda. I suspect that a major flaw in our approaches to many things we want to accomplish or to fathom is the TRYING to reach them or to understand them and then TRYING to continue to, when the simple fact of it is that in the one case they are spontaneous and in the other, they are infinite. In neither case do they require our effort or support. We are their beneficiaries if we can relax and allow ourselves to be.
Very nice hub! A vote up 4 U!
Thank you, Mellieanna. Yes that is the concept. Reach and touch but do not grasp. When you grasp, it retreats.
Thank you for coming back!!
Hi, cybersleuth. Thanks so much!!
Great stuff, I had not given much thought to the political power. I appreciate your insights, your very in tune with the universe and all it's available power and we should and can harness it. That's what it there for right? You a treasure and I thank you for this reminder of what we have in the six kinds of powers and what we can do with it! Peace :)
Oh, thank you Katie, much appreciated. One person asked me about this same line, and the answer is, we are allowed to experience everything in this world.
We came here to play, we had just forgotten. It is no more than a very big Disneyland, toys, games, rides in every corner..we play to exhaustion and then we go home.
Home is where our hearts are. We simply need a way to get back. The paradox is that in order to get back "home" we have to WANT to experience it, all of it, and then be able to walk away from it.
Really, I never wanted to go home when I was at Disneyland many years ago...
Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate.
Much love, Melinda
So,at times spam emails are invaluable.I love the saying you mentioned about zen book.I think summoning one's talent positively at will is one of the most powerful and difficult thing that one can think about master of.Thank you so much :)
Thanks, Andromida. Yes, I love that story and it has stuck on my mind ever since then.
Thank you for dropping by and leaving your comment.
I couldn't help wondering. If old age does bring with it empowerment, it must be dependent on the type of power. There is sure to be some enfeeblement as well if you stop and think about it, or is that just me :-)
Age is a number, Brian. We were programmed to believe that the body and the mind deteriorate with earth age...and yet, there is nothing preventing us from violating the physical laws that govern this universe.
At the deepest level, we can reprogram the DNA...It accepts and interacts with photons..it means we can will it to do what we wish given sufficient discipline.
Just a food for thought for you and thank you for visiting.
There is no much difference between power and fire; it can be used for the benefit of self and others OR it can be used as a distructive force.
Wow great analogy, Petra. Thanks!!!
As I gather years on my CV I think I am gathering powers in my hands and mind! And reading wonderful writings like yours, dear lady, is adding to the power of my years!
It is no accident that I was giving a bike "out of the blue" as it were. I still have to understand all it means, but I'm sure that enlightenment will come without my having to grasp at it. I rest in the power of now!
Love and peace
Tony
Thank you Tony for dropping by...yes..we have all kinds of possibilities..
Peace,
Melinda
Fascinating topic and excellent hub! But what else will ever emerge from you? You’ve said it all – I can’t think of something to add. Your last sentence is so true – “... with privilege always comes responsibility.” Today we have too many privileges and obviously too many responsibilities. Thus living like rats in a race, looking forward to the day of retirement. Take care!
Thank you Martie. Much appreciated. Yes. Privilege on one side, responsibility on the other.
Have read, or studied Lynn McTaggart? She has written, "The Field, The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe," "The Intention Experiment," and other books... She suggest that our essence we exist as a unity, a relationship - utterly interdependent, the parts affecting the whole at every moment.
Perhaps the "Spiritual Power" lends more weight to the idea, advanced by a number of scientist, that consciousness may be central in shaping our world. In my quest to "understand," I struggle with the Socratic dialog, posing each discovery as a philosophical problem to be placed in a wider context. Is there a spiritual, or consciousness or just the Zero Point Field?
As you know, although science is viewed as an ultimate truth, science is just a story, told in installment. We learn in piecemeal fashion. Somehow, I suspect the spiritual component is associated, connected with quantum realities... past, present, and future elements present.
Thank you, Dallas. No I have not read Lynn McTaggart. Perhaps I should, thank you.
The zero point field you are referring to..it is in the heart. You are at the center of many worlds all at once.
Science is a means...one of the means to access truth...but all truths are relative until we realize the one truth..the one Jesus Christ referred to in "And the truth shall set you free"
The challenge is to learn the "truth." You are an "old soul," I enjoy your writings.
Thank you, Dallas...Aye, indeed...a very old soul...
I truly, truly enjoyed reading this hub. You made me think. I like the part about the Zen masters becoming empowered by old age, instead of enfeebled. Had not read this before. I guess if one has spiritual power it affects every level of our experience.
Rated up, and thanks for this wonderful read on this late evening.
Thank you violet sun. The story was a close to 90 Zen Master appeared to be asleep during a meeting and one young and playful monk threw something at him..a paper plane or something like this..nothing that could hurt..the Zen master caught what was thrown to him with one hand, without opening his eyes...kind of like catching a fly with chopsticks...I did not think it possible but it is.
Thank you for dropping by. Much appreciated.
Seems everyone wants some kind of power at one time or another in their lives. Even with our own special powers we may be born with, we must first be able to give it up before we can truly be masters. Only then would we be able to understand with wisdom. and only when we reach that wisdom can we know mastership. and even then, what do we do with it, can we give it up? Or do we tightly hold on? Then what? :D
I love your hubs :D I also wish we lived closer so we can sit and explore the mysteries of our universe! :D I am dancing on your buttons :D
This is true, Sa'ge. At one point or another one gets fascinated by all of it, like a grand parade. There are universes in which the contest is "Which of us is the more powerful magician?" :-)
Where there is a contest, there is a winner and a loser. By definition a consistent win is a lie...this is a truth that extends beyond our world.
As there is a loser, there are penalties for losing.
It is the reason we are here on this planet.
To learn that every display of power no matter how seemingly small, is ego based, a desire "to prove something"
There is nothing to prove. We are in this world. We touch the earth. The earth supports us. We live with all other sentient beings and we honor their reason to be as well as their paths.
Those that are endowed..the Bodhisattvas...are fully equipped...and yet they are bound by ethics, responsibility and awareness never to interfere. They are aware that we cannot help others as gods. Hence they have chosen to come back, in human form, that they may relate to others as it is. As humans. For it is only in human form can one attain true liberation.
One can choose to remain as a god, but sooner or later he has to become human again, for as a god, he is still trapped by desires, albeit, instantaneous manifestations of every desire a human can think of. It is as a human that he realizes, it is all a grand display.
It would be lovely if we could sit down and chat. Thank you!!!
Very interesting thoughts on power. There are so many kinds of power in our world. Having the power to exercise one's power can be a very powerful weapon and it has proven to be throughout our worlds history.
Power has been given to many and taken away from to few. With power one can control circumstance and outcomes and have the world pay the price for exercising that power upon them.
Power in the hands of the wrong persons causes much devastation. The world is going through a power struggle is so many countries, when and where will it end?
Very interesting hub, certainly stimulates the mind. I still say Power to the People...peace and and love to the world. hugs my friend.
I think you are right to point out that many powerful and influential people, be they politcians, actors, or businessmen, all possess a culmination of these powers. What they DO with that power is of the utmost importance, and we always hope that the right people achieve it and put it to the best work.
Very informative hub msorensson! I'd add power of love :)
Hi,Saddlerider. Thanks. I agree that in the hands of the wrong persons/people/groups earthly power can be used to harm others. It cannot be helped as long as we don't recognize that our survival depends on our ability to coexist peacefully with others.
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment and your insigths. Much appreciated.
Thank you Springboard. I agree. We are given such power, celebrity power for instance, because there is a responsibility that comes with it...to be of help to others, one way or another. It is we who define what kind of help we can offer and do so.
Thank you for your insights. Much appreciated.
Aye, mioluna...indeed, in this universe there is no power greater than love. Thank you!!
I did not include it because the search for all those powers to some degree involve love..self love.
It is only by loving ourselves completely..the good..the bad..the ugly..the beautiful parts of us that we are able to incorporate any of the kinds of power that I mentioned.
On the other hand, when one reaches the summit, as in the sages, they have already become the embodiment of love, for all sentient beings.
When one lives it, there is no need to search for it for it cannot be found.
Hello Msorensson..
great Hub, i enjoyed reading.! searching for mind powers i came across ur hub indeed very helpful to me, thanks for sharing,,
GOD bless.TC
I am glad you enjoyed it, noorenaz. Thank you for dropping by and leaving your comment.
Sending you love.
Hello Msorensson - thank you for this wonderful hub - have to say also that the Kafka quote you have written is such a powerful one - so full of relevant meaning.
The issue of personal power is always important for us and you have sensitively and yet compellingly brought it into an even sharper perspective here. I really like the way you write Msorensson and I shall read more of your words - and your truly 'angelic' wisdom - and I use that word 'angelic' in a special sense and not in any 'sugary' or insincere way. I think your wisdom reveals you to be an 'angelic' human-being.
Thank you, amorea. You are too kind. I appreciate.
How inspiring and I agree with DeBorrah as well!!!! Thank you! GREAT HUB!
Thank you,drpastorcarlotta :-)
Intellectual power is what the scientists and artists have...???
I was at first concerned about your line above; especially artists ...
But when I analyze it further I realize that yes-- Artists have power in that they influence their audiences' thought processes and ultimately decisions!
Thanks for this "thought-provoking" article.
Thank you, YU_First 1 for reading the hub and leaving your comment.
Indeed artists have lots of power because they have lots of creativity and imagination. They live in their own worlds, much as scientists do.
The only difference between the two is which side of the brain they are using PREDOMINANTLY. That is creative power.
A great scientist and a great artist have capabilities to be either or. The choice is determined by the environment/upbringing of the child.
did I offend?
Huh? Of course not. Would you like to tell me how you thought it?
Did you leave a comment that I did not address? Please apologies, 50 Caliber
msorensson, I thought I left a comment as I always do and it appears to have gone wrong so I thought I would ask. Sometimes I get this little rotating circle showing the computer is working and most likely I closed the window before it was finished and that would be my guess if you didn't get it. It gave me a chance to vote it up across the board another time as I vote each time I return.
Aye, a fine hub as to powers. I lay my powers in Christ, as he allows me spiritual power to call upon him in my times of need. I feel that is the only gift I need, the faith in Christ and spiritual connection via the Holy Spirit, that allows me a path of spiritual communication with the one who holds all powers. Each of us are born with evil powers that require great responsibility. I have as all do the power of life and death, to take our own or anothers, but very few in relative numbers use that power. I find that great that folks restrain themselves from from taking others lives.
A very informative hub with much to consider, Peace, 50
Thank you 50 Caliber. I appreciate very much your coming back.
I commend such honesty and such faith. Oh were we all as committed and as deliberate in knowing, we would all realize that what it says in the Bible is truth, but truth so simple it is actually easier to misinterpret.
It is not normal human behavior to take ones' life or anothers'.
There is in us a memory that this is not good for everyone involved. It is a gift to be alive, to have the breath of God. It is here as humans that we discover love, for even the most evil one of us, when shown love, will awaken in himself, compassion.
Again, many thanks. Peace. Melinda
Interesting. The most mysterious of all the powers is definately spiritual power. (:v
Yes, indeed. It encompasses all of them and every other power is designed to lead to full spiritual power. Thanks for dropping by, Valerie.
This is a very educational hub on power, its advantages and uses. I have not really thought about power until reading your article. Of course, if I had to choose a power, it would be spiritual power as this is the one that matters most to me. I have read all of the above comments, (I always do as I learn from them), however I do not believe as one of your readers does - that we are all born with evil powers. We may be born with weaknesses that can be overcome with education and maturity, but no, not evil. But that - is another subject, or hub. :-) Thank you Melinda for a truly wonderful and thought-provoking hub. Blessings.
Thank you, vocalcoach. Human beings are essentially good, after all we are molded of the creator. However we chose to be here on earth for our own evolution. It is here that we can make choices, be tempted by desires, human desires.
It is in accepting our full humanity, the good, the not so good, the beautiful, the not so beautiful that we can rise. We do this moment to moment.
We choose to align with that which reminds us of our connection to God or we choose to forget. Therefore the only objective of being here is to constantly be vigilant in choosing alignment.
When Jesus Christ said "Don't you know that you are gods" he means that, in my opinion, every miracle he chose to show for the benefit of the people, we are also capable of. The difference is that when Jesus did them, he was not attached to the outcome for although human, he fully remembered that he is the Son of God, and has no use for anything that is here on earth.
I went back to the temptation of Jesus Christ about a hundred times to understand it. I understood it logically, but knowing and logical understanding are different. We have to know, then we will have the power, spiritual power, which we have a responsibility for. For every privilege, there is a corresponding responsibility. I hope I at least made a few things clear.
Thanks so much for dropping by!! You always warm my heart.
Melinda, it is so well written that I need to spend more time to read more of your hubs! I aleays know that you are so inteligent that I will learn so much from you. Thank you for giving me the pleasure!
You are too kind, tim-tim, thank you!!
Interesting and thought-provoking hub. We can talk to friends about this topic for hours.
Please do. Thank you Ingenira for reading the hub and leaving your comment.
“Is a greatly cultivated man also subject to causality? The correct answer is : He is not blind to causality”
I love this! I'm not sure I grasp the whole meaning of it yet, but I have some thoughts about it, and I think I'll reflect on it awhile.
I love the discussion here MS as much as the hub itself. Thank you.
Hi, Kimh
Thank you. The answer...a Boddhisattva who has chosen to come back to be of help to the greatest number of sentient beings, even if he can leave the body knowingly and at will during meditation, will not throw himself in front of a moving truck...it will cause chaos.
Thank you!!
Yeah. not because he is fearful or anxious about the consequences; just that it would cause chaos...and loss of peace for many.
Yes, kimh :-) You put it so well. Not fearful or anxious. He is exhibiting responsibility.
Great hub on the different types of power. Whatever type of power a person has, it is necessary to have character and use wisdom in executing that power!. Voted up!
Thank you 2besure, much appreciated. Indeed, power cannot be bestowed fully unless wisdom is first perfected.
What an interesting hub!
Thank you, habee!!
Yes Ma'am. With all privilege comes responsibility. Very true and this is a very nice hub. You are a very wise woman msorensson. I have always thought so from reading you the very first time and every time since. Thank you Melinda!
Hi, Micky,
Thank you. Wish you a lovely week ahead. Will visit your hubs soon...
Great Hub! I'm digging it. And . . . I'll never forget how you offered me a place to live when I was near homelessness. Whatever spiritual powers you have, you exercise them to the fullest. God Bless You, melady.
Oh, I love the melady reference, thank you James. That was how my ex husband referred to me. So sweet.
Powers, any kind, always comes with responsibility. Oh, the beautiful sadness of responsibility.
Wishing you everything your heart desires, dear James. Thank you for being an inspiration to all of us.
Inspirational hub. I like your closing: Just remember that with privilege always comes responsibility. You define what those are. This is what usually people forget the most. Thank you for very interesting hub. :)
Thank you Freya for visiting and leaving your comment. Yes, it is very easy to forget about responsibility. There is a sadness, a beautiful kind of sadness associated with it. But there is also joy. One simply has to be aware at all times.
Lovely wrap up there - with privilege comes responsibility - something often forgotten (seems many of us responded to that) One privilege is freedom. Yet we make a lot of noise about it - and yet feel it is a privilege and a right - and responsibility is not a component. How often I hear people say "I have a right" over and over - yet think others do not or that their right should supercede the rights of another. Perhaps if we used that sixth power - the thinking part, we'd be better off.
Thanks for a hub that helps to enlighten. Rated up of course!
Thank you BkCreative. Yes we tend to forget about the responsibility part, for we are all too human and mesmerized by apparencies/appearances.
Wow, thank you..I just remembered my mentor and thought about her class Enzyme Kinetics where we have a label "apparent"...it is what we calculate values depending on the prevailing conditions, but then there is a true value..a constant...for a set of conditions in a chemical reaction.
In the above article, we can allude to the other powers as apparent, when true power is spiritual, and in case of truth, apparent or relative truths as compared to absolute truths.
Thank you for reminding!!
I really enjoyed reading this. I am amazed by how people confuse spiritual power with religious power. I don't see them as the same. But I like the explanations of the six different kinds of powers! :)
Thank you, Astra Nomik. It is easy to get confused...
Such a thoughtful and thought-provoking hub. Simple words, but oh my, the depths of meaning. I shall return and contemplate these words when my head is less busy, and my home is quiet. Thanks so much.
Thank you, so kind of you, RedElf.
Power implies the possession of controlling influence. The first 5 can be acquired or possess through proper development. . But for spiritual power I think it is the other way around. It "acquires" or "possess" us. ;) we are merely the means or instrumentality of a higher being, God, creator or consciousness.
Hello, SilentReed,
Thank you for dropping by. What a wonderful way to express it. That way there is no ownership, which there really isn't.
And yes, one becomes an instrument...a conduit if you will and one like Moses can and will use it if it is absolutely necessary but without attachment to the result.
Chinese officials is very right, but people do not.
Officials can have bestowed power. It can be taken away at any moment. Authentic power is independent of education, rank, birth, money, prestige.
The sixth Patriarch of Zen was a rice thresher and yet when the Abbott of the monastery asked the question to determine who would succeed him, he was chosen.
I can only imagine what it was like.
Thank you for dropping by and leaving your comment. I wish I spoke Mandarin..
Such an interesting thought provoking hub and I enjoyed reading each and every comment and your repsonses to them. It seems as we age often times our spirituality increases. It may be that more thought is given to it since we know our time on earth is more limited but it may also be a natural outcome of growing in all areas of discovery. As many others have already stated, I like your ending stating "with privilege comes responsibility." Thanks!
Thank you Peggy. It is the responsibility part that is the ultimate test. Just like Anakin Skywalker before he became Darth Vader. Misuse of power because of not enough clarity. The movie was dramatized...but there is truth in it.
Thanks for dropping by!
Nice Hub Melinda I am sorry I have ben tied and haven't been able to catch up with your excellent writing about everything spiritual.
Billy, no apologies necessary. You are busy, that is wondeful!! We all have lives outside of cyberspace.
It is more interesting..real..you can touch and feel it. Go and smell the roses. They are not the same as a silk one on the kitchen table.
You wrote” This was what Jesus Christ meant when he said “To be in the world but not of it.” Born Again Christians who live their life according to the teachings in the Bible are in the world but not of it!
The Prophetic Spiritual gift comes from God, one has to learn how to use it.
I wouldn’t have said that magicians have a Spiritual power, unless you are referring to the occult?
Interesting references are on this page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernatural
Hi, Stella,
Wow, Thanks!! Glad to see you!!
Awesome hub Thanks!
Thank you, Pennyoheaven.
I wanted to wish you a Happy Holiday and a very Merry New Year. I visit this page to maintain focus and a target vision of my meditations on a very prosperous new year. Love, Peace and Joy, Katie :)
Thank you Katie :-)
Wishing you happy holidays as well!!
Love, Melinda
"Age is a number, Brian. We were programmed to believe that the body and the mind deteriorate with earth age...and yet, there is nothing preventing us from violating the physical laws that govern this universe.
At the deepest level, we can reprogram the DNA...It accepts and interacts with photons..it means we can will it to do what we wish given sufficient discipline."
I believe!
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fine hub !
Thank you someonewhoknows. Much appreciated.
I don't know how I missed this hub before except I am way behind in my reading but I think this is very interesting and right to the point. Power is not always used in a good way but it do a lot of very good things when used to serve. Excellent hub.
Thank you, Pamela!!
My son and I have a discussion about this hub all the time.
Those who really have it don't use it or very seldom do and when they do it is always for the betterment of mankind in general. I meant spiritual power.
Economic power is fleeting as is every other power mentioned. The lucky ones realize this right away.
The others do not. Thank you for stopping by!!
Wishing you a Happy 2011.
Much love,
Melinda
Hello MS and Happy New Year To You!!!.....This is a really good hub. I finally got back to my writing here on hubpages and I have sort of been trying to approach this subject since I feel a lot of people do not have the right priorities in their lives. I think someone tried to write this above, but a very famous actress once told me "Be Careful What You Wish for." And I listened very carefully. I do know people who have sold their souls for money. I do know people who have hurt people for money. Power can be a very scary thing when it is mishandled. I do hope that people make the right choices in life. All the best, GPAGE
Thank you, GPage and I am glad you are back to writing. Happy New Year!!
I do not mind people having a lot of money. It is just like everything else, a tool, of exchange.
You are right, mishandling of any kind of power is sad, but luckily, there are natural controls.
He who has power knows it comes with responsibility, just like Gandalf in contrast to Saruman in Lord of the Rings, or Yoda in contrast to the Emperor in Star Wars.
This is such an excellent Hub.... I am glad I read it. But also, I am curious, isn't possible to acquire or inherit the spiritual power also? I am from Nigeria and in the south-eastern part of Nigeria, there is this set of people/clan who can suspend the rain, during the rainy season. So in most occasion, organizers of events during the rainy season pay this clan some money, so that they suspend the rain in the cloud until the event is over, or also, if they are angry with someone, they can transfer rain from a nearby village to a particular place of intent, if they want to act wickedly, and normally, this 'gift' or 'power'is passed from generation to generation of the same clan, and only that clan in the whole of Nigeria can exhibit this power.
Once, again, its such a great hub and I really crave for the whole 6 (many the social power can stay out of it, but the other 5-I love so much and wish to acquire them soonest)... Thanks
D.Virtual.Doctor
Thank you, D. Virtual Doctor.
To inherit No.
The Siddhic powers..or Shamanic powers can be developed as you said,he can suspend the rain, just like Saruman in Lord of the Rings. Those are an impediment to the path and one is tested again and again on these.
To use it for base ends would bring enormous consequences in the next life.
Your comment and question is much appreciated!!
There are 2 types of Power that you forgot about!
Very big ones!
I think I feel a hub coming on! Thanks!
Melanie
Thank you, Melanie !!
Thanks for such an interesting and thought provoking hub. You are quite a writer. I enjoy what you have to say very much. Rated up and awesome.
I hadn't thought of power in a way like this. It certainly would be great to cultivate some of these kinds of power. :)
Thank you toknoowinfo and Alexander.
ya thanks for all you said about these six kinds of power
but i do believe for three kinds of these power,Economical power,Political power and Ideological power, i think these are the real power the we count on it .
Voted UP; useful, awesome, interesting and beautiful. I envy your IQ! Lovely and soft thought processes always keep me spellbound. Lovely style you have of writing.
Thank you, Kenneth..
Wish you a great week.
this is interesting. like the spiritual power part but not into magic or shamanism but more on faith and sensitivity to spiritual connections to all forms of life.
The spiritual power is the sum of all of it combined...Thank you Hopmoneywizard..
Very interesting hub. Acquiring social power through intellectual power in order to invoke positive changes would be cool! :D
Voted up! :D
Thanks. Much appreciated.
Very interesting Hub. I really enjoyed it.
I think everyone of us has a certain power - we just need to grow in it.
Yes, we have a memory of it. If we can discipline ourselves, we will have full remembrance.
Thank you, Lady E.
I was also thinking about emotional power (emotional intelligence). This was a really good hub because it was very interesting. Thank you.
Thank you, ytsenoh, for coming and leaving a comment. Indeed, emotional intelligence is very important. This is what logicians have mastered.
I like your list of Zen books below. I have learned much about power learning ZEN.
You've got some great articles here.
Thank you, Ruby H. Rose..Much appreciated. I love the simplicity of Shunryu Susuki. He is, as down to earth as anyone can be, and so it says in the books "To begin to touch heaven, we must first feel the earth.."
Hi msrensson! This is a very insightful hub! I'm glad to have come across your profile. I never thought of power in such a way. Look forward to reading more of your hubs.
Thank you, Anishpat, for dropping by and leaving your comment.
Someone was asking me about personal power earlier. If one goes into the path of search for power, the first question they must ask is "Why?"...
I wish you joy..
POWERFUL article on Power Melinda. (LOL)
Seriously though, this was a very informative and moving piece of work that really makes you think about how power is used in our society. Some good, some not so good and in fact evil. You got my mind reeling.
Oh..Thanks, Minnetonka Twin Glad to see you again. Thank you for dropping by..
I love those LOLs..
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Zen
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RevLady Level 3 Commenter 19 months ago
A very interesting and much appreciate hub MS. Thanks for stimulating the old gray matter, and I mean that literally (smile).
Have a blessed day!
Forever His,