The Five Spiritual Powers: 'Bala'

We can recruit many human capacities for the journey to liberation. The capacities in general are called Indriya, meaning belonging to the most powerful Indian deity Indra. Five of There are five key spiritual powers, called Bala. They are Trust, Faith and Confidence (saddha), Energy, Motivation and Vitality (viriya), Mindfulness, Awareness and Presence (sati), Concentration, Steadiness, Stillness (samadhi), and Wisdom, Insight and Realization (pannya). In this talk, we will introduce them and show that they are already available as part of our inner development, and point out how to access them.

Faith and trust are the first power and are needed in all undertakings especially spiritual ones, as we constantly meet unfamiliar territories and experiences. Instead of constantly battling against our limits we can rest in primal faith and trust just like a trapeze artist who needs the faith to cross the moments of insecurity. We will show how faith helps us to go beyond the known and to let go into something bigger than us. It gives us deep confidence in our capacity and keeps us going on the path.

This is the second class on saddha, the first power, exploring how we can live with trust. Instead of a deeply ingrained habit of meeting the uncertainties and unpredictability of life with reactivity and concern, we can open our arms wide to life. We cannot necessarily trust that things will be better because we are not in control. But we can trust things and meet them just as they are. It helps us to dance with the unpredictable, and flow with what we cannot control, as we know that life is not against us. We will explore ways of developing trust including radical acceptance, finding our refuge, and learning to open our hearts in all situations.

Viriya, the second of The Five Powers, means effort, energy and aspiration. It is crucial as no transformation can happen without some effort. The snake needs to wriggle out of its old skin. But there is a refined teaching of Buddhist practice which encourages effortless effort: not too tight and not too loose. At the beginning of the journey, we may need more determination and there is a sense that we have to get somewhere, but as we progress, all that tends to drop away, and we find greater ease on the pathless path. We let it take us. This talk and mediation will familiarise us with different levels and qualities of energy and effort.

Mindfulness, Sati, is the third of the Five Powers and it is the power that pulls us out of the tendency to live on automatic pilot. Beyond just paying attention, it is the power to open and discover hidden regions of our inner and outer life, to listen with kindness and closeness to the songs sung by our cells, our heart and our mind, to be awake and free despite the experiences of pleasant and unpleasant, and to remember our primal sense of awareness. In this talk and guided meditation, we will explore how these capacities are invaluable to living a fulfilling life.

This is the second class on mindfulness, the third of the Five Powers. Here we continue to explore and practice mindfulness as a power of mind and heart that is active and transforming. We look at the way it is incorporated into Appamada, which the Buddha described as the top practice, which is caring and loving awareness. It can lead to insights into the deeper nature of experience, as transient and less personal, which frees us to dance with the uncertainties of life. It can open doors to the unknown and the invisible. In this talk and meditation, we will look at how mindfulness empowers our heart and mind within the challenges of everyday life.

The fourth power is Samadhi, sometimes viewed as meditative concentration but actually a much broader capacity. It is our ability to collect ourselves and dive under the surface. It is the love of stillness and entry into the eye of the storm. It is our power to get close and zoom in on an experience, such as breathing, and remain there undisturbed. It helps us to place what matters in the foreground and let go of distractions. The fruit of samadhi is experienced in daily life as a consistent serenity and calmness, which radiates from us out to the world.

The fifth power is Pannya, wisdom and insight. As a spiritual power, it is beyond momentary insightful experiences. It is the developing capacity to face both the challenges and opportunities of our everyday life and our inner journey with equanimity, wisdom and a big mind and heart. Pannya is the fruit of all the other powers. It is the liberated awareness that allows us to see things with new eyes and a deeper gaze. In this talk and meditation, we will taste and explore how it feels to look deeply into life and meet the unknown and the mystery.