Is Power a Pleasure or a Shackle? A Look Through the Lens of the Buddha's Teachings (Dharma)

Have you ever wondered why you feel delighted when someone must listen to you? And why do you feel uncomfortable when you must obey someone else? These are precisely the manifestations of power and the ego. In a lecture on the philosophy of power, Master Thích Chân Quang opened up a surprising perspective: power is not something to be dreamed of, but something to be feared if we do not understand the way.

Three relationships and the place of power

When we appear in society, each of us stands within three kinds of relationships: with those above us, those below us, and those on equal footing. With those above, we must obey and are protected. With those below, we have the authority to direct, but we must also bear responsibility. With friends on equal footing, no one commands anyone, yet we influence one another deeply. It is precisely this relationship of equal friendship where people reveal their truest nature.

The relationship of friendship is a very strange one. Though no one is above another, it is a relationship that holds great attraction for human beings.

Defining the true nature of power

Master Chân Quang taught: power does not lie in a position, nor in a title. The essence of power is when there are people willing to obey us. As long as we open our mouths to speak and others still obey, we still have power. When no one listens anymore, that power has ended. There are many who hold office yet no one heeds them, while others stand in the shadows and all who hear them must respond with respect and awe.

When there are people willing to obey us, that is when we have power. That is the essence.

Power brings pleasure, but it is an expansion of the ego

Power gives us a kind of pleasure much like money does. When we have power, our ego expands through other people. We feel as though we were the whole world. But that is only an illusion. It is precisely this pleasure that drives people to fight for power to the point of bloodshed, resorting to any means, committing any crime.

The more the ego swells, the greater the feeling of pleasure. This expanded ego gives people the illusion that they are happy.

If we look with the eyes of the Buddha, we will see that power is an easy path to downfall, a stairway leading down into suffering (dukkha). The greater the ambition, the more terrible the consequences.

The cause and effect (karmic law) of power: From the kindness of past lives

Why do others obey us? According to cause and effect (karmic law), obedience arises from the kindness and gratitude of past lives. Those who sowed great kindness in previous lives will have many people follow them in this life. But if we use that power to satisfy our ego, we create new karma. Some people even vow to become oxen and horses in repayment. Yet even oxen and horses eventually finish paying their debt.

Directing others and having them obey us both arise from the kindness of past lives.

The path of non-self (anatta): The happiness of obeying

Master Chân Quang emphasized: those who practice according to the Buddha must walk the true path of non-self (anatta). That is the happiness of being obedient, not the happiness of giving orders. When we willingly follow the words of others, we are dissolving the ego, and our spiritual strength advances. Conversely, if we enjoy giving commands, we are lulled to sleep by the ego, which kills the spirit within.

Only a disciple of the Buddha who walks the true path of non-self (anatta) becomes a person who delights in obeying rather than in commanding.

Let us practice the virtue of obedience in daily life — at home, at work, at the temple. When we know the happiness of serving others, we are step by step moving away from the ego that clings to self. That is precisely the path that leads us to liberation.