How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"The willow submits to the wind and prospers until one day it is many willows—a wall against the wind. This is the willow's purpose." (3.81)
How very Zen of the Reverend Mother. The willow doesn't waste energy (power) fighting the wind. Instead, it reserves its energy for something it can do well—reproduce. This willow makes love, not war. We approve.
Quote #2
"[The Reverend Mother said,] 'You, Paul Atreides, descendant of kings, son of a Duke, you must learn to rule. It's something none of your ancestors learned.'" Paul opened his eyes, said: "That made me angry and I said my father rules an entire planet. And she said, 'He's losing it.' And I said my father was getting a richer planet. And she said, 'He'll lose that one, too.'[…]" (4.47)
Although Leto receives a richer planet, he will lose it. Why? Because he can't harness the full power of Arrakis, so he'll actually be getting less power in the exchange. It's like these people have a 1080p TV but don't have the cables to actually get 1080p on the screen. They just aren't getting their money's worth.
Quote #3
The pattern emerged and she put a hand to her cheek. The way the passing people looked at the palm trees! She saw envy, some hate… even a sense of hope. Each person raked those trees with a fixity of expression. (8.19)
On a dry planet like Arrakis, water equals power. The amount of water required to maintain the palm trees displays the power of their owners, who can afford such an extravagance. In a way, the palm trees maintain their own power, even though they're just used for display.