Global sustainability
is not a technical problem.
Achieving global sustainability is not a technical problem. The issue is more complex, and will require a multi-modal approach that reaches across all sectors of society. Recycling your cans is a great thing to do, but it will not save the world; a world where social conflicts result in wholesale destruction of ecological systems and human lives. Energy systems that reduce the impact of global warming are important, but alone they will not save the day. Deeper examination reveals that the core of this difficult challenge is fear. It is because of fear that we withhold food, shelter, clothing, comfort and other essentials from those who need it most. Ultimately what we need is love and compassion for our fellow humans and the other beings who share this planet. Ultimately what is required is a broader perspective that is not limited by fear or desire. Interestingly, it is our fears and desires which we think ensure our security, but which actually are the seeds of our angst and unhappiness. Fearful, unhappy people will chose actions of violence and destruction. It does not have to be so. Buddha referred to this situation as attachment to sources of suffering. First we can choose non-suffering and non-attachment; we can choose love, compassion and freedom. This is freedom from suffering, freedom from patterns of fear and denial. We can live from the perspective of a more holistic conceptual model. A holistic worldview or even a holographic worldview reveals that all things are connected. It is important to go beyond the conceptual ideas here— all dimensions of being are in fact interwoven and interrelated; there is a state of consciousness where this reality is lived, embodied and breathed in every moment. It is not scary or difficult, it is a release, it is liberation. Because, before that moment on some level there is a knowing of a fundamental truth that has been denied. We cannot develop just one dimension of our being, we must develop all dimensions of our being; all dimensions of society shall mature into a global culture that recognizes no boundaries and no limitations, that maximizes the potential of every human being. Each one of us must be encouraged to realize our magnificence not just as thinkers or artists or scientists or statesmen or healers, but as spiritual beings. Only if we realize this potential of our humanity can we truly seize the opportunity for global sustainability. And it is possible. It may be inevitable, simply a matter of how many years before we assume the stature of real adulthood. This website is dedicated to the purpose of presenting an important conceptual model. The Seed Logos of twelve sectors in concert with the eight levels of Spiral Dynamics creates a template to understand the nature of human global civilization: from where it has been; what it is now in its variegated splendor; and where it must proceed for all of our mutual benefit. This model for a culture of sustainability can be applied as a diagnostic tool to assess a social organism at any dimension of scale from family to village to world. It reveals where resources can be most efficiently allocated to enhance performance not just to nudge society toward sustainability, but to improve functioning for any sector of activity or any standard of performance. It also is a template for designing better human systems. Any dimension of human activity that requires collective action is ultimately recognized as exalted when there is a harmony of integration. Any component is more than the mere sum of its parts, whether it is healthcare, economics, agriculture, governance or spiritual evolution. Each of the twelve sectors draws upon and is either supported or afflicted by the others. All pieces of the pie touch in the center. This model can help birth superior and more effective companies and corporations, more creative and deeply meaningful arts projects, more effective team-based scientific inquiry, and more substantial and rapid spiritual development. It is an integral framework for the evolution of humanity, a humanity that is directing itself toward a Culture of Sustainability.
Varadaan, February 2010