Tao Of Sustainability

At the crux of our current environmental crisis lies humanity's perceived separation from nature. We simply will not take care of the natural world if we do not believe we are an integral part of it. In Tao of Sustainability the author presents the traditional Daoist path of self-cultivation as a framework for bringing humans back into a sustainable relationship with the Earth. Tao of Sustainability also explores how our health, both mental and physical, is impacted by nature, drawing on research in the fields of Green Exercise, Nature and Forest Medicine, and Ecopsychology. Part philosophy, part meditation manual, part nature awareness guide, Tao of Sustainability offers numerous pathways towards reconnecting with nature and the Dao through mind, body, and spirit. Drawing from a variety of disciplines and traditions, from Daoism to Stoicism, Ecopsychology to Buddhist mind training, the visual arts to movement (tai chi, qigong)--this book provides numerous ways to reconnect with the natural world.

This book claims that CSR is the Tao of sustainable enterprise development. It examines the intersection of practical wisdom of Taoism, CSR and Sustainability, looking at the theoretical and historical implications associated with a Taoist approach to CSR, sustainability and responsible leadership. Implications for sustainable enterprise development will be presented. The book analyzes perspectives found in Taoist classical texts and within the larger Chinese cultural context in order to delineate key issues found in the classical texts. Through these analyses, the book assesses the applicability of modern-day Taoism thought and practice in China and the West with respect to the contemporary sustainability situation. The book also explores the values, ideas and practices Taoism offers to inspire a new generation of leaders, and particularly business leaders to manage companies in a more social and sustainable way.

Buddhist and Taoist Systems Thinking explores a radical new conception of business and management. It is grounded on the reconnection of humans with nature as the new competitive advantage for living organizations and entrepreneurs that aspire to regenerate the economy and drive a positive impact on the planet, in the context of the Anthropocene. Organizations today struggle in finding a balance between maximizing profits and generating value for their stakeholders, the environment and the society at large. This happens in a paradigm shift characterized by unprecedented levels of exponential change and the emergence of disruptive technologies. Adaptability, thus, is becoming the new business imperative. How can, then, entrepreneurs and organizations constantly adapt and, at the same time, design the sustainable futures they’d like? This book uniquely explores the benefits of applying Buddhist and Taoist Systems Thinking to sustainable management. Grounded in Taoist and Zen Buddhist philosophies, it offers a modern scientific perspective fundamentally based on the concepts of bio-logical adaptability and lifefulness amidst complexity and constant change. The book introduces the new concept of the Gaia organization as a living organism that consciously helps perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet. It is subject to the natural laws of transformation and the principles of oneness, emptiness, impermanence, balance, self-regulation and harmonization. Readers will find applied Eastern systems theories such as the Yin-Yang and the Five Elements operationalized through practical methodologies and tools such as T-Qualia and the Zen Business model. They are aimed at guiding Gaia organizations and entrepreneurs in leading sustainable transformations and qualifying economic growth. The book offers a vital toolkit for purpose-driven practitioners, management researchers, students, social entrepreneurs, evaluators and change-makers to reinvent, create and mindfully manage sustainable and agile organizations that drive systemic transformation.

What is The Tao of Sustainable Development?The purpose of Sustainable Development must be to deliver a framework whereby every human has ready access to all basic necessities - clean air, water, food, sanitation, sustainable housing, health care, and energy - whilst simultaneously remaining below the carrying capacity of the natural environment both locally and globally. Additionally, it must provide bodily and mental freedom as well as delivering quality educational opportunities to allow all humans to develop a broad range of skills and inculcate reciprocity as the cornerstone of human interactions. Moreover, it must seek to raise the consciousness of all humans so that negative emotional and mental-health issues are a fraction of the levels we see today. It must also maximise opportunities for leisure time and for activities which lead to the flow-state.Humans must evolve so that we might step into the cosmos and (hypothetically) greet our extra-terrestrial brothers and sisters as a peace-loving race. Sustainable Development is thus synonymous with a quest for Utopia, defined here as, Technologically Advanced Effective Compassionate Egalitarian Systems.The Tao of Sustainable Development presents a workable radical alternative paradigm to the current failing global neo-liberal capitalist socio-economic paradigm. The Tao of Sustainable Development is a paradigm change of philosophy, education, psychology, values, organisation and technology that is essentially Utopian in nature. A continuation along the destructive linear path of the arms-trade walking hand in hand with neo-liberalist capitalist 'free' market economics is no longer fit for purpose; only a paradigm change of socio-economic political philosophy can deliver long term environmental sustainability and social justice. Furthermore, The Tao of Sustainable Development proposes that there are five minimum characteristics to achieve sustainable societies both locally and globally. These characteristics are;1. Sustainable Agriculture & Animal Husbandry2. Cyclical Resource Use (C2C) and Advanced Technology3. Individual and Collective Psychological Freedom4. Effective & Egalitarian State Forms and Non-State Forms (NSFs)5. Holistic, Compassionate and Research-Based Education SystemsThese five parts; Sustainable systems of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry; Cyclical Resource use and Advanced Technology; Individual and Collective Psychological Freedom; Effective & Egalitarian State Forms and Non-State Forms (NSFs): Holistic, Compassionate and Research-Based Education Systems are the essence of The Tao of Sustainable Development and all five are necessary.The primary aim of this work is to reframe the debate around Sustainability, to facilitate a questioning of the assumptions that we have about human organisation and investigate alternatives to the prevailing global economic paradigm of neo-liberal capitalism; to look at the world with new eyes. Secondly it is to empower groups & individuals with a simultaneously realistic and glorious vision of the human future. Thirdly it is to suggest some possible starting actions to bring about the transformations required for our thriving human future.Authors website: alasdairlord.co.ukTwitter: @alasdair_lord

As the world grapples with the complexities and uncertainties of the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) era, it has become imperative to explore new approaches that align with responsible management and Taoist principles.

As the world grapples with the complexities and uncertainties of the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) era, it has become imperative to explore new approaches that align with responsible management and Taoist principles. This second volume builds on the first.

This book provides a multidisciplinary approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. While for decades a purely mathematical-technical orientation dominated the business curriculum, this book presents CSR and sustainability as a business concept embedded in its cultural and spiritual context. It initially approaches practical wisdom from different cultural and religious traditions as a source of spiritual capital for sustainable business practices. Subsequently, it links current CSR concepts and the latest thinking in CSR with long-standing cultural and spiritual knowledge, promoting a more comprehensive view on sustainability management and its implementation at business enterprises. The book collects and unites viewpoints from various cultural and religious contexts, offering a comprehensive guide for international and globally active companies.