Aligning Awareness and Action
For the Future We Want

Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University and theCall‐of‐the‐Time Dialogue Network

Statement for theRio+20, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 20‐22, 2012.

Page 1

In August of 2010 the office of the Secretary General of the UN released Harmony WithNature (doc A/65/314), a report following the narrative of the global environmental
discourse that has unfolded over the past forty years. It reaches back through ancienthistory to illuminate the intimate and sacred relationships between humanity andnature in early civilizations and ancient sacred texts. The report reminds us offundamental concepts, such as holism and stewardship of the global commons. It alsooffers distinctions between the limited notion of nature conservation and the more
expansive one of sustainable development, touching on the three pillars of sustainable
development: social, economic and environmental. The Secretary General recognizes
key contributors and calls for better information, education, and communication in thisdomain that is so crucial for our collective future. He invites further research on metrics
to assess true progress, updating of our knowledge about systems thinking and theintegration of the three pillars.
We offer our paper to progress the concepts and recommendations relative tosustainable development. We propose a reset of the terms of the environmental debate,
and present an archetypal model that offers an opportunity for all of us to transform
how we think and relate to our selves, one another, and the larger living world. This
would in turn transform the way in which we live, offer methods to achieve this change
required, and ultimately move us towards the future we want.
___________________________________________________________________________________________The subject of sustainable development has catalyzed reflection and debate in every
sector of the world. It has drawn the collective attention of the human family toconsider how we could have missed something as profound as global climate change
and how we can address what appears to be a breakdown involving every system of
our interconnected world. Scientists, economists, educators, politicians, civil sector
leaders, and business people have taken strong positions. Many cite the fragmenting
effects of Cartesian thinking and call for holistic solutions. But it seems that finding
our way back to a unified vision of the world is not as easy as we had hoped.
Fragmented thinking has become embedded in our minds and continues to affect ourvision of the world. Today’s environmental debate turns on negotiations among thesocial, economic, and environmental “pillars” rather than considering a genuinely
holistic perspective that embraces them all.
We suggest looking beyond the metaphor of the three pillars to a framework thatmirrors nature’s organic and dynamic character. The static notion of pillars reinforces
the separateness of what are inextricably related phenomena – the health, well‐being
and resilience of humanity (social); the well‐being of nature (environmental), andabundance and prosperity (economic). To reset the framework of this global dialogue,
we need a fresh metaphor that helps us to fully grasp the universal principles andunifying dynamics that are at the heart of the living system of the earth andhumankind.

Page 2We believe a spiritual framework best serves this conversation. We define
spirituality as living life based on inner guiding principles, the foundation of which isa deep understanding of the self, the Divine and the law of cause and effect (karma).
We suggest that a spiritually aligned life naturally embraces the well‐being of one’sself, one’s family, one’s community and the world. As Emerson noted, “every natural
fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact…the world is emblematic. The laws of mothernature answer to those of matter as face to face in a glass”. Universal principles andnatural laws such as cooperation, living cycles, cause and effect and nonlinearity
apply to the spiritual, energetic world and to the outer natural world, because they
are really one world, appearing to be two.

A Spiritual Interpretation of the Environmental Crisis
To understand the environmental crisis in spiritual terms, it is helpful to consider twofactors: the quality of thought energy or awareness sustained by the various actors in
the world, and how it affects subsequent actions undertaken in relation to society,economy, and nature. The quality of awareness is variable and, for the sake of clarity,
can be given three distinct designations: Pure (and holistic), mixed (and changeable),and impure (and fragmented).
When one maintains a pure and holistic level of awareness s/he will move throughthe world considering the self and the natural world as part of one deeply connected
system. S/he will hold an attitude of trusteeship and be moved by nature’s self‐
renewing cycles, living easily in a way that supports these. S/he will move throughthe world with a feeling of benevolence, care and gratitude.
Someone with a mixed or fluctuating level of awareness will be easily influenced byothers and find it difficult to maintain a stable inner state and clarity. In one minutes/he will see with a unified vision, sensing a loving connection with all things, and in
the next s/he will be influenced by attachment and desire, using the natural world forpersonal gain.
When someone has an impure awareness and attitude, s/he will be isolated fromfeeling unity with the natural world, and be absorbed by her/his own wants anddesires, and influenced by feelings of righteousness, want, and frustration aroundher/him. Upon entering a forest, for example, s/he would see the trees as an instantcommodity to be cut, used and sold for personal gain. S/he would not see the greatlong‐term social, environmental and economic value of a tree left in its rightful place.
These different levels of awareness are aligned with the quality of thought. Certain
kinds of thoughts produce these levels of awareness, and these levels of awareness inturn produce a certain quality of thinking. The highest level of awareness is alignedwith the notion of purity. A “pure” thought flows from the highest principles, from aunified awareness, from universal virtues such as love and peace. It is unadulterated
by greed, anger, or blame. It is unsullied and imbued with deep dignity and virtue.

Page 3

Seen through a spiritual lens, the current environmental crisis is the result of a loss ofpure and unified awareness. It is the inevitable result of a widespread degradation inthought, a dilution of the original integrity of human awareness, and so the naturalworld. This is why metaphors of separate pillars and solutions that negotiate among
these ostensibly separate domains fail us. They don’t address the prime mover ofthese phenomena; the life‐force of awareness that moves subtly, in energetic currents
through the world.

Two Energies At WorkAs purity has reduced over time, we have witnessed crises and systemic collapse. The
environmental movement is a response to the dawning awareness that the conditionof the world is degrading at a startling rate. The evidence is everywhere. Physicallyrainforests are disappearing and ice‐caps shrinking, disasters are increasing andweather patterns changing. Economically there is an escalating divide between therich and poor, and socially the numbers of people experiencing poverty,displacement, hunger and disease is increasing. The myriad conferences, policy
sessions and treaty negotiations are emergency attempts to moderate behaviors thatare compounding the environmental crisis. But they are so far unsuccessful ataddressing the interrelatedness between underlying awareness, inner thoughts andfeelings, and outer behaviour. As a result, many people are not cognizant about theimperative need to address the alignment between these three, to facilitate realchange.
However, the very existence of environmental summits, peace movements andspiritual conferences tells us that there cannot be only degradation and decline in theworld. Though there is a highly visible downward trend, there is also a counter‐trend. At this time there are two energies at work in the world; a descending energy
and an ascending energy. Contemporaneously, there is the energy of degradation anddecline, as well as the energy of restoration and renewal.
We have an opportunity now to become fully cognizant of these two energies. Each ofus has a choice to make in every domain of our lives, as to whether I affiliate with thepure energy of ascent or with the impure energy of descent. Do I want to be a part ofwhat is ascending or of what is declining? Once we see the phenomena in the world
through a spiritual lens, then we can feel the certainty of ascent. This determinedthought invokes our original pure energy. As this pure thought dawns within us, it
affects our relationships with ourselves, with others, and with nature. Pure thought
creates energy that uplifts, elevates and ascends.

Methods to Support the Transformation of Thought
Systems thinker and MIT lecturer, Peter Senge, has said, “Most people’s mindset is on
the policy, but policies that don’t get implemented aren’t worth very much. What is
the strategy? This is a profound call for collaboration (among all) people of the world

Page 4

It presents an opportunity for human beings to act together in alignment with a
global imperative to transform how we live. This will only be possible bytransforming how we think and relate to ourselves, one another, and the larger livingworld.”
Policies and procedures need to be negotiated, decided upon and adhered to.
Education, awareness raising campaigns and training at all levels of society isimportant. However, the methods we need to rise to this opportunity are those that
help us to transform and synchronize how we think. The most important methods forinner transformation are meditation, contemplation, and prayer. What will change
the self, and in turn the environment is for each of us to take time to sit in silence, andfocus our thought energy in benevolent and constructive ways through meditation,focused contemplation, and prayer. These silent methods will support the ascending
energy that is already at work.
Dadi Janki, administrative head of the Brahma Kumaris has said, “One approach is tokeep things in order with force, but another is to keep things in order with love. If
someone tries to force things to work a certain way, it is not pleasant, but whennature stays in order because of love, it is very powerful.” The thoughts andunderstandings that come to us in the silence of spiritual contemplation connect uswith the original, pure, and ascending energies we spoke of earlier. They align uswith the natural renewing force that is subtly at work at this time. They support a real
method of qualitative change.

Metrics to Gauge Progress
One interesting metric that attempts to reconcile qualitative notions of well being
with quantitative indices of environmental impact is the Happy Planet Index (HPI).
The HPI is an index that challenges well‐established and possibly outdated indices ofcountries’ development, such as Gross Domestic Product and the HumanDevelopment Index. GDP is particularly seen as inappropriate now, as the aim of mostpeople is not to be rich, but to be happy and healthy. HPI takes into account theenvironmental costs of pursuing those goals.
Another set of metrics to consider is the Global Peace Index (GPI). GPI is an attempt
to measure the relative position of nations' and regions' peacefulness. Launched in
May 2007, its most recent index was announced on 25 May 2011. GPI is claimed to be
the first study to rank 153 countries around the world according to theirpeacefulness, considering factors like external wars and internal violence. Kofi Annan,
the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former Finnish President Martti
Ahtisaari among other religious and world leaders, have endorsed this Index.
A third is Bhutan’s often discussed Gross National Happiness Index (GNH). In 1972
Bhutan’s then King, Jigme Singye used the phrase ‘Gross National Happiness’ to signal
his commitment to serve Bhutan by building an economy based on Buddhist spiritualPage 5

values. The Centre for Bhutan Studies subsequently developed a sophisticated survey
instrument to measure the population's general level of well‐being.

The Opportunity for Aligned Awareness and Action
The current threat to our environment is a profound call for human collaboration on
an unprecedented scale, in the inner dimension of thought as well as the outerdimension of action. If we respond solely by attempting to coordinate action, we lose
the opportunity.
For a challenge of this epochal scale, we need the collective grace that we witness innature as massive flocks of birds or schools of fish soar and turn as one. This kind ofunity emanates from an inner coordination, a fine‐tuned alignment, a tacit
understanding. It will not happen merely from agreements taken. These are blunt
instruments compared with nature’s subtle alignment with universal principles andhumanity’s alignment at the level of thought and awareness.
The Brahma Kumaris has a number of ongoing experiments that work in aligningawareness with action. These include yogic farming whereby farmers harness thepower of concentrated positive thought, with organic farming techniques, which isbringing real social, economic and environmental change in their communities. Largesolar energy installations are drawing disparate agencies together in a collective
vision of change, providing green jobs and utilizing the energy of the sun on a massivescale. A twenty‐year initiative for global meditation on world peace each month
harnesses the collective positive thought and good will of an expanding population in
more than 110 countries. The Brahma Kumaris have a 75‐year commitment to what
is now a growing movement embracing a vegetarian diet, a simple lifestyle, and acommitment to service. The organization has grown and expanded from 300
members in one country to almost a million members in more than 110 countries, on
the basis of a “gift economy,” in contrast to a market economy.
This kind of subtle alignment of thought and awareness, expressed as mindful action,
is deeply practical, grounded as it is in the universal principles that are constantly at
work in all of nature. The ranks of individuals and institutions working in alignment
with principles and elevated awareness are expanding, and the calls for collaboration
are becoming more persistent. In engaging with the global stakeholder community
around sustainable development, and human wellbeing we look forward to further
collaborations in experimenting with these premises about elevated thought andaligned action on the vast scale required for a meaningful response to our times.
____________________________For references regarding any of the information contained in our paper pleasecontact our office at bkun@bkwsu.org

Page 6

Special Thanks to the Call‐of‐the‐Time Dialogue network and in particular those who
contributed directly to the research and thinking of this paper:
Rosa Alegria

NEF Nucleo de Estudos do Futuro (SaoPaulo Futures Studies Center),
BrazilArnold Beekes
The Netherlands
David Cadman
Quaker, Economist and Writer, author of "A Way of Being”, UK
Valeriane Bernard
NGO Representative to the United Nations, Brahma Kumaris, Switzerland
Tom Callanan
Program Officer, 1440 Foundation, USA
Jacqueline Cambata
Jacqueline Cambata, Jacqueline Cambata Designs, LLC, USA
Rita Cleary
Partner, The Learning Circle, USA
David Cooperrider
Fairmount Minerals Professor of Social Entrepreneurship,
Professor, Organizational Behavior, USA
María Eugenia Estenssoro
National Senator, Senado de la Nacion Argentina
Luciana Ferraz
Coordinator, Brahma Kumaris, Brazil
Julia Grindon­Welch
NGO Representative to the United Nations, Brahma Kumaris, USA
Tex Gunning
Member Executive Committee, Akzo Nobel, The Netherlands
BK Janki Kirplani
Chief Administrative Head, Brahma Kumaris, India
Jayanti Kirplani
Main NGO Representative to the United Nations, Brahma Kumaris, UK
Samuel Leal
BrazilRodrigo Loures
CEO, Nutrimental, BrazilMark Milton
Founder, Education 4 Peace Foundation, Switzerland
Gayatri Naraine
NGO Representative to the United Nations, Brahma Kumaris, USA
Mohini Panjabi
Main NGO Representative to the United Nations, Brahma Kumaris, USA
Armoogum Parsuramen
G.O.S.K, Chairman, Global Rainbow Foundation; Minister of Education,
Arts and Culture and Science(1983‐1995); Director and Representative
UNESCO(1998‐2011), FranceSonja Ohlsson
Coordinator, BK Environment Initiative, Brahma Kumaris, Denmark
Mauro Oretti
Italy
Tamasin Ramsay
NGO Representative to the United Nations, Brahma Kumaris, USA
Judy Rodgers
President, Communication Architecture Group and Founder, Images &Voices of Hope, USA
Peter Senge
Founding Chair, The Society for Organizational Learning (SoL) and SeniorLecturer Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USAVinod Saighal
Author, Third Millennium, Equipoise and Executive Director, ECO
Monitors Society, India
Leticia Shahani
Former Senator and United Nations Assistant Secretary General for
Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, Philippines
Jim Schneider
Independent Consultant, USAKumarasamy Somasundaram Retired Director of Education, Sri Lanka
Ricardo Young Silva
Businessman and International Reference in the areas of Social
Responsibility, and Sustainable Management and Development, Brazil
Betty Steinhauer
Founder, People Bridge Charitable Foundation, Canada
Roger Vardan
Managing Director, Strata‐gems, USA
Andrew So Kwok Wing
Educator, Hong Kong, China
Henning Wolf
Germany

Page 7

Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University
The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University is a non-governmental organizationin general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),
in consultative status with UNICEF and affiliated to the Department of Public Information (DPI).
It is also an accredited observer organization to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

http://un.brahmakumaris.org
OFFICE FOR THE UNITED NATIONS
Suite 436
866, UN PlazaNew York, NY 10017
U.S.A.
Tel.: +1-212-688-1335
Fax.: +1-212-504-2798
bkun@bkwsu.org

SPIRITUAL HEADQUARTERS
Pandav Bhawan
Mount Abu 307501
RajasthanIndia
Tel.: +91-2974-238261
Fax.: +91-2974-238952
abu@bkivv.org

INTL. COORDINATING OFFICE

Global Cooperation House
65-69 Pound Lane
London NW10 2HH
U.K.
Tel.: +44-20-8727-3350
Fax.: +44-20-8727-3351
london@bkwsu.org©BKWSU, 2012; extracts may be reproduced on condition that the source is indicated and a copy of the publication inwhich the extract is used is sent to the above New York address.

Page 8