Sophisticated and Simple – Demands of the Post-modern human

Sophistication has become a ‘need’ of Post-modern humans. Technology & globalisation generate this urge for sophistication.

Maslow’s Law recognises basic needs – food, water, shelter, sex & clothes. Entertainment and self-esteem are identified as secondary and tertiary levels respectively.  Yet, looking at the way of life of the young generation (10 – 20 yrs of age) and their manner of peer networking, one may question whether technology is qualifying to be a basic need. Of course, Twitter is not oxygen, but I could not believe it when I saw teens in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia enjoy SMS texting whilst tolerating hunger. This is mobile phone penetration at the bottom of the Pyramid and 90% of usage is for communication (i.e. security and gossip). A significant portion of these consumers live below the poverty line (<2$ a day) and their communication costs are eating into their food budget.

Such urges are rooted in the spoiled West. Twitter, Facebook are thriving due to the urge of teens to share their gossip, ego and self-esteem. By buying a David Beckham t-shirt, (with £15 from Dad) one teen generates a chain of gossip between a whole classroom full of grammar school girls. The Paparazzi feed the BBC’s, CNN’s and Times and the tabloids keep their spy networks to watch the hit counts. The adults suddenly recognize they are out of the loop and are thus compelled to know anything and everything happening at every second, from Afghanistan to Somalia, Brasil to China.

This complex mind cannot live only with food, oxygen and clothes. It needs mobiles with one million applications, radios with hundreds of channels, companions who can talk different languages, teachers who can create drama in the classroom to teach the subject material. Food must be tasty but should be wrapped with designer material, but also served in a modern techy environment.

Yet, there is a line of simplicity within this sophistication – simplicity in terms of maintaining the sophistication within the limits of ones control. Sky provides 300+ channels. But viewers can choose them simply by manoeuvring 9 digits on the small remote control. Mobile phones have only a handful of buttons, yet users can use these few buttons to complete many tasks; conversations, reading MSN news, texting a message, calculating the budget.

Is it only the controllability? (i.e. keeping everything within the limits one can manage?). Well, yes and no.

Such an intrinsic urge for simplicity is a result of the urge for inner peace. The writing of the Dalai Lama, Thich Naart Haan, Ajan Sumedho – the modern day Buddhist ambassadors – emphasize the peaceful nature of the inner mind. (One can experience this state by experiencing ‘Samadhi’ in meditation). The Human mind is peaceful at birth, and it is subjected to increased sophistication and complexity over time and with education and maturity. Yet internally, all humans silently seek that peacefulness.

Post-modern humans are individuals struggling within this dilemma of sophistication and simpleness. Microsoft managed to add sophistication through Windows and MS-Office and we all became fast consumers of that sophistication. This enabled us to reach the ‘simplicity’ of multi-tasking, (Excel accounts, Word typing, PowerPoint presentations and Outlook emailing all at once). But, when the working space got cluttered, Google ‘search’ has provided a new way to reach the next level of simplicity. Yet, today, people are beginning to complain about the growing clutter within the Google applications. The frustration emerges, challenges build up, and the journey continues to find the balancing point between sophistication and simplicity!

Leadership – using serendipity to democratise ego!

Leadership and change management efforts to sustain innovation and competitive advantage of Sarvodaya-Fusion

Should managers be leaders? I cant help drawing from my Sarvodaya experiences.

We at Sarvodaya believe that everybody should be a leader. But isn’t that confusing?

I have seen enough examples in my time at Sarvodaya (1994 – 2004) where people face extreme challenges in their personal experiments between these two roles. Sarvodaya’s practices are powerfully directed to bring out hidden leadership characteristics. Then, over time, the quiet, insecure, behind–the-scenes individual becomes confident and commanding: an accepted leader in the village, community group or office.

Then comes the opinion clash: ambitions and ego clash. Sometimes such circumstances result in an unhealthy outcome.

Is this a problem of our leadership model, or a problem of perspective within the leadership?

Leadership literature illustrates two prominent models (among many); transformational leaders and transactional leader. Transformational leader are charismatic and inspire followers, offer excitement, vision, intellectual stimulation and personal satisfaction (Haberberg & Rieple, 2008). The immediate example that comes to my mind is Dr A. T. Ariyratne of Sarvodaya, who had been an inspiration to me. And in much larger context Mahathma Gandhi!

Transactional leaders, in contrast, offer something in exchange for loyalty to the leader, improving current practices. They build on existing culture; i.e. they do not try to change the culture. Do executive directors and managers fall into this category?

But these two leadership models are mutually inter-dependant. As far as they recognize these mutual differences, recognize the boundaries and practice mutual respect, such combinations may build a powerful synergy for the organisational growth. Yet such a healthy environment cannot last in a dynamic organisation.

Organisations must adapt to changing external and internal environments. Macro-environments change from consistent ethnic conflict to post-conflict. Micro-environments change as the aspirations of the staff change to modern demands from personal-networking to social-networking via the internet.

When the transformational leader fails to respond to such changes, and transactional leaders strongly understand the need for change (as s/he interacts more closer to the ground), clashes are inevitable.

So, how can we avoid such clashes?

Participation, discussion and empathetic listening are common solutions. But, I have found at many occasions that they are not always sufficient. There are occasions when silence and observation provide additional medicine. But more than that- spirituality provides another practical path.

Meditation? Yes and no. Meditation is a tool, but without appropriate skill and selection of meditation type, this can create more problems than answers.

Following piece of literature I found in the book is very helpful.

Philip Slater – evaluating internal leadership in his paper Leading Yourself (Slater, 2001) – emphasizes the importance of flexible ego functions. He ponders whether your ego allows your body, your impulses, and your intuition to function as they were designed to do, or whether it attempts to limit and constrain them. Is it only comfortable when it feels that everything the organism does is a result of its own conscious control? He continues ‘does your ego respond to feedback? Does it listen to your intuition – that is, to right-brain, holistic insights? Or does it shoot the messenger? Does it respond to pain, fatigue and other physical symptoms with attention, care and concern for the afflicted area, or does it shout down these messages with painkiller, stimulants and other forms of symptomatic relief?’ At the end he recommends one should ‘democratize ego’ as a way to respond to fast changing today’s world.

Ref:

Haberberg, A., & Rieple, A. (2008). Strategic management; theory and application. London: Oxford.

Philip Slater, “Leading Yourself” in The Future of Leadership, Warren Bennis, Gretchen M. Spreitzer and Thomas G. Cummings, eds. (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2001)

For profits vs Not-for profits (Greed vs Scale)

Following is an extract from a recent research publication from Stanford University;

“It is interesting to note that there were several funding models …. One possible model was nonprofits supported by earned-income ventures distinct and separate from their core mission-related activities. Another possible model was nonprofits that operated on a strictly fee-for-service model…, without important supplementary fundraising …. Although there are some nonprofits supporting themselves with such funding approaches, they were not present among the large nonprofits that we studied. It is our belief that these types of approaches do not lend themselves to large-scale, sustained nonprofit advantage over for-profit entities. (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2009 Spring).

Above statement tend to shock my deep belief, that fuels the Social enterprise ambition behind Fusion. Why?

We follow Non-profit models, but closely adopting for-profit strategies such as ‘Fee for service’ approach in a niche market (ICT skill demands of rural Sri Lanka) to generate scalable revenues (profits) to support core operation.

How is it Not-for Profit?

1. at our pricing we tend to be in favor of customer, (and closely follow Low cost value chains to cut down cost)

2. no share holders to extract the profit (out of the enterprise) thus, it is ploughed back to expansion and improvements.

Why dont we go into For-profit model?

Simply to avoid cultivating (& promoting) bad human attitudes that tend to be granted in normal profit oriented enterprise practice such as;

• unethical practices (killing, intoxication)
• promotion of greed (aversion and aggression)
• support competition (that kills the spirit of sharing, peace and happiness).

How perfect are we in our exercise?

This is the question I ask from myself every morning and evening, (and also promote my key staff to follow). It is a question of honesty and integrity to nobody but one’s own belief system (myself).

How do I do this?

Meditation – meditation – meditation.

Vipassana meditation (for about 1 – 1.5 hrs) helps me to go deeper and establish my own clarity. And every day I realize, I am better human today than yesterday. And every evening I convince myself that;

• I did not support killing of any life forms (non-violence)
• I did not steal or help stealing (no  malpractices)
• I did not lie (no untrue statements)
• I promote cultivation of aversion (avoid anger, hatred)
• I promote ahimsa (help my well-being, help others well-being)

Can this ensure that Fusion expand to the desired scale?

I am not sure. But I do believe, there is a destiny for everything. The moment we learn to follow such destiny we can be less aggressive, more peaceful and can still contribute to some scale. (It is a personal challange to adjust our ‘desired scale’ to the ‘feasible scale’).

Social enterprising – controling greed?!?!

When the Wall-street stumbles, ‘greed’ has become a discussion point. ‘Endless Greed’ of big entrepreneurs lead to this economic crisis! – Presidential candidates (of US elections) pointing fingers, while many join to nod the heads. Yet, in August Times magazine, when Bill Gates writes about ‘Creative Capitalism’, he still does not acknowledge a problem of ‘excessive greed’, instead explore the ways to define creative (business?) models to work with ‘greed’; instead of ‘controling’, he tends to connect ‘inclusivity (of bottom of the pyramid)’ with some ‘passion’ to distribute (& share?) the prosperity.

Connecting the worlds’ 4 billion people living under 2$ a day income, to the capitalist market system, in order to improve their livelihood is a demonstration of passion to an entrepreneur. Yet in the same time,  it can also be projected as systematic exploitation of the untapped markets of poor communities, from the point of view of charity workers. When the models like CIC – Community Interest Company, tend to define the ground rules of the Social Enterprising landscape, charity workers (like us) would begin to recognize a common ground between the ‘Creative Capitalism’ and ‘Compassion in Action!’.

Fusion – of Sarvodaya is designed to test this ground, working along fine lines between corporate ‘greed’ and charity ‘greed’ (never ending desire to serve the poor). Corporate greed helps to invest multiple disciplines of skill, money handling and creativity to generate prosperity and development. But the target group is mostly ‘able’ people. Charity greed helps to employ the disciplines of human skill, donations and creativity to distribute the prosperity and development, mostly targeting the ‘less-able’ people. Charity ‘greed’ seems to be less toxic, comparing to the corporate ‘greed’ thus not even recognized as a ‘greed’.

From the perspective of Buddhism, ‘Greed’ – ‘thanha’ is the root cause of the existence (samsara), thus need to eradicate. Donation (dana) is one key tool to alleviate ‘greed’. Thus we promote ‘sharing’. Yet, in the realistic world of development, ‘sharing’ tend to scare the ‘compassion’ of corporate people, who tend to recognize it as a contradiction to the fundamentals (tools & disciplines) of capital (wealth) building. Interestingly, recent trends of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), climate change & (perhaps) credit crunch, push the global entrepreneurs to tread the path of ‘sharing’ beyond where they are now.

As we sit with multiple corporate partners who tend to partner with Fusion, we tend to see both opportunity and challenge. Opportunities are quite clear and easy to define. Challenges are not! Sometimes very scary.

Recently we visited an interesting rural village in Nuwara Eliya (Sri Lanka), where 100s of farmers who reached reasonable standards of entrepreneurial capacity to connect with high-end markets. They reached this point, as a result of micro-credit and social empowerment supports of Sarvodaya over the years. Now, our visit was aimed to connect them through mobile phone and ICT technologies (at telecentres) to expand their bargaining power and up-market outreach.

The people visited with us, were partly members coming from corporate world. They spent substantial time, their intellectual resources and reasonable finances to reach this point of face to face interaction with farmers. Major drive for the visit was their desire to help the rural farmers.

The interaction was perfectly healthy and promising. Farmers recognized the potential benefits, and they saw a dream coming their way. On the other hand, corporate team found the ground is perfectly set for technology introduction and market connection. Return trip was full of excitement.

Nevertheless, immediate mail communication was – unfortunately scary!

‘to move to the next step – we need 51% of ownership of the project!’ – compassion and greed begun to clash in front of the opportunity!

At this moment, Fusion struggle to formulate the appropriate communication models and perhaps negotiation models to work through these humanly challenges.

Family gathering – Fusion space of Sarvodaya life

Sun was setting, as ripples of lake around scenic Bandaragama (Sri Lanka) sarvodaya education centre, turned red. It was true reflection of our minds, after a long day of a lengthy review meeting of Fusion team, after first year of survival. We all realized Social Enterprising had torn our hearts and sapped all our energy. Few of our revenue centres were about to close down, which certainly a killer blow to few of our brothers and sisters who had strived to manage them. And tomorrow is the decision day for them. Yet, all of them were getting ready to organize a Family gathering.!

(How wonderful to see this family spirit. That was my inner mind).

Family gathering – is a unique tradition in Sarvodaya. It is an event lasting for an hour minimum where everybody, despite rank, age or gender, sit together on the floor and spend some time together to build up the common spirit. Its impact is such by the end of the gathering, nobody wants to leave the place. They all feel bonded with an inner fabric of humanity – friendship – happiness and spirituality.

Usually one person volunteers to lead the Family gathering which begins with a few minutes of meditation. Some times, this follows a  small religious speech. One may speak of a Jataka Story (of Buddhist scriptures) or else, one may run a Bible story. (Not specifically labelled to religion). That infuses a bit of a spiritual surrender to the gathering.

Then follows a key speech. mostly by an invited speaker – which can relate to the theme of gathering. Such speeches may last for 10 – 15 minutes, and expected to carry a depth and diversity added with oratory skills to touch the heart of the community.

Cultural activities breaks the monotony. One may play a guitar or a drum encouraging others to sing together. Small dramas, pantomimes are performed by children and youth as they find the stage to demonstrate their unexposed talents.

Such aspects add the vibrancy and evoke sentiments, which gradually lead into open discussions of participants.

It becomes an evening camp fire at times when  it is being organized during Shramadana camps.

Family gathering is a true Fusion space – of culture, spirituality, humanity and development. (I am sure one may add more descriptions – as the outcome of family gatherings are truly difficult to define).

Silence – a noble enjoyment

When I visit Sarvodaya Vishva Niketan – years ago (2000), I noticed the sign posted by Dr Ari, – ‘please maintain noble silence’. It reminded me multiple readings .

‘Learn to enjoy Noble Silence’ – Rev Thich Naart Haanh.

Yet, I could not fully comprehend it. But I noticed one thing, every time I walk with somebody to Vishva Niketan (meditation centre of Sarvodaya), we all tend to automatically switch into silent mode, closing all our chatter. Then we tend to walk through small paths, through the woods, and when we arrive at the statue of Load Buddha, we tend to fall dead silent (despite considerable noise from the nearby road).

Over the years I used to enjoy this …..walking through silence.

Now, sitting at home (in UK), most of my mornings are periods of lengthy silence. I realize this is the most joyful part of my day.

Am I enjoying birds? no, any other subtle noise…hidden inside silence? no. But this silence has a power to awaken certain spiritual faculties. It cuts down certain unhealthy emotions (eg unnecessary excitements, aversion), and nurture concentration (Sathi). Thus allow me to be watchful on my own mind, while engage with work. (working meditation?).

It is not that easy to train the mind to enjoy the noble silence. But once you train it – you may find the noble silence even sitting next to a jet engine!

Sand castles and controled ambitions

Human civilization moves forward because of the ambition. Ambition fuels greed, persistence, creativity,energy to translate imagination into realization. Children pass exams, poor become rich, people build empires, cities, super powers,…even land in other planets.

When I visited Microsoft head office at Seattle, pass through Boeing’s plane delivery station on the way to Seattle airport, I could not help being overwhelmed by the the power of American dream. They were evidence of the ability to translate ambition into reality by two individual human beings, (our contemporaries).

When I was listening to eloquent descriptions of tour guide about the water fountains, air-conditioning systems, artistic illustrations of 500 queens, fascinating architectural masterpieces made by King Kashyapa at Sigiriya Rock, 1500 yrs ago, I still could not help being overwhelmed by the power of human ambition to make impossible the possible.

Yet, as a meditator, I cannot help seeing the unseen behind all these overwhelming illusions of man kind. Truth of impermanence. Arnt these the sandcastles build over the shore of time? None of these ambitious materialistic realizations can last for ever. They all remain impressive till the next tide comes to take it back into history books.

Still, I myself, though being a meditator, cannot help building ambitious sandcastles. So does Fusion, Eco-Fusion, etc…etc..!

Am I contradicting myself. Probably yes and no..!

Even load Buddha cannot attain Nibbana without having ambition. But this ambition is called ‘Chanda’ in Buddhism. That is different from the ‘ambition’ in worldly terms. How?

‘Chanda’ is free from ‘Thanha’ (Desire). That means ambition to become a Load Buddha is derived from the strong willpower to seek salvation of other human beings. Thus it is not subject to defilement of ego, craving, wrong judgements, selfish motives.

Can we distinguish between Ambition (worldly) and Chanda (spiritual).?

In my understanding, we cant. As human beings, when we engage in worldly affairs, it is almost impossible to maintain our pure focus (concentration power) to judge every decision and action. Thus we are subject to do errors, confuse between Ambition and Chanda.

But, as an ascetic in a monastic life, there is an environment for this.

Compassion – the supreme power

When the policeman took me to the remand cell inside Police station at Thalahena, (Colombo, Sri Lanka), I felt bit uneasy. This person, whome I supposed to see in few minutes, changed my entire life experience in a single night. He has intruded into my house during the midnight, and stole every valuble item (including the wedding neckless of my wife) remained inside house. When I realized, he had roamed around our bed room, when we were in deep sleep, I felt horribly helpless. And for more than a week, I could not sleep.

Months later, Police caught him (during another midnight intrusion). And now, I am in front of this terrifying individual, behind the bars.

He is stout and shot, dark and humble. Smiling, despite the fact he is under police custody. When Policman ask certain questions, he explained how he entered our house, and spend the time there.

I felt sorry (and questioned myself, is this the deamon who made myself so scared). He is another human being, very much helpless in his ability to stand on his own in this society. He is extremely poor, cannot pass a day without having drugs. Theft is the only skill he posses. He use it for his own living.

‘How can I get him out of the prison?’ – that was my question to Policman. ‘Mithuru Mithuro’ – Drug rehabilitation center is the best place for him (not the prison). That can transform this extremely distorted individual into a normal human being.

This is the revelation of Compassion. (in a matter of senconds, my mind has transformed from Aversion to Compassion in front of this humble individual – called thief).

Compassion – is one of the best emotional states any human can experience. That makes us very comfortable in mind and body. When compassion dominates our mind, we feel very relaxed. It passes a soothing feeling through all our body muscles. It empowers our spirit to the point, that we tend to become supreme for a moment.

Compassion tends to radiate unique waves from our entier body, thus every living being around us tend to feel comfortable.

We all humans have compassion inside us, and experiences it random occasions, But awakening compassion skillfully at our will is not that easy. Most difficult is recognizing it from other diffiled emotional states.

At times, we tend to recognize our own love, affection and even some forms of desires as compassion. (as they tend to make our selves comfortable).

Following two examples may provide some help to gain clarity on compassion;

• One day when I was travelling through the woods (in thick jungle) to meet my meditation guru, I suddenly felt the creeping leach on my left leg. In a quick impulse I caught him and started squeezing between my fingures (before throwing). Suddenly I felt how helpless this small creature, between my fingers. I saw how small it is – like a baby leach. Suddenly I felt like holding my own small daugter. Immediately I left him without incurring any more pain.

Spirituality in Fusion space

Spirituality!?

What we mean by the word is the human spirit nurtured by religious practice and wisdom, that is essentially peaceful and empowering.

Why it is important in the Fusion space?

Despite moden advancement of technology human civilization is losing its values and human qualities. Fusion envisages holistic approaches to ICT can avoid this negative development in the space of ICT technology advancement.

Fusion is seeking holistic ICT for develoment. It would not be wholesome just combining social, economic, ecological and cultural element without converging spirituality.

‘Individual’ being the building block of the communiy, this would primariliy aim to awaken the spirit of individual interacting within the Fusion community (Paurushodaya), that is to nurture the advance human qualities within the mind, body and action.

Advance human qualities>

• sharing (dana) once time, energy, skills and intelect for the benefit of other humans and life forms.
• self disciline to abstain from killing, stealing, disception, sexual misconduct and alcoholism.
• respecting gender, culture, color, ethnic and religious diversity
• cultivating compassion towads all human beings, other life forms and nature.

Cultivation and nurturing of Advance human qualities may awaken individual human spirit. That would nurture the advance qualities of the psychosphere of the Fusion community, thus creating a healthy enviornment of peaceful existance, harmless advancement and holesome development.

Handling Fear

I still remember the day that an intruder (thief) stole our valuble belongings from our home, while we all were sleeping. When I was driving the police officer to home I said;

‘ I never anticipated a thief coming to my house. Becuase we spend a very rituous life, helping people, giving whatever we could share….!’

Police officer started laughing at me.

‘You cannot escape from these mushrooming drug addicts!’

The following night was the worst ever experience in my life; I couldnt catch sleep. Every small sound raise my suspecion that thief is coming again. And I tend to grapple with horrible imaginations that he is threatening my kids…….and I kept walking up and down all the night’.

But theif had never come. It was the manifestation of fear in my mind.

The night before, when the thief intruded, walked into our bed room, spend hours stealing all our valuables…..I slept without a single worry. The next day, there isn’t any thief, night is very peaceful, but I am sleepless, worried and struggling all night.

What makes the difference?

Difference is not the thief. It is my mind. Fear in my mind create all the confusion.

Like all other emotions, fear too has its life cycle> birth – maturity – decay – death.

All these life cycles are pretty short, sometimes difficult to notice. We dont recognize we were in fear. Yet some times, we feel like we were completely disempowered.

That can be multiple emotional cycles occupying us simultaniously as repetitive cycles. For example, when before the first cycle of fear emotion ends, the next one begins. And it builds up into bundles of negative emotions (combined with other negative emotions too).

We have the controling window at the early stage (before it reaching the acute stage). The controle is nothing but the recognition of fear.

Nevertheless, handling of complex fear needs multiple approaches.

1. realizaing the nature impermanence
2. getting the blessings of Dhamma (truith)
3. cultivating and nurturing Metta (Compassion).

If you are Therawada Buddhist following may be helpful>

When you are in fear – just recall following:

a). Repetitively pray – Buddha Vandana Gatha (Ethipiso – Bhagawa – Arahang…….!)

b). Pray – Karaniya mettah Sutta

These two will relax your mind.