Miriam van Groen describes what it is like to apply the Five Wisdoms to sustainability design-work.

Using the Five Wisdoms to Build a Sustainable Product

This past August, in Venwoude, the Netherlands, the Five Wisdoms Institute delivered a five-day seminar on sustainability and leadership. The seminar was hosted by Experience Integral, which aligns disciplines, such as the natural sciences, economics, politics and psychology, with the more subjective aspects of individuals and cultures. 

One goal of the seminar was to design sustainable organizations based on three principles: take care of yourself; take care of each other; take care of the environment. Below, Miriam van Groen describes her group’s process.

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Our goal was to develop a sustainable product in a half hour, each team member representing one of the five wisdom energies. My energy was Buddha – an energy I am not familiar with in my daily life. For that reason, I decided to try it out.

Many of us struggled to let go of our ‘product’ ideas. We had difficulty letting our colors shine. A few of us, including myself, were partially ‘rainbowing,’ or taking on multiple colors. I wanted to make sure everyone was included in the design process, which reflects ratna energy (yellow). I also wanted to have something to present on time – something that better than the other groups, which reflects karma energy (green).

In the end, our group made a good pitch, but the process was not smooth. We presented an application that calculates and helps reduce ecological footprints by combining GPS information for travel and product information for purchases. Given the size of the footprint, the app suggests sustainable products and services to fit different lifestyles.

The exercise allowed us to get a glimpse into our energy and how our group dynamics changed under time pressure. The other groups seemed to have more harmonious processes, which showed us what is possible when the energies combine their qualities to reach a common goal.