This article by David Hoyle was first published in GENESIS – A Magazine of Arts, Culture & Ideas, Findhorn Bay, Scotland Issue XXXIII, October 1998

Sustain: to keep from falling; enable to last out; that which keeps up strength; endure without giving way
Sustenation: supporting of life
Sustenance: nourishing quality, food.

SUSTAINABILITY AS A WORD is a relatively new entry into our common usage and it is interesting to note the three basic traditional linguistic roots that are its history. Sustain, its closest link, does nothing much for me. It implies protestant work ethic in its narrowest sense. Not a place of joy and discovery; rather an overly determined resistance to change. There is a pronounced dourness to the word and if this is what a sustainable community is all about, count me out. To try to keep things as they are in such a changing world seems fundamentally unsustainable.

That seems to be at the core of our problems in trying to define what we mean by ‘sustainability’. At any one time what is sustainable for me as an individual is subject to change. There is no chance that what I need tomorrow is exactly what I needed yesterday. My belief therefore is that we can only try and define sustainability as a state of being rather than some outer structure or belief system. Spirit is indeed the only true sustainer.

In considering therefore what would be a sustainable economic community for me I have to go with what makes my heart sing. Providing there are other sufficiently like-minded souls around who want to buy or use what I have to offer, then I have the overriding criteria for any project or development.

On a material level organic foods, fair trade, restaurants, music, books, food shops, beautiful crafts make my heart sing. So these are the projects and activities I will propose. If no-one else is nourished by these activities I either have to leave, encourage other allies to move here, or to lead a rather worthy but unhappy sustainable life. My dream is to lead a life of sustenance here.

‘I respect sustainability
but I LOVE sustenance’

In addressing the theme of sustainable community at the October conference [1] we have an opportunity to explore how to create more sustenance to nourish our sustainability. I love the word ‘nourishing’: it’s sensual and creative. It has a major feel-good factor. Candlelit hot-tubs on outdoor porches watching the sun go down with a glass of organic plonk. Dancing is nourishing— a lead article in today’s ‘Independent‘ has found that people who love to dance are the happiest people in the country. Osho was certainly no fool when reaching into the Sufi traditions for his dance meditations.

Well then, how can I dance rather than stride purposefully through each working day of my life here? This does not reject the endurance of sustainability but rather makes it enduringly nourishing. Now that feels good. I would be proud to take that to any conference in the world. Just imagine stating ‘We here at Findhorn are leading incredibly sustainable and nourishing lives. Our hearts are filled with devotion and compassion and our minds are quite capable of creating grounded, successful, sustainable projects out of wildly inspirational visions’.’

I know that one of my struggles around presenting the Phoenix project is that there is too much ‘hill climber’ and not enough ‘tango’. The tofu rather than the sizzle. So my own personal contribution to the conference will be a reaching-up on my toes in the project, my day-to-day life and my spirit.

With compassion and gratitude as its soul mates, I wish to bring as much nourishment to this community as you wish me to bring. I know a Waterfront Restaurant will be a nourishing place. Fresh simple food. Views of the sunset. Sofas on the veranda. A courtyard brunch with some live rolling jazz from Phillip. I like creating and running cafes. I have done it three times so far in my life. They all nourished their respective neighbourhoods. I love restaurants, bars, cafes, cantinas, grand cafes, beach huts; they nourish my life. If I am nourished I am happier. When I’m happy there is more inspiration and energy. I want my service to come from this inner place. Sustainability here I come.

On the following pages is an overview of our recent Phoenix survey. Thanks once again to everyone who participated. Whether you just thought about the issues or filled in the questionnaire — it’s certainly been a valuable process. As a result of your comments there has been an ongoing refinement and adjustment process going on within the Phoenix group, as we consider the implications of what you have told us, and how best we may incorporate your wishes into a sustaining economic project. It would be more arrogant than usual for me to profess to really know what you all want to happen here and what makes your economically sustainable world. Who are the sustainers, and who are the nourishers? Who indeed are both? In general, ‘leaders’ here do not seem very joyful. Principally we seem to have a sustaining management style. This I presume is the wish of the majority. As the old saying goes ‘I respect sustainability but I LOVE sustenance’. Now, ‘Love as a Path of Leadership’ be an interesting conference (or even a Genesis?).

As usual I and the Phoenix team welcome your input into the discussions and projects. For as is often said it’s the few who pioneer change. Always has been, probably always will be. The question is, do WE all want to lead a nourishing sustainable life here?

May all beings enjoy sustenance…

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[1] 17-24 Oct 1998 CREATING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY 

Hazel Henderson, James Hubbell, Lynne Franks, Robert Gilman, Satish Kumar, Ervin Laszlo, Milenko Matanovic, Dmitri Morosov, Bill Metcalf, Jill Jordan, Stephen Gaskin, Felix Dodds

Focalisers: Roger Doudna, Julia Zalazar

Click here for the list of conferences held in the Findhorn Foundation and Community.