Understanding sustainability: integrating spirit with matter does matter

The central aim of this paper is to propose a framework that integrates spirituality with the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, to increase our understanding of why decades of effort in tackling sustainability issues have failed. The proposed framework brings a unique perspective to sustainability theory and practice. Firstly, it integrates the sustainability issues to demonstrate their interrelationship, highlighting the fact that attempting to solve issues in a singular fashion will be ineffective. Secondly, it highlights consumerism and wasteful production to be the root causes of the crisis. Thirdly, it reveals that contrary to current practice which attempts to control these two major material causes, the appropriate solution lies in promoting the spiritual dimension in individuals. The article demonstrates that it is this integration of the spirit that enables one to gain a wholesome perspective of sustainability. By moving the individual from self-interest to community interest, by limiting wants to necessities, and by expanding consciousness to increase creativity and innovation for economic advancement, spirituality not only kindles, but maintains sustainability. The promotion of the spiritual dimension is thus a positive force that works in a virtuous cycle, in contrast to the negative forces of control and regulation.