I spent Thanksgiving Day on Machu Picchu and climbed to the top of Waynapicchu for one of the most exhilarating mountain top experiences (literally) of my life.  Separate from the overwhelming historical, pre-historical, energetic and natural wonders there, the climb from Roca Ceremonial Rock up a stairway carved out of a sheer rock cliff more than 800 vertical feet in less than one third of a mile is needless-to-say breath taking even for athletes in Olympic condition.

For all the impact that had on me and the indelible image of a florescent double rainbow encompassing the Sacred Valley on the way down, the experience which moved me most was a visit to the tiny sustainable community development at Awana Kancha (See www.awanakancha.com) on the road from Cusco to Pisac.  Wow!  Do these folks have it figured out?  Raising Llamas, Alpacas and Vicunas and spinning and weaving their wool into some of the most magnificent pieces of art/textiles I’ve ever seen, this community doesn’t need cash to survive.  They also grow their own food, make pottery and other crafts and have built their own structures out of locally sourced materials (mostly stone and adobe with thatch roofs).  Yet, they make plenty of money from selling these goods to and hosting tours for international tourists.  As best I can tell, this style of living has probably been going on here (or near here) for more than 4,000 years; now that’s old school sustainability.

The beautiful thing is that while they live quite simply, they also live quite abundantly, seem very happy, healthy and aware (without pharmaceuticals and processed foods).  It pointed out to me just how out-of-touch most of us from the Western world really are.  I aspire to achieve the level of ­presence these villagers have achieved. 

It prompts the question, could presence be the fourth or only bottom line; the real connector among people, planet and profit which enable us to accomplish the greatest good for all.

I am moved by Kevin Wilber’s perspective in this 8:47 YouTube video (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E8CAWawn2g).  And by Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski, and Flowers’ Presence, Doubleday, 2005, 289pp. (See also www.presence.net )   Forgive me for belaboring this point, but I just can’t accept the underlying assumptions of separateness which traditional Western thought seems to have embraced and eradicate the indisputable sense of connectedness which seems so obvious to me.  Is there a way we can talk about this openly and make it OK in business?  If you’ve figured this out, I want to know.

If it’s any consolation, this territory seems to be challenging even in an academic setting.  The thought of being branded brazenly “spiritual” is enough to scare off most trustees and potential business school applicants.  It’s encouraging to me that the faculty and administration at Bainbridge Graduate Institute are having this discussion openly, critically, and with sensitivity.  Regardless of what we end up labeling this phenomenon, I remain committed to being present for my students and in my classes and if one or more observe this behavior and decide it might be something to emulate, presence has served its purpose.