Yasuhiko Genku Kimura, Founder and Chairman of Vision In Action, was voted by the members and visitors of Universe Spirit as our July/August Philosopher Artist of the month.
Yasuhiko Genku Kimura, Founder and Chairman of Vision In Action, applies values of integrity and wholeness to engender individual, organizational, and social transformation. He is considered one of the foremost thinkers in the field of integral and evolutionary philosophy.
"My commitment, in essence, is to the lasting transformation of the ecology of the ideosphere—the global sphere of ideas and ideation. I am an ideospheric environmentalist. And my approach to the ideospheric transformation is not primarily through the propagation of a particular idea but through provoking authentic thinking.
My work is about transforming the structural configuration of the ideospheric environment from that of concentricity, formed by legions of followers flocking around leaders and promoters of a pre-established set of ideas, to that of omnicentricity, formed when a critical mass of humanity each becomes a vortex of original idea-generation, that is, an independent producer of ideas, through the development of authentic thinking, self-responsibility, and self-integrity."
Yasuhiko Genku Kimura, 2005
Yasuhiko Genku Kimura has been called "a philosopher of change" and is recognized for his ability to integrate advanced Western scientific thought with the intuitive wisdom of Eastern spiritual traditions to bring about radical change in the way people think. As an author, lecturer and consultant, Mr. Kimura assists thought leaders in business, science and cultural organizations to evolve beyond the paradigm-bound thinking that often inhibits development and success. He aims to provoke authentic, integral thinking in others through his Zen-like, Socratic methods, awakening the latent creative potential in both individuals and organizations, and thereby creating a path for people to transform their creative vision into effective action.
Mr. Kimura has spent almost thirty years studying both advanced Western scientific thought and inner-directed Eastern philosophies with his formal education centering on Buddhist philosophy. He was born in Japan and ordained in the Soto School of Zen Buddhism, then studied contemporary and ancient systems of Eastern philosophy in India for three years. In 1983, he moved to the United States where he developed an original approach to individual and organizational transformation.
Unlike system-building theorists who focus on building structural models as a frame of reference for their students, Mr. Kimura focuses on awakening the capacity for genuine creativity and original thinking within individuals so that they can attain ongoing self-realization through self-transcendence. As he explains:
The ancient Japanese word for "to think" is kamikaeru, with "kami" signifying the "invisible" divine ground of being and "kaeru" meaning "to return." The process of thinking, therefore, originally embodied the spiritual act of returning to the Divine, to the Ground, to the Self residing within each person, and then creatively manifesting that Self-knowing and divine inspiration in and as the world.
In this regard, Mr. Kimura has developed a distinctive approach that embodies Zen-like inquiry and Socratic dialogue. His writings and seminars are an invitation to "think" along with him as he seeks to awaken the potential for kamikaeru within.
Applying these creative techniques to business and social organizations, Mr. Kimura established The MetaConsulting Institute in 1996, which continues to develop strategic business seminars and customized programs under his leadership for both entrepreneurs and multinational corporations. In 1999, he was recruited by the University of Science and Philosophy, also known as the Walter Russell Foundation, to serve as Executive Director of The Twilight Club founded in the late 1870s by British integral philosopher Herbert Spencer and intellectual champions of the American Transcendentalist and New Thought Movements including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, and Edwin Markham. The Twilight Club originally looked to enrich society and culture through the personal action of its members based on the principle that Mr. Kimura characterizes as "alignment beyond agreement."
Four years after assuming the organization’s leadership role, Mr. Kimura "re-envisioned" The Twilight Club and established Vision In Action in 2003 as a more effective structure to continue the rich legacy of the founders’ intention in the 21st century. Vision In Action focuses on empowering individuals and organizations to develop personal integrity, business accountability, scientific advances, artistic expression and social action.
Through VIA, Mr. Kimura strives to encourage a creative and comprehensive approach to social and personal challenges that can restore integrity and wholeness to a divided world. A comprehensive description of Vision In Action is outlined in his article "The Four Pillars of the Work of Vision In Action," available in the Articles section of the organization’s Web site www.VIA-VisionInAction.org, along with other essays by Mr. Kimura.
A prolific writer, Mr. Kimura has authored, since 1998, well over 50 articles, essays and translations in the fields of spiritual philosophy, integral science, evolutionary theory, transformational ethics and visionary business. He also has developed interactive programs that serve to awaken creative vision.
His work includes:
- The Book of Balance, an acclaimed modern translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Teh Ching
- Think Kosmically Act Globally, a collection of original essays on spirituality, ethics and metascience
- Twilight Manifesto, a history of The Twilight Club
- THINK: The First Principle of Business based on Walter Russell’s lectures at IBM in the 1920s to 1930s and co-edited with Laara Lindo
- Editor In Chief of VIA: The Journal of Integral Thinking for Visionary Action, a biannual anthology of thought-provoking articles on integrating spirituality into philosophy, science, business, and social issues
Personal and business interactive seminars focusing on:
- Awakening the Genius Within
- The Passion Workshop
- Alignment Beyond Agreement
- Leadership Intensive Based on The Book of Tao
- Strategic Thinking for Global Leadership
- Evolutionary Ethics for Corporate Development
Upcoming Lectures and Courses by Yasuhiko Genku Kimura
Vision In Action – www.VIA-VisionInAction.org – phone: 1-800-509-1955
THE PASSION WORKSHOP
Deep and enduring passions arise when you are attuned to the individual creative vision that lays ready to be awakened in the depth of your heart. You experience enduring happiness by living from your true passion, by attaining and realizing your own creative vision. The Passion Workshop is an inspirational two-day workshop through which participants discover and awaken their true passion in life and learn the art of developing their careers and life-paths in accord with their own sense of being. The purpose of The Passion Workshop is to open up the possibility of a life in which you can attain both material and spiritual wealth. The Passion Workshop is designed to:
- Awaken your own creative vision and your deepest passions
- Teach the creative art of transforming your intention into reality
- Teach a system of strategic career development to construct your livelihood as a creative and contributive expression of your passion.
July 16-17, 2005, Los Angeles area, $295
Register in the Events section at www.VIA-VisionInAction.org or by calling 1-800-509-1955.
Transformative Visions of Buddhism: The Lotus Sutra and Shobogenzo
Buddhism in essence presents itself in three aspects: Primitive Buddhism; Theravada Buddhism; and Mahayana Buddhism. This class focuses on Mahayana Buddhism, studying its philosophy by reading selected passages of The Lotus Sutra, arguably the most comprehensive of all Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, and of Shobogenzo, known as one of the most profound and original expressions of spiritual enlightenment ever written. Yasuhiko Genku Kimura presents classes designed not only to inform but also, more importantly, to transform. Students will gain new transformative insights for their own spiritual development as well as a knowledge of Mahayana Buddhism. Required Reading: The Lotus Sutra (translation by Burton Watson); other material provided in class
Saturdays, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m: Aug. 6, 2005 (Rm 3), Aug. 13 (Rm2), Aug. 20 (Rm 2), & Aug. 27 (Rm3)
$200 $15 online processing fee - secure online registration at the Agape Institute
The Cosmic Vision of Taoism: I Ching and Tao Teh Ching
Taoism teaches that we can attain enduring happiness and spiritual enlightenment if we know and live in accordance with Li, the immutable cosmic law -- the intuitively discernible aspect of Tao of which the Tao Teh Ching states: "The Tao that can be defined is not the Tao Eternal." In this class, Yasuhiko Genku Kimura will guide students into the esoteric dimensions of Taoism through the study of I Ching and Tao Teh Ching. As with all of the classes by Yasuhiko Genku Kimura, this series will inform as well as encourage students along their own personal path of transformation. Students will grow in their own spiritual development and also come to understand the profound meanings behind Taoism. Required Reading: The Book of Balance (Lao Tzu’s Tao Teh Ching translated by Yasuhiko Genku Kimura).
Saturdays, 1:00- 5:00 p.m.: Oct. 8, 15, 29, & Nov. 5, 2005,
$200 $15 online processing fee - secure online registration at the Agape Institute
Awakening Self, Awakening Humanity: Spiritual Activism for World Peace and Healing
There can be no authentic transformation of the world without an effort at self-transformation on the part of those who are engaged in the act of transformation. If we are committed to the transformation of the world, we must be ready and willing to be transformed in the process of transforming the world. Therefore, the challenge of world-transformation is fundamentally the challenge of self-transformation. The question is: Are you ready to transform yourself in order to transform the world? Spiritual Activism differs from other forms of activism precisely because it has the inner dimension of self-awakening and transformation. In this thought-provoking presentation, Mr. Kimura, will share his insight and vision of what it means to transform the world and what is required in creating an evolutionary movement that will result in world peace and healing.
Sunday, December 4, 2005, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - $50 - secure online registration at the Agape Institute
For more information on Mr. Kimura and Vision in Action, please visit www.via-visioninaction.org