The Wrong End of the Telescope

Exploring how our self-centered perspective distorts reality like looking through the wrong end of a telescope.

Issue #27:

Good day and welcome back to The Zen Journal. Today's reflection centers around how being of service to others and having personal accountability leads to greater equanimity in an uncontrollable world.

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Many of the challenges we face in life stem from how we see things. It’s like looking through the wrong end of a telescope: everything seems distorted.

We seem larger than life, while everything else shrinks into insignificance.

This distorted view fuels a focus on self, on what we want, what we feel we deserve, and what we think others owe us.

But a more helpful and honest perspective begins when we reverse that view. Our lives should be oriented around service. Service to others, to our communities, and to the greater good.

When we live with this sense of duty and purpose, we become less likely to take advantage of the tribe. Scamming free stuff or manipulating others to get what we want is not only irresponsible.

But it also shifts the cost onto others, usually those working hard and paying their fair share. Just because something is “free” to us doesn’t mean it wasn’t paid for by someone else.

We're looking at things backwards if we think people owe us things. The same principle applies when we rush to judge or blame others.

We often find it easy to criticize, to spot flaws in someone else’s behavior from a mile away. But how often do we stop to ask ourselves: What part do I play in this problem?

We rarely examine our own actions, expectations, or lack of mindfulness. Yet these are precisely the areas where we can actually effect change. Our attitudes and behaviors are within our control. That’s where our attention needs to be.

This is part of what is meant by Right View, a principle emphasized in Buddhist teachings. It encourages us to focus on the right things.

When we are self-centered, we tend to focus only on what we want, what we need, what would make us feel better, and how we wish things would go.

And as a result, we become trapped in our own selfishness. And when that happens, we can't see the important things that we should really be noticing and paying attention to.

It's the same with finding fault. It's effortless to point fingers at others, but taking a hard look at our own conduct? That’s much tougher.

So one of the things that we need to do, one of the things that right view helps us to do, is to limit our expectations, think about our actions, and be more mindful of the effect that we have on other people.

This is no small feat, especially for those of us who have the tendency to micromanage or to control the behaviors of others.

Something interesting is that there is great overlap between Buddhist principles, Stoicism, Taoism, even Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (maybe even more that you could tell me about in the comments). All of which emphasize on controlling ourselves rather than looking to control other people.

And looking in the right end of the telescope is a good place to start. When we're looking through the wrong end, everybody looks real little and we look real big. As if we're the center of the universe. But that’s far from the truth

Some of these ancient philosophies avoid a vision of a G-O-D, yet they still make room for divinity, or what we might call Good Orderly Direction. This concept helps guide us toward a life lived in harmony with nature, in tune with others, and at peace within ourselves.

By embracing this order and accepting the world as it is, not as we wish it to be, we begin to move toward equanimity.

So, tell me. How often do you catch yourself seeing the world through the wrong end of the telescope?

I look forward to continuing this journey with you. Please feel free to share your thoughts, reflections, or questions as I dive deeper into these teachings.

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