Morning Muse 268 : Right View and Liberation

Conflict rarely arises because people are inherently wrong or evil. More often, it arises because they see differently. Even those raised in the same home, culture, or environment can carry entirely different lenses through which they view life. We struggle not only with actions, but with perspectives. When we cannot accept another’s way of seeing—or they cannot accept ours—friction begins.

Gautama Buddha emphasized Right View as the foundation of liberation. It is the first step on the path because without clear understanding, every other effort becomes unstable. Right view begins with a simple but powerful recognition: our actions have consequences, and we are responsible for our inner states. What we experience is shaped not just by the world, but by our conditioning, choices, and interpretations.

Often, what blocks understanding is not lack of knowledge, but attachment—attachment to beliefs, identity, pride, or even the subtle benefits we gain from holding a certain viewpoint. As Upton Sinclair observed, it is difficult to make someone understand something when their “salary” depends on not understanding it. That “salary” may not be money; it may be ego, validation, or long-held habits of thinking.

Peace becomes possible the moment we pause. When the mind is constantly stirred, like disturbed water, clarity is lost. But when we allow it to settle—through silence, reflection, or meditation—something shifts. Perspective widens. We begin to see beyond our fixed positions.

With wider perspective comes compassion. And where compassion grows, conflict begins to dissolve.

Liberation does not begin with changing the world.
It begins with seeing clearly.

It begins with the courage to put aside our coloured lenses—and to see reality as it truly is.