The term scale is mainly applied to systems containing the capacity to expand, yet very little is known about the internal psychological scale or the cosmological universal scale.
The moment one contemplates on the meaning of scale and the possibilities the meaning of scale provides, one realises that everything we see or experience has an almost infinite degree of scale attached to it, hence all we can observe externally or internally can be perceived from different perspectives along the line, or within the different dimensions of scale.
Many systems, ideas, concepts or events can’t be grasped, understood or experienced to their full extent, without keeping the idea of scale in mind. Practically applying the idea of scale to the relevant things in life expands our limited way of thinking and has a transformative impact on perception, hence it leads to greater freedom in the way we respond.
Scale is a vibration, which is under the influence of increasing or decreasing laws, depending on whether we are ascending or descending within its field or range of possible expansion.
The higher its frequency the less limiting our take on things becomes and the less identified we will become. The lower its frequency, the more limiting our view on things will be and the more identified we will become.
There are different dimensions to scale and we are most familiar with the scale of cartography, which is a two dimensional or linear scale. Cartography portrays the ratio between two points on a map to the real distance between the two corresponding points. Scale can be expressed numerically like 1:100,000 or verbally like one centimetre on the map equals one kilometre on the earth. A map on a large scale shows much more detail than a map on a small scale.
Another very familiar scale is the musical scale or octave in which ascending and descending notes are arranged by the composer in a specific scheme of intervals to create a piece of music.
In medicine the idea of scale is used to measure mental and physical developments using a graded series of tests.
Scale in maths is the notation of a given number system. A ruler or other measuring device represents the idea of scale as well as a weighing device.
The scale of architecture takes us into three dimensions and features the relationship between different dimensions of organised space and structures in their relationship to the viewer. The scale and size of buildings, not only impresses the viewer, but also creates different moods, which are the result of the total interaction of dimensions in space, underlying every element of the composition. A variety of artistic effects can be achieved by creating a perfect balance between the geometry, height and textures and the way natural light enters the building. A relatively small architectural structure viewed from the outside, can give a much larger impression and sense of spaciousness once one enters the building, depending on the structural layout and use of space.
Grand scale structures like ancient temples and cathedrals often symbolise the power and social position of the person ordering its construction. Some of them intend to make us feel insignificant where others are supposed to create an image or feeling, which is understood not only by contemporaries but also by future societies and cultures.
A completely different kind of scale is the scale of events in everyday life.
Our life from birth to death is nothing more than a succession of events. Each day is a structure of events that are crowded in on many different scales.
It is personal events that attract most of our attention, and these can be divided into external and internal events, which take place simultaneously. Our attention is constantly drawn back and forth between internal and external events, depending on the intensity of their gravitational pull of importance or priority.
As we move along the scale we come to family events that see us usually discussing the internal and external events effecting individual family members.
Then there is a larger circle of events gyrating around our personal and family events, which relate to our profession, friends and community. Those are, in turn, surrounded by our local events, which we usually come across by reading our local newspaper or watching a local T.V. channel, though we are not necessarily personally or actively involved in them.
The local events link to our national events, which form part of the world events and all of them take place simultaneously on different scales.
These examples of scale illustrate the point well, but the most impressive and transformative example of scale is the night sky. The impact of the infinite scale of our sky at night reflecting billions of stars, planets and galaxies, can lead to a different sense of scale in both thoughts and ideas.
The expansive nature of the night sky may make us aware of our own insignificance in relation to the whole and in the process connect us with the omnipresence of a far greater presence, which governs and determines all there is - manifesting through myriads of seemingly incidental scales of universal events, which are ultimately forming the events of our own personal life. This different scale of thought, which usually appears when we are touched on a deeper level, awakens our higher emotions and this is the beginning of meditation.
Please take a moment to reflect on the meaning of the last paragraph.
Abstract of 'Inside Meditation - in search of the unchanging nature within' by a. filmer-lorch
Copyright © 2011-2014 Alexander Filmer-Lorch – all rights reserved
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