The Gram Outweighs the Kilogram

The Gram Outweighs the Kilogram

There can be a scales on which the gram outweighs the kilogram. ─ Simone Weil

What scales is she referring to? Beyond a mere mind exercise, this quote from Simone Weil is quite profound for me. She is referring to the immeasurable, the quintessential quality of consciousness which cannot be measured by any conventional means. It reminds me of another conundrum.

The shoreline around a lake is infinitely long, even though it seems measurable. The conundrum comes in when you consider that any given length of shoreline could be divided in half, and then that half divided in half, and so forth. There is no end to the measurement, so the shoreline is infinitely long.

So, what is the point of these apparent logic puzzles for someone who is trying to evolve? It is not just a source of entertainment or mental gymnastics. In the Work, it speaks to the mystery or miracle of making something from nothing. That which can be measured is material. Consciousness is so-to-speak immaterial, beyond the material. Beyond measure by ordinary scales.

I learned in physics that the first law of thermodynamics and the law of conservation of matter tell me that I cannot create or destroy energy or matter. I cannot make something from nothing according to our understanding of physics. Energy is on a one-way path through the universe, according to modern physics. Entropy, all things wind down. This is the point of departure, however, and where Simone Weil’s quote starts to make sense.

In the realm of metaphysics or mysticism, I have verified that you can indeed create something from nothing. Our lower centers are mechanical on the scale of the planet. The only miraculous thing the lower centers can produce is another human being through reproduction. A baby is a miracle.

For someone on the Way, the transformation of suffering or practicing the non-expression of negative emotions is even more miraculous. Remembering myself, being fully present, is the exception to the rule of physics. This is the pathway of making something from nothing. It is more accurate, perhaps, to say that we are revealing the higher consciousness already available. The Higher Centers coexist or cohabitate the human vessel with the lower centers, but are normally blotted out by the noise and distractions of the lower parts of my being.

The lower centers, you could say, are part of that one-way flow of energy through the universe. When I control or neutralize the potency and noise of my lower centers, then I am creating something from nothing. If I develop true positive emotions, like compassion, love, kindness, and real external consideration, then I am more than a machine. I am swimming against the mechanical tide or going against the one-way path of energy through the universe. I am the One from many; I am the One from nothing.

Mere knowledge has little or no weight. ─ Aristotle

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The Weighing of the Heart, Book of the Dead of Ani, British Museum (detail)