In Genesis, Jacob climbs a ladder to heaven to get to the angels, the angel that he then wrestles with. To get to the second floor of a house, you have to go up steps. Or if you’re going through the window, you need a ladder on the outside. But there’s a downstairs and an upstairs. And when you’re on the second floor, you don’t need the steps anymore because you’re there. There are people on the first floor, people on the second floor, and people on the third floor. And in some of the skyscrapers, there’re people on the hundredth floor. To get to the various floors, you need tools along with your feet. You just can’t float up there.
And in the progression of getting closer to reality, there are certain tools that are absolutely necessary. And at the same time, there are certain obstacles that are put in the way, that come in the way that make it more difficult to move. At different levels of understanding, a different formulation of action comes into being. One of the reasons for monasteries is to keep the outside world out and to allow people to concentrate on the spiritual nature of their quest without the everyday interference of the world. And the world can do all kinds of things to interfere with you.
