古文明-阶梯

步入天堂

梯子或楼梯都象证超越——每上一层梯级或台阶都代表精神上升到某一阶段或认识水平得到新的提升——反之， 每下层一台阶也代表更向下的堕落。

与“生命树”一样，梯子与楼梯也总是与善恶正邪的认知联系在一起，不同的阶梯代表连接凡间与天庭的通路。

天梯

梯子是神话中最常见的道具，它象征成就个人的完善。梯子由两根长而粗的杆子做边，这两限长杆常被比喻为天堂中的两棵树-棵是能辨别善恶的智慧树，另棵是生命树:连接着两根长杆的横杆代表“精神知识”。在古埃及神话中，梯子是冥府之神奥西里斯的标志：后来，由于梯子常被描绘成太阳发出的光芒，于是古埃及人又将梯子与太阳神拉联系在一起。在佛教艺术中，梯子总是从天而降，一端接天，一端连地，象征参悟者距离成圣越来越近。《圣经》故事中，梯子出现在雅各的梦中。《圣经》中说雅各在逃避兄弟迫害的途中睡着了，他梦到有天使沿着天梯爬上爬下。雅各梦中的天梯象征精神与物质世界的交流，以及意识与无意识的交流。同样，在伊斯兰教中也有类似的故事先知穆罕默德梦见天上降下天梯只有信伸坚定之人才能登上梯子，面见真主。

步步高升

许多文化中，梯级的数量等于一个人从入世到获得自我认知或顿悟必须经过的历练。最常见的是七级阶梯。在佛教中，七个梯级代表七重天或达到悟道所必须经历的七个过程。从苏美尔人的宇宙天体论到当代的共济会，在许多文化或教派中的梯子都有七个梯级。教堂的圣坛都修建在高台上，牧师拾级而上,高于教众而站，象征其圣洁。国王的宝座也置于高台之上，意味着国王是现世与精神的权威。

楼梯

就楼梯而言每一层梯级代表宇宙的不同层级，也代表人类在彻悟人生的过程中获得的种种启示。螺旋状的楼梯则象征一段充满疑问的旅程，盘旋弯曲的楼梯犹如人类在追求境界提升的过程中必须面对的曲折未来。但是有一点我们必须牢记:无论是梯子，还是台阶，都不仅仅代表着向上。蛇与梯子的棋类游戏，象征人类精神生活中上升的阶梯，紧随其后的便是许多诱惑带来的下降(如同游戏中的蛇)。

Enter Heaven

The ladder or staircase symbolizes transcendence ---each upper step or staircase represents a spiritual ascent to a certain stageor a new level of understanding --- on the contrary, each lower step alsorepresents a downward fall.

Like the Tree of Life, ladders and stairs are alwaysconnected with the knowledge of good, evil, right and evil. Different stairsrepresent the way connecting the world and the heaven.

Ladder on high buildings

Ladder is themost common prop in mythology. It symbolizes personal perfection. The ladder isbordered by two long and thick poles. These two limited poles are oftencompared to two trees in heaven - one is a tree of wisdom that can distinguishgood from evil, the other is a tree of life: the cross pole connecting the twolong poles represents "spiritual knowledge". In ancient Egyptianmythology, the ladder was the symbol of Osiris, the God of the underworld.Later, because the ladder was often depicted as the light of the sun, theancient Egyptians connected the ladder with the sun god. In Buddhist art, laddersalways fall from the sky, one end to the sky, one end to the earth, symbolizingthat the enlightenment is getting closer and closer to sanctification. InBiblical stories, ladders appear in Jacob's dreams. The Bible says that Jacobfell asleep on the way to escape his brother's persecution. He dreamed that anangel climbed up and down the ladder. The ladder in Jacob's dream symbolizesthe communication between the spiritual and material world, as well as thecommunication between consciousness and unconsciousness. Similarly, there is asimilar story in Islam, in which the prophet Mohammed dreamed that the heavenswere descending and that only those who were faithful and firm could climb theladder and meet Allah.

Be promoted step by step

In many cultures,the number of cascades equals the experience a person must go through fromentering the WTO to gaining self-awareness or insight. The most common is theseven steps. In Buddhism, the seven cascades represent the seven processes thatmust be experienced to achieve the seven heavens or to attain theenlightenment. From Sumerian cosmology to contemporary masons, there are sevenladders in many cultures or sects. The altars of the church are all built onhigh platforms. The priest climbs up the steps and stands above thecongregation to symbolize his holiness. The King's throne is also on a highplatform, which means that the King is the authority of the world and spirit.

Stairs

As far as stairsare concerned, each staircase represents the different levels of the universe,and also represents the various enlightenments that human beings have gained inthe process of thorough understanding of life. The spiral staircase symbolizesa questionable journey. The spiral staircase is like the tortuous future thathuman beings must face in pursuit of realm improvement. But one thing we mustkeep in mind is that both ladders and steps are not just upwards. The chessgame of snakes and ladders symbolizes the ascending ladder in human spirituallife, followed by the descent of many temptations (like snakes in the game).

Example

佛祖之梯   ladder of Buddha

上图这幅灰泥浮雕，位于泰国玛哈奉寺中，浮厚表现了佛祖沿着梯子，自仞利天官下凡的情景，佛租身边是因陀罗、梵天。

Above, this plaster relief, located in MahaefengTemple in Thailand, shows the Buddha along the ladder, from the sky to thebottom of the scene, Buddha rent is next to Indra, Brahma.

祭坛台阶   The steps of the first sacrifice altar

圣坛多修建在台阶之上。左图是位于马耳他首都瓦莱塔的圣约翰大教堂。圣坛前的台阶代表某种上升仪式。拾级而上，会与上帝越来越近。石头砌成的台阶还象征神性不灭。

Most of the measuring altar is built on the steps. Onthe left is St. John's Cathedral in Valletta, the capital of Malta. The stepsin front of the altar represent some kind of rising ceremony. Step by step, itwill get closer and closer to God. The stone steps also symbolize theimmortality of divinity.

螺旋状楼梯   Spiral staircase

——————-—————————   螺旋状楼梯象征逐渐上升到新的阶段，获得新的认知。慢梯的两端都看不到尽头，如同攀尼时究兜转转，其实际与象征涵义都代表向顶点攀量。
The symbol of spiral staircase gradually rises to a new stage and obtains a new cognition. There is no end to the two ends of the slow ladder, just like climbing around, its actual and symbolic meaning represents climbing to the top.