The Ladder of Divine Ascent (The Classics of Western Spirituality)

159 Pages·1982·113.16 MB·English

by  John Climacus (author)

|ohn-rClimacus
THEL ADDERO F DIVINEA SCENT
TIi"ANSLATIOT\"
llY
COLNIL LIIIIHEIDa nd
NORN,IANR L]SSELL
N.OTESO N TRANSIATION
BY
NOITMANR USSELL
INTRODUCTION
BY
KALLISTOS IIIAITE
PREFACE
BY
COLM LI.JIBHEII)
sP(;K. t.oNDON
Cover Art
A graduateo fThe PennsylvaniaA cademyo f rhe Fine Arts in Philadelphia,c over artisr
ANDRIJ MADAY has won numerous awards for his graphic designsa nd prints. He
hase xhibited his paintings and woodcutsi n approximatelye ighty shows in the United
Statesa nd has permanent coll€ctions at universitiesi n ltaly, Canrda, and the United
States.M r- Maday's art, basedo n simple rectangulara nd circular designs,i s inspired
by encient Ukrainian icons and conveysM r. Medry's own deep mysticel expertencc
and rich UkrainianE asternO rthodoxh eritage.
Contents
FOREWORD tx
ABBREVIATIONS
PREFACE xl
INTRODUCTION
7r
THE LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT
First published in tbe United Star€s
in 1982b y Paulist Press INDEXES 293
Copyright@ 1982b y the
Missionary Societyo f St. Paul
the Apostle in the State of New York
Publishedi n Great Britain in 1982
by SPCK
Holy Trinity Church
.MaryleboneR oad
LondonN WI 4DU
ISBN: 0 2111017J82
Printed and bound in the
United Stateso f Americs
FOREWORD
Translatorso f This Volume
COLM LUIBHEID was born in Dublin in l9i6 and receivedh is
B.A. and M.A. from University College,D ublin. He was awardeda
Ph.D. in Classicsfr om PrincetonU niversity.S incel 96l he hasb eena
member of the teaching staff at University College,G alway. His
scholarly interestsf ocus on the early Church in the easternh alf of the
Mediterranean between the third and fifth centuries. In addition to If there are numerous and well-founded doubts concerning the
publishingt wo bookso n Eusebiush, e is preparinga volumeo n John few spared etails of the biography of John Climacus,o r John Scholas-
Cassianfo r this seriesD. r. Luibheid livesw ith his wife and four chil- ticus,t herei s little risk of over-estimetintgh e influenceo f the treatise
dren in the villageo f Abbeyknockmoyn, earG alway. which emergedf rom the pen of this notably elusivef igure whose life
touchedt he end of the sixth and the beginningo f the seventhc entu-
REV. NORMAN VICTOR RUSSELL was born in Belfasti n 1945 ries. TheL addero f Dipire Ascerti s undeniably a classico f early Chris-
and was educateda t King's College,U niversity of London. Subse- tian spirituality. It offers advice, counsql and guidance to those
quently he took his theology degreesa t Oxford. In l97l he was or- capableo f embarking on that difficult road whose summit is encoun-
dained Deacon in the Church of England. After being received into ter with God, and it embodiest he fruit both of long personale xperi-
the Catholic Church a year later he was ordained a priest of the Con- ence and of the intensely dynarnic insights of earlier generationso f
gregation of the Oratory. Father Russell is an editor of Sobonrosat nd men caughtu p in the first greats urgeo f monasticism.
has contributed to the English editions of the PDilokaliaa nd TbeL ives The present translation is basedo n the text Printed by Migne-
of tbe DesertF atbers. PatrologiaG raeca8 8. Apart from the details to be gatheredi n the stan-
dard handbookso f patology, a most useful and wide-ranging bibliog-
Author of the Introduction raphy has been supplied by Guerric Couilleau at the end of his
BISHOP KALLISTOS WARE was born in Bath in l9i4 and was JeattC limaquein Dictiornaired eS piritualiti, Fasc. lii-liii (Paris)
educateda t the Westminster School,L ondon, and Magdalen Cotlege, ^1r9ti7cl2e.T, his is to be strongly recommendedto anyonew ishing to ex-
Oxford where he studied Classics,P hilosophy and Theology. Re- plore the various issuesr aised by the impact of TbeL addero f Diuirc
ceived into the Orthodox Church in 1958,h e was ordained a priest in Ascent-
1966,t he same year he took monastic vows at the Monastery of St
John the Theologiani n Patmos.I n 1982h e was consecratedti tular
Bishop of Diokleia and appointeda ssistanbt ishop in the Orthodox
Archdioceseo f Thyateira and Great Britain. Since 1966h e has been
been Spalding Lecturer in Eastern Orthodox Studies at Oxford, and
in 1970h e becamea Fellow at Pembroke College. He is the co-editor
of Sobornosat nd the author of many books, including Tbe Ortbodor
Cburcb.
lx
ABBREVIATIONS PREFACE
DHGE: Dictiornaire d'bixoire et deg iograpbiee cclisiastique(sP tis)
D.S; Dictiouaire de spiitualiti (Paris)
DTC: Dictionaaired e tb4ologicea tboliqu(eP aris)
ET: Englisht ranslation
HTM: St. John Climacus, TbeL addero f Diairc Ascentr,a nslated by 'Io Western eyes,t he monk increasingly is a figure of yesterday'
Archimandrite Lazarus (Moore) (revised edition by the and ttre commonert i-age" of him are of the kind to make easy the
Holy Transfiguration Monastery: Boston, Massachusetts o"itonitrnn smile,t he cJnfidentlyd ismissiveg esture'o r that sPecial
1978). i;[r";.; Extendedt o the dotty and the eccentric Around Friar
PG: J.-P. Migne, PetrologiaG raeca(P aris\ 'fuck, with his cheerfulo besity,a nd BrotberF rancis'h arming no one
PL: J.-P.M igne, PatrologiaL atina (Parisl ss he talks to birds and animals,v aguer ghostsm anaget o cluster'
Pbit.: St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St Makarios of gaunt, cowled,f aintly sinister,e yesa verted'ore lse looklng.heaven-
Corinth, Zle Pbilohalia,t ranslated by G.E.H. Palmer, P. "*"J,'" tluff clutched in a waited hand, with gloom arising and
Sherrarda nd K. Ware,v ol. I (London& Boston1 979)' itt*i * a*a. Somewhere in the background there are bells and
Rader: Matthew Rader, editor of the text printed in Migne' i-ui"., rna psalmsc hantedl ong after midnight;a nd' asi f.to.confirm
that thesea rLo nly the leftoverso f a pasts urelya nd mercttully gone'
ii't... i. ,ft. drr-b pr"""rr"" of all thoie European monasteriesv isited
Referencesto St. John Climacus, TbeL add.era, re given as follows: first ior ten scheduledm inutes during a guided tour, or elses ought out on
the number of the step; then the column number from PG 88; finally wa- rmer eveningsb y courting couples'
the page number of the Present translation. Thus "4 (677C)' p. 45" But fo. thJChristian,t hat is, ior someonew ho believesth at there
signifies:S tep4 , PG 88,c ol.6 77C,p . 45 below. is a Cod, that God has manifestedH imself in historical surroundings
To the Sbepberd(A d Paxorem)i s cited as Parr., followed by the i" ,ft. *tton of Christ, and that insightsa nd obligationsa re thereby
chapter number and the column number in PG 88, and then the Pege it.fa the monk cannote asilyb e shruggedo ff Cer-
number of the HTM translation. i"i"fy "iii". ,ft"" *tybody. of the immensec hangest hat h-a-veg6 crrrred in
Old Testament referencesa re to the Septuagint. ihe o'utlooko "ff tC".h-r"iisnt ians since the end of World War II' the future of
the religiouso rder or community as such may well be,problematic'
;;i;;;t;;. *"y alterst he deeplr challengep resentedb y the monk
po, tt".. is somelnew ho, so it would appear,h asd eliberatelyw ith-
drawn from the usual patterns of living
In this matter,o f course'o ne hast o tread with greatc arc' slncc
ttt" of ,rl"h withdrawal is not absoluteb' ut is conditioned
"
-.""i"g
xl
l,l{l,IrA(i l,l PREFACE
try and rnusl bc rrndcrstrrrtli l tcr,lrr ol tht. rrot.rrtur nd customso f the mentary, and the exegeticalt ract have supplied the material and the
cra in which il rrcrrrs. Arrrl cvnr il ltirtot icul cvidcncec an helo to iso- languagein which the sermon,t he homily, and the theologicaal naly-
late what sc!'nrt (, ltc thc chitttt{tct.t\ttrl r trtrc\ r,f :r widelv shaiedo ut- sis have been firmly grounded. The pastoral letter, the authorized
look at a givcn tinrc, rhir srrll lrrrvcr rrtortlv rrntorrchcdt he precises et hymn, and the training manualf or future clericsh avee xtendedt he
of reasonsi mpelling a p{rt icult r lx.t.sol I rr ch(x) rica type of iiving that range and the reach of a discourse whose themes and elaborations
involves some form of rcnunciittir)n, sr,trc dccision to oDt out of the haye reverberatedc easelesslyin the consciousnesso f believers.Y ear
way of the world. after year, scripted prayers have been read aloud to a congregation
But again, the difficulties bcgin ro nrrrlriply. A linguistic usage, that is either silent or elsei nvited to repeat them, and stock themeso f
so long employed by Christians rhar il hNsr hc Lxrk of being quite sim- petitiono r praise,w ith all that this impliesb y way of what is accept-
ply "natural," surrounds the individual rnonk with a wall of venera- ableo r not, haved irectedt he minds of worshiperst o a landscapeo f
ble words, a wall more solid and enduring thrn any that may set the concern,a domaino f realityt hat for long hadt he appearancoef being
boundaries of the area where he actually lives. For the talk is of unique.U ntil, that is,t he comingo f other rhetoricsa nd otherc ertain-
"withdrawal" from "the world," of ,,renunciation," of a ,,monastic ties. So that now there are, in a sense,t oo many books,t oo many
life" in_contrast with the way orher people happen to live, of being claims to attention in a world gearedf or the instant transmission of
"apart from," "away from" the rest of mankind, of pursuing a ,,dedi- every idea, event, and apocalypse.A nd the Christian, bombarded
cated" and "consecrated" path. And this language, with its emphasis from every quarter by the exigencieso f the day, is lessa nd lessa ble to
on the differences between the monk and all others, very quickly be- operate exclusively within the frontiers establishedf or his forebears
glns to generate something more than a mere set of descriptions. It by a languagero otedi n biblicald etail.
begins to imply a value system,a yardstick of achievement and worth Given those circumstancesi,t is reasonableto wonder how a
until at last, and not surprisingly, there grows rhe irresistible urge ro Christianm ay now copew ith the vastl iteraturet o which he is heir. It
speak of a "higher," "fuller," and "more perfect" way of lif€. is also reasonableto anticipatet hat he will approachi t with some-
Words of this sort, words lined ani laced with imolications of thing lesst han automaticd eference.A nd amid all the competing
particular values,a re the co-relationso f belief, of commitment, and of voices,h is capacityt o deploya commitmenta nd a sustainedin terest
action. Language of this kind, endlessly repeated by ecclesiastical moy well diminish as he striyest o assemblefo r himself and for his
writers and preachers, has long been characteristic of Christian prac- friendsc riteria of evaluationt hat makes omek ind of accepteds ense.
tice and has been received largely without demur. But the power of Ilow, for instance,i s he to approach a work like TbeL addrr of Divine
words is not a constant; and the impact of a terminology that claims, ,ltcat by John Climacus?B y what meansc an he integratei t within
among other things, that the clerical, and specifically the monastic, his own heritagea nd his irnmediatee nvironment?H ow can this t€xt,
way is a "higher" calling grows greater or lesser in proportion to the ovcr fourteenh undredy earso ld, havea ny bearingo n the problemso f
number and availability of competing terminologies. And when, as in r (,'hristiani n the last quarter of the twentieth centuryl Such ques-
the last quarter of the twentieth century, there is in fact a prolifera- tit)n$a risei n relationt o any classicb ook. But for the moment they
tion of serious and compelling value systems, then the force of an ex- muit bc directedt o this treatisew, hich had a very considerablein flu-
clusively Christian rhetoric is inevitably weakened. even for Gnced uring a lengthy era in the history of the Church. And, in any
Christians. The mere assertion of a value is no longer matched, as rt cfrc, if $omcthing useful can be said of TheL addero f Divirc Ascent,it
used to be in other days, by a willingly affirmative response,a nd the mty contributea little to the resolutiono f the problemp resentedto -
timely quotation from Leo XIII or from Thomas Aouinas cannor dry by thc figure of the monk.
now be relied on to still doubts or to answer ouestions. 'f 'hc sctting at leastc an be readily established'.I 'he l.adderi s e
There is in all of this a situation unique in Christian experience, pr(xluct of rhrt grc0t surgeo f monasticismw hich appcercdf irit irl
for it has long been a popular notion that Christianity is a rjligion of figypt during thc third century,s prcadr spidly throughn ll of lrrrtcrn
the book; and it has certainly been the case that the Bible, thi com- (lhrlrtcndonrr,n (l cvcntuullyr c6chcdrh c Westb y wly ol the rttodht-
xii \ iii
PREFACE
PRUtA Ct:,
ing zealo f figuress uch asJ ohn Cassian'.l he generalh istory of this from their mouths in the menner of dogs. Some punished
most influential developmenti n the lifc of the early Church is well theqgqlgslnlhe!!4a|!C_qC!4rrs tortured themselvesi n
known, eveni f detailsa nd certain inrcrprerationsc ontinuet o preoc- the cold, while others,a gain,d rank only as much weter as
cupy scholarsa, nd there is no needt o artcmpt herea sketcho f what would keep them from dying of thirst. . . . With kneesl ike
has beens o well describedb y others.B ut in justicet o the euthor of wood, as a result of all the prosrations,w ith eyesd immed
the Ladderi t would be important to make a few preliminary com- and sunken, with hair gone and cheeksw asted and scalded
mentsi n order to lessenth e possibilityo f seriousm isunderstanding. by many hot tears, with facesp ale and worn, they were no
First, it shouldb e observedt hat no discussiono f early monasti- dif&:eg1-&on-co&!es. Their breaTETE?dliTiiFTi6fr?lltlre-"-
cism is completew ithout its due quota of lugubrioust ales.T he ap- beatings,w hich had even made them spit blood. There was
palled scholara nd the generouso pponenr of ;al-olfi?;;Thoose from no rest for them in beds, no clean and laundepll-clothing
and gradea seerninglye ndlesss upply of horror stories,a nd someone Th"y b"dt"ggl"d,di ..-
-"..
familiar with the relevantl iteraturef inds himselfo n the lookout for
the better-knownf igures:t he monk who consrructedf or himself a Such tales earn a disproportionate measureo f attention among
cell too tiny to permit him evert o standu p or to lie down, the stylites meny of thosed ealingw ith the phenomenono f early monasticism.
who perched for decadeso n top of their sunscorched pillars, the 'l'he stories are too vivid, too imperious for the imagination to be able
Egyptian whose boast was that he was closer to being a corpse than to remainu nengageda, nd the decentw itnesso. r the gentleh istorian,
anyonee lse.T hesea re not the figmentso f someG othic imagination, rccustomedto worthy idealsa nd the advantageosf hygiene,r ecoilsi n
and frequently one may construct from various sources solid bio- distastefr om what he takest o be the repulsivee xcesseosf guilt-ridden
graphical details.T ake, for instance,t he caseo f Barsauma,a fifth-cen- lnd maddenedw retchesI.n deed,s o iniensei s the inclinationt o dwell
tury monk from Syria, a region notable for the numbers who on the speiti-iiGi-i-ihe repulsive aspects of the first Christian
displayeda positiveg eniusi n the extravaganpt enancetsh ey managed monkst hat the attemptt o describeth eir hopesa nd practicesr egular-
to devisef or themselvesB. arsaumaf irst had himself chainedt o a ly degeneratesin to caricature or well-bred irony. And this is surely
rock-facea, nd only when it was pointedo ut to him that he would be t?grettables ince even the availablee videncep oints unambiguously to
unlikely to survive long enough to practicet he penanceh e had in thc frct that verv manv of the first monks were whollv admirable
view did he changeh is plans.I nsteadh e took to wearinga n iron tu- men, gentle, wise, andl oving, oT@h€nq!94_q1il-hbveifby
nic, vowedn evert o sit or to recline,h ung himselfi n an upright posi- an abidiid-!! Jl-gauprielisle remarkable by any standard
'r-s!-inl;;d.
tion wheneverh e had to sleep,a nd attractedi n this way fascinated atncrged from their monastic surroundings to leave an enduring
and uncriticald isciplesw ho, at his bidding,w reckeda nd looteds yna- mtrk on the charactera nd quality of their times;a nd in the fourth
goguesi n the name of the God they all worshiped. and fifth centuries some of the most effective men, some of the men
Barsaumaw as not unique, znd,t he Laddert oo has its own conrn- mort ablc to provide leadershipa nd inspiration to countlesst hou-
bution to make to this image of exrremrsm:- nnd.i, were actually dedicateda scetics.I n other words, the emphasis
on thc scnsetionalf eatures of early monastic life is apt to provide a
... there were men in hardship and bowed down to the end lopridcda nd seriouslym isleadingh istoricalp icture.
of their lives. qoing about each dav in sadness.t heir bodies' But whethert he focuso f attentionb e on the saint,o n the fanatic,
wounds stinkiQg of rottFnn-- er s< ..d-+et unnoticed by them. or indccdo n the commona nd ordinary human,n o one would deny
They forqot to eat their breadl their drink was mixed wirh thrt hrrdship and suict regimentationm arkedt he lives of the early
tears. They ate dust and ashesi nstead of bread: their bunes monLr. And this too calls for brief comment,s incea complex net-
stuck to tfr-eii-Festra nd r hey -"=-Crea*<d:--p-u like grarr.... worL (tf incentives-religious,p sychologicals, ocial,a nd anthropo-
You could seet he tongues on some of them dry and hanging krglcrl-is in pley whenever the issue of discipline is seriously
xlv
PREFACE
PRI'll;A(il'l
invoked.T here seemsto be an attr ircti ('tri n t ll'' iltc(l rt'lGr tf tlhciplinc' all commoni magining.A nd becauseth is is so,t he decisiono f a n
irrespectiveo f the valuest hal may hrll)l)clll o tttttlcrllct t llt rt,givcn to takeo n himselft he disciplineo f a hard religiousl ife may not, a{
cont;xt. A strangelyr ecurrent terlllinrtlt'[v rlt wr tllt rttttongO hris' all, be soo dd and unintelligible.
tians,M arxists,M anicheesa, rmy officcrs,r cvrrlttlirrttrl'tcrrl' ght'wlng That many of the first monks had glimpsed a connection
.*i..-i.tr, ani r"cistr, and it consccrltcsl hc inhcrclll wttrth of rc- tweent he experienceo f hardshipa nd an enhanceds pirituality is t
straint, seif-sacrificer,n anlinesss, olidarity willl onc'l contrldcr' thc dent in the writings ofthe earlyC hurch.A nd in the neighborhood
"cause,"t he need to struggle,a nd the rcquirclllcnt lo Iilhl rgrinst that nerceivedc onnection were other sourceso f the resolve to en
,in, and weak-n-esTsr.a nslatcdi nto lrrlctiec,t hil voclbu- on a monastic life. There was, for instance,t he belief that, given '
i"., "oaabtp. ,blortot,u ght to exemplify what is nrlnifcstly riglrt--or righ' right conditions and preparation, a men may even in this life wr
i.o'u"r".S n u.tt pro"iai-"d valuesd raw continucdn rlttlirutionr' cglrdlcss his passageu pward into the actual presenceo f God; and there, if G
ol th. broth"tnood that may happent o havel rctraycdt hcml rnd pre- so choosesh, e can receivea direct and intimatek nowledgeo f the
ciselyb ecauseth ey havel ong held sog reata n appcrrflo r !tr)l n ny' rt ls vine Being. Such knowledgei s not the automatico r the guarantt
iooli'sht o try (ass omed o) to confinew ithin a conrfi)rtb lc gcncrnliza- conclusiono f a process.I t is not like the logical outcomeo f a faultk
tion the reasonsw hy men in their thousandsio in e pnrticttlnrm ovc- ly constructed argument. There is no assuranceth at a man will co
ment. A studento f motivesi s not much helpedb y thc strtcmcntt hat' to it at the end of a long journey. But to many it was a prize an
io. irrr,"n"., the nationalh umiliation stemmingf rom the Vcrseilles prospect so glittering that all else looked puny by comparison; a
treaty rvast he causeo f the growing membe-rshipo f thc N nz-ip nrty' or besides,t here were tales told of some who, so it seemed,h ad actu:
the etonomica nd sociald islocationo f the third centuryw asr csponsr- been granted that supremeg ift of a rendezvous.
S'omethingo f wh"t is found in 'as ection of the Cox
ble for the rise of monasticism'
However,t herei s onef eatureo f the unrelaxeds everitya nd disci- siozso f Augustine: -"r-rn."ttt
pline of early monasticl ife that certeinlyo ught to be advertedt o and
ihat offers a clue to the reasonsw hy some men resolvet o ioin a reli- Imaginea man in whom the tumult of the flesh goess ilent,
gi"u" namely' the undiniable correlation between hard- in whom the imageso f earth,o f water,o f air and of the skies
lhip "ornrni"n"itaeyn;s em arslaling of inner, and frequentlyu nsuspected' ceaseto resound.H is soul turns quiet and,s elf-reflectingn o
,."i.rr"an.da, " nW ords cannot really encompassw hat happens here But longer, it transcendsi tself. Dreams and visions end. So too
the fact seemsw ell established.I n the evidenceo f the Gulag Archi' does all speecha nd every gesture,e verything in fact which
o.i"so, in the testimonyo f men like Solzhenitsyn',f ertz' Panin' and comest o be only to passa way. All theset hings cry out: "We
bnifiitt, ;n the recordso f the tidal waveo f miseryl et looseb y German did not makeo urselvesI.t is the EternalO ne who madeu s."
Nazism,t here is a persistenta nd humbling proof of the capacityo f And after they haves aid this, think of them falling silent,
individuals,t rappeda mid the worst conditionso f deprivation't o un- turning to listent o the One Who createdt hem.A nd imagine
io"t itttt.t dyttamism, which often is manifesteda s a commanding Him speakingH. imself, and not through the medium of all
faith "itnt God tuhi.h must never be confused with the understan- thoset hings. SpeakingH imself. So that we could hear His
dable motive "otft de scapism.I t has happenedt oo often in twentieth-cen- word, not in the languageo f the flesh, not through the
turv exDerienceto be trivializedo r explaineda way;a nd somewhere speecho f an angel,n ot by way of a rattling cloudo r a myste-
*ittrin it liesa commonb ond with the ordealsv, oluntarily undertak- rious parable.B ut Himself. The One Whom we love in ev-
er,, and the achievementso f the first monks of the Church' Sharp dif- erything. Imagine we could hear Him without them.
ferenceso f time and circumstanced o not alter the sharedc haractero f Reachingo ut with spcedingt houghtw e comet o Him, to the
the eerly saint and thet prisoner of our day who has climbed beyond llternalW isdomw hich outlastse verythingA. nd imaginei f
gros" ruffering and oppiession to arrive at a level of richnessb eyond sighto f I lim wcrc kcpta vailablcw, hilea ll lessesr ightsw crc
t{v
xvl
PREI"AOI'l PREFACE
taken away Think of this encountcr's cirirrg'l lrrorltittg' body in command;a nd, seemingly,n o hour or placec an offer the soul
drawing tire witnessi nto the dcpths "l 1'y l rcrrrul,.lilr Nni nstant of unthreatenedp eacea nd recreation.
would -be of a kind with this momctlt r'l rrll(lclrlrlll(lltlg And so it is that John Climacus, facing the spectacleo f unending
(Confessioinxs, 10, 25) war between soul and body, finds himself compelled to write as fol-
lows:
Augustinei s talking of a one-to-onee ncotrntcrw ith (irxl 'l hat
anvone"shoulddr eamo f sucha n encounteri n this lilc tlrrrys ccrnl xrld By what rule or manner can I bind this body of mine?B y
;;,d ;;;;;i;; to a belienerf rom the twentiethc cnturv' surr'unded what precedentc an I judge him? Before I can bind him he is
fr. itiy .ointles men of goodwill unablet o acccptt lritt tlrcrc is a let loose,b efore I can condemn him I am reconciled to him.
"Gt od at ail. But the dream was clearly there,a nd therc wirst nuch to before I can punish him I bow down to him and feel sorry
k;;; ;it"". To writers of the fourth, fifth, and sixth ccnturics't he for him. How can I hateh im when my natured isposesm e to
."ii"trL *a intellectual resourceso f the age suPportedt he'nra nd co- loveh im?H ow canI breaka wayf rom him when I am bound
ooer"tedw ith them ast hey confidentlyf ormulatedc onviction'osf the to him forever?H ow can I escapef rom him when he is going
kind laid out by Augustinl. They had' too,a thriving' dynamics ense to risew ith me?H ow can I makeh im incorrupt when he has
of the realityo f God. And from this they turned to the Irre" "T' ttq:- receiveda corruptible nature?H ow can I argue with him
ciallv.t he resurrectiono f Christ asa n unambiguousp rool ol the exrs- when all the argumentso f nature are oh his side?. .. If I
,.1.i'oi tut. road'a high road'i nto the actuall iv-ingp resence'r f the strikeh im down I haven othing left by which to acquirev ir-
e;";;;.1";t"" "y', riight not perhaps be.r eachedu ntil the aft€r- tues.I embraceh im. And I turn awayf rom hirn.W hat is this
life, but io thesi m"ennd, with their greatc a,pacittyo lov€' therr hunger mystery in mel What is the principle this mixture of body
for salvationa, nd their bitter awarenesosf the facto t sln' the way was and soul?( Stepl 5)
alreadym arkedo ut, and only the obstaclehs ad to be overcome'
But whaternert he combination of motives that might operate for
More typical, perhaps,w as the following reflectionb y Basil of
tndiuiJo"i".nt".ing on the Path of monasticisg;lhl9-ly+gs:bctor
that set the tone of all else; namely' the-d jg!rc-ti'ontggEgndly felt' Ceesareah,i mself the single most influential figure in the monasti-
cismo f the easternh alf of the RomanE mpire:
il.,*.=C;ni;-aSamanttinctionregirliilv--ii?lE-rstoodintermsof
, .rH"ci"Aat-;*l without respiti' betweent wo irreconcilable
;.;;;A;t;t voked together for a liietime' The body was the foe- 'l here is only one way out of this, namely,t otal separation
;;;:.;;;.t;,, and gr"eedyr,e achingo ut for its own crasss.o t isfacito ns from all the world. But withdrawal from the world doesn ot
3. ."f"*g .".i"il.g r"ub,l.'. u.n civil-izedn, eedsa gainstw hich the soul mcan physicalr emovalf rom it. Rather,i t is the withdrawal
il ;l;;y; to st?uggle.T his notion of a deadly antagonism at the by thc soul of any sympathy for the body. One becomes
;;;";..;;t of miJs own being was a themeo lder thanChristian- statelessa nd homelessO. ne gives up possessionsfr,i ends,
i*.'u"i ii ,tt. l"i teratureo f early monasticismit becamea. focal point ownershipo f property,l ivelihood,b usinessc onnectionss, o-
ig.tr".a ..fl..tion' For to bL alivea t all is to be in the world' en- cial life and scholarshipT. be heart is rnader eadyt o receive
",ui ri"n* on.', survival,e nteringi nto relationshipsw ith others'g azrng thc imprint of sacredt eaching,a nd this rnaking ready in-
;;;;"";;;;,y rising'beforet f,t tyt' tnto"nttring at every,.turnt he volvest he unlearningo f knowledged eriving from evil hab-
intellect,ie eling the stirringso f de.lighta' nd its. 'li) writc on wax, one has first to erase the letters
"d"iisi"c"o"v-"etr,Jin.fgt h e o"urtt"waenrdd reacho f desire,o f passiona' nd ol the urget o prcviouslyw ritten there,a nd to bring sacredt eachingt o the
oo"""rr. Aid all this in the arenaw here the body feelsm ost at home' soul (,ncm ust bcgin by wiping out preoccupationrso otedi n
i;";;;;;;;;t and the sleepo f the night are but aspectso f the ordinrry hntrits.( llasil,/ ,ctrer2 )
"*ake
ttx
PREFACE
PllliIA(;1"
Iohn Climacus,B asil,a nd nlrlnvt rtllcr lclrlttlg ligttrcr wcfc pro- self and of identity, TheL addero f Divine Ascen temains what it has
.r"itii.g i" lfr..t ihat the only s'tl'cH rrT('\rrtl\t crtvcltwrtrdt'h ot the long been,a text that had a profound influence,l astingm any centur-
onlv uriblemishegde slurew as thc sigrr:r"lt prlvcr trr r.tlc ttmpunc- ies,i n the monasticc enterso f the Greek-speakinwg orld. As such it
;o;f;l,e i ;o;;f' ;c;h;'a;.r|i;t y.- Tieemcupreeri anmvoelnutac nmd" anvt'^ :'r tillrrl "rilhcic rrrr'.i'sw lrlltNrt. whco utllndsd teinteter-d dCehsreisrvtieasna p t laesatsi st a n hoet aimrinpgo,v ife orinslhye tdoA .e nnds uinre a thnayt c tahsee ai tw haaresin ne sitsso fo twhne
ift".*terrt th" dtgttt to which' l'rr irrrlivitlrrrrlna'l l this feshiona contribution to make to the problem of what the monk
-*i""r"l a--U" t."nrt"t."an di nto hatied of rhc lx'rll ittrtlh cttcc" t thc world' could possibly signify in the life of today. For the Ladder was, of
But whatevert he disparatem otivesa t work' t tttitlll ictzc(lll y il loveo r course,a ddresseds pecifically to monks.
a; a man t"ce."ti,tg hirnselfi n a frcnzy ol ltcnrlncclr {d {t least Hardly anything is known of the author,a nd the most reliable
;;;;". ";; the abidings it seo f a war within thcttt'o f thc soul facing informationa bout him can be summarizedin the statementt hat he
,i" U"J" i. an unendiig and possiblym ortalc 'rnrlrittN' o rtthcrf actor lived in the secondh alf of the sixth century, survivedi nto the sev-
*"r decisivein shapingt he morality and thc discrPlrnlryp rac- cnth, passedfo rty yearso f solitudea t a placec alledT holas;t hat he
ii"., -ooi.,"n tii^, monks,a nd its influencei an still trcs ccn0 l work' for bccamea bboto f the greatm onasteryo f Mount Sinaia nd that he com-
inrrrn"a, in many of the Pronouncementosn thc sutricctt tf marriage posedt here the present text. The Lodderw as written for a particular
;;;; ,teruou,e ffo,t, of somee cclesiasticaccl libatcst o copc with gtoup, the abbot and community of a monastics ettlementa t Raithu
ih" f""t thrt half, if not more,o f the memberso f thc humln racea re on the Gulf of Suez.I t was put togetherf or a restricteda udiencea nd
to satisfya n urg€nt requestf or a detaileda nalysiso f the speciapl rob-
women.
""1;i vastly more troublesomep roblem-ariseisn thc c('ntexto f lcms, needs,a nd requirementso f monasticl ife. John Climacusw as
ti.n-,i,r rJ"i.""1pirf"fy fetlotd'aanyt saigrioknei ssombm eetowneeer enas doiunlg a Tnhde bL oaddyd'e aron fd D iitt tiisfl eaA psrcoebfl't' ncrost; iamnmd eifd, ieavteelnyct uoanllcye, rthnee dLto a dredaecrb heo cuat mtoe ta h cel gaessniecr,s aplm relsasd oinfg b ietsl ieefv--
iiio'in" . "Tirhoe r"e" iis* "n.o wrn ina tt chaen c boen tsocurcohuesdn oenos hsf e three i Wn oensltya ttheerm brinieofeksrgt fyaa snhd- fIctsc ctsot nhtrionuuginhg a ilml opfa Ecat osnte trhnCo sherwi shteon hdaodm ct,oh me pmriitntceidpt ahle rmeasseolvnle astyo i na
an "snertio rrfr vrra"l"u eaj nudd igemfoermntasct ieonnt eurpe tdoo nth teh ep rpeesresnottn im Freo' mth ethr€e h,earsab o ef ethnae dfriosmci pdlainileyd co obnsceerrvnasn.ceo f an asceticw ay as far removeda s possible
steadvD rogressin the insistenceo n the reality and the inherent Not much is actuallys aido f the reasonsfo r loining a monastery.
*"r,i ,ir,fr. individual.S omep hilosopherso' f course'w ould argue Mcn becornem onks "either for the sakeo f the coming kingdom,o r
;ai;i;ins;:';a ;;;;if;;n. "oh n-;i s,; ch.i ahimp" as-ceBoilt.fuytd tht o- tar hspti uihs,b,e inls ii" msn' noahott eaa mr sewo aiinrdlei ett-ylhav ain snsd hdm a hneraoers edlo evl nysiel dsyw-e ts mhulnaocsncnt esaeet avrddaee'ttr ehidynde co hroneimdc ise-- Gbhmclocrc drrtc"oui (f slSuievlto ,ee afp nutl hd)n.e do B enmurunt tm hoipenbo cestereci ornnufts ,ttbi idhnueeytt i ohWr fes ha wino Gas il,oslo s dar, tl Wshooenhj muoas ocistcn, suoktnu,ea dnrcotnoc u,ofa brtntdhediend cigrloty olnl oo sJvvcoeiinho ognuf,,s
;;;;ik ;;;";"n rights,o f one man'sb einga sg oodasa nother'o f of protocol.L ike the emperor,i n fact:
i;i;t;.- ;t;i;n. tt, owfh t;h;;el ip oothri tsJ h sahsad roeni ne t toh eb geolioedf isno fG tohde iwso ar tlhde' omf eoo nfe m-ma)aonr- 'l'hoseo f us wishing to standb eforeo ur King and God and
i;m;i;o ort;.. ;H;io;*w evTebr,eo L na ad dmeoror fe D reiasitnriecA tesdcp elnaotn re 'sa i mdiiflfaicr uteltxyt sfo isr arhnayto inne tpor csppaeraaktit oon H,l eismt i ts shhoouuldld nh oatp rpuesnht h iantt-os etheiisn gw uitsh ofruotm s aofmaer
ii.ti , ."-fi'rt", differeniview of the personi s-al work lf rnodern without arms and without the dress appropriatet o those
iit",f-f,v h* investedh eavilyi n the notion ofthe valueo f the in- who appcarb efirret he King-He shouldc ommandI lis scr.
dividual person,i t has beena t ;he cost of a seemingi ncompatibility vlnts and llis slavesto lay hold of us,a nd to driveu s out of
*"i r"f"tS -ii"rirf.t ltnth.,artt .wt aisn fceoltm apnadt bibelleioe rv neodint w thiteh etahrel ymC ohduerrcnhs 'enseo f the flrlicsc rs.i (gShttc,tp o2 tlte)sr up our pctitionsa nd to throw thcrrrin orrr
f(!{l
PREFACE
I')ltl'l!-ACE
with the perils of his situation. There is knowledge to be handed on
'ilh,le ; ie,m''p'eir'io"ir,i lin. ;thiel n wo:r:nlt :l ' k:nTol wl n l ,lt oT Jo,h*n:' 'p-re"s:id'cidl.:o,vc:r;l i;t l is,.o :cr'eJtyil; tfoor mhi mh,i sa nlidfe p, rhaocwti ctaol sratenpscste hnadt , ihfi sta ckoennd,i mtiouns, t sphroovwid heidm hheo wha tso w tirtahnins-
qle whosea Pexw asr emr)tcd' lst himself the necessaryf aith and zeal.T he form of John's text-with its
isaiomne,w inittoh tah see imnspeoe fr iraislp krincsgc ncew totiu'iltdtt d od siosw plietha snuerrevt :ol:uts^at Tp"p rehtet n- tdheirr toyf Jsaeccotibo,na sno dr ssutechp sa-nis i msauggeg,e rsotoetdeb dy i nth teh eb icbelirctaailn itmieasg oef osfc trhipet ulared,-
ic;iira;";p;'hiitt";ai;. l.,wl ith e;"r.te.r a hsdG iisroe sdcu tibsini eegvc teot'srtwn h praen"r" tedi "m t"hupetet irnodrli ivvoiedndu t ahfale Hr- waiswa ktacnyho ''lnw ^o1int,ig:n" ogts'f" tafa'enrreds' mbitesu fosotwr ebn eh s itmpaek, cethinae tl cowh iaamyrap oclyft ethtrh aean mtd d oietnssk po iiwste nn t ohptea irmnt iycfaruicalatd ri mdopibfafjeisccsutalitvbieeless., Ba ruinstdi n ittgh heuaspse
And in caset he analogy n"tt '" "oi ptoptrly understood'J ohn must be understood from the beginning and accepted for what they
someo thers: are. The monk, after all,
lf you ever found yourself having to appeartretlt "^l:T1" finds himself in an earthly and defiled body, but pushesh im-
iudee' you may use tnat as an exampleo f how 10 conduct self into the rank and status of the incorporeal. . .. With-
;;""';ir';;';y.l:,':'l-l,XJi#il:;;1il:lT,'.::T-:
drawal from the world is a willing hatred of all that rs
iudge norf rwoimtn ethses ewdaa y c proatients appeal to surgeonsP rror to ambaotevreia nlalyt urper.iz (eSdt,e pa 1d)enial of nature for the sake of what rs
;"J;;;
an operation or a cautery' (SteP2 8)
In other words, the monk, unlike the majority of 6elievers,i s so over-
"mficinsiWprfs"oriiorae,st"rmi twn."r*ot h*Bhp rcehfe"iit egeew p eh nitif,o;m"r.heuo o; ien.e ;ar aahs* ;eenl'g 'nipi "t,d nn mghie ai"ttrsot"e i eeio w*ieft. sfdt ur"ctao etth aiau hcuaoetlreell mviat disao"t tfei tye bofcrJtrh '.e-ta*rt, ,t ohrn"h"' "h ro"o nnsikta east*r" t "tt 'o stmf y aonu"iil p" ortr'oo-'g "t"u"i'i'dtoi'*uhoJ r te'ltnf"n ' oyftrtpie'iihini "yt'. wy"t st" 'ittttt i .cu"h]nth mn'tehten'geet n olothna ovt h nlie waenibsrak "o rgum i tesma pmuht'mt onanugo aphf ntithnttiiegei ne am kaeorh ctn i m hinmittlam gmteh a* u:oaih9ds" anegm lbr; triel.^ah:fa-ieblefo.lYtlnis,vnr,t;e--u iocii nt-emlrm p hdottfiTuo onle;bify g awl r up ayhell-htieal'nvtl' Y'ea r cn eeaefu txalv osnh:n'iletr i denyt's-r--r . gsmrhwtnlliaucurgvohardntrevwneeenduessl,l,T emn y whtoorc roaei,fheti s w odhaton gtoh enathsoeiwbe y oeeuttmy, hn n e nht cboe .hxhcee wys etietIal sethtalr sar neifyset aroid t,e stnl s roeoithn mte hflfenesoi atabicaegrhdwrteeo sos a erdnahis fbtalv ossytelttfeeehne o pscb;rpe ur o,aaec o castirnah fdhttens o iht,esanlidhi iebactl fg iermerletny ieey tv,etdlo i h:tiitmf hfonnl,reteo oefgkheJ vim o,eG.omae hfh t Ool ahacilnttdnihgrehlsa a eeer einfastrex i hocinr csp fssaeefdiope aetw tno iryothdrtcaaifiifeeo,n et il s.Gtkn tgrb hseon Oc,ooe c nauseadf la t lt daptoe n aao fmrfrtot lonhn eblntat rdehr ehtlntdl a eoih ebtfieo sosoee oh fakpep k edcsrre tw frheleyo toroehhan,s rfi aiw tseaaas tttthnn hnih oeliedtealdesfr.
ilrt l*tggrl hasb eena succesosr whetheri t hasp roducedc ompensa- mon has decided to forego-a varied diet, physical comfort, sexual ex-
,i"n lur?i.i.n, for the weight and gravity of his sins: pcrience, possessionst,h e security and self-respectp rovided by the
love and esteemo f one's time, of neighbors, of society. And these are
Ltte"tta n o.f o nae*t wft hof hgtr"ie vets"f tot r bheis n soin rse eaxspseucrta rnecaesa sbuoruata tcnee- atuthn e- Cinrd 0e emda anm iosn, gh oawll ethveart tfhaer mheo nhka sh raest dreeactiedde dfr toom re wnohuant cteh.e B wuto rwldh emreavy-
known. (SteP5 ) hlvc to offer, he remains a man, endowed, among other ettributes,
with a capacity to remember and to imagine, and in the drabbest by-
Andhehastobewareeventhisinsecurity,since..todespairis'..to wry of the rockicst dcsert he would be lesst ban human if he did not
i"n""fVli"c t de,fa,"t h*o fntA oen epsoeinlft' (oifb Tidh) 'eL addero f Dittine' 4.scentst that a great thhridn kn osto ymcct tlicmhcicsv ocfd t hrcen ruonacdir ntiootn t.aken-which would mcnn thlr nc
amount of wisdom and insrght is availabjet o enablet he monk to cope
xx||l
xxll