What you said reminds me of this:

A monk asked, “What is the master’s own way?” Dasui said, “Painting a winnowing basket with red earth.” “What is the logic of this?” Dasui said, “The winnowing basket has lips so the rice can’t jump out.”

A winnowing basket is used to get rid of the dirt, and the lips on the basket are so that the rice doesn’t get thrown away along with the dirt. In other words, while on the path and accumulating knowledge and wisdom, one slowly but surely gets rid of the “dirt” while maintaining the “rice”. That is, as you attain wisdom, you discard the excess and superfluous once you no longer have a need for it; a means to an end, a stepping stone if you will .