“By soul I mean, first of all, a perspective rather than a substance, a viewpoint toward things rather than a thing itself. This perspective is reflective; it mediates events and makes differences between ourselves and everything that happens. Between us and events, between the doer and the deed, there is a reflective moment — and soul-making means differentiating this middle ground.” - James Hillman

One of the places where clear perception of spiritual work breaks down, is the assumption that everyone is ‘doing the same thing in different ways’, meaning that every path is equivalent. This is functionally inaccurate. The mechanics, formulas and processes people engage with, along with the core intent they have, all shape the potential outcome of a path.

Two of the most common themes we encounter among the core practices of the world are those of:

The Path of Subtraction: emptiness/non-dualism/dissolving/release/peace

The Path of Addition: desire/expression/manifest form/passion/suffering

There are more of course, but these two present the most common distinct ways of working with ‘the soul’.

If there is a principle that can allow the two to co-exist, it is silence.

However, that’s not the point of this talk. Here, I offer a metaphor of a person engaging with a painting they have suddenly awoken to from deep sleep, as a way to understand the distinction between the paths of addition and subtraction. One seeks to return the canvas to a blank state, and the other is ‘an artist of the soul’. Both are challenging, but each in their own way.

Knowing what path your on, is key.

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