Edward Salim Michael
Encyclopedia
Edward Salim Michael was born in Manchester
, England in 1921 and died near Nice
, France in 2006. Composer of symphonic music, he is also the author of books on spirituality and meditation. He regarded himself as a Buddhist, but as his teaching was based on his direct experience, he did not hesitate to quote Christian
, Hindu
, or Sufi mystics.
, which was then under British rule. He experienced poverty and insecurity. He was approximately twelve years old when his parents left Baghdad
for Syria
, which was under French rule, then for Egypt
and for Palestine
(which was not yet Israel) and still at that time under British rule. His family returned to London
just before World War II
. As a British subject, he was enrolled in the Royal Air Force
, as a soldier on the ground. He was just nineteen years old. He had never been to school, could not read or write and barely spoke English. The chaplain (Anglican) from his camp took interest in him and taught him to read and write. The Chaplain's wife who was violist in a string quartet
was surprised at Edward Salim Michael's amazing ability to memorize music. She decided to teach him the basics of composition, which he assimilated at stunning speed. Two years later, his first orchestral work, a scherzo for orchestra ("The Dionysia"), won a competition in London, where it was performed at the Royal Albert Hall
by the London Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by John Hollingsworth.
After the war, he pursued his musical studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
in London where he worked with Berthold Goldschmidt
(student of Hindemith), then with Mátyás Seiber
(student of Zoltán Kodály
) and also studies the violin (with Max Rostal
). In studying the violin he demonstrated the same astonishing capabilities he had shown for composition. In 1947, he won a first prize in orchestra conducting and started a career as a solo violinist.
He gave numerous concerts in which he performed the thirty-five or so concertos that he had in his repertory as well as some fifty sonatas and more than two hundred other pieces for violin before leaving for Paris in 1950 to study with Nadia Boulanger
.
Because of painful health problems he soon had to abandon the violin and conducting. From then onward, he devoted himself solely to composition.
In 1949 for the first time in his life he saw a statue of Buddha
. He remained petrified in front of it and, when he returned to his home, he immediately put himself in the same posture as the statue. Closing his eyes, he began to focus on an internal sound that he heard within the ears and the head, without even knowing that what he was doing was meditation and that the sound on which he focused was known in India as the Nada, a form of concentration known to both Hindus and Buddhists.
Alongside his career as a musician, he undertook with passion a spiritual practice. Thanks to the exceptional ability to concentrate that he had developed as a composer, he began to have rapidly profound spiritual experiences.
At this time in his life, he was living in Paris
in extremely precarious conditions. After four years of a most intense spiritual practice, he had, at the age of thirty-three, an extremely powerful experience of awakening to what one may call his Buddha Nature as well as the Infinite in oneself.
He continued to compose and struggle on a daily basis for his musical works to be played. He composed many orchestral pieces among them a Mass for mixed choir, two string orchestras, celesta, harp, glockenspiel and percussions. In 1954, he won the Vercelli prize for a Psalm for a male choir. Two years later, his Mass was performed by the orchestra of Radio France directed by Eugene Bigot. The next year, his Nocturne for flute and orchestra won the Lili Boulanger
prize in the United States, given by a jury which included Igor Stravinsky
and Aaron Copland
.
As his music (that he signed with his first name Edward) remained tonal, it was becoming increasingly difficult to get it performed. He finally decided to give up composing and he traveled to India, the country of his maternal grandmother, to dedicate himself fully to his inner life.
He spent nearly seven years there, continuing the same practice of intense concentration and meditation.
He returned to France in 1974, and began to teach Hatha Yoga
, which he had practiced intensively for years. Soon, his students were more interested in his spiritual teaching than in Hatha Yoga. At their request, he began writing his first book, written in English, The Way of Inner Vigilance, published in London in 1983, which he signed with his middle name Salim.
Seven other books written directly in French followed before he departed from this world.
He also published with his wife Michele Michael a translation in French (from English) of the famous Buddhist text the Dhammapada
.
What characterizes his teaching is the importance he attaches to what he calls a moment of true presence, which can be recognized through a sustained concentration during exercises such as those exposed in his books. Indeed, it is only through this sustained concentration that the seeker can feel the difference with his ordinary state and begin to understand how he "sleeps" ordinarily in himself without knowing it.
It is from the moment the aspirant clearly feels the difference between his habitual state of waking-sleep, when he is plunged into « the whirls of his mental world », and another state of being when he is present and aware of himself in a manner which is not habitual to him that he will know in which direction to focus his efforts.
If the aspirant has experienced enlightenment
, his work will continue on another level, because illumination is not liberation. He will then have to struggle patiently to find again and again this other state of being and consciousness that he has recognized in himself until he arrives to stay permanently within it. Only then will he have reached liberation
.
The path that Edward Salim Michael teaches is the path he himself followed. It is devoid of dogma ; personal understanding and experience are the criteria of it and it is for that reason that Edward Salim Michael regarded himself as a Buddhist.
Other books written in French – to be translated -
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England in 1921 and died near Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France in 2006. Composer of symphonic music, he is also the author of books on spirituality and meditation. He regarded himself as a Buddhist, but as his teaching was based on his direct experience, he did not hesitate to quote Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, or Sufi mystics.
Biographical Elements
Edward Salim Michael spent his childhood in IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, which was then under British rule. He experienced poverty and insecurity. He was approximately twelve years old when his parents left Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
for Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, which was under French rule, then for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and for Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
(which was not yet Israel) and still at that time under British rule. His family returned to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
just before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. As a British subject, he was enrolled in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, as a soldier on the ground. He was just nineteen years old. He had never been to school, could not read or write and barely spoke English. The chaplain (Anglican) from his camp took interest in him and taught him to read and write. The Chaplain's wife who was violist in a string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
was surprised at Edward Salim Michael's amazing ability to memorize music. She decided to teach him the basics of composition, which he assimilated at stunning speed. Two years later, his first orchestral work, a scherzo for orchestra ("The Dionysia"), won a competition in London, where it was performed at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
by the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
conducted by John Hollingsworth.
After the war, he pursued his musical studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
in London where he worked with Berthold Goldschmidt
Berthold Goldschmidt
Berthold Goldschmidt was a German Jewish composer who spent most of his life in England...
(student of Hindemith), then with Mátyás Seiber
Mátyás Seiber
Mátyás György Seiber was a Hungarian-born composer who lived and worked in England from 1935 onward.-Career:Seiber was born in Budapest, and studied there with Zoltán Kodály, with whom he toured Hungary collecting folk songs. In 1928, he became director of the jazz department at the Hoch...
(student of Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
) and also studies the violin (with Max Rostal
Max Rostal
Max Rostal was a violinist and a viola player. He was Austrian-born, but later took British citizenship.-Biography:Max Rostal was born in Cieszyn and studied with Carl Flesch. He won the Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1925...
). In studying the violin he demonstrated the same astonishing capabilities he had shown for composition. In 1947, he won a first prize in orchestra conducting and started a career as a solo violinist.
He gave numerous concerts in which he performed the thirty-five or so concertos that he had in his repertory as well as some fifty sonatas and more than two hundred other pieces for violin before leaving for Paris in 1950 to study with Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
.
Because of painful health problems he soon had to abandon the violin and conducting. From then onward, he devoted himself solely to composition.
In 1949 for the first time in his life he saw a statue of Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
. He remained petrified in front of it and, when he returned to his home, he immediately put himself in the same posture as the statue. Closing his eyes, he began to focus on an internal sound that he heard within the ears and the head, without even knowing that what he was doing was meditation and that the sound on which he focused was known in India as the Nada, a form of concentration known to both Hindus and Buddhists.
Alongside his career as a musician, he undertook with passion a spiritual practice. Thanks to the exceptional ability to concentrate that he had developed as a composer, he began to have rapidly profound spiritual experiences.
At this time in his life, he was living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in extremely precarious conditions. After four years of a most intense spiritual practice, he had, at the age of thirty-three, an extremely powerful experience of awakening to what one may call his Buddha Nature as well as the Infinite in oneself.
He continued to compose and struggle on a daily basis for his musical works to be played. He composed many orchestral pieces among them a Mass for mixed choir, two string orchestras, celesta, harp, glockenspiel and percussions. In 1954, he won the Vercelli prize for a Psalm for a male choir. Two years later, his Mass was performed by the orchestra of Radio France directed by Eugene Bigot. The next year, his Nocturne for flute and orchestra won the Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger was a French composer, the younger sister of the noted composer and composition teacher Nadia Boulanger.-Early years:A Parisian-born child prodigy, who was good at piano...
prize in the United States, given by a jury which included Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
and Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
.
As his music (that he signed with his first name Edward) remained tonal, it was becoming increasingly difficult to get it performed. He finally decided to give up composing and he traveled to India, the country of his maternal grandmother, to dedicate himself fully to his inner life.
He spent nearly seven years there, continuing the same practice of intense concentration and meditation.
He returned to France in 1974, and began to teach Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
, which he had practiced intensively for years. Soon, his students were more interested in his spiritual teaching than in Hatha Yoga. At their request, he began writing his first book, written in English, The Way of Inner Vigilance, published in London in 1983, which he signed with his middle name Salim.
Seven other books written directly in French followed before he departed from this world.
He also published with his wife Michele Michael a translation in French (from English) of the famous Buddhist text the Dhammapada
Dhammapada
The Dhammapada is a versified Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. It is one of the best-known texts from the Theravada canon....
.
His music
Edward Michael wanted always to remain tonal. His music shows a deep understanding of the laws of harmony allied to a perfect mastery of musical construction. His orchestration is always of great richness and depth. It features remarkably eastern ranges in western music, with all that it can bring of flexibility, color and new expression. Mystery and poetry plus a dramatic expression defines his inspiration that is often philosophical, even mystical.His Teaching
Edward Salim Michael addresses his teaching to the seeker or the aspirant who is, as he said, "someone who has embarked on a spiritual path to try to find his True Identity, a state of Vast Consciousness, already present in him, but obscured by his ordinary mind and the clouds of his incessant thoughts. It is a man or a woman who struggles for enlightenment and his emancipation. "What characterizes his teaching is the importance he attaches to what he calls a moment of true presence, which can be recognized through a sustained concentration during exercises such as those exposed in his books. Indeed, it is only through this sustained concentration that the seeker can feel the difference with his ordinary state and begin to understand how he "sleeps" ordinarily in himself without knowing it.
It is from the moment the aspirant clearly feels the difference between his habitual state of waking-sleep, when he is plunged into « the whirls of his mental world », and another state of being when he is present and aware of himself in a manner which is not habitual to him that he will know in which direction to focus his efforts.
If the aspirant has experienced enlightenment
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
, his work will continue on another level, because illumination is not liberation. He will then have to struggle patiently to find again and again this other state of being and consciousness that he has recognized in himself until he arrives to stay permanently within it. Only then will he have reached liberation
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
.
The path that Edward Salim Michael teaches is the path he himself followed. It is devoid of dogma ; personal understanding and experience are the criteria of it and it is for that reason that Edward Salim Michael regarded himself as a Buddhist.
For orchestra (s) string
- Mass for mixed chorus, two string orchestras, Celestat, harp, glockenspiel and percussion. 36' (E. Ricordi)
- Initiation 18'30 (E. Choudens)
- Les Soirées de Tedjlah (Tedjlah ‘s Evenings) for mezzo soprano, (vocalise) two flutes, piano and string orchestra (Vercelli Price). 20' (E. Transatlantique)
For symphonic orchestra
- Nocturne for flute solo (or Ondes Martenot) and orchestra (Lili Boulanger Price). 6'30 (E. Transatlantique)
- Fata Morgana, symphonic poem for orchestra. 8'30 (E. Ricordi)
- Le jardin de Tinajatama (Tinajatama’s garden) for orchestra. 10' (E. Ricordi)
- Elegy for orchestra 5'30 (E. Ricordi)
- Le festin des Dieux (The Feast of the Gods) for orchestra. 6' (E. Choudens)
- Trois Tableaux (Three pictures) for orchestra. 11'30 (E. Transatlantique)
- Le rêve d'Himalec (Himalec’s Dream) for orchestra. 13' - 1946 (E. Transatlantique) 13 '
- Rapsody concertante for violin and orchestra. 14' (E. Choudens)
- Kamaal, magical tale for narrator and orchestra. 40' (E. Transatlantique)
- La Vision de Lamis Helacim (Lamis Helacim’s Vision) symphonic poem for large orchestra (E. Ricordi)
- La reine des pluies (The Queen of rain) choreographic poem for large orchestra. 8' (E. Choudens)
His books
The Way of Inner Vigilance (translated in French by Michele Michael), reprinted at the beginning of 2010 by Inner Tradition under the title : The Law of Attention, Nada Yoga and the Way of inner Vigilance.Other books written in French – to be translated -
- Pratique Spirituelle et Eveil Intérieur (Spiritual Practice and Inner Awakening)
- La Quête Suprême (The Supreme Quest)
- Les obstacles à l'Illumination et à la Libération (The Obstacles to Enlightenment and Liberation)
- Les Fruits du chemin de l'Éveil (the Fruits of the path of Enlightenment)
- S'eveiller, une question de vie ou de mort (To awaken, a matter of life or death)
- Dans le silence de l'Insondable (In the Silence of the Infathomable)
- Du fond des Brumes (From the depths of Mist) (posthumous book, published after the death of the author)
See also
- Spiritual awakening
- BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
- French page
- Ajahn Sumedho, influenced by Michael
External links
- Site dedicated to Edward Salim Michael
- Discovering of the musician
- Testimonies of awakening
- His U S publisher : Inner tradition
- His French publisher : Guy Trédaniel
- The French Magazine publishing regularly texts of Edward Salim Michael : Le Troisième Millénaire
- Videos on Youtube