Between Sleeping and Waking (2010)Album By Michael Neil

Photography and text:

Zachris

August 21 2010

The Concept

My mission was to illustrate Michael Neil’s album Between Sleeping and Waking (2010) with my photography.

The Music, the seven different songs of the album and the album title inspired me to take a mystic approach in my work. The images for each of the seven songs represents a theory of seven interconnected, yet nonlinear phases on the Spiritual Path of the human being.

The concept was inspired by Owe Wikström’s book Det Bländande Mörkret (1994). Mr. Wikström is a Lutheran priest, psychotherapist, a professor in Theology and Psychology of Religions in Uppsala University, Sweden.

The pictures were taken in four different continents between 2005 - 2010.

My personal mission is to combine Zen Buddhism and Photography.

I THE REALIZATION II THE FORETASTE

III THE REFORMATION

IV THE MERCY V THE DARKNESS VI THE ENLIGHTENMENT

VII BIG BEING

1 THE REALIZATION

Like spring presages the summer, anxiety reveals the dream.

The realization is a sudden moment of understanding the difference between Holy and secular. The spiritual yearning becomes True in this very moment.

Heart departs from Ego and the personal values and habits are going through changes. Personal hindrances in spiritual growth such as hate, self-pity and bitterness are overtaken by the first steps of proactive and empowered actions.

This realization leads to respect the powers bigger than oneself and to cultivate personal humility.

The journey begins with a prostration. The Leap of Faith

After the excitement, joy and contentment the beginner starts to understand the length of the Path.

The Beginner is on the mercy of the emotions. In this psychological phase the Beginner examines suffering and its causes. Giving, forgiveness and empathy are re-learned.

The short flashes of everything being interconnected and interdependent creates awe and joy. One can experience these Holy messages in Persons, Art and Nature.

The further yearning for Holy is guiding the swimming against the stream, towards the springs. The Aesthetic experiences are steering the way to the next phase of Ethical actions.

Journeyman, there is no path. The path is made by walking. -Antonio Machado

1I THE FORETASTE

Save the Planet!

The Sociable human seeks likeminded groups to practice spirituality with hopes to create change with meaningful actions. This philosophical phase questions the wanderer’s personal mission and ethics.

The ego-driven “old me” is unfolding: the hedonist on the mercy of the emotions, the lazy dreamer, the evil. The eyes are opened to the hypocrisy in the people, the corrupted structures of society and the egos in religious organizations are understood in a new way.

The frustration is testing the spiritual maturity: it prepares one for the next leap on the Path.

One who fully abandons oneself for the sake of others can find the true nature.

III THE REFORMATION

What You Practice You Become.

Loosing control and fully forgiving.

Mercy is stronger than emotions, greater than will, beyond principles and has nothing to do with intellectual reasoning. Mercy comes without terms and conditions. Mercy is the forgiveness we do not deserve. Mercy is the free fall into our biggest fears.

Mercy is communicated by the teacher. The teacher appears when the pupil is ready.

Mercy makes one realize the mortal inability of the human being.

The closeness of Death suddenly increases focus. One wants to understand beyond religions. There is confidence to continue the path. The Holy era begins.

All compounded things are impermanent.

1V THE MERCY

The long Night of austerity.

Demons and fears are encountered in the retreat to the Darkness of self-examination and questioning. Senses are worn out during the last hours of the pilgrimage as the powers of ego and emotions are fading. The night is darkest before the dawn.

Good deeds are just deeds. Life is here and now for the sake of others.

Yearning is replaced by Commitment and Faith. Trust overcomes fears. Darkness prepares to meet the Holy.

There is No Truth of Suffering,Of the Cause of Suffering,Of the Cessation of Suffering, Nor of the Path.- The Heart Sutra

My God, my God, why did you abandon me?- Mt 27: 46

Todo via Nada

V THE DARKNESS

Nirvana is beyond concepts.

“Why can’t mother, Nature and God get married together?”- Good daughter Hilda, 4 years

V1 THE ENLIGHTENMENT

To serve, to help, to teach.

The Master returns from the mountains, entering the marketplace with helping hands. The Master maintains Great Dialogue for the sake of all sentient beings. The Wisdom and humbleness guides the teacher’s spiritual awareness. The Master speaks with quiet tone and with right timing.

The Master continues the journey in all interconnected phases of the Spiritual Path and beyond. Self-awareness of the phases creates true empathy.

“He goes his own way, making no attempt to follow the steps of earlier sages.”

To save the poor and educate the rich

VII BIG BEING

To Listen and download Michael Neil’s album ‘Between Sleeping and Waking’

go to www.musiczeit.com

To see more photography www.flickr.com/zachris

Thank You