Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

By: Baha'u'llah

Narrated by: Mateo Denali

Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

This book contains selections from some of the chief writings of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith. These passages convey the spirit of Baha'u'llah's life and teachings and bring together a cross-section of all of His writings.

Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah is an extremely important compilation that sets out the Baha'i teachings on myriad subjects. Among the themes that fall within its compass are the greatness of the day in which we live, the spiritual requisites of peace and world order, the nature of God and His Prophets, the fulfillment of prophecy, the soul and its immortality, the renewal of civilization, the oneness of the Manifestations of God as agents of one civilizing process, the oneness of humanity, and the purpose of life, to name only a few. To those who wish to acquire a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Baha'i Faith, Gleanings is a priceless treasury. To the members of the Baha'i Faith, it has been a familiar companion for many decades, bringing spiritual fulfillment to countless people throughout the world.

Key sentences may give us a first hint of the spirit of the book: "Let your vision be world-embracing rather than confined to your own self." "All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization." "That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race."

©1952 National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States (P)2010 World Unity Media

Gleanings

Excellent rendition. Read at good speed so that one can follow. Very well done. Very professional.

I really loved that the narrator spoke slowly

Where does Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is one of the better ones. Mainly because the narrator spoke slowly. I wish more of the narrators in audiobooks spoke slowly like this, so you can take every word in.

Words magnificent; narrator good

The slow narration really gave me time to contemplate the deep meanings contained in the weighty words. He's no James Earl Jones, and at times a bit robotic sounding, but I thought the narrator aided rather than detracted, by putting my total focus on the beautiful words themselves. The writings in this book are timeless, spiritual, sublime and encompass a variety of spiritual topics. I listen to a little bit every morning and evening.

Calms my soul

I have played Gleanings many times. It’s always a soothing influence in our troubled times. It also answers many spiritual questions.

Definitely worth the time

This book will lead you to the most comprehensive understanding of your soul and purpose in this temporary life. I highly recommend it

Beautiful! A key book in the writings of the Baha’i faith

Gleanings is one of the most important books among the sacred writings of the Baha’i faith. The performance of the reader was excellent. I recommended listen to Baha’i‘s or non-Baha’i’s alike. However, for somebody, just starting out with Baha’i learning, this may not be the easiest book to start with.

The poor narration led to my inability to enjoy

What would have made Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah better?

I was very interested in the content of this book but found it very difficult to listen to. The narration was disjointed, not at all fluent, and expressionless! I don't mind the pace of reading being slowed down, but the intonation and attention to punctuation was brutal.

Very poor reader

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The major change should be the reader

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

How could the performance have been better?

Hire a more professional reader

Could you see Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

N/A

Any additional comments?

The narrator did not read the book but treated it as an oration. While listening I had the impression that he felt he was on stage delivering a Shakespearean soliloquey, such as Hamlet's "To be or not to be". If you are considering purchasing the book, please be sure to listen to a sample first.