Baha’is believe in the power of prayer and you’ll find Baha’is and their friends, throughout the world, getting together to pray. This is often referred to as a ‘devotional gathering’ or ‘devotional meeting’, and they happen in diverse settings, whether in cities or villages.
In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts and minds and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick.
In our very first episode, we kick things off with the founder of Baha’i Blog Naysan Naraqi and I interviewing each other. We talk about Baha’i Blog, education for young girls in Haiti, world citizenship, being a Baha’i in Hollywood, books we’re reading, and some of the things we’re working on within our own spiritual development.
Naysan is passionate about using the arts and media to explore the teachings of the Baha’i Faith. Back in 2011, Naysan started up the Baha’i Blog project, channeling his experiences in both media and technology companies to help create a hub for Baha’i-inspired content online.
Great interview. Thank you. Love to hear personal stories how a person finds the Faith, and in this case never really got it as a kid, even with good parents. I work with Baha’i children and worry about those who just don’t seem to get it. They have such great parents. It is so painful. It gives me hope that it is not me as a teacher or the parents, but a good push from Baha’u’llah that really does the trick. Thank you.
Fantastic interview! Especially loved hearing about the insights gained from visiting several clusters around the world and how the arts give hope. Looking forward to hearing more. Thank you for providing this great service.
I’ve also worked my way through a number of dry biographies, which are worth it as they almost always contain hidden gems. If you want a superbly written biography, try The Maxwell’s of Montreal. Solid facts and beautiful sentences combined.
Thanks so much for starting this Baha’i Blogcast! I just decided to listen to the first one this morning, I will be a follower for sure! I have also sent the link to my grandkids, I think they will appreciate it as well. We just returned from Clearwater Baha’i Summer School, so listening to this is a great way to still feel connected. Thanks again.
Naysan and crew, as a former volunteer newsletter editor, I know what a labor of love it is to maintain such an engaging, fact-checked publication, working links & all. I was happy to learn from this opening conversation with Rainn that following through on what one has started – a capacity very much in evidence on Baha’i Blog – was one of four qualities emphasized by Bahá’u’llah. This capacity was, of course, exemplified par excellence by the lives of the Blessed Beauty Himself and the Center of the Covenant and the Guardian, as well. The range of engaging articles, podcasts, videos, musical offerings on this site, showcasing the unity in diversity of our world-encompassing faith, make it a good complement to BahaiTeachings.org – another very well-conceived and maintained Bahá’í website. The interviews featured here are satisfying my thirst for an open-university-type ongoing education with an enlightened spiritual focus. I’m now on course to listen to the entire set of blogcasts featured here. Thanks again!
BTW guys, a birth-right Angeleno myself, I spent the prime of my relatively blissful boyhood exploring byways of Shadow Hills, a sleepy bedroom community on the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, nestled in between Sunland and Sun Valley. That now seems a built-in metaphor for my eventually blossoming journey of faith. A long process, still ongoing, of confronting the Shadow within, in Jung’s terms (the insistent self, in ‘Abdu’l Bahá’s terms) has left me increasingly freer to turn to and thrive in the radiance of the twin Suns – those Manifestations of God’s love for evolving humanity in this gloriously challenging Age of Abhá.
Hi Keith! Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words! It really means a lot to me and the Baha’i Blog team!
Indeed regarding the ongoing process of confronting “the shadow within”, a journey we are all on, one of the things I love most about the Baha’i Blogcast and what so many have also shared with me, is that fact that it’s refreshing to listen to the very real and authentic conversations which take place on the show, where people share their thoughts, and struggles.
Glad you’ll be listening to the Baha’i Blogcast, and we really appreciate any help in letting the friends know about it!
Thanks again for your encouragement and support!
Neysan, your positive response to what I’ve shared is much appreciated – it helps to nudge my self-critical superego (a Shadowland regular) further out of the way and make me feel part of a global conversation where people who are sharing those authentic experiences showcased on this website really do listen to and value each other. I will, for sure, continue listening and responding here – and will do my best to keep my comments short and sweet.
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Great interview. Thank you. Love to hear personal stories how a person finds the Faith, and in this case never really got it as a kid, even with good parents. I work with Baha’i children and worry about those who just don’t seem to get it. They have such great parents. It is so painful. It gives me hope that it is not me as a teacher or the parents, but a good push from Baha’u’llah that really does the trick. Thank you.
Shirlie Burriston (June 6, 2016 at 5:16 AM)
Fantastic interview! Especially loved hearing about the insights gained from visiting several clusters around the world and how the arts give hope. Looking forward to hearing more. Thank you for providing this great service.
Carren Bough (June 6, 2016 at 8:15 PM)
Thanks so much Carren! So glad you liked it and thanks for the encouraging words! Get ready for next week’s episode! I think you’re gonna love it!
Naysan Naraqi (June 6, 2016 at 10:32 PM)
I’ve also worked my way through a number of dry biographies, which are worth it as they almost always contain hidden gems. If you want a superbly written biography, try The Maxwell’s of Montreal. Solid facts and beautiful sentences combined.
Cathy (July 7, 2016 at 1:30 AM)
Thanks so much for starting this Baha’i Blogcast! I just decided to listen to the first one this morning, I will be a follower for sure! I have also sent the link to my grandkids, I think they will appreciate it as well. We just returned from Clearwater Baha’i Summer School, so listening to this is a great way to still feel connected. Thanks again.
Georgia Lesley (August 8, 2016 at 7:32 PM)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! We hope you enjoy the other ones too!
Sonjel Vreeland (August 8, 2016 at 9:57 PM)
Naysan and crew, as a former volunteer newsletter editor, I know what a labor of love it is to maintain such an engaging, fact-checked publication, working links & all. I was happy to learn from this opening conversation with Rainn that following through on what one has started – a capacity very much in evidence on Baha’i Blog – was one of four qualities emphasized by Bahá’u’llah. This capacity was, of course, exemplified par excellence by the lives of the Blessed Beauty Himself and the Center of the Covenant and the Guardian, as well. The range of engaging articles, podcasts, videos, musical offerings on this site, showcasing the unity in diversity of our world-encompassing faith, make it a good complement to BahaiTeachings.org – another very well-conceived and maintained Bahá’í website. The interviews featured here are satisfying my thirst for an open-university-type ongoing education with an enlightened spiritual focus. I’m now on course to listen to the entire set of blogcasts featured here. Thanks again!
BTW guys, a birth-right Angeleno myself, I spent the prime of my relatively blissful boyhood exploring byways of Shadow Hills, a sleepy bedroom community on the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley, nestled in between Sunland and Sun Valley. That now seems a built-in metaphor for my eventually blossoming journey of faith. A long process, still ongoing, of confronting the Shadow within, in Jung’s terms (the insistent self, in ‘Abdu’l Bahá’s terms) has left me increasingly freer to turn to and thrive in the radiance of the twin Suns – those Manifestations of God’s love for evolving humanity in this gloriously challenging Age of Abhá.
Keith J. Taylor (February 2, 2019 at 1:23 AM)
Hi Keith! Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words! It really means a lot to me and the Baha’i Blog team!
Indeed regarding the ongoing process of confronting “the shadow within”, a journey we are all on, one of the things I love most about the Baha’i Blogcast and what so many have also shared with me, is that fact that it’s refreshing to listen to the very real and authentic conversations which take place on the show, where people share their thoughts, and struggles.
Glad you’ll be listening to the Baha’i Blogcast, and we really appreciate any help in letting the friends know about it!
Thanks again for your encouragement and support!
Naysan Naraqi (February 2, 2019 at 9:57 AM)
Neysan, your positive response to what I’ve shared is much appreciated – it helps to nudge my self-critical superego (a Shadowland regular) further out of the way and make me feel part of a global conversation where people who are sharing those authentic experiences showcased on this website really do listen to and value each other. I will, for sure, continue listening and responding here – and will do my best to keep my comments short and sweet.
Keith J. Taylor (February 2, 2019 at 10:40 AM)