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Baha'i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson

Part 2: Recreating Ourselves in the Image of the Master

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

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.

You can also listen to the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/41vfEAkvfxn1OqHwDjPJDP

Enjoy!

Baha'i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson - Ep.1: Naysan & Rainn

Episode 1: Naysan & Rainn

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

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 this episode, I interview multi-award winning Jazz singer and legend, Tierney Sutton. Tierney has won and been nominated for countless awards, including six consecutive Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Tierney and I talk about how she first got into music, became a Baha'i, why she studied Russian, the power of music and the Holy Word, how Jazz and consultation relate, her favourite Baha'i quote, and what she's working on in her personal life. She even sings a beautiful prayer for us all as well, so I hope you enjoy this one! 

You can find out more about Tierney Sutton and her band, their performance dates, and albums at www.TierneySutton.com.

Also, here's the quote of the prayer by the Bab sung by Tierney in the podcast:

“O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and toward all Thy signs I set my heart.
O Lord! Whether traveling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work, I place my whole trust in Thee.
Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make me independent of all things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy!
Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be satisfied with whatsoever Thou hast ordained for me.
Thine is the absolute authority to command.”

The songs that were featured in this podcast can be purchased from the following links:

'It's Only a Paper Moon', 'Skylark', and 'Long Daddy Green' found on the album 'Desire' available at the following link on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/desire/id304753161

'You Are My Sunshine' found on the album 'On the Other Side' available at the following link on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/on-the-other-side/id209335059

'Court and Spark' found on the album 'After Blue' available at the following link on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/after-blue/id689073893

Be sure to check out and 'subscribe' to the Baha'i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IMFv6Sv7ydDvHXIcgse5s

Thank you for listening to the Baha'i Blogcast. If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit www.bahai.org, and for more Baha'i fun stuff check out www.bahaiblog.net.

-Rainn Wilson

Baha'i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson - Episode 2: Tierney Sutton

Episode 2: Tierney Sutton

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

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 this episode, I interview my good friend, Baha'i actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni. Among many other things, Justin is currently starring in the hit TV show "Jane the Virgin", and in this podcast, we talk about being a new dad, personal hardships and putting your trust in God, making videos about death and creating content to be a source of healing, the Shout! app and social media, redefining masculinity, and celebrating birthdays for the homeless. 

Here's the music video Justin and I spoke about called ‘Armed’ by Devon Gundry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxa70NF_fPs.

You can also watch Justin's series called ‘My Last Days’ here on Soul Pancake: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzvRx_johoA8ITQgxBpeJTaDUhhIB7bfX

You can "Like" Justin on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/justinbaldoni/ and follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/justinbaldoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor. Be sure to check out and 'subscribe' to the Baha'i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ifb5RtFQy91r8dmMIoXfM

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Episode 3: Justin Baldoni

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

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 this episode I interview Layli Miller-Muro, founder and Executive Director of the Tahirih Justice Centre, a non-profit which provides free legal services to women and girls who are fleeing human rights abuses. The organization which was founded in 1997 and serves nearly 19,000 women aims to promote a world where women and girls enjoy equality and live in safety and dignity. In this interview Layli and I talk about her aspirations for service as a youth, her early experience as a lawyer, how the Tahirih Justice Centre came about, keeping the Faith at the center of what you do, personal detachment and welcoming tests, engaging with the wider community in your own field, plus a lot more.

The official website of the Tahirih Justice Centre is www.tahirih.org, and you can purchase a copy of Layli’s book about Fauziya Kassindja called Do They Hear You When You Cry here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/They-Hear-You-When-Cry/dp/0385319940/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1468769890&sr=8-1&keywords=do+they+hear+you+when+you+cry&linkCode=sl1&tag=baibl0c-20&linkId=470eaca42f39944156e86328adddd9e7

Also, here’s the quote by Baha’u’llah being discussed by Rainn and Layli:

“O CHILDREN OF DUST! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.”

To watch an interview with Layli where she talks about the importance of work done in the spirit of service to others click here: http://bahaiblog.net/site/2014/07/interview-layli-miller-muro/.

Be sure to check out and 'subscribe' to the Baha'i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5TeyuUxdACwXJgxjhm46TI

Thank you for listening to the Baha'i Blogcast. If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit www.bahai.org, and for more Baha'i fun stuff check out www.bahaiblog.net.

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Episode 4: Layli Miller-Muro

Hello and welcome to the Baha'i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

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 this episode I interview Payam Zamani, Iranian-born entrepreneur and philanthropist living in San Francisco. He tells me about his escape from Iran to the United States, his early religious experiences as a Baha'i, including the discrimination he experienced in Iran, his family's pioneering journeys in different countries, his humble beginnings, switching careers, becoming a business owner and his desire to find the spirit of service in his work, plus a lot more. Payam is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of One Planet Ops and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of www.bahaiteachings.org.

To explore the Baha'i Teachings website click here: http://www.bahaiteachings.org, and to learn more about Payam's company you can visit One Planet Ops website here: http://www.oneplanetops.com. You can also follow Payam on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/PayamZamani?ref_src…erp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.

Be sure to check out and 'subscribe' to the Baha'i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Baha'i Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Okx0xTXk6dbyff5wRfTde

Thank you for listening to the Baha'i Blogcast. If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit www.bahai.org, and for more Baha'i fun stuff check out www.bahaiblog.net.

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Episode 5: Payam Zamani

Baha’i Blog is delighted to share an audio recording of one of our articles titled, “Seasons of Spirituality: Ayyam-i-Ha, the Fast and Naw-Ruz",” in which we learn how all these holy days are connected in their emphasis on the unity of humanity and service to others. This article is read by its author, Preethi. 

You can read this article here: https://www.bahaiblog.net/2018/02/seasons-spirituality-ayyam-ha-fast-naw-ruz/

You can also listen to this reading on Baha’i Blog’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaGdFMktAnI

If you'd like to hear more audio readings and talks, check out Baha'i Blog's Audio Books & Readings playlist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xLMN2tCC80&list=PLePDtgwcyKATXnKB4fbIUiQj90rIv5FiH) and Baha'i Talks playlist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-f6oG-gSnc&list=PLePDtgwcyKAR-YtCDQomfurBPiEKxPPQg).

You can find more resources about Ayyam-i-Ha here on Baha'i Blog: www.bahaiblog.net/bahai-calendar/about-ayyam-i-ha/

Here are more Baha'i Blog resources dedicated to the Fast: https://www.bahaiblog.net/about-the-bahai-fast/

And last but not least, here are some about Naw-Ruz: https://www.bahaiblog.net/bahai-calendar/naw-ruz/

Seasons of Spirituality: Ayyam-i-Ha, the Fast, and Naw-Ruz

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

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.

As Baha'is and their friends around the world celebrate the 12-day Festival of Ridvan, I thought it would be nice to create a special episode about Ridvan and its significance, so I got online with my friend, Tom Price, to have a chat about this special time for Baha'is. I hope you find this little conversation about Ridvan interesting and informative.

* Find out more about Ridvan by checking out this Baha'i Blog page full of articles and resources: https://www.bahaiblog.net/bahai-calendar/about-the-festival-of-ridvan/

* Check out the 'Ridvan Is Everywhere' playlist, which brings you family-friendly programming for all 12 days of the Festival of Ridvan: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsn_g0OpWDwIp99WjEHvuNIYIbOfz-WIr

* Learn more about Tom Price by listening to this previous Baha'i Blogcast episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF2kiyY_uZ0&list=PLePDtgwcyKAQmifUJTw0Kk-hBGL2ZGMJi&index=37&t=1s

Be sure to subscribe to the Baha’i Blogcast for more episodes on: 

*YouTube: http://bit.ly/2JTNmBO 
* iTunes: http://apple.co/2leHPHL 
*Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bahaiblogcast 
*Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2IXRAnb 

If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit BAHAI.ORG, and for more great Baha'i-inspired content check out BAHAIBLOG.NET: http://bahaiblog.net/

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Baha'i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson - Episode 46: A Ridvan Conversation with Tom Price

Episode 46: A Ridvan Conversation with Tom Price

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

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 this episode, I'm with Mohammad AL Samawi, an interfaith activist from Yemen and a best-selling author of 'The Fox Hunt', a page-turning book about his life and escape from Yemen. Mohammed tells me about his life in Yemen and the civil war there. He tells me how his disability helped change the course of his life and how he became an interfaith activist. We learn about the importance of seeking knowledge and the truth for one's self, and the positive power social media can play in the world. He tells us about his harrowing escape from Yemen to the U.S, and celebrates the fact that there are so many good people in the world. I hope you enjoy this exciting conversation with Mohammed as much as I did! 

To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following links:

* Mohammed's book 'The Fox Hunt' can be found here on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/2SChvZh

* Mohammed's non-profit organization is called 'The Abrahamic House': https://www.abrahamichouse.org/

* Learn more about the situation of the Baha'is in Yemen here: https://www.bic.org/situation-in-yemen/reports-situation-yemen

* Mohammed mentions supporting the good work that the 'International Rescue Committee' is doing: https://www.rescue.org/

* Mohammed mentions the important Baha'i principle of the 'independent investigation of truth', which you can learn more about here: https://bahaiteachings.org/bahai-principles-independent-investigation-of-truth/

* We mention Layli Miller-Muro and supporting the work of 'The Tahirih Justice Center': https://www.tahirih.org/

* You can also listen to our Baha'i Blogcast episode with Layli Miller-Muro here: https://www.bahaiblog.net/2016/07/bahai-blogcast-rainn-wilson-episode-4-layli-miller-muro/

Be sure to subscribe to the Baha’i Blogcast for more episodes on: 

*YouTube: http://bit.ly/2JTNmBO 
* iTunes: http://apple.co/2leHPHL 
*Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bahaiblogcast 
*Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2IXRAnb 

If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit BAHAI.ORG, and for more great Baha'i-inspired content check out BAHAIBLOG.NET: http://bahaiblog.net/

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Baha'i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson - Episode 47: Mohammed AL Samawi

Episode 47: Mohammed AL Samawi

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

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 this episode, I catch up with Sean Hinton again (here's part 1 of our conversation in case you missed it: https://bit.ly/2YMdi8x), and sadly, this second conversation takes place after the passing of my father, Robert Wilson. Sean asks about my dad, and we talk about loss, Baha'i funerals, and about our fathers and our upbringing. We also discuss the importance of community building, teaching the Baha'i Faith, careers, and how 'what' we do is not as important as 'how' we do it. I hope you find part 2 of our conversation as interesting and insightful as I did.

To find out more about some of the things we covered in this episode, check out the following:

* Here's part 1 of my conversation with Sean Hinton: https://bit.ly/2YMdi8x

* Find out more about my father, Robert Wilson, and his art from his website: https://www.robertwilsonart.com/

* Prayer for the Dead by Baha'u'llah: https://bit.ly/3b1QGWB

* Sean works at the Open Society Foundation: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/

* Adib Taherzadeh (https://bit.ly/31xNMFP). Listen to a series of his talks here: https://bit.ly/3hNbkvW

* The Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude): https://bit.ly/2G4XCGV

* The Dawn-Breakers: https://bit.ly/2QBUynP

* I share this prayer:
"He is God! O peerless Lord! Praised be Thou for having kindled that light in the glass of the Concourse on high, for having guided that bird of faithfulness to the nest of the Abhá Kingdom. Thou hast joined that precious river to the mighty sea, Thou hast returned that spreading ray of light to the Sun of Truth. Thou hast welcomed that captive of remoteness into the garden of reunion, and led him who longed to look upon Thee to Thy presence in Thy bright place of lights.
Thou art the Lord of tender love, Thou art the last goal of the yearning heart, Thou art the dearest wish of the martyr’s soul."
—Abdu’l‑Baha

* Obligatory Prayer: https://bit.ly/2G8qIW1

* The Tablet of Ahmad: https://bit.ly/2EBipkW

* Baha'i pilgrimage: https://bit.ly/3jpEUbv

* Ali Nakhjavani: https://bit.ly/3gxL9bq

* The Universal House of Justice: https://bit.ly/2YIGT2N

* Sean shares the following quote by Abdu'l-Baha: "Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship..."

* Study Circles (https://bit.ly/31AS4fM) and the Ruhi sequence of courses: https://bit.ly/31AUcUM

* Sean talks about our twofold moral purpose: https://bit.ly/3biyIiR

*Sean shares this quotation by Baha'u'llah: 
"That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above anyone, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century."

* Baha'i Chair for World Peace: http://www.bahaichair.umd.edu/

* Dr. Hoda Mahmoudi: https://bit.ly/2G8ZOxe

* The Promise of World Peace: https://bit.ly/34FrkN9


Be sure to subscribe to the Baha’i Blogcast for more episodes on: 

* YouTube: http://bit.ly/2JTNmBO
* iTunes: http://apple.co/2leHPHL 
* Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bahaiblogcast
* Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2IXRAnb 

If you would like to find out more about the Baha'i Faith visit BAHAI.ORG, and for more great Baha'i-inspired content, check out: http://bahaiblog.net/

Thanks for listening! 

-Rainn Wilson

Episode 54: Sean Hinton (pt 2): Fathers, Loss, and Life's Lessons

Baha'i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson