It's good to see a new face:-)

You are right that the wealth of options makes it difficult to narrow it down:-) I'll try my best to not bombard you. I guess it all boils down to whichever aspect of the Baha'i Faith you feel like exploring first. Here's a list for starters....

Books by Baha'u'llah:

1) The Hidden Words hold the nugget essence of spiritual teachings of the Baha'i Faith (and some might argue, the all religions) - these are good for having bite-size teachings to deepen on one by one, each day.

2) Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah is sort of like a "reader" with lots of Baha'u'llah's passages compiled together.

3) The Seven Valleys is a mystical work in the Sufi style that one could spend a lifetime deepening on. All available on www.amazon.com

Books by/about 'Abdu'l-Baha:

1) Some Answered Questions goes clears up details of Baha'i belief on various subjects (from prophecies to ghosts, etc.)

2) "Wisdom of the Master" is a nice compilation of writings by 'Abdu'l-Baha on spirituality and spiritual lifestyle. Both available at www.bahaibookstore.com


Overview of the Faith: Baha'u'llah and the New Era by J.E. Esslemont; there are also newer books I haven't read that are available on Amazon.com

History of the Faith (history and beliefs/laws): The Story of Baha'u'llah by Druzelle Cederquist is so far the most enjoyable written history I have read about the faith.

Becoming Baha'i: Fallling into Grace by Justice St. Rain (www.special-ideas.com)


There are a few building blocks which are seriously important to the Faith, but which I personally would hold off on until you've settled into the Faith with the above type books - though everyone is different and you may want these at the start:

Kitab-i-Aqdas: all the rules and laws we are supposed to follow. Other books I've mentioned discuss the rules and laws - but this is the book they are citing. Sort of like a reference, imho. www.bahaibookstore.com

Kitab-i-Aqan: Baha'u'llah's discussion of fulfilling prophecies, his own role as Manifestation, and other important topics. It can be heavy read right away though - there are parts when he is angry with religious leaders of the day...it's not a light read, that's all, but very important to read eventually. Again, the other books I"ve recommended describe some of this, but this is the book they draw from. www.bahaibookstore.com

hi!

My personal favorite book for casual reading is "Paris Talks" its written my Abdul-Baha, but pretty much one of my favorite books ever. Btw have you attended Ruhi circles? I feel that they are great way to deepen on the faith and to grow your capacities! ESPECIALLY if you perform the practices.

Hi!

For you and anyone else who'd like to look over the Baha'i scriptures and related books, I recommend the following:

The Ocean site has the scriptures of many different religions, and is searchable! It's at: www.bahairesearch.com

You can find the Bahai' scriptures online at these sites:

• www.bahai-library.org (Click "Baha'i Writings" for our scriptures.)
• www.reference.bahai.org (This site is multi-lingual.)
• www.bahaistudy.org (This also has videos and talking books.)

Good hunting! :-)

Bruce

Hi:

This looks groovy.... www.wilmetteinstitute.us.bahai.org/