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Reflections
- Narrated by: David Ault
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 26-01-15
- Language: English
- Publisher: ISF Publishing
Regular price: £14.09
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- By: Idries Shah
- Narrated by: David Ault
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Traditionally known as The Hundred Tales of Wisdom, this collection comprises excerpts from the life, teachings, and miracles of the Sufi teacher Jalaluddin Rumi, together with certain important stories from his works. As well as being part of the bedrock of classical Persian literature, these tales, anecdotes, and narratives are believed, by Sufis, to aid in the development of insights beyond ordinary perceptions. Here, they are translated and presented by Idries Shah.
-
Special Illumination
- The Sufi Use of Humor
- By: Idries Shah
- Narrated by: David Ault
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Special Illumination is a term used by the great poet and mystic, Jalaluddin Rumi, to stress the importance of humor in metaphysical experience. Of it, Idries Shah says, "Rumi directly contradicts such numerous sour-faced religionists as, in all persuasions, find that humor disturbs the indoctrination which is all that they usually have to offer."
-
The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin
- By: Idries Shah
- Narrated by: David Ault
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5
The appeal of Nasrudin is as universal and timeless as the truths he illustrates. His stories are read by children, by scientists and scholars, and by followers of philosophy. Sufi scholar Idries Shah assembled this collection of Nasrudin's trials and tribulations from ancient Eastern manuscripts and oral literature, from sources in North Africa and Turkey, the Middle East and Central Asia. Many were known to the great Sufi masters, Rumi, Jami, and Attar the chemist.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
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- By R.S. on 23-10-16
-
The Elephant in the Dark
- Christianity, Islam and the Sufis
- By: Idries Shah
- Narrated by: David Ault
- Length: 2 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
In a darkened room, a group of men once sought to examine an elephant. Taking hold of a different part - an ear, a leg, the tail - each one mistook his particular part for the whole. In the darkness each of the men became convinced that the elephant was the object he had felt - a fan, a rope, a pillar, and so on. With this ancient fable, first described by the Sufi Master Jalaluddin Rumi, Idries Shah presents the Sufi perspective that Christianity and Islam stem from one inner origin.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Rising Above Religious Division.
- By Ita on 02-09-16
-
Wisdom of the Idiots
- By: Idries Shah
- Narrated by: David Ault
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5
In Idries Shah's Wisdom of the Idiots, the "idiots" are Sufis, called this because their wisdom penetrates to a depth which renders it inaccessible to the merely intelligent or academically knowledgeable. The stories of the Sufis are tools prepared for a specific purpose. On this level the movements of the characters in a story portray psychological processes, and the story becomes a working blueprint of those processes.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
"...the sharpened knife ..."
- By R.S. on 28-11-16
-
Thinkers of the East
- By: Idries Shah
- Narrated by: David Ault
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3
Thinkers of the East is a collection of anecdotes and "parables in action" illustrating the eminently practical and lucid approach of Eastern Dervish teachers. Distilled from the teachings of more than 100 sages in three continents, this material stresses the experimental rather than the theoretical - and it is that characteristic of Sufi study which provides its impact and vitality.
Summary
Read by David Ault, this unabridged recording of Idries Shah's Reflections is a collection of Sufi fables, aphorisms, and statements that challenge the conditioned mind. The audiobook confronts the listener with unaccustomed perspectives and ideas in an attempt to set the mind free, to see how things really are.
As the book's foreword states, "Do you imagine that fables exist only to amuse or to instruct, and are based upon fiction? The best ones are delineations of what happens in real life, in the community and in the individual's mental processes."
When it was first published in 1968, Reflections was acclaimed by the BBC's The Critics program as an Outstanding Book of the Year.
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Great Rendition of a Favourite Book
Would you consider the audio edition of Reflections to be better than the print version?
This new audio version of Reflections is a great alternative for people on the move, those who just need a change from reading, anyone with little time, and people who need reading material in an audio format.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Reflections?
Reflections stimulates thought about a vast range of human issues, and the book also includes some useful tips on observing the human condition, both within oneself – and without.
What about David Ault’s performance did you like?
Definitely when David Ault emulates different voices!
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Reflections – Mirroring the Mind
Any additional comments?
I sometimes found judicious use of the pause button was helpful at the end of some quotations, giving me a little more time to digest what was said.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Zak
- 26-06-15
review
enjoyable book with plenty of wisdom but not for those not used to sufi type stories. Stories told can end abruptly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Eddie Ford
- 16-06-15
Multi-faceted collection
What did you like most about Reflections?
Shah writes with rare precision and lucidity. He can strip a story down to its essential elements or explain complicated concepts with deceptively simple language.
What other book might you compare Reflections to, and why?
One difference between Reflections and some of his other collections like Thinkers of the East is that here Shah mixes in his own stories and observations along with the work of classical Sufi Masters.
Which character – as performed by David Ault – was your favourite?
Ault's first-rate reading serves the content well.
Any additional comments?
Highly recommended for anyone interested in Sufism, superb writing, and fresh viewpoints on human behavior.