The best spiritual audiobooks for finding fulfillment

In A New Earth, Eckart Tolle demonstrates to his listeners how introspection is part of a healthy spiritual life and how it can help individuals become model citizens of the world. The audiobook’s main theory is similar to that of Tolle’s early work, The Power of Now, as they both stress the importance of living in the moment. But in A New Earth, Tolle connects this carpe diem attitude to our responsibilities to the planet at large, also highlighting our ability to cope with pain and use that strength to our advantage. The unabridged audiobook is narrated by the author. He reads with a wholly genuine tone that demonstrates his own personal transformation. Before becoming an author, Tolle was a teacher, and his experience in a classroom is manifested in his easily understandable explanations and clear presentation.

Before his debut as an author, Robert Wright was well known as a journalist and a professor of religion and philosophy at both Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania. Alongside other famous modern-day philosophers, such as Peter Singer, he taught classes focusing on the connection between spirituality, religion, and human nature. After teaching, he wrote Why Buddhism Is True, which is partly a defense of Buddhism, partly a how-to guide to practicing meditation. His main argument for choosing Buddhism hinges on the idea that our minds are naturally inclined towards anxiety, greed, anger, and depression, and that Buddhist teachings can help condition our minds to be different. Fred Sanders narrates in a calming voice, encouraging listeners to get started on their meditative journey and view the world with a new sense of clarity.

Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer also focuses on the transformation of negative thoughts into hopeful attitudes. However, Meyer employs a Christian approach and uses Biblical references to support her ideas. She also uses her own experiences to explain how difficult situations, whether they be found in marriages, ministry, or family, can be approached in a healthy and spiritual way. Pat Lentz is Meyer’s narrator of choice; she has also narrated Meyer’s The Confident Woman, Approval Addiction, In Pursuit of Peace, and Look Great, Feel Great. Lentz delivers Meyer’s words with a peaceful tone and expertly separates different chapters and topics, making this listen especially easy to follow.

Everybody, Always, Bob Goff’s New York Times best seller, is all about love. It can be approached as a sequel to Goff’s earlier work, Love Does, or as a standalone audiobook. This listen asserts that we get more satisfaction from life and improve the lives of others if we learn how to love everyone without inhibition. The audiobook is filled with anecdotes from Goff’s own life, giving listeners examples of how to find love in all kinds of difficult situations. This title is author-narrated, making the listening experience even more authentic. It is clear through Goff’s sincere tone and his unembellished voice that he believes in what he is telling listeners and is truly confident that loving everyone is the key to a fulfilling life and a better world.

The winner of the NBCC Award for Poetry offers up a spirited collection of short lyric essays, written daily over a tumultuous year, reminding us of the purpose and pleasure of praising, extolling, and celebrating ordinary wonders. While it isn’t overtly prescriptive, Ross Gay's The Book of Delights offers something just as valuable: gratitude for the little things. This collection of essays, some as short as a paragraph and all read by the author, celebrate the small, everyday moments that can bring joy. In his vignettes, Gay acknowledges the complex nature of daily life juxtaposed with the beauty that is all around us.

One of the most insightful and potentially life-changing listens for so many, this book has been revered by the likes of Gloria Steinem and Maya Angelou, among countless others. Author and psychologist Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD, uses storytelling in her clinical process as a primary tool towards inner healing. Dr. Estés compiles myths from all over the globe and expertly unravels each one to unearth its deep meaning, teaching listeners what they can take from each story and how they can embody its lessons deep within their souls for lasting life changes.

Tuesdays with Morrie, which topped the New York Times best seller list in 2000, is the true story of a sports columnist, author Mitch Albom, who rekindles a special relationship with his former sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, visiting him every Tuesday for 14 weeks. Each chapter describes one Tuesday’s discussions. The pair talk about complicated issues, like death, regrets, money, marriage, and forgiveness among others. Albom himself narrates the audiobook, and through his tender tone, he exhibits the respect, admiration, and love he has for his professor. With his authentic, conversational delivery, listeners feel as if they’re part of Mitch and Morrie's conversations. Additionally, this special edition, released for the book’s 20th anniversary, includes recordings of Morrie Schwartz that Albom collected during their meetings, giving listeners an even more intimate connection to the pair's weekly ritual.

Gabrielle Bernstein’s seventh self-help guide, Super Attractor is focused on the spiritual side of acquiring the life you imagine for yourself. Her ideas are based on the law of attraction—Bernstein’s approach is that doing less is beneficial and that the universe will always offer spiritual help when we need it most. As Bernstein narrates, she tells her listeners that this guide was something she needed to write to remind herself of the spiritual forces that were lifting her up. This listen unearths the author’s thought process as she comes to accept the universe’s gifts before sharing the significance of spirituality.

The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav is an audiobook about spiritual evolution. According to Zukav, the human race is arriving at the end of our most recent phase of evolution, which can be described in terms of our thirst for external or physical power. We are now approaching a phase that favors true power, which, for Zukav, is based on spirituality and understanding. He uses science to explain this shift in human behavior and gives listeners an idea of how to live with a more spiritual mindset. His theories may seem intimidating, but with prefaces written and narrated by trailblazers Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey, listeners can start this audiobook feeling like they’re in good company, surrounded by others who have already absorbed, accepted, and applied Zukav’s ideas.

The Dalai Lama is one of the world’s best known and most revered spiritual leaders. Although he has experienced turmoil and the pain of being exiled from his home of Tibet, he is convinced of the clear evidence of happiness in our lives and its inherent importance, a belief influenced by his deep faith in Hinduism. His soul is believed to house the wisdom of Dalai Lamas past, dating from the 14th century—a level of wisdom and understanding that is difficult for most people to grasp. Happily, in The Art of Happiness, he pairs up with psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler, MD, to explain his philosophy in a more tangible way. In the audiobook, Cutler narrates his experience of meeting and working with the Dalai Lama. A second narrator, Ernest Abuba, voices the words of the Dalai Lama, striking a perfect tonal balance between distinguished wisdom and undisguised joy.

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi was a 13th-century Sufi poet, but recently, thanks to new translations of his works from their original Persian, he has become one of the most widely read poets in America. His poems are typically short, metaphorical looks into the human condition that stress the importance of connection. Though told through a Sufi lens with an emphasis on spirituality, Rumi's poems most often do not refer to God or any one higher power, making them approachable to people from all backgrounds. If you are new to the world of Rumi’s poetry, this audiobook compilation is a great place to start. It assembles some of the English-speaking world’s greatest Rumi translators and interpreters and pairs them with narrator Robertson Dean, who reads the poetry with poise, understanding, and warmth. The audiobook also includes 80 poems that have never before been published, making it a must-listen for Rumi fanatics as well.

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way is about turning towards faith even when it’s difficult to trust in God. Sometimes, we may ask why a benevolent God would make life so difficult. Author Lysa TerKeurst tells us that these questions are normal, but also barriers to understanding God’s real love. She shows how the Bible illustrates God’s protective nature, gives advice on how to distance ourselves from harmful doubt, and explains how to help others who may be dealing with difficult situations themselves. TerKeurst narrates the audiobook alongside Jolene Barto, and the pair add an incredibly sincere element of hope and empathy, using gentle, understanding tones. They don’t sound like actors pretending to feel pain and eventual triumph, but rather like real people going through real problems who eventually find themselves healed through real spiritual solutions.

Sometimes, when we feel in a rut, we implore ourselves to say yes more. However, as John Townsend and Henry Cloud explain in their New York Times best-selling Boundaries, it’s a bit more complicated than that. There are times to say yes and times to say no, and telling the difference is a question of understanding the boundaries that we have set up between ourselves and others. Additionally, there are boundaries that are set by God that, when respected, may help us live more spiritually and heartily. This audiobook helps listeners understand these boundaries. Actor Henry O. Arnold narrates, his rich voice exuding a confidence that’s a nice match for the self-assuredness the authors illustrate in Boundaries.

Paramahansa Yogananda first published his Autobiography of a Yogi in 1946, but he started spreading the eastern wisdom of Kriya Yoga meditation in America in the 1920s. He traveled throughout the country, teaching Americans his methods, and he made connections between ancient eastern wisdom and modern-day situations and dilemmas. His story is narrated by Ben Kingsley, a British actor with Indian ancestry perhaps best known for his Oscar-winning portrayal of Mohandas Gandhi in the 1982 film, Gandhi. Kingsley wields a sense of authenticity, grace, and elegance as he enlivens Yogananda’s life story, prompting listeners to consider how they too can live a life that is intentional and focused.

With a PhD in social work, Brené Brown has spent most of her adult life questioning and analyzing the values of vulnerability. She argues that welcoming vulnerability can be life-changing, because it forces us to become more courageous. In Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, she combines her scientific research with themes of spirituality, and she gives listeners examples of how her spirituality has helped her confront situations in her own life. Brené Brown has voiced most of her audiobooks, Rising Strong included, and through this experience she has become a masterful narrator. She understands effective pacing and offers a natural, conversational delivery. Based on her intimate knowledge of her own work and research, Brown also knows exactly where to place emphasis.

Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret was first published in 2006, but it’s based off a much older belief system: the law of attraction. At its most basic, the law of attraction revolves around the idea that a person’s own thoughts have a direct effect on their lives. Byrne’s interpretation of this law can be succinctly summarized through her three-step process: asking, believing, and receiving. This process can be used in our everyday lives, but it can also be used for achieving goals or solving problems. Byrne even tells stories of how it has been used throughout history to eradicate diseases and acquire massive wealth. She narrates the audiobook with enthusiasm, clearly conveying her passion for and belief in this system, and her warm Australian accent makes listening a delight.

Since the 1980s, Deepak Chopra has been a prominent figure in the New Age movement. While licensed to practice conventional medicine in the United States, he is also a proponent of alternative medicine, implementing spirituality and religion in his healing methods. In 1994, he published The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, a guide to life’s fulfillment. The laws include pure potentiality, giving, karma, least effort, intention and desire, detachment, and dharma. They are all connected to Hindu teachings, but can be exercised by anyone with the will to grow. Chopra narrates himself, his wise voice and the accompanying music helping listeners feel as though they have their own personal guru guiding them on a private meditation.

An Oprah Winfrey-endorsed title and New York Times best seller, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is an assembly of ancient spiritual wisdom recapitulated for a modern audience. Ruiz bases his advice on the teachings of the Toltecs, predecessors of the Aztecs. Throughout this audiobook, listeners will learn that life revolves around the different agreements we make. Whether these agreements are made with ourselves, with others, or with a higher power, they all impact how much freedom we have and what we choose to do with it. Peter Coyote, a master of tones and inflections who has voiced numerous documentaries for the likes of PBS, National Geographic, and Ken Burns, narrates, making this listen as inviting as it is insightful.

How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Here, in her most beloved and acclaimed work, Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering and negative patterns into habitual ease and boundless joy.

The Purpose Driven Life by Pastor Rick Warren, a New York Times number one best seller, is meant to change your life. It compels you to ask three questions: Why am I alive? Does my life matter? What on earth am I here for? In attempting to answer these questions, Warren maintains that we will discover the true purpose of our life. His theories are mostly contingent on Christian teachings, but his messages have reached movie stars, athletes, business leaders, and other listeners from a diverse range of backgrounds and religions. In his narration, Warren makes clear through his warm tone that he welcomes anyone with the desire to transform their life and find their purpose.