Happiness

Happy is the man that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will, that pervadeth all created things.

Happy is the man who hath recognized Thee, and discovered the sweetness of Thy fragrance, and set himself towards Thy kingdom, and tasted of the things that have been perfected therein by Thy grace and favor.

Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty. Happy is the lover that hath inhaled the divine fragrance of his Best-Beloved from these words, laden with the perfume of a grace which no tongue can describe.

In the Bayán no act of worship is nearer unto His acceptance than bringing joy to the hearts of the believers, and none more remote than inflicting sorrow upon them.

Therefore, in the Bayán there is no act of obedience that ensureth greater nearness to God than bringing joy to the hearts of the faithful, even as naught yieldeth more remoteness than causing them grief. This law is doubly binding in dealing with the possessors of circles (women), whether in causing them joy or grief. However, man must always be watchful that even if he fail to bring joy to a human being, at least he should refrain from causing him grief.

"Then it is impossible to attain happiness without suffering?"

‘Abdu’l-Bahá. -- "To attain eternal happiness one must suffer. He who has reached the state of self-sacrifice has true joy. Temporal joy will vanish."

And let it be known once more that until woman and man recognize and realize equality . . . the happiness and felicity of mankind will not be a reality.

And the honor and distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all the world’s multitudes should become a source of social good. Is any larger bounty conceivable than this, that an individual, looking within himself, should find that by the confirming grace of God he has become the cause of peace and well-being, of happiness and advantage to his fellow men? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more complete delight..?

As for the spiritual perfections they are man's birthright and belong to him alone of all creation. Man is, in reality, a spiritual being, and only when he lives in the spirit is he truly happy. This spiritual longing and perception belongs to all men alike, and it is my firm conviction that the Western people possess great spiritual aspiration.

Be thou hopeful and be thou happy and rejoiced. For I have supplicated and beseeched before the Threshold of the Almighty that thy wish may be realized, so thou mayest overcome the self and perform charitable deeds and that human perfections may appear from thee; that thou mayest be endowed with lofty gifts; find thy way to divine wisdom and show forth the manners and conduct of those who are favored in the Threshold of the Almighty.

Believers, he added, must show their belief in their daily lives, so that the world might see the light shining in their faces. . . . If the day be dark, how much a gleam of sunshine is prized; so let believers wear smiling happy faces, gleaming like sunshine in the darkness. Let the Light of Truth and Honesty shine from them, so that all who behold them may know that their word in business or pleasure will be a word to trust and depend upon.

Consider thy composure, for composure of thought will become the cause of one’s confirmations in the services. If thou has not composure of mind in Chicago, undoubtedly thou wouldst be more confirmed in service in New York; but, if thy mind is at peace in Chicago, it is better to stay there for perchance difficulties may arise in New York and then thou wouldst not have composure of mind. Thou must first think of thy tranquillity.

Do ye not seek one moment of rest by day or by night. Nay, rather strive after composure of heart in the heaven of Unity. Do ye not for one moment obey the instinct of the worldly consciousness for ease. Seek ye divine happiness through the hardships and sorrows of this physical world, and behold spiritual well-being in the struggles of this fleeting existence. Distill sugar and honey from the bitter poison of suffering. Recognize the caress of divine favor in the arrows of misfortune. Consider the lowest degree of humiliation in the path of the Blessed Perfection as the highest station of Glory. Know descent to be identical with ascent, and consider death itself the essence of life.

God is not partial and is no respecter of persons. He has made provision for all. The harvest comes forth for everyone. The rain showers upon everybody and the heat of the sun is destined to warm everyone. The verdure of the earth is for everyone. Therefore there should be for all humanity the utmost happiness, the utmost comfort, the utmost well-being. But if conditions are such that some are happy and comfortable and some in misery; some are accumulating exorbitant wealth and others are in dire want -- under such a system it is impossible for man to be happy and impossible for him to win the good pleasure of God. God is kind to all. The good pleasure of God consists in the welfare of all the individual members of mankind.

Happiness consists of two kinds; physical and spiritual. The physical happiness is limited; its utmost duration is one day, one month, one year. It hath no result. Spiritual happiness is eternal and unfathomable. This kind of happiness appeareth in one's soul with the love of God and suffereth one to attain to the virtues and perfections of the world of humanity. Therefore, endeavor as much as thou art able in order to illuminate the lamp of thy heart by the light of love.

Happiness is a spiritual state

He who through suffering has attained development, should he fear happiness?' ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. -- 'Through suffering he will attain to an eternal happiness which nothing can take from him.

I ask God that you may find pleasure and ease in another world -- for this earthly world is narrow, dark and frightful, rest cannot be imagined and happiness really is non-existent, everyone is captured in the net of sorrow, and is day and night enslaved by the chain of calamity; there is no one who is at all free or at rest from grief and affliction.

I beg of God that thou mayest find a cheerful life, cause the increase of the longing of all present in the meetings of the maid-servants of the Merciful One and bring joy and happiness to the handmaidens of God; so that thou mayest diffuse the fragrances and chant the manifest verses. Supplication to God at morn and eve is conducive to the joy of hearts, and prayer causes spirituality and fragrance. Thou shouldst necessarily continue therein.

I myself was in prison forty years -- one year alone would have been impossible to bear -- nobody survived that imprisonment more than a year! But, thank God, during all those forty years I was supremely happy! Every day, on waking, it was like hearing good tidings, and every night infinite joy was mine. Spirituality was my comfort, and turning to God was my greatest joy. If this had not been so, do you think it possible that I could have lived through those forty years in prison?

If the heart turns away from the blessings God offers how can it hope for happiness? If it does not put its hope and trust in God's Mercy, where can it find rest? Oh, trust in God! for His Bounty is everlasting, and in His Blessings, for they are superb. Oh! put your faith in the Almighty, for He faileth not and His goodness endureth for ever! His Sun giveth Light continually, and the Clouds of His Mercy are full of the Waters of Compassion with which He waters the hearts of all who trust in Him. His refreshing Breeze ever carries healing in its wings to the parched souls of men! Is it wise to turn away from such a loving Father, Who showers His blessings upon us, and to choose rather to be slaves of matter?

If the Word of God is being promoted, rejoice and be happy.

If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look?

In this life, both outwardly and inwardly the mightiest of structures, the most solidly established, the most enduring, standing guard over the world, assuring both the spiritual and the material perfections of mankind, and protecting the happiness and the civilization of society -- is religion.

Man is, in reality, a spiritual being, and only when he lives in the spirit is he truly happy.

Material progress insures the happiness of the human world. Spiritual progress insures the happiness and eternal continuance of the soul . . . In accordance with these principles and actions and by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, both material and spiritual happiness shall become realized.

May your souls be illumined by the light of the Words of God, and may you become repositories of the mysteries of God, for no comfort is greater and no happiness is sweeter than spiritual comprehension of the divine teachings. If a man understands the real meaning of a poet's verses such as those of Shakespeare, he is pleased and rejoiced. How much greater his joy and pleasure when he perceives the reality of the Holy Scriptures and becomes informed of the mysteries of the Kingdom!

No matter how far the material world advances, it cannot establish the happiness of mankind. Only when material and spiritual civilization are linked and coordinated will happiness be assured.

O thou dear handmaiden of God, thy letter was received and thou did state with distress your grievous sorrows like unto a grave prison. Praise be to God that thou didst attain freedom and made your way from prison to the palace. Rest thou assured that confirmations of the Holy Spirit will reach thee and the fragrances of the Abhá Kingdom will waft over thee. A true Bahá’í is always free, and is always soaring in the zenith of the kingdom of God. Do not let sorrow and sadness afflict thee rather pass thy days in happiness and joy that thou mayest attain a new birth in the world of the love of God and that thou mayest be completely freed from all fear and all danger. Eternal life is ordained for thee; wherefore art thou frightened? The portals of the kingdom are flung quite open before thy face; wherefore dost thou grieve? The true spiritual life of man is attained after ascension from this material world just as man’s bodily life is attained after he is born from the world of the matrix. Even thou one did have a life in the mother’s womb but that life was without radiant joy, but when one is born from the mother one's human material life becomes affected. Similarly in this world even thou one should attain some spiritual life its resemblance is that of the embryo. But when one leaves this world and hastens to the world of God, the world of the kingdom then one will attain a complete spiritual life. I beseech God that thou mayest remain steadfast in this heavenly matter and thereby attain all your wishes and aspirations.

Praise be to God! -- the kind friends of God are also in a state of resignation and submissiveness. All are happy, thankful, joyful and content.

The bliss of man is the acquiring of heavenly bestowals, which descend upon him in the outflow of the bounty of God. The happiness of man is in the fragrance of the love of God. This is the highest pinnacle of attainment in the human world. How preferable to the animal and its hopeless kingdom!

The obstacle to human happiness is racial or religious prejudice, the competitive struggle for existence and inhumanity toward each other.

The progress, achievement, and happiness of man result from obedience to the laws set down in the holy Books.

There is no soul so happy that this might be the fruit of his past pain!

Therefore the heart is never at rest and never finds real joy and happiness until it attaches itself to the eternal. How foolish the bird that builds its nest in a tree that may perish when it could build its nest in an ever-verdant garden of paradise.

True happiness depends on spiritual good and having the heart ever open to receive the Divine Bounty.

Verily thy Lord lighteth the lamp of love in the heart of whomsoever He chooseth. This is indeed the great happiness.

We must all be in the greatest happiness and comfort, under a just rule and regulation which is according to the good pleasure of God, thus causing us to be happy, for this life is fleeting.

When we ponder carefully over the soul of man we realize that the effects of the soul conditions are manifest in all the motions and activities of the external man. For example, if the soul is functioning in a vibrant, spiritual, optimistic and happy environment its effect will be instantaneous and most powerful on the physical body. On the other hand, if the soul is in the grip of fear; if it is weak or in a state of melancholy, the body will immediately respond to those vibrations.

Fear and imagination have a great effect upon the body of man. For example, if a person is swimming and permits fear to take possession of his soul, he will immediately lose confidence and also control of his movements. If he is walking upon the ridge of a mountain or the top of a high building and fear enters in, he will tremble and fall. A ropewalker illustrates this principle very aptly. Through the reasoning faculty such perfect control is maintained that he walks upon the rope with perfect poise.

Also, the effect of the inner man upon the outer is not limited to the man himself, but has a general effect upon others. If, for instance, some one begins to yawn from fatigue in a group, others will soon follow his example, or if he is full of vivacity and happiness he will electrify others around him.

These few illustrations point the clear fact that the world of the soul has independent existence; its effect is creative; it reverberates with the vibrations of joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, friendship and estrangement.

...if the soul of man is reinforced by the divine powers and energies, not only his own body will be come a perfect example of health and radiation and joy, but he will radiate like the sun those rays of happiness to all who come in touch with him.

The lives of the Founders of our Faith clearly show that to be fundamentally assured does not mean that we live without anxieties, nor does being happy mean that there are not periods of deep grief when, like the Guardian, we wrap ourselves in a blanket, pray and supplicate, and give ourselves time for healing in preparation for the next great effort.

The more we make others happy the greater will be our own happiness and the deeper our sense of having served humanity.

We must, at all times, put the Faith first and our personal desires and comfort second. Having this Faith we have eternal security and happiness which nothing can take away from us ever, no matter what afflictions may befall a faithless world. The Cause of God is our security, and confidence in Bahá’u’lláh our protection.

The laws do not represent a sterile and inhumane legal code, but rather the divine prescription , a definition of how an individual must act in order to achieve true freedom and spiritual happiness in this world and the next.

The one who compromises with the law for the sake of his own apparent happiness . . . does not attain the happiness he sought, he retards his spiritual advance and often brings new problems upon himself.

There is a currently popular philosophy which says that each human being should be free to do whatever he wishes, and makes him happy, so long as his actions do not harm anyone else. This sounds very attractive, especially in a world which has been so oppressed by totalitarian regimes of one kind or another. One of the major difficulties in applying it is to be found in the degree to which individuals' perceptions of what is harmful vary. Another, which is often overlooked, is the average human being's ignorance of the divinely intended goal of his existence.

We are not then called upon to be so successful and so happy that we never suffer. Our willingness to suffer is part of our demonstration of love for all mankind. Along with it, however, we must also be able to develop the spiritual muse not to dwell on our suffering but to turn our attention away to the great and many sources of our joy. For it is in God that we place our confidence, it is the life processes which the Faith has set in motion which we trust, knowing that it takes time and includes many setbacks.

A great many people embrace these cults which become fashionable for a time. But when the Novelty wears off or dissatisfaction sets in, or the movements become impotent and disintegrate, then they look for another saviour, another movement or another sect, and there are many to turn to throughout the world. And so the experiment to find peace and tranquillity in one's life continues. But so far few have found happiness or peace of mind.

At the threshold of the one true God no act is more meritorious than imparting happiness to the hearts of the friends. Each one of the friends should, most willingly, endeavor to bring happiness, joy and gladness to those with whom he associates.

Be not perturbed, grieved or angry because all these are harmful. Rather, live ye your days

happily and joyously so that ‘Abdu’l-?Bahá may rejoice in the happiness of the friends, and his weakness may be reduced.

Be ye always the bearers of glad tidings and spread such news quickly . . . On the other hand, if ye have a bad message or news for a certain person, show ye no haste in conveying it, and trouble not the heart of the concerned individual. When I have bad news for someone, I do not convey it to him openly, rather do I converse with him in such wise that when he heareth the news, my words bring comfort to him.

Be ye always the source of happiness to the hearts, for the best of men is one who winneth the hearts and refraineth from troubling any soul, and the worst of men is one who vexeth the hearts and causeth people to be grieved. Always endeavour to gladden the people and to rejoice their hearts so that ye may be enabled to guide them.

Happiness influenceth the preservation of health, but sorrow causes various diseases.

In Chicago the Master revealed ‘one of His most buoyant Tablets’, requested by a newspaper reporter:

Be happy! Be happy! The Sun of Truth has shone!

Be happy! Be happy! The Light of the Spirit has surrounded the world!

Be happy! Be happy! The doors of the Kingdom are opened!

Be happy! Be happy! The song of the Supreme Concourse is raised!

Be happy! Be happy! The breaths of the Holy Spirit are life-giving and the world of man is being quickened.

Those words remind us of another passage of His:

Glad Tidings!

For everlasting life is here.

O ye that sleep, awake!

O ye heedless ones, learn wisdom!

O blind, receive your sight!

O dear, hear!

O dumb, speak!

O dead, arise!

Be happy!

Be happy!

Be full of joy.

In New York ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, ‘May everyone point to you and ask “Why are these people so happy?” I want you to be happy . . . to laugh, smile and rejoice in order that others may be made happy by you.’

No aspect of contemporary civilization is more directly challenged by Bahá’u’lláh's conception of the future than is the prevailing cult of individualism, which has spread to most parts of the world. Nurtured by such cultural forces as political ideology, academic elitism, and a consumer economy, the "pursuit of happiness" has given rise to an aggressive and almost boundless sense of personal entitlement. The moral consequences have been corrosive for the individual and society alike - and devastating in terms of disease, drug addiction and other all-too- familiar blights of century's end. The task of freeing humanity from an error so fundamental and pervasive will call into question some of the twentieth century's most deeply entrenched assumptions about right and wrong.

The best food is happiness.

The happiness the Master knew through Bahá’u’lláh He wished for others. One of the very first pilgrims to ‘Akka from the Occident recalled her party’s last interview with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: ‘In the might and majesty of His presence, our fear was turned to perfect faith, our weakness into strength, our sorrow into hope, and ourselves forgotten in our love for Him. As we all sat before Him, waiting to hear his words, some of the believers wept bitterly. He bade them dry their tears, but they could not for a moment. So again He asked them for His sake not to weep, or would He talk to us and teach us until all tears were banished . . .’

To Mrs. Smith, a new Bahá’í, who belonged to a distinguished Philadelphia family and who was suffering from a headache, the Master said, “You must be happy always. You must be counted among the people of joy and happiness and must be adorned with divine morals. In a large measure happiness keeps our health while depression of spirit begets diseases. The substance of eternal happiness is spirituality and divine morality, which has no sorrow to follow it.