Happiness: Suffering, Sacrifice, Service

In the third part of this series on happiness, examining the “three S’s” above, it is proposed that the trials of suffering can make one happier. Sounds counter-intuitive. “Does the soul progress more through sorrow or through the joy in this world?” was the question posed to Abdu’l-Baha in Paris, in the early 20th century. He replied:

"The mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering…His attitude in this world will be that of divine happiness. Man is, so to speak, unripe: the heat of the fire of suffering will mature him. Look back to the times past and you will find that the greatest men have suffered most…. Through suffering he will attain to an eternal happiness which nothing can take from him. The apostles of Christ suffered: they attained eternal happiness."

(Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 178)

No-one enjoys sorrow. Suffering presents itself in countless ways and it is for this reason that no-one is left unaffected. Everyone is tested in various ways; ways which may differ from person to person. Whilst many a time we may find circumstances unbearable, it is how we deal with, and accept the latent wisdom that lies within these challenges, that provides a path to happiness:

" …suffering, although an inescapable reality, can nevertheless be utilised as a means for the attainment of happiness. This is the interpretation given to it by all the prophets and saints who, in the midst of severe tests and trials, felt happy and joyous and experienced what is best and holiest in life. Suffering is both a reminder and a guide. It stimulates us better to adapt ourselves to our environmental conditions, and thus leads the way to self improvement. In every suffering one can find a meaning and a wisdom. But it is not always easy to find the secret of that wisdom. It is sometimes only when all our suffering has passed that we become aware of its usefulness. What man considers to be evil turns often to be a cause of infinite blessings."

(Shoghi Effendi, The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha’i Community)

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