“Seek ye divine happiness through the hardships and sorrows of this physical world..”
Hardship
However suffering and pain by themselves won’t cause happiness, we must be willing to suffer and understand the wisdom of pain and sufferings and the role they play in our spiritual growth. Our willingness to suffer is part of our demonstration of love for all mankind:
O SON OF MAN!
“The true lover yearneth for tribulation even as doth the rebel for forgiveness and the sinful for mercy.” (Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)
“Unless one accepts dire vicissitudes, not with dull resignation, but with radiant acquiescence, he will not attain happiness. The afflictions which come to humanity sometimes tend to centre the consciousness upon the limitations, and this is a veritable prison. Release comes by making of the will a Door through which the confirmations of the Spirit come.” (Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 120)
“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. Distil sugar and honey from the bitter poison of suffering. Recognize the caress of divine favour in the arrows of misfortune.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í Scriptures, p. 439)
“Physical pain is a necessary accompaniment of all human existence, and as such is unavoidable. As long as there will be life on earth, there will be also suffering, in various forms and degrees. But suffering, although an inescapable reality, can nevertheless be utilized 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 to better 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. And this is due to his desire to know more than he can. God's wisdom is, indeed, inscrutable to us all, and it is no use pushing too far trying to discover that which shall always remain a mystery to our mind." (Shoghi Effendi-Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 280)
Pursuing physical happiness as the sole object of our lives can only ever be a formula for frustration and disappointment – we will always find our lives, at some point, to be lacking in one way or another. By pursuing spiritual happiness instead, and focusing our efforts on service to others and acquiring spiritual growth, our eyes will be opened to the countless blessings in our lives:
“True happiness depends on spiritual good and having the heart ever open to receive the Divine Bounty.” (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 108)
“Happiness dependeth on the spiritual glad-tidings and not upon material means. It is found in the Kingdom of ABHA and not in this mortal world.” (Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 591)
“suffering, although an inescapable reality, can nevertheless be utilized as a means for the attainment of happiness. ”