Deep Personal Questions on Happiness

12 Nur 163 B.E. – June 15 – 16, 2006 A.D.

I know that this is supposed to be a blog about spiritual poetry, but the subject today is happiness. When I checked my writing.com e-mail this morning, the weekly spiritual newsletter had arrived. The editor posed the following questions, so I thought that, since these questions have an affect on spiritual and mystic poetry, I would post my answers in this blog.

How would you define happiness?

Happiness is a spiritual attribute. It has very little to do with material wealth and comfort. Often people think that they can’t be happy unless they have money and material comforts. This isn’t true, I’ve found that - money or not, material comfort or not – I’m happiest when I’m reading the sacred scriptures or saying a prayer. In fact, when I’m unhappy and depressed saying a prayer changes my attitude. If I’m feeling stressed or am depressed then I usually say either the Remover of Difficulties or the Tablet of Ahmad. However, all the prayers by the Bab, Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha will have a positive affect on my attitude.

Do you consider yourself a happy person?

I’m a happy person when I’m obedient to the commands of Baha’u’llah.
I’m a happy person when I recite the obligatory prayer every day.
I’m a happy person when I chant the Most Great Name ninety-five times every day.

I won’t say I’m happy all the time, when I focus on the spiritual I’m happy, but sometimes the world intrudes and I forget to place things in God’s hands. When I forget to put my problems in God’s hands I’m unhappy. Happiness and trust in God go hand-in-hand.

To answer the question, yes I consider myself a happy person. Even though I sometimes forget where happiness lies, I find my way back to the spiritual path. When I’m on the spiritual path, doing the will of God I’m happy.

If not, what is it that stands between you and happiness?

I think I’ve answered this question already, but just to reiterate and rephrase. Worrying and focusing on the material problems come between happiness and me. When I focus on the material rather than the spiritual, it’s difficult to find the solution to my problems. However, once I begin focusing on the spiritual, reading the sacred writing and prayer, then the solution becomes clear. When I focus on the spiritual, on the positive aspects of life, then positive events overshadow the negative events and more events that are positive begin to happen.
Are happiness and contentment synonymous?

This is an intriguing question. No, I don’t think happiness and contentment are synonymous. One can be contented physically and materially contented being happy. Contentment is a component of happiness, but you can be spiritually happy without being contented physically or materially.

Can you have one without the other?

Yes, you can have contentment without happiness, but having them both at the same time is sometimes better. I won’t say always better, because moderation is all things is important. That’s one reason one isn’t always happy or always sad. The middle of the road is usually best. However, I suspect that even moderation may have it limits. Contentment merges moderation with happiness. If we are contented with what we have, rather then always wanting more, then re receive blessings and one of those blessing is receiving happiness.