Happiness

Violet Ker Seymer

Happiness is a divine characteristic of spiritual man, an integral part of his life. It proceeds from divine Principle, Love, and is therefore flawless, legitimate, and permanent.

Christian Science maintains that each one has the right to happiness, and it enables us to analyze and discard unhappiness and to analyze and gain happiness. This it does by inclining our thoughts and desires Godward, to their true source; for as these are spiritually nurtured and developed, we find protection from disappointment and delusion. Happiness is an intelligent mental state with which no outward circumstance can interfere without our consent.

On page 118 of "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy writes, "Self-ignorance, self-will, self-righteousness, lust, covetousness, envy, revenge, are foes to grace, peace, and progress; they must be met manfully and overcome, or they will uproot all happiness." The tyrant of self-will, which often mars even childhood joys, mainly demands things; and it is domineering. But Christian Science changes a possessive sense of happiness into the truly expressive sense of that quality. One who consistently expresses the nature of spiritual man cannot be rendered unhappy, for unhappiness is never anything but the consequence of believing in some unreality. Among the characteristics of man are alertness, obedience, power, joy, progress, and these constituents of happiness are available to one and all.

Happiness, like the kingdom of heaven, is within man and is independent of the presence or the absence of other individuals or of their behavior toward us, for happiness is the master of personal sense, not its slave. Spiritual, selfless happiness can conquer even the deepest sorrow and flood the heart with joy, for the garment of happiness is woven of heavenly qualities.

If there is not enough of this quality in our lives, is there enough disinterested service? Having washed his disciples' feet, Jesus said to them: "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. ... If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Happiness, then, consists in both knowing and doing the right thing, in translating good resolutions into useful actions.

When the widow in the time of need found her pots filled, the command came to her to "sell the oil." The Christian Scientist has the Science of Life to prove to himself and to impart to his fellows; his study is not carried on solely for his own benefit. Happiness is multiplied as it is shared; therefore it needs to be guarded from that selfishness which defeats its own purpose.

Being spiritual, happiness subsists on spiritual nourishment and cannot thrive without it. Now the Christian Scientist is well aware that corporeal sense would surfeit us materially and starve us spiritually, and it is a truism that material pleasures leave unsatisfied the best that is in a human being. Time and thought absorbing material pleasures, which appeal solely to the physical senses, divert the individual from what he is really seeking—satisfaction in life.

"All power and happinesss are spiritual, and proceed from goodness" (ibid., p. 155). Happiness, then, is allied to power and dominion, and mortal mind can neither mar nor make it. It is a token of conscious unity with Truth, Life, Love, and with the substance of spiritual reflection. Christian Science leads one to the source of happiness and enables one to enjoy it in security and serenity.

The belief of personal sense is that happiness depends upon companionships, circumstances, and environment. But if we admit this dependence it may lead us into fretting, criticizing, and regretting of one thing or another, which mental state may culminate in a hopeless sense of loss.

Another ingredient of unhappiness is the belief in fallible temperaments and dispositions. It is a fact that, humanly speaking, some individuals have happier, pleasanter, more light-hearted natures than have others. But through spiritual enlightenment all valleys can be exalted and all heights of pride laid low, for spiritual enlightenment redeems every sense of imperfection. The basic reason of unhappiness is the belief that man is material, and the basic truth about happiness is that man is spiritual.

If our mental obedience to Principle is steadfast, we shall find that our happiness is steadfast. If obedience is vacillating, happiness will also be vacillating; for in order to be abiding, one's happiness must be vested in intelligent thinking, in right feeling, and in constant control over the confusing suggestions of so-called mortal mind. In order to increase our happiness all we need to do is to increase our spiritual understanding of God, man, and creation, and our demonstration of that understanding. "His understanding is infinite." The abundance of good and the laws which provide for its eternal expression in man preclude any necessity for lapsing into unhappiness or discord.

In the stillness of true thinking there is no pretext for suffering; for in the pastures of divine Mind no error is encountered, and in the reflection of divine Love all fear is stilled. "For true happiness," Mrs. Eddy says, "man must harmonize with his Principle, divine Love" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 337).

Violet Ker Seymer

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