It is essential to understand, instead of believe, what 286 286:1relates most nearly to the happiness of being.

Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to 21share it.

Unselfish ambition, noble life-motives, and purity, — 9these constituents of thought, mingling, constitute in-dividually and collectively true happiness, strength, and permanence.

    Soul has infinite resources with which to bless mankind, 30and happiness would be more readily attained and would be more secure in our keeping, if sought in Soul. Higher enjoyments alone can satisfy the cravings of immortal 61 61:1man. We cannot circumscribe happiness within the limits of personal sense. The senses confer no real 3enjoyment.

    The good in human affections must have ascendency over the evil and the spiritual over the animal, or happi-6Ascendency of goodness will never be won. The attainment of this celestial condition would improve our progeny, diminish crime, and give higher aims to ambi-9tion. Every valley of sin must be exalted, and every mountain of selfishness be brought low, that the highway of our God may be prepared in Science.

    Experience should be the school of virtue, and human happiness should proceed from man’s highest nature.

The beliefs we com-Denials of divine powermonly entertain about happiness and life 6afford no scatheless and permanent evidence of either. Security for the claims of harmonious and eternal being is found only in divine Science.

    If we look to the body for pleasure, we find pain; for Life, we find death; for Truth, we find error; for Spirit, 261 261:1we find its opposite, matter. Now reverse this action. Thoughts are thingsLook away from the body into Truth and Love, 3the Principle of all happiness, harmony, and immortality. Hold thought steadfastly to the endur-ing, the good, and the true, and you will bring these 6into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.

    The effect of mortal mind on health and happiness is 9seen in this: If one turns away from the body with such Unreality of painabsorbed interest as to forget it, the body experiences no pain. Under the strong im -12pulse of a desire to perform his part, a noted actor was accustomed night after night to go upon the stage and sustain his appointed task, walking about as actively 15as the youngest member of the company. This old man was so lame that he hobbled every day to the theatre, and sat aching in his chair till his cue was spoken, — a signal 18which made him as oblivious of physical infirmity as if he had inhaled chloroform, though he was in the full pos-session of his so-called senses.

    Upon this stage of existence goes on the dance of mortal mind. Mortal thoughts chase one another like snowflakes, 30and drift to the ground. Science reveals Life as not being at the mercy of death, nor will Science admit that happi-ness is ever the sport of circumstance.

    Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it. Divine Principle is the Life 18Harmony natural of man. Man’s happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense.

    Job said: “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the 18ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.” Mortals will echo The true senseJob’s thought, when the supposed pain and pleasure of matter cease to predominate. They 21will then drop the false estimate of life and happiness, of joy and sorrow, and attain the bliss of loving unselfishly, working patiently, and conquering all that is unlike God. 24Starting from a higher standpoint, one rises spontane-ously, even as light emits light without effort; for “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

But how shall we re-form the man who has more animal than moral courage, and who has not the true idea of good? 27Through human consciousness, convince the mortal of his mistake in seeking material means for gaining hap-piness. Reason is the most active human faculty. Let 30that inform the sentiments and awaken the man’s dor-mant sense of moral obligation, and by degrees he will learn the nothingness of the pleasures of human sense 328 328:1and the grandeur and bliss of a spiritual sense, which silences the material or corporeal.

Sorrow is salutary.

    Sorrow has its reward. It never leaves us where it found us.

For true happiness, man must harmonize with his Principle, divine Love; the 9Son must be in accord with the Father, in conformity with Christ.

Science inevitably lifts one’s being higher in the scale of 3harmony and happiness.