THE Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, on page 57 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," writes: "Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it." Since happiness in its highest and best sense is spiritual, is "born of Truth and Love," it is obvious that it is not to be found in anything less than that which reflects or expresses the nature of God, divine Mind. Being an attribute of divine Mind, happiness is not derived from any human source. Being spiritual, it does not proceed from matter or from any mortal person, thing, or circumstance.
It has been proved in the experience of countless thousands that material riches, social prominence, business success, popularity, prestige, and worldly honors do not bring to one the true happiness that is identical with spiritual joy. The fleeting things of earth, its temporary triumphs and its empty honors, have not the power to make one truly happy. This was evidently known to the writer of Ecclesiastes, who said. "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."
There is no way to reach the divine state of happiness except through attainment of spiritual riches, through gaining that understanding of God which constitutes the kingdom of heaven within. Mrs. Eddy, out of the depth of her human experience, wrote on page 281 of "Miscellaneous Writings," "I learned long ago that the world could neither deprive me of something nor give me anything, and I have now one ambition and one joy." And she found happiness in her discovery of Christ, Truth, and in sharing her discovery with others.
