From Manual espírita by "Bhima" (Francisco I. Madero), 1911.
English translation by C.M. Mayo, from:
...Metaphysical Odyssey Into the Mexican Revolution:
...Francisco I. Madero and His Secret Book, Spiritist Manual
...By C.M. Mayo (Dancing Chiva, 2014)


ON HAPPINESS (EXCERPT)

Q. Can you tell me a little more about what is understood by happiness according to Spiritism?

A. I have already said that happiness is only found in abiding by the law, indeed, humanity has always tried to find felicity in material pleasures, riches, etc.
Many people, tired of life, have turned to drunkenness to forget sorrows, for they do not have the courage to bear them, nor the sufficient strength to struggle against adversity.

Happiness cannot be found on these paths. It is found in the joys of the spirit by upright men, those of moderate habits and who are therefore awake, their spirit lucid. Their spirit admires all that is truly great and beautiful. And so we see those people delighting in contemplating the beauties of nature, the more notable works of art, and the works of superior men who reveal to humanity glimmers of the life Beyond. Finally, these admirers of all that is good, aided by reading and study, are constantly in touch with select spirits who have visited the earth. They emulate these higher beings, and follow in their footsteps. Whenever they dedicate themselves to study, to increasing their knowledge that they may better comprehend the laws of Universe, they feel such pure joy, that only those who have experienced it can understand.

The man who takes pleasure in learning will always be happy in this world, for no human power can impede his study. He will also be assured of his happiness in space for, when his spirit is free from its physical shell, with greater lucidity and greater aptitte, he can devote himself with even greater dedication to study.

Studying, in increasing the sphere of our knowledge, makes us more sensitive to all the beauties of nature and it increases our enjoyment in contemplating them.
Another one of the important benefits of studying is that it aquaints us with the divine laws and so enable us to adapt our actions in accord with them.

Naturally, the man who is studious and good, free of passions, serene, of profound knowledge, and a lover of the beautiful, will always find in his fellow men something to admire, something that inspires his love for them, even if it is only their resignation to suffering.

Individuals who have achieved this level have expanded their love in a considerable fashion. They love not only their family, not only the inhabitants of their country, but all human beings and even animals.

In sum, happiness is only found in study and in doing good, in loving our fellow men.

According to the revelations of the spirits and, because it is perfectly logical to believe it, human beings, in departing the flesh, live in space for a more or less long time, until once again, they incarnate on earth.

The period that separates one incarnation from the next is longer to the degree that the spirit has evolved and is capable of developing itself in a purely spiritual environment.

When a spirit has aquired all the experience it can on earth, it will no longer incarnate on its surface, but will remain in space for a long period or incarnate on planets where more evolved spirits reside.

On the other hand, we see that among the less evolved humans, only physical necessities will cause them to develop their intelligence. For these beings, life in space has no attraction or use and sadly, they waste their time, so to them it is more attractive to incarnate in this world where they look for happiness by satisfying minor necessities, for this requires from them certain efforts, forms their character, and in this manner prepares their spirit to develop itself in higher spheres.

Spirits who are a little more advanced in science, but not in virtue, do not find happiness in space either, because they have only used their knowledge to exploit their fellow men and live at their expense, giving free reign to their passions.
People who are acustomed, whether to idleness or indulging in material pleasures, cannot find any satisfaction in life nor in space, and when they arrive there, they will suffer terribly, for they cannot carry on the life to which they were accustomed on earth.

I will give you two examples so that what I want you to understand may be more deeply impressed upon your imagination:

Undoubtedly, music is one of the more beautiful manifestations of art. Nevertheless, not all music can be appreciated by the general population. If you take a person who does not have a very developed artistic sensibility to a concert of the best music, alas, he will not understand, nor can he appreciate its beauty, and instead of enjoying it, he will find it boring.

So you see, even to appreciate music's beauty, of music one needs to have a highly cultivated taste for it. It is the same with all the beauties of Nature: only cultivated spirits can appreciate and admire them.