--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In this world when you ask of happiness…" description: "\"“In this world when you ask of happiness Pain steps forward”\" — Guru Nanak" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/guru-nanak-7186_happiness_in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness_1847425.jpg" --- # In this world when you ask of happiness Pain steps forward ![“In this world when you ask of happiness Pain steps forward” quote by Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/guru-nanak-7186_happiness_in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness_1847425.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/guru-nanak-7186_happiness_in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness_1847425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/guru-nanak-7186_happiness_in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness_1847425.jpg) > ““In this world when you ask of happiness Pain steps forward”” [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Happiness is pursued through confronting pain; suffering is a pathway to joy. **In simple terms:** Face pain to find happiness. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges as growth opportunities. Themes happiness pain spirituality growth acceptance Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - grief - career setbacks - spiritual practice Key Concepts Sikh teachings philosophical insight Questions to Reflect On - What pain can you transform? - How does suffering shape your joy? A Different Perspective Pain can overwhelm if unprocessed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Steps forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps-forward/) ## Related quotes > [“In this world when you ask for happiness Pain steps forward”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/in-this-world-when-you-ask-for-happiness-pain-steps-forward/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [We ask for happiness but what we get is unhappiness. We all put our efforts into trying to be happy but we make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/we-ask-for-happiness-but-what-we-get-is-unhappiness-we-all-put-our/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [This is the deepest experiment of life. And whatever has been discovered in regard to life, this is the most significant finding of all:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/this-is-the-deepest-experiment-of-life-and-whatever-has-been/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“...you are responsible for the happiness you get. You have the right to be happy. but you do not have the right to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-smart/you-are-responsible-for-the-happiness-you-get-you-have-the-right-to/) Jenny Smart > [When people ask me how to find happiness in life I tell them, First learn how to cook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-simic/when-people-ask-me-how-to-find-happiness-in-life-i-tell-them-first/) [Charles Simic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-simic/) > [Music, such music, is a sufficient gift. Why ask for happiness; why hope not to grieve? It is enough, it is to be blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-seth/music-such-music-is-a-sufficient-gift-why-ask-for-happiness-why-hope/) [Vikram Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-seth/) > [...sometimes we ask ourselves why happiness took so long to arrive, why it didn't come sooner, but appears suddenly, as now, when we've given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/sometimes-we-ask-ourselves-why-happiness-took-so-long-to-arrive-why/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [Most people ask for happiness on condition. Happiness can only be felt if you don't set any condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-rubinstein/most-people-ask-for-happiness-on-condition-happiness-can-only-be-felt/) [Arthur Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-rubinstein/) > [We don’t even ask happiness, just a little less pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/we-don-t-even-ask-happiness-just-a-little-less-pain/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“Terrible beautiful combination of happiness and pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/terrible-beautiful-combination-of-happiness-and-pain/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [The first person who's on your mind the moment you open your eyes after a long sleep is the reason of either your happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-person-who-s-on-your-mind-the-moment-you-open-your-eyes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being single won't give you 100% happiness but it will keep you from the pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-single-won-t-give-you-100-happiness-but-it-will-keep-you-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The first person you think of in the morning, or last person you think of at night, is either the cause of your happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/the-first-person-you-think-of-in-the-morning-or-last-person-you-think/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A lifetime of lonely regret or happiness with some pain along the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-nathan/a-lifetime-of-lonely-regret-or-happiness-with-some-pain-along-the-way/) [Melissa Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-nathan/) > [“You Can't have happiness without pain; You need to have a little bit of rain, to have a little bit of rainbow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-lengyel/you-can-t-have-happiness-without-pain-you-need-to-have-a-little-bit/) Felix Lengyel ## More by Guru Nanak > [...O my heart! Love God as the chatrik loves the rain drops, Who even when fountains are full and the land green, Is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/o-my-heart-love-god-as-the-chatrik-loves-the-rain-drops-who-even-when/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [When the purpose of the appointment to ,cohabit with the widow bas been attained in accordance with the law, those two shall behave towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/when-the-purpose-of-the-appointment-to-cohabit-with-the-widow-bas/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [Make of the Silence your to-do tasks, of the compassion your wealth and of the meditation your beggar's bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/make-of-the-silence-your-to-do-tasks-of-the-compassion-your-wealth/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [Be kind to all beings, this is more meritorious than bathing at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage and donating money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/be-kind-to-all-beings-this-is-more-meritorious-than-bathing-at-the/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The Life of the world, the Great Giver, the Architect of karma He Himself grants forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/the-life-of-the-world-the-great-giver-the-architect-of-karma-he/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The widow cries out at the door, The light of my mind has gone out, O my mother, with his death. So cry out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/the-widow-cries-out-at-the-door-the-light-of-my-mind-has-gone-out-o/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [Those who have loved are those that have found God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/those-who-have-loved-are-those-that-have-found-god/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [No calamity happens to those who eagerly follow auspicious customs and the rule of good conduct, to those who are always careful of purity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/no-calamity-happens-to-those-who-eagerly-follow-auspicious-customs/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [I don't die... He who is merged with the omnipresent is never gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/i-don-t-die-he-who-is-merged-with-the-omnipresent-is-never-gone/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [“Your Mercy is my social status.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/your-mercy-is-my-social-status/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The highest religion is to rise to universal brother hood; aye to consider all creatures your equals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/the-highest-religion-is-to-rise-to-universal-brother-hood-aye-to/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [A man who, ever covetous, displays the flag of virtue, ,who is a hypocrite, a deceiver of the people, intent on doing injury, ,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/a-man-who-ever-covetous-displays-the-flag-of-virtue-who-is-a/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [See the brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of Yogis; conquer your own mind, and conquer the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/see-the-brotherhood-of-all-mankind-as-the-highest-order-of-yogis/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [God is one, but he has innumerable forms. He is the creator of all and He himself takes the human form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/god-is-one-but-he-has-innumerable-forms-he-is-the-creator-of-all-and/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) [Explore all 94 Guru Nanak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In this world when you ask of happiness Pain steps forward”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Guru Nanak" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness-pain-steps-forward/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness-pain-steps-forward/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/guru-nanak-7186_happiness_in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness_1847425.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/guru-nanak-7186_happiness_in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness_1847425.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/guru-nanak-7186_happiness_in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness_1847425.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In this world when you ask of happiness Pain steps forward” — Guru Nanak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Guru Nanak", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In this world when you ask...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness-pain-steps-forward/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/in-this-world-when-you-ask-of-happiness-pain-steps-forward/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```