Some Answered Questions, Two Kinds of Torment
Translated. Original Persian
oceanoflights.org/abdul-baha-bkw22-5-02-en/
Some Answered Questions, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Fifth Edition, page 305
Two Kinds of Torment
Know that there are two kinds of torment: subtle and palpable. For example, ignorance is itself a torment, but it is a subtle torment; indifference to God is itself a torment; falsehood is itself a torment; iniquity and treachery are torments. Indeed, all the human imperfections are torments, but they are subtle torments. A person endowed with a conscience will certainly prefer to be killed rather than to sin, and to have his tongue cut out rather than to slander and lie.
The other kind of torment is palpable and consists in physical punishments such as imprisonment, beating, expulsion, and banishment. But for the people of God, to be veiled from Him is still more grievous than all these torments.