The Dalai Lama holds that the happiness that wealth and material goods provide us is only sensual in nature. Instead of providing true happiness, material possessions often cause unhappiness and internal suffering. His vision is accurate, balanced and can withstand criticism. Material goods can only provide us with a superficial level of happiness limited to the “sensual level” (p16). In other words, it can only make us more physically comfortable or improve our physical well-being. The fact that we have “thoughts and emotions as well as imaginative and critical faculties” (p16) is a clear indication that our needs are not purely physical or sensual. Material possessions cannot provide us satisfaction beyond the physical realm. It cannot help alleviate our feelings of “anxiety, stress, confusion, uncertainty and depression” (p16). Indeed, material wealth is often the cause of such feelings. This is evident in the prevalence of such feelings and emotional suffering in materially developed countries (p5). According to the Dalai Lama, genuine happiness is “lasting and therefore meaningful” (p57) unlike contentment resulting from material wealth. True happiness comes from inner peace, which is based on concern for others, empathy and sensitivity. The fact that inner peace is the "main characteristic of happiness... explains the paradox" (p55) that there are people who are unhappy despite being materially rich and people who are happy despite being poor. Detractors of the Dalai Lama's view might argue that material peace and wealth contribute to happiness that goes beyond sensuality. First, money opens many doors and offers more choices, effectively providing freedom of action as from...... middle of paper ...... learns that, just as there are different forms of suffering, there are different types of happiness . While it is possible to achieve sensory happiness through material possessions, true happiness can only be achieved through inner peace. And while poverty is not an ideal, money isn't everything either. Consuming yourself by accumulating material wealth does not generate happiness, but rather causes unhappiness. Works Cited Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho. Ethics for the new millennium. New York: Riverhead, 1999. Print.Gammell, Caroline. "We are richer than we were in 1987, but not happier." The telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, April 9, 2008. Web. April 14, 2014. Hertz, Larry. “Does money buy happiness?” Vassar, the Alumnae/i quarterly. Np, 2012. Web. 14 April 2014. Dickens, Charles. David Copperfield: Charles Dickens. New York NY: Baronet, 1977. Print.