I disagree waffle, nothing materialistic can make you truly happy, it can give you a short burst of happiness, but soon that wears off and your back at sqaure one.

True hapiness comes with the freedom from duhka and the realisation that you are complete and happy.

I'm an exception then I suppose. I've always found happiness, lasting happiness, through achievement and materialistic goals. Its not the end all be all, but I guess I'm not great at explaining things.

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When you masturbate, God kills a kitten... so do your part to help control the overflowing pet population.

Money can make you happy on some level. It's the centeral thing that people work 40-60 hours a week and basically give up their day lives to get it. Money=power in modern society and without it you are left on the street with no car, no home and looking to others to provide you with your next meal.

If you don't make money you're not able to adequatley survive comfortably in society. The more money you have the more comfortable you can be. Everyone wants nice cars, big houses, the best products, boats, ect.

Money can buy happiness if you know how to use it. For example, take the people you care about on vacations every month to new parts of the world and explore the earth or you can donate it to a homeless shelter and watch all the people who thank you for selflessly helping them out. Money at it's core won't make you happy but it can give you access to many things and opportunities that will.

I think money will not truly buy happiness unless you are doing truly fulfilling things with it. For me personally, making a difference in the lives of others. I'm not saying I'm living in an estate and driving a Jauguar by any means but I'd feel rather guilty personally not helping people who don't have as much money as me or not giving my all to the people who give me money.

To connect what Fin and Waffle were debating about money=freedom.

- Chris

Although I agree with the most-part of that statement, something is missing.

*people may want to refer to a good book on buddhism in order to grasp more fully what I'm expressing here.*

The experience of traveling for instance, may lead to good memories and experienes that will lead to positive emotions like short bursts of happiness.

However this still gives rise to duhka, it is a life that still attempts to find happiness/(full-fillment) through the pursuit of needs and desires, that will not satisfy, needs and desires that will lead to chasing ghosts leaving unfullfilment and suffering.

For once the money goes, or the ability to travel freely is lost, their is nothing more to life. The desire and need that fuelled your life before can no longer be chased.

One of the great noble truths in this world is that all things in this cosmos are subject to flux and change a constant ceasing an recreating of being, nothing will ever be permanent, which is why we cannot ever rely on the physical world to provide us with happiness, fullfilment. Once we are free of duhka (roughly translated as a want to do/achieve/posses something no matter whether it is moral or complex or pleasure of he flesh it is still duhka) we become enlightened and we see all the pleasures in life.

The fact is that happiness is an opinion that only we can hold on the state of the world, and it is something that only we internally can hope to obtain forever. For any external form of happiness is subject to flux and change and soon it will be gone, leaving another void in your life.

Like I say happiness isn't about what you have, it's about learning to be happy with what we already possess and where we are. It's about seeing the positive in everything. Whether it seems to be bad or not at first.