Question: Is material happiness illusory ?
Answer: When you eat chocolate, is the chocolate illusory? No. Is the experience illusory? No. Is the happiness you experience illusory? No.
Question: Is material happiness painful?
Answer: Depends on the type of happiness. In the 18th chapter of the Gītā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa states that happiness is of three types: sattvik, rajasic, and tamasic happiness. Sattvik happiness is material happiness, because it is under sattva guṇa. He says that the happiness which is like poison in the beginning but like nectar in the end is sattvik happiness. So you could say this happiness is painful in the beginning (owing to the subduing of the senses etc), but the pain goes away at the end. Conversely, the happiness which is like nectar at the beginning but becomes painful at the end is rajasic happiness. So a general statement cannot be made that all material happiness is painful.
Question: Is material happiness limited?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Is it addictive? Flickering, stale?
Answer: It depends on the person. Not all people are walking around addicted to everything. It is possible to enjoy in moderation, and many do.
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