What makes this claim radical is that the Dalai Lama isn't merely blessing pleasure—he's making happiness a *duty*, not an indulgence to feel guilty about. Most of us treat contentment as something we'll earn after accomplishing enough, after we've proven our worth through suffering and striving. Yet he suggests that by postponing joy, we're actually failing at life's central assignment. When a grieving parent finally permits themselves to laugh at dinner three months after a loss, they're not being disloyal to sorrow; they're honoring what the Dalai Lama knew: that happiness and purpose aren't opposing forces, but the same thing wearing different clothes.