Happiness is a simple shadow of the being; unhappiness a shadow of the ego. The ego remains eternally unhappy, and the being is eternally happy. The being cannot be unhappy – that is not its nature. The ego cannot be happy – that is not its nature.

The whole human dilemma is that we go on trying to make our ego happy, and that is not possible. The more we fail, the more unhappy we become. And of course when we feel too unhappy, we try too hard to become happy. And this goes on in a vicious circle.

Osho