The Buddha and Odysseus - The Myth of The Return Journey

In Homer's epic tale of adventure and daring Odysseus spends ten long years getting home from the Trojan War to his beloved Ithaca. It is a story that has moved generations since. Like all great myths it resonates with the deepest levels of what it means to be human. The myth of the return journey is a theme that comes up again and again across cultures and traditions, including in Buddhism. On this evening we will be exploring the themes brought out in The Odyssey and what Buddhism has to say on the questions it brings up. What is this home we are called back to? What must we undertake to get back there? And maybe most importantly, what place does the heroic have in spiritual life?