Suffering In Homer's Odyssey

Without a doubt, the Odyssey by Homer is an epic suffused with suffering and its characters are plagued by the sensation, but through Lao-tzu's eyes and the lens of the Tao Te Ching, the Odyssey is nothing more than an epic littered with fools to learn from. In order to see the Odyssey through Lao-tzu's eyes, a logical progression must be undertaken. The first hurdle is understanding the immutable fact of life, and from there, grasping the true nature of suffering. Only then can one scrutinize the Odyssey and its characters to learn from their mistakes. With this understanding in hand, one has the necessary tools to grasp how life should be lived as proclaimed by the Tao; content in one's self, possessions, and situation.

As grand as it may

No experience in life is innately good or bad nor is it positive or negative. Meaning that suffering is a label that is arbitrarily assigned by an individual. This fact is illuminated from the very beginning of the Tao Te Ching in chapter two where it says that "when people see somethings as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good other things become bad" (Tao Te Ching, chapter 2). What Lao is saying here is that by forming a spectrum you create both the positive and the negative. Thus, if you label one thing good, something else must be labeled as bad. In the same way, if humans label one state as pleasant, another state must be labeled as suffering. Suffering, as far as the Lao is concerned, serves as the enemy of a well lived life and Taoist principles. However, as a self-created state, suffering is avoidable. In chapter 15 Lao suggests that "the master doesn't seek fulfilment. Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things" (Tao Te Ching, chapter 15). Thus, by not "seeking" or "expecting," one does not set themselves up for a spectrum of fulfillment. Now, no matter what comes that individual's way, they can "welcome" it and be content with whatever it may be. With all this said, now we can begin to examine how one should live through the eyes of

The most classic example in the Odyssey of a failure to do so can be found in Telemachus. When the book first opens, and Athena asks Telemachus if he is the son of Odysseus, Telemachus answers with bitterness and spurns who he is and where he comes from. He tells Athena, "My mother says that Odysseus is my father. I don’t know this myself. No one witnesses his own begetting. If I had my way, I’d be the son of a man fortunate enough to grow old at home" (Odyssey, page 7, lines 232-235). Here, Telemachus, in his own way, denies his roots by claiming that he does not know if Odysseus truly is his father. Furthermore, Telemachus wishes he was someone else, "the son of a man fortunate enough to grow old at home." As a result, Telemachus lacks confidence and, in turn, gets no respect. Telemachus lives in his father's shadow rather than being content enough with who he is, to be his own person. This can be seen when the reader is first introduced to Telemachus as he is sitting, "picturing in his mind his noble father, imagining he had returned and scattered the suitors, and that he himself, Telemachus, was respected at last" (Odyssey, page 4, lines 123-126). Here, Telemachus lacks confidence in who he is and feels he needs his father to scatter the suitors and to gain