A Sisyphean Task: The Buddha’s Perseverance and Its Application to Religious Dialogue

Abstract

Sisyphus, a character in Greek mythology, symbolizes the power of perseverance, an aspect of human beings often chronicled and revered. The word “Sisyphean task”, as it became known, represents the struggle to perform a task that seems to be unattainable or never-ending. The Buddha himself also embodied the power of perseverance as he struggled through seemingly endless obstacles on the way to achieve enlightenment. Although the “Sisyphean task” requires physical effort, the most important requirement involves our mental state. If we can master the mind, then no obstacle, no matter how difficult, can be conquered. This essay examines examples of people who have possessed these traits.