Freud and Dogen

In CIVILIZATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS, Freud advocates that a binary opposition exists between Eros and the death-drive. Thus, these two forces are present simultaneously, which Freud acknowledges by saying the, "phenomena of life could be explained from the concurrent or mutually opposing action of these two instincts," (Freud 73). This tension seems to be a Western construct-- indeed, Freud cites Christianity in the final chapter and its dichotomy of heaven and hell, which a Christian is stuck between. However, the Zen Master Dogen doesn't seem to subscribe to this type of cosmic dualism. For example, in BIRTH AND DEATH, Dogen writes:

It is a mistake to suppose that birth turns into death. Birth is a phase that is an entire period of itself, with its own past and future. For this reason, in buddha-dharma birth is understood as no-birth. Death is a phase that is an entire period of itself, with its own past and future. For this reason, death is understood as no-death.

In birth there is nothing but birth and in death there is nothing but death. Accordingly, when birth comes, face and actualize birth, and when death comes, face and actualize death. Do not avoid them or desire them. (Dogen 75)

Dogen seems to avoid Freud's fatalism by appreciating birth/no-birth and death/no-death as separate phenomena. Freud's dualism describes itself in terms of itself. In other words, Eros is described in regards to the death-drive and vice versa and an individual's agency wavers between these two extremes.

Dogen's sentiments of birth/no-birth and death/no-death suggest both reason as well as resilence due to the discipline of "facing and actualizing" a situation. The character of Tomo illustrates this discipline. For example:

Innocent of learning, she had never been taught how to understand a person intellectually and was constitutionally incapable of letting her actions follow the natural dictates of her instincts. Only this had made it possible for her to live in unswerving allegiance to the feudal code of feminine morality and to take as her ideal the chaste wife who grudged no sacrifice for her husband and family. (Enchi 52)

Unlike the other characters, Tomo doesn't follow the "dictates of her insticnts" which seem to frame things in binary oppositions like morality and immorality and fluctuate between the two. Instead, Tomo would "face and actualize" the situation of morality/ no-morality. Although the difference is subtle, for Tomo immorality isn't a necessary outcome of morality.