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MariaKorusiewicz
progress”indicatesthecrucialroleofthemythinrevealingthesecretcul-de-sacs
ofourculture.
However,itisworthmentioningthattheideaoftheuniversalityofourinter-
pretationoftheOedipusmyththatwassuggestedbyFreud)sTotemandTaboo
hasbeenquestioned.Oedipalthemesandmotifsarefoundinalltraditions
(aswasshown,yearsago,byMalinowskiandconfirmedrecentlybyanthropolo-
gistsfromStanford3),beingthedirectconsequenceofgenerationalchangeand
thepassingofbothauthorityandtherighttothefullnessofexistentialexperi-
encefromfatherstosons,buttheparticularprocessesofmaturationandcon-
structionofidentityarevaried,beinginterwovenintothelivingbodyofagiven
culture.
TemythofOedipusońersinterestingcluesifwereaditinthecontextofthe
legendoftheBuddhistprinceAjātaśatru,acontemporaryofBuddha,inJapan
calledAjase.TelegendhasbeenchosenbyJapanesepsychoanalysisastherepre-
sentationoftheso-calledAjasecomplex.Since1932,thankstotheleadingJapa-
nesepsychoanalystKosawaHeisaku,ithasbeenregardedasabasisandframe
ofreferenceforanalysingJapaneseculture,mentalityandsocialrelations.Ithas
beenclaimedtosuittheneedsoftheJapanesesocietymuchbetterthantheEuro-
peanversionoftheOedipuscomplex.4Whatisinterestingisthatthesubjectis
similar:aroyalfamilydestroyedbylove/hate,byshameandguilt.Teinhabit-
antsofthisworldfacelimit-situationsofsuńeringanddeath,andtheprotago-
nist,Ajase,reaches–throughtheprocessesofself-awakening–towardtheinner
truthofthings.5Moreover,bothprotagonistsareforetoldthattheywillbecome
forbiddenfruit,)writesGirard.Butmimeticmancovetsthefruitbecauseitisforbidden.…Imi-
tatingOedipus.Perhapsthisisexplanationenough?”See:MarkR.Anspach,introductionto:
ReneGirard,OedipusUnbound(Stanford:StanfordUniversityPress,2004),xxxvi;xxxix;liv.
3AllenW.JohnsonandDouglasRichardPrice-Williams,OedipusUbiquitous:TeFamily
ComplexinWorldFolkLiterature(Stanford:StanfordUniversityPress,1996),5.
4AsRogerPerronstates:“TetermOedipuscomplexitselfdidnotappearinFreud)spub-
lishedworkuntilhispaper“ASpecialTypeofObject-ChoiceMadebyMen”(1910h,171).Atthat
time,withsomereluctance,heborrowedthewordcomplexfromCarlJung.Freud)sreference
tothemythofOedipus,however,originatesmuchearlier.InaletterdatedOctober15,1897,
tohisfriendWilhelmFliess,hewrote:“Ihavefound,inmyowncasetoo,fallinginlovewith
themotherandjealousyofthefather,andInowregarditasauniversaleventofearlychild-
hood...Ifthatisso,wecanunderstandtherivetingpowerofOedipusRex”(1954[1887-1902]).
“OedipusComplex,”InternationalDictionaryofPsychoanalysis(2005),www.highbeam.com
/doc/1G2-3435301008.html.
5KosawaHeisakubasedhistheoryontheversionofthetalepreservedinKanmuryojukyo,
acollectionofBuddhistwritingsdevotedtothethemeofsalvationinrelationtothefigureofthe
mother:
Longago,inthetimesofBuddha,therelivedakingnamedBinbashara.Ashiswife,queen
Idaike,isgrowingold,shedreamsofason,whowouldensureheraplaceinherhusband)sheart.
Teprophecysaysthatinthenearbyforestlivesawiseoldman,whowilldieanaturaldeathto
bebornagainasherson.Unfortunately,Idaikecan)twaitthatlongbecauseherbeautyisfading,