Eunoe - and remembering

[richard]

After the full restoration of soul and relationship – and understanding God’s Grace in the process – there is one last stop in Eden, with the River of Eunoe.

The Greek Tradition had five rivers, and Dante here invents a sixth river from the words “well” (eu-) and “nous”, a “well/good mind”, as the purpose of the river.

While often thought of as the river to “restore the memories of the Good” or of “the Good deeds”, there is also likely a much deeper function, drawing on St. Aquinas and older Catholic theology: the soul deep inside has memories of its own origins, and roots, in God. So in a way, this final scene could also imply that the final “touch” of preparation for the ascent to Heaven, is to connect your soul with its deepest roots in existence, reality, the breath and image of God, within its very origins.

This might also be why Matelda provides this function here, as the transformed earthly life that is transparent for Divine realities. She has the capacity to lead or assist in this process or threshold for the soul, to have its first experience of again sensing or “remembering” its origins. Which would in a larger way complete Eden with not only the soul and the relationship, but also its memory of connection.

When Matelda gently tells Stazio to go with the Pilgrim, this likely suggests that this new remembrance of origins, is a step that every soul will go through as completing the Purgatorio. The task is complete. And the Heavens await, in the stars.

[Sean]

First of all, lovely forum It reminds me very much of the “old days” of the internet when there were small, tight-knit gathering spaces for particular niches. Having a good place like this, not fast-paced and engagement-driven, is really nice.

Eunoe as an addition to the classical Greek rivers feels very Baptismal, particularly appropriate after the journey through Purgatorio and in preparation for Paradiso. And I see some parallel to Eunoe in modern therapy practices for example, too; once you’ve “dug up” and worked though past traumas, understanding how events in your life shaped you for better or for worse, you get to go forward with the feeling of “now what do you want, what life do you want to live?” Essentially in being aware of your “original sin” that shaped you but is out of your control, and having put the work in to shape yourself in the new way of living that you want, you will focus on the “good mind” or Eunoe going forward

[richard]

First of all, lovely forum It reminds me very much of the “old days” of the internet when there were small, tight-knit gathering spaces for particular niches. Having a good place like this, not fast-paced and engagement-driven, is really nice.

Eunoe as an addition to the classical Greek rivers feels very Baptismal, particularly appropriate after the journey through Purgatorio and in preparation for Paradiso. And I see some parallel to Eunoe in modern therapy practices for example, too; once you’ve “dug up” and worked though past traumas, understanding how events in your life shaped you for better or for worse, you get to go forward with the feeling of “now what do you want, what life do you want to live?” Essentially in being aware of your “original sin” that shaped you but is out of your control, and having put the work in to shape yourself in the new way of living that you want, you will focus on the “good mind” or Eunoe going forward

Welcome Seán!

And thank you so much! That was exactly the thinking; somewhere not fast-paced and engagement-driven, that can feel peaceful and stable - and where the focus is to ponder the substance more deeply.

Great points about Eunoe too, it can only be found and bathed in for Dante after both admitting mistakes, and also understanding them. Then, he can "flush" again, and establish the "good mind".

Plus also - it becomes a way for Dante to embed the Greek in something spiritual. There is an extra step/embedding dimension, beyond the Greek.