Yes , Hesse's Siddhartha was popular in the " Tumultuous Sixties ". But I prefer Aquinas to " OM ! "

 

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"The book, Hesse's 9th novel, was written in German, in a simple, lyrical style. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. "

Yes , Hesse's Siddhartha was popular in the " Tumultuous Sixties ". I enjoyed re-reading it on a dreary ,winter Sunday afternoon. But Western Civilization traits in me make me unreceptive to Eastern mysticism . Or maybe I just prefer the " mysticism of the old Catholic Latin mass and the logical mind of Saint Thomas Aquinas to mental cacophony of " OM ! ".

And as a democratic socialist I think some mystical unity with ALL , unity with the universe, can never reconcile me to this capitalist hell. ( NOTE : is there not a bit of charlatan in the rich kid who goes around begging ? )

Of course , everyday life must be grounded in the COMMON SENSE of Science . In OBJECTIVE REALITY.