Why Buddhism Is True

The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment

By: Robert Wright

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

From one of America's greatest minds, a journey through psychology, philosophy, and lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness.

Robert Wright famously explained in The Moral Animal how evolution shaped the human brain. The mind is designed to often delude us, he argued, about ourselves and about the world. And it is designed to make happiness hard to sustain.

But if we know our minds are rigged for anxiety, depression, anger, and greed, what do we do? Wright locates the answer in Buddhism, which figured out thousands of years ago what scientists are discovering only now. Buddhism holds that human suffering is a result of not seeing the world clearly - and proposes that seeing the world more clearly, through meditation, will make us better, happier people.

In Why Buddhism Is True, Wright leads listeners on a journey through psychology, philosophy, and a great many silent retreats to show how and why meditation can serve as the foundation for a spiritual life in a secular age. At once excitingly ambitious and wittily accessible, this is the first book to combine evolutionary psychology with cutting-edge neuroscience to defend the radical claims at the heart of Buddhist philosophy. With bracing honesty and fierce wisdom, it will persuade you not just that Buddhism is true - which is to say, a way out of our delusion - but that it can ultimately save us from ourselves, as individuals and as a species.

©2017 Robert Wright. All rights reserved. (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"I have been waiting all my life for a readable, lucid explanation of Buddhism by a tough-minded, skeptical intellect. Here it is. This is a scientific and spiritual voyage unlike any I have taken before." (Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and best-selling author of Authentic Happiness)

"This is exactly the book that so many of us are looking for. Writing with his characteristic wit, brilliance, and tenderhearted skepticism, Robert Wright tells us everything we need to know about the science, practice, and power of Buddhism." (Susan Cain, best-selling author of Quiet)

"Robert Wright brings his sharp wit and love of analysis to good purpose, making a compelling case for the nuts and bolts of how meditation actually works. This book will be useful for all of us, from experienced meditators to hardened skeptics who are wondering what all the fuss is about." (Sharon Salzberg, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and best-selling author of Real Happiness)

Buddhism marry science and secularism

Secular reasons to embrace buddhism backed by science and common sense, plus some wishful thinking. Highly recommended, but be careful, it can dramatically change your life (for good)

Truly eye-opening

This was a really enjoyable listen,love the narration, tone, pace and many, many revelations.

Fascinating!

Wright immediately clarifies his choice of title. The book is not an evangelistic call to Buddhism.
The author's sense of humor and analogy, makes a possibly dry subject fascinating.
I enjoyed it.

A book for American Buddhist philosophy

I have struggled with the Eastern, traditional Buddhism for years. I do not intend to live a monk's life but I would like to incorporate their daily philosophies. Robert Wright expertly uses western scientific thinking to infuse the mindfullness part of Buddhism into western thought processes. His techniques for mindfully looking at emotions during meditation has changed my life. It helps one get control of one's truth by clearing out a lot of personal bias that colors the 'truth' in our thinking and feeling. It allows one to see people for just who they are instead of who we THINK they should be. The breathing techniques changed my entire demeanor from a nervous person to a calmer, more confident person. This is an important treatise on western buddhism and it is an easy read/listen.

great material! not so great narrating...

subject matter was great and very helpful. narrators voice made it hard to finish for me though.

More about meditation less about Buddhism, I think

I'm not a Buddhist, but I listened to this anyway because I like the author (as I have seen him on the web and specifically YouTube. If you meditate or if you are like me, interested in it, you will find this book very informative and helpful. #Meditation #Buddhism #Self-improvement #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

A clean, clear, and sharp perspective

The presentation offered a coherent and clear series of arguments substantiated by relevant scientific facts.

I'm now sold on the idea of mindfulness meditation

I've been toying with the idea of beginning a mindfulness meditation routine for two full years and this has sold me on doing so.

great read!

loved it! it's deep. I practice vipassana meditation, this was a lovely Layman's guide to the practice. i would recommend The Art of Living by William Heart after this read if you are still curious about the meditative practice of vipassana.

A rational approach on budism

Very powerful and awakening content. If you want to have a more rational and scientific perspective on budism this is your book.