Why Buddhism is True

The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment

By: Robert Wright

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

From one of America’s most brilliant writers, a New York Times bestselling journey through psychology, philosophy, and lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness.

At the heart of Buddhism is a simple claim: The reason we suffer—and the reason we make other people suffer—is that we don’t see the world clearly. At the heart of Buddhist meditative practice is a radical promise: We can learn to see the world, including ourselves, more clearly and so gain a deep and morally valid happiness.

In this “sublime” (The New Yorker), pathbreaking book, Robert Wright shows how taking this promise seriously can change your life—how it can loosen the grip of anxiety, regret, and hatred, and how it can deepen your appreciation of beauty and of other people. He also shows why this transformation works, drawing on the latest in neuroscience and psychology, and armed with an acute understanding of human evolution.

This book is the culmination of a personal journey that began with Wright’s landmark book on evolutionary psychology, The Moral Animal, and deepened as he immersed himself in meditative practice and conversed with some of the world’s most skilled meditators. The result is a story that is “provocative, informative and...deeply rewarding” (The New York Times Book Review), and as entertaining as it is illuminating. Written with the wit, clarity, and grace for which Wright is famous, Why Buddhism Is True lays the foundation for a spiritual life in a secular age and shows how, in a time of technological distraction and social division, we can save ourselves from ourselves, both as individuals and as a species.

Critic reviews

“A sublime achievement.”
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

“Provocative, informative and... deeply rewarding.... I found myself not just agreeing [with] but applauding the author.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“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, bestselling author of Quiet

“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 bestselling author of Authentic Happiness

“A fantastically rational introduction to meditation…. It constantly made me smile a little, and occasionally chuckle…. A wry, self-deprecating, and brutally empirical guide to the avoidance of suffering.”
—Andrew Sullivan, New York Magazine

“[A] superb, level-headed new book.”
—Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian

“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 bestselling author of Real Happiness

“What happens when someone steeped in evolutionary psychology takes a cool look at Buddhism? If that person is, like Robert Wright, a gifted writer, the answer is this surprising, enjoyable, challenging, and potentially life-changing book.”
—Peter Singer, professor of philosophy at Princeton University and author of Ethics in the Real World

“Delightfully personal, yet broadly important.”
—NPR

“[Why Buddhism is True] will become the go-to explication of Buddhism for modern western seekers, just as The Moral Animal remains the go-to explication of evolutionary psychology.”
—Scientific American

“Cool, rational, and dryly cynical, Robert Wright is an unlikely guide to the Dharma and ‘not-self.’ But in this extraordinary book, he makes a powerful case for a Buddhist way of life and a Buddhist view of the mind. With great clarity and wit, he brings together personal anecdotes with insights from evolutionary theory and cognitive science to defend an ancient yet radical world-view. This is a truly transformative work.”
—Paul Bloom, professor of psychology at Yale University and author of Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion

Compelling argument.

Wright does an amazing job linking evolutionary psychology and Buddhism. The justification of core Buddhist concept via natural selection is a refreshing way of looking at Buddhism. I found this way to follow since just prior to this book, I listened to the Selfish Gene by Dawkins.

Excellent book

If you have been thinking about learning to meditate but aren’t interested in the metaphysical side of Buddhism, this book is for you. Also found the app Headspace very helpful!

Mind blowing - really

Robert Wright does a fantastic job in discussing evolution and how it's changed our view of the world and life around us. Moreover, he dives in to Buddhism and the values and techniques used to try and escape from our conditioned thinking and view the world with a fresh set of eyes. Add a little humor and Fred Sanders excellent performance and you will be hooked. A profound book that can be life changing.

Best text on the topic I’ve seen.

Highly recommended for anyone no matter what they believe or how developed their spiritual or meditative practice.

Really wonderful

I really enjoyed listening to ‘Why Buddhism is True.’ Robert Wright does a great job describing how mindfulness meditation is an incredibly helpful tool for both insight into our how our minds work (as opposed to how we normally think of how they work) and for changing our automatic relationships to thoughts, feelings and beliefs. His central argument - about how Natural Selection has resulted in human brains having considerable biases and distortions that can be recognized and countered through mindfulness meditation practice - is very well supported and lucidly explained. I love how thoroughly and clearly he describes how the characteristics and inherent goals of Natural Selection have created the conditions for the Buddhist observations of craving, suffering, illusion and a false sense of self and self importance. I like his descriptions of personal meditation experiences and the relaxed, open tone of the writing. I’m not such a huge fan of the reoccurring Matrix metaphor, but it works. I really, really enjoyed it!