Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Enlightenment” as Want to Read:
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Enlightenment
Enlarge cover
Rate this book
Clear rating
Open Preview

Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Enlightenment

4.05  ·  Rating details ·  7,724 ratings  ·  859 reviews
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 designe
...more
Audiobook, 336 pages
Published August 8th 2017 by Simon Schuster Audio (first published 2017)
More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Why Buddhism is True, please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Isobel Atkins I read this book because I really enjoyed Nonzero, a book the author wrote a while ago. At first I was disappointed he was writing about Buddhism…moreI read this book because I really enjoyed Nonzero, a book the author wrote a while ago. At first I was disappointed he was writing about Buddhism because it wasn’t a subject I was interested in. I had meditated before in yoga classes, it was kind of boring. I really enjoyed the book and it has convinced me to give meditation another try. A meditation retreat may even be somewhere in my distant future and if I do ever end up going I would need to credit the influence of this book.(less)
Bita Enayati Salvation in Buddhism means reaching liberation from suffering here and now so one doesn’t have to wait until death to see if paradise or hell are…moreSalvation in Buddhism means reaching liberation from suffering here and now so one doesn’t have to wait until death to see if paradise or hell are true or not. Our minds create our realities. Listening to the Dharma enables us to stand on a ground that’s unchanging.(less)

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30
4.05  · 
Rating details
 ·  7,724 ratings  ·  859 reviews


Filter
 | 
Sort order
Darwin8u
Aug 13, 2017 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: 2017, religion
“The problem with introspection is that it has no end.”
― Philip K. Dick

description

For years I've told people I was a Zen Mormon. More as a way to squirm into the edges of LDS cosmology, and less because I was practicing anything really approaching a hybrid of Buddhism and Mormonism. But I've always been attracted to Buddhism, like many Westerners before me. I'm thinking of Herman Hesse, W. Somerset Maugham, Jack Kerouac, and Peter Matthiessen. I've always been attracted to the intersection of cultures, ph
...more
Roy Lotz
A far more accurate title for this book would be Why Mindfulness Meditation is Good. For as Wright—who does not consider himself a Buddhist—admits, he is not really here to talk about any form of traditional Buddhism. He does not even present a strictly “orthodox” view of any secular, Western variety of Buddhism. Instead, this is a rather selective interpretation of some Buddhist doctrines in the light of evolutionary psychology.

Wright’s essential message is that the evolutionary process that sh
...more
Mehrsa
Aug 11, 2017 rated it it was amazing
I've read every book Wright's written and all have been fantastic. This is my favorite. It's the perfect book for the cultural moment we're in. Forget the title--it's misleading. The book is a nice primer on meditation and evolutionary theory with some helpful insights. Basically, our brains are not wired for peace and happiness--only to propel our genes forward. There's a yearning for more programmed into us and the only antidote is mindfulness meditation. I've read a ton of evolutionary theory ...more
Brian Bergstrom
Aug 07, 2017 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
This is a truly remarkable, fantastic book. It is one of those rare volumes that will turn your head inside out and leave you seeing the world differently, not because he (or it) is extreme, but because reality is extreme; he is sewing together science and philosophy and offering readers a breathtaking tapestry for their consideration. Briefly, his argument is that our minds are populated by evolved psychological adaptations that were naturally selected for their adaptive utility, NOT for seeing ...more
Toto
Aug 26, 2017 rated it did not like it
Neither scientific, nor philosophical, nor in fact, enlightened, this book is the perfect example of facile thinking.

You will say, I won't deal with the "supernatural" part of a religion, god, reincarnation and karma etc., but will riff only about what you like: mindfulness practice that helped you out of your southern baptist metaphysical prejudices;
You will not question one iota of the theory of evolutionary psychology, or darwinism in general and claim that the buddhism you prefer is consist
...more
Ken
In book titles, the sub-title after the title is a popular but often unnecessary thing. In this case, it's necessary. Why Buddhism Is True is very much indeed about The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment.

Especially the science. Or so it struck me, who at times grew impatient with the science aspect. Frankly, I was much more engaged by the Buddhism part of the book--Wright's experiences, chiefly, and his attempts (in Buddhism, there can be nothing but attempts) to explain the
...more
Indran Fernando
Oct 02, 2017 rated it did not like it
Even if this book has its occasional thought-provoking moment, my overwhelming reaction is shock at how fluffy and slipshod the writing is. It seems as if Wright submitted a rough draft to make some quick cash. (Why waste time on an editor--just throw a goldfish on the cover and wait for the Whole-Foods-goers to take out their mandala-adorned hemp wallets.) A promising book was undermined by the author's unwillingness to do research or teach himself about Buddhism or anthropology.

Instead, he oft
...more
Shilpi Gowda
Nov 18, 2017 rated it it was amazing
For the first time ever, as soon as I finished this book, I returned to the beginning and began it again.
Murtaza
Oct 31, 2017 rated it really liked it
Growing up I always had a problem reading philosophy books, which often seemed to be written in a way that made them deliberately obtuse and inaccessible. For that reason I was really glad when I discovered the writing of Will Durant, an early 20th century writer who became popular for revisiting the arguments of the great philosophers in a clear and unpretentious language. It struck me as a very American thing to do, and I think with this book Robert Wright does much the same thing with Buddhis ...more
Radiantflux
62nd book of 2017.

I imagine the author at a diner party, demanding complete attention from those present, while he describes at length being at an intense macho meditation retreat in the Maine woods, having the unfortunate luck of sitting next to a fat flatulent person. Telling all present very seriously that he's not the sort of person who is OK with flatulence, especially from other people, especially if they are fat, but because of his very serious (but also very modest) attempts at mediation
...more
Ross Blocher
Oct 11, 2017 rated it really liked it
I've been interested in many of Robert Wright's other books, but this is the first one I've read. The title is misleading (and perhaps nonsensical?), but there's plenty of interesting reflection here on the benefits of mindfulness meditation, both in terms of personal health and wellbeing, and in better understanding the nature of self and the universe in ways consistent with what scientific discovery has revealed on those subjects. It is in THAT sense that Buddhism is "true", and Wright hastens ...more
Michael Austin
Jan 26, 2019 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: read-in-2019
Here are a two things about myself that shaped my reading of Why Buddhism Is True

First, I like to play at evolutionary theory. I am not a scientist, but I did write a book on evolutionary psychology (Useful Fictions: Evolution, Anxiety, and the Origins of Literature) as it applies to the human attraction to literature, and, in writing this book, I read a lot of popular-science-type evolutionary psychology, including Robert Wright’s first three books. I liked them, and I thought that they were a
...more
Richard
Aug 28, 2017 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
I’d strongly recommend this for anyone curious about meditation, specifically the Buddhist Vipassanā “mindfulness” meditation that everyone and their dog is doing, attempting, or at least talking about.

What Robert Wright provides is the very welcome examination of the scientific basis of the claims and practice. Wright is a journalist so deeply embedded in cognitive science that he has taught in the philosophy department at Princeton and the psychology department at the University of Pennsylvani
...more
Carrie Poppy
Aug 31, 2018 rated it it was amazing
Life changing.
MGMaudlin
Aug 26, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 2017
I was a huge fan of Wright's EVOLUTION OF GOD where he tracked the progress in humanity's idea of God from an evolutionary paradigm. That is why I was surprised by his new book: In what sense did he mean Buddhism is "true"? Well, he is still a naturalist but he has discovered that Buddhism has done the best job of describing the human problem and how to transcend our natural states and live happier, more peaceful lives--namely, through the practice of meditation. He even has some eschatological ...more
Shaina Robbins
It took me a while to put my finger on why I found this book irritating, but I think I've figured it out. I LOVE self help books based on scientific and psychological research, ones that cite a lot of studies and academic papers. I HATE self help books based on the personal opinions and philosophical musings of the author.

Based on reviews and descriptions of WHY BUDDHISM IS TRUE, I thought it would be the former, when it was in fact the latter.

I also felt like the author only made about five ma
...more
Sarah
Aug 09, 2017 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Interview with the author on Fresh Air:
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-sh...
Tom Grover
Sep 24, 2017 rated it it was amazing
This book is essentially an introduction to secular Buddhism. The emphasis on the utilizing Buddhist ideas and practice to recognize the distortions in our perception of reality both inwardly and outwardly. The book covers several core Buddhist ideas, however, it doesn't actually spend much time with the mechanics of meditation practice. I would recommend that before anyone read this book, they learn and try a little meditation practice. It will help provide context for the concepts the author t ...more
Camelia Rose
Jan 28, 2019 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: science
Is the title misleading? Like any other words for religion and ideology with thousands of years' history, Buddhism is a loaded word, especially for someone from the east. During my upbringing, I have unavoidably heard enough stories about greedy monks and shady monasteries, witnessed the rampant ridiculous superstitions in day to day practice. As to Buddhism philosophy (mostly Zen Buddhism), I found it impossible to understand and vastly impractical. For example:

-- Life is an illusion (but why y
...more
Tadeas Petak
Sep 27, 2017 rated it it was amazing
A good friend of mine suggested this book for a book circle, which was awesome, as it made me read it a bit more thoroughly than I would have otherwise. Given the topic, showing that modern psychology corroborates buddhism and its theories, it is a very good idea to be paying attention.

First things first. If you find the title of the book off-putting, don’t despair. The author goes out of his way to explain why he chose it and multiple times states that he realises how bold of a statement this i
...more
Holly
Jan 29, 2018 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: 2018-reads, audio
I started out skeptical, but once I realized what Wright was doing here I became very interested, sometimes fascinated. He's well-known as a sort of irascible atheistic moralist (The Moral Animal, The Evolution of God, etc.) and so maybe not someone I'd have expected to dive into mindfulness meditation, but in fact he's been practicing since 2003 and here he shares observations on his own experiences and then applies evolutionary psychology and cognitive neuroscience to understanding the meditat ...more
Billie Pritchett
Aug 30, 2017 rated it liked it
Shelves: buddhism
I listened to Robert Wright's Why Buddhism Is True in audiobook format. I'm glad I did. It's a good work. What Wright does in the book is argue for the major tenants and practices of Buddhism insofar as they help us with the tendencies we've been endowed with through natural selection. For example, anger as an emotion may have served our species inasmuch as it helped propagate our genes, but it does very little for us in the modern world. It might be more useful to adopt some of the meditative p ...more
Dan Graser
A bit of an extended throat-clearing before I explain rating a book by an author who I hold in very high esteem with a measly 2 stars:
1) I absolutely was enthralled with Robert Wright's, "The Moral Animal," and I think any animal wishing to understand morality should read it.
2) I am not a Buddhist but I have studied meditation extensively and read nearly all of the Buddha's writings, a particular treat was the Glenn Wallis edition of The Dhammapada.
3) Though a skeptic myself, I enjoy engaging wi
...more
Vinit Nayak
Mar 17, 2018 rated it really liked it
Very insightful and raises very good discussion questions.
As expected with a book of this kind, you have to go in w/ an open mind.

More important TL;DRs:
Feelings are very central and important to humans. They’ve been put in place by evolution to get us to where we are today. However, because we far outpaced the rate of evolution, they are now out-of-place and misinterpreted. Feelings aren’t “bad”, they do still provide us with many quick judgements that we wouldn’t be able to make at the consciou
...more
Morgan Blackledge
Jun 01, 2018 rated it really liked it
This is Robert Wright’s attempt to square the insights and outcomes of Buddhist practices and philosophy with evolutionary psychology.

The book is confused and confusing at times. But that’s mostly because Buddhism is pretty confused and confusing when you press down hard on some of its key constructs.

That being said. Write is honest about his areas of confusion and does a more than admirable job of exploring and resolving the dissonance over the course of the book.

Ultimately, Write’s basic arg
...more
Robyn Hammontree
This was excellent. I’ve read a lot of books this year, and this was, by far, the most intellectually stimulating. I highly recommend it if you’re into books/apps like Headspace, but are wondering about deeper, more psychological and philosophical aspects of meditative and mindfulness practices. It’s not a book you can read quickly, and you shouldn’t try. By nature, it asks you to stop, think, and contemplate how these things relate to you. I’m sure the things I’ve learned from these pages will ...more
Graeme Newell
Jan 15, 2019 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: overdrive
I really enjoyed Robert Wright’s previous book, “The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology.” Wright dove deep into the field of evolutionary psychology, the study that says human psychology has been primarily molded by evolutionary forces. In “Why Buddhism is True” Wright takes us along on his wary journey through the world of Buddhist meditation. Despite his questioning and resistance, he comes out the other side a firm believer in the power of medi ...more
Mondo
May 23, 2018 rated it it was ok
I think I may not have been the target audience for this one. Only part I enjoyed or found particularly interesting or useful were quotes by other authors. Still glad I read it though.
Socraticgadfly
Sep 25, 2017 rated it did not like it
Wrong from the title on

Ignore the blurbs, it’s still a bad book

There are several reasons for that.

First, IMO, Wright is overrated. I rated “The Evolution of God” as a one-star. This one had a chance to get lucky, even though it was starting minus 1 star due to the title alone. That title, and ding, along with puffery from too many others, though, cost it that chance to do better.

Now, within specific reasons it’s a bad book.

First, ev psych isn’t nearly as true as Wright claims. And, as I said in
...more
Joab Jackson
Dec 11, 2017 rated it it was amazing
We may think we see the world around us clearly, but our view is distorted by the powerfully magnetic influence of natural selection – the insistent push from our genes to see everything in terms of passing them on to the new generation. “Natural selection didn’t design your mind to see the world clearly. It designed your mind to have perceptions and beliefs that would help take care of your genes,” Wright writes.
« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 next »
  • After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
  • Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy
  • Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions
  • Siddhartha's Brain: Unlocking the Ancient Science of Enlightenment
  • The Science of Enlightenment: Teachings and Meditations for Awakening Through Self-Investigation
  • Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body
  • The Bodhisattva's Brain : Buddhism Naturalized
  • The Trauma of Everyday Life
  • The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra
  • Unsubscribe: Opt Out of Delusion, Tune In to Truth
  • Awakening Compassion: Meditation Practice for Difficult Times
  • Dakini Power: Twelve Extraordinary Women Shaping the Transmission of Tibetan Buddhism in the West
  • The Age of Atheists: How We Have Sought to Live Since the Death of God
  • An End to Suffering: The Buddha in the World
  • Montaigne in Barn Boots: An Amateur Ambles Through Philosophy
  • Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are
  • Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening
  • Meditation Is Not What You Think: Mindfulness and Why It Is So Important
741 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

ROBERT WRIGHT is the author of The Moral Animal, Nonzero, and Three Scientists and Their Gods. The New York Times selected The Moral Animal as one of the ten best books of the year and the other two as notable books of the year.

Wright is a recipient of the National Magazine Award for Essay and Criticism and ha
...more
“Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.” 14 likes
“natural selection didn’t design your mind to see the world clearly; it designed your mind to have perceptions and beliefs that would help take care of your genes.” 12 likes
More quotes…