Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright

Why Buddhism is True

Author: Robert Wright

Genre: Non-fiction, Philosophy

Format: Digital via Libby

Publish Date: May 2018

Read: March 2023

Favorite Quote: Imagine if our negative feelings, or at least lots of them, turned out to be illusions, and we could dispel them by just contemplating them from a particular vantage point.

Synopsis: Recommended by Ryan Holiday, I was curious to read Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright to learn more about how Buddhism and Stoicism are alike. I’ve had a long-standing interest in Buddhism, meditation, and the concept of enlightenment. Wright does an excellent job of taking an extremely nuanced topic and breaking it down for an everyday audience. Why Buddhism is True shares how meditation can help improve your life. Leaning on evolutionary psychology and the move, The Matrix, Why Buddhism is True will help you better understand your mind and actions.

Why does this book beguile? This book did not disappoint. Wright comes across as extremely intelligent, yet approachable, and a wee bit irreverent. Wright does a great job throughout Why Buddhism is True to make such philosophical discussions approachable. There are times in the book that are hilariously frustrating when Wright seems to be arguing himself in circles - but that’s the point. Buddhism contradicts itself (much like all religions and mythologies) and Wright works to break out of the infinite loops the literal texts present.

Rating: 5/5

Link*: Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment by Robert Wright