Book SummaryWhy Buddhism Is True, by Robert Wright

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Why Buddhism Is True

In Why Buddhism Is True, Robert Wright argues that modern evolutionary science supports Buddhism's core insights into the human condition. And in addition to having a valid theory, Buddhism provides an effective practice—mindfulness meditation—that can help us become happier, wiser, and more moral if we make it a small daily habit.

Looking beyond these benefits for individuals, Wright also contends that Buddhist-inspired mindfulness could help bring about a widespread transformation in human awareness. Such a shift, he holds, must happen if we’re to overcome major global issues, like war, and avoid squandering billions of years of life’s evolutionary progress.

Wright, an award-winning journalist who’s lectured at Princeton and Penn State, bases his arguments on multiple sources. These include interviews with expert meditators, Buddhist scriptures, and his experience meditating daily and attending intensive meditation retreats. He also references his prior research and writing about evolutionary science...

Why Buddhism Is True Summary The Problem: Our Basic Nature

To begin, we’ll lay out Wright’s assertion that the Buddhist concepts of dukkha (suffering) and tanha (craving) offer an accurate view of the human condition. Next, we’ll tell how, according to Wright, modern science supports these ideas.

Buddhism’s Claim: Life Is Unsatisfying

Wright explains that the first of Buddhism’s “Four Noble Truths” is dukkha: the idea that life is chronically unsatisfying. Though it often gets translated as “suffering,” Wright says that dukkha refers not only to obvious, significant suffering like profound grief but also to the subtle state of dissatisfaction we all tend to live in.

The key to understanding this subtler degree of dukkha lies in a second Buddhist idea, tanha. Roughly put, tanha means craving. We're constantly craving something—whether it’s the simple pleasure of a good meal, the achievement of a long-held dream, or simply a shift away from some unpleasant state or experience. This repetitive cycle of desire and temporary fulfillment keeps us perpetually unsatisfied, always reaching for the next thing we believe will make us happy.

(Shortform note: In *[Radical...

Why Buddhism Is True Summary The Explanation: Our Clouded View

Now that we’ve described how Buddhism and evolutionary science agree about the human condition, we’ll next explain how Buddhist theory resolves this problem. Specifically, we’ll detail Wright’s explanations of no-self (anatta) and emptiness (sunyata), and we’ll tell how they dovetail with evolutionary science.

(Shortform note: In this guide, we’ll present the theoretical and practical aspects of Buddhism in separate sections, following Wright. However, veteran Buddhist meditators say you can’t fully understand these ideas without also experiencing them. Wright still attempts to intellectualize them, and so have we—but don’t expect these famously cryptic concepts to make complete sense without some practice. Some cognitive scientists distinguish between “propositional” knowledge, or knowing about something in terms of ideas and abstractions, and “participatory” knowledge, or knowing about something in an experiential, embodied way. The latter may be what Buddhists say is necessary to fully understand Buddhist ideas.)

Buddhism’s Claim: We Don’t See Clearly

If we’re always...

Why Buddhism Is True Summary The Solution: Mindfulness Meditation

Up to this point, we've seen how Buddhism and modern science agree on some fundamental truths about human nature: We're caught in a cycle of dissatisfaction, and it’s largely because we don't see reality. Wright says that although science validates this belief, it doesn’t offer a solution. In contrast, Buddhism does: mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness Can Improve Individual Lives

Wright explains that mindfulness meditation, a practice from the Vipassana tradition of Theravada Buddhism, involves observing your inner experience with greater objectivity.

While you can practice observing thoughts, feelings, and much more, Wright argues that it’s at the level of feeling that we most need to become mindful. This is because, as discussed above, feelings propel our thoughts and actions—not the other way around. Science supports the idea that we should become mindful of our feelings: For instance, research suggests that paying mindful attention to the feeling of the craving to smoke can be a more effective addiction treatment than medication or nicotine patches.

(Shortform note: While Wright emphasizes mindfulness of feelings, other evidence-based approaches [suggest...

Shortform Exercise: Observe Your Mental Modules

Get to know the various "modules" that compose your mind, experiencing firsthand how observation can create space between impulse and action.

Think of a recent decision you made (like what to eat for lunch or whether to check your phone). What different "voices" or impulses arose around this choice?