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Why Buddhism is True
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment | Robert Wright
From one of Americas 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 only discovering now. Buddhism holds that human suffering is a result of not seeing the world clearlyand proposes that seeing the world more clearly, through meditation, will make us better, happier people. In Why Buddhism is True, Wright leads readers 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 truewhich is to say, a way out of our delusionbut that it can ultimately save us from ourselves, as individuals and as a species.
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KristenDuck
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this audiobook, listening to Robert Wright‘s journey to uncover more about Buddhism and share his wisdom after years of meditation practice and retreats.

This book allows readers to not only hear his personal story, but also more on the philosophy of Buddhism and really the idea of letting go. I particularly liked learning more about Nirvana.

Definitely recommend!

zezeki I've read this back in April and I loved it! It inspired me to finally start to meditate. 4y
62 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Moll
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Pickpick

I thought this one was good! It wasn't my favourite book about Buddhism but I thought it achieved what it intended to very well & I found many parts interesting and helpful

Emilymdxn Excellent book, excellent cover 💛 5y
Moll @Emilymdxn I wish you could react to comments on here; if you could i would have given your comment a heart react (specifically a yellow one 💛) 5y
7 likes2 comments
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wanderinglynn
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#wondrouswednesday

1. Keep, give, or trade/sell. I never lend anymore. If I give away a book, I assume I‘ll never see it again.

2. Depends on the book and what‘s going on in my life. Right now I‘m averaging 5.5 books/week. It‘s been an excellent winter.

3. Tagged—bailed at ch. 5. It wasn‘t what I was expecting. A better title would be Why Mindfulness Meditation is Important. It was mostly about his experience at a mindfulness retreat.

Judybskt I used to lend but now give them away. Too many books came back looking horrible! 5y
wanderinglynn @Judybskt yes, that‘s the other reason. If I got them back, they usually weren‘t in good shape. So now I just giveaway and buy myself a new copy. 😉 5y
Velvetfur I know exactly what you mean about lending - you try to be nice, and share, then after a few months you think "did I ever get that book back from so-and-so?" (nope!) ? 5y
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BookishMe What a misleading title! Pfft 5y
wanderinglynn @Velvetfur Exactly! That‘s why I just give them the book with no expectation of return. 5y
wanderinglynn @BookishMe yes, it was a bit disappointing. I was expecting more on science and Buddhism. But it was really all about mindful meditation. 5y
Eggs Thanks for joining in 💗🌺💗 5y
66 likes7 comments
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wanderinglynn
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Bailedbailed

DNF‘d. Made it through ch. 5 of 16.

He spends a lot of time discussing his a silent meditation retreat & attempts to explain his premise by using what he learned at said retreat. Maybe it‘s the narrator, but the material is not just dry, it‘s arid. Plus, this really wasn‘t what I was expecting based on the title. This is all about mindfulness meditation & less about Buddhism except as to the meditation. Either way, I just couldn‘t get into it.

Hooked_on_books Arid! 😂 Love it. 5y
83 likes1 comment
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wanderinglynn
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#thoughtfulthursday
1. When I‘m sick, hot tea & soup, zicam, fleece blanket, and books. When I‘m sad, I have certain movies I watch while I eat comfort food.
2. I live by the Puget Sound, so every day! 😂
3. I don‘t do monthly goals. And yep! I‘m planning to spend most of the weekend reading #24B4Monday

MoonWitch94 Ohhh the Puget Sound 😍 How beautiful! Thanks for playing! 5y
59 likes1 comment
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Vanessa.Rae
Pickpick

*****

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Bldough
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Lovin‘ it so far!

CoffeeNBooks Welcome to Litsy! 📚 5y
Crazeedi Welcome to Litsy !!❤️❤️ 5y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 💖📖💖 5y
3 likes3 comments
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BillyH
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Pickpick

Book#105 of 400. This book just jumped within my top 5 books of all time. Maybe number 1 I‘m not too sure yet. If the description at all interests you then I‘d get this book. Very thought provoking and really made me rethink what I know and think about myself. I‘ll be listening to this again soon. I hope I am not overhyping this book but for me it was very eye opening.

SW-T It made me do some deep thinking. Really liked that 😊 6y
83 likes6 stack adds1 comment
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SW-T
Pickpick

I liked it. More focus on meditation than expected, but it‘s given me a lot to think about. Gonna take some time to process everything.

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krismlars
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Pickpick

Wanting to learn a little about Buddhism and meditation, I decided to start with this book because it was described as a scientific approach to the religion. It was a good choice for me. I highlighted a lot of passages! It also made me laugh aloud😹

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krismlars
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Prettiest airport bathroom ever? I didn't read on the Boston to Minneapolis leg, but I should be awake enough on my connection to Fargo.

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LibrarianRenee
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This book is making me want to get my behind back on my pillow. And I think I may.

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krismlars
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I recently visited this Japanese Buddhist Temple room at the MFA in Boston. I was surprised to feel a sense of calm and peace as I sat in the room. I am not a religious person, but the experience (as well as other recent personal events) compelled me to pick up this book.

10 likes1 stack add
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SkeletonKey
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Current audiobook.

I‘ve been grumpy today. This is helping.

#buddhism #attachment

28 likes1 stack add
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Morgan7r
Mehso-so

I enjoyed the psychology aspects of the book.

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Angeles
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Pickpick

Great insights about human psychology and the nature of reality. I like that in the last chapter he connects his new found enthusiasm for Buddhism with his background as an observant Christian as a kid with affection and respect for both traditions.

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SkeletonKey
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Happy New Year!!!!

Spent mine at a temple. 🙏🏼

#buddhist #happynewyear #temple #chiangmai #thailand

DivineDiana Fabulous! ❤️ 7y
AmyG Beautiful. Happy New Year!🎊 7y
JessClark78 Happy New Year! 7y
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SkeletonKey @DivineDiana @AmyG @JessClark78 - Hope you all had a great night!! 7y
TheKidUpstairs Happy New Year!!! When you get a chance, send me an email and we can start figuring out what we want to do for a tea lovers postal book club! megansbrady at gmail dot com 7y
SkeletonKey @TheKidUpstairs - Will do! It's going to take me a few more days, I'm traveling now. Happy New Year! 7y
22 likes6 comments
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Jen2
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Buddhism on the beach!

Cathythoughts ❤️ 7y
SkeletonKey That book is on my to-read list. 7y
106 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Well-ReadNeck
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Mehso-so

Lots to ponder. Wright relates Evolutionary Psychology to the mindfulness theories of Buddhism. LOTS to ponder, but also very dry in places. Also, a bit like reading Plato, works as you follow the arguments being made, but I sometimes had questions about the assumptions but of course they cannot be questioned in this format. The narrator was only ok. Some funny parts, but his delivery is so placid, I almost missed them.

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LauraJ
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Pickpick

There were parts of the book that spoke to everyone at book club, but no one loved it. We split between pick & so-so. Knowing a bit about Buddhism and neuroscience, I was hoping for stronger ties between the two. I had the same questions after reading this as I did before reading it. If you lack an understanding of either topic, you may be a better audience for Wright‘s book. .

lynneamch Think I'll skip the book and go with the chocolate wine and donuts. 😉 7y
32 likes1 comment
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LauraJ
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Heading to book club. Wright mentions powdered sugar donuts soooo many times that it seemed like the only appropriate snack to share tonight.

LauraBrook Love them! How was the book? 7y
45 likes1 comment
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LauraJ
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Listening to the audiobook with my neighbor‘s cat. She is less than impressed. #catsoflitsy

Clwojick Eeek so cute! 7y
42 likes1 stack add1 comment
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speljamr
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One more #TBRtemptation for today.

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MrBook
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#TBRtemptation post 2! Just released. The author of "The Moral Animal"--which attempted to explain how evolution shaped our brains--now looks to Buddhism as having the solution for those brains being rigged to anxiety, anger, greed, and fleeting happiness. Buddhism says it's all because we don't see the world clearly, and meditation and reflection will help bring that clarity. How does science back all of this up? #blameLitsy #blameMrBook ?

Cathythoughts Love the title 7y
RobinCaulfield 🆒Ordered this ✅⏳ 7y
LauraJ My book club is reading this for October. 7y
69 likes8 stack adds3 comments
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NerdyRev
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I not only wanted these books, but the covers helped a bunch. The funny part was I was in clerics when I purchased the top 2. The cashier paused, looked at the title and then back at me with a confused look. I said, I have an open mind.

Notafraidofwords lol love that! 7y
Lindy I ❤️open minds. 7y
NerdyRev @Libby1 It just came out today and it sounded great. 7y
38 likes4 comments