Why Buddhism is True

Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment is a 2017 book by journalist and evolutionary psychologist Robert Wright. As of August 2017, the book had peaked at The New York Times No. 4 bestseller in hardcover nonfiction.

In Why Buddhism is True, Wright advocates a secular, Westernized form of Buddhism focusing on the practice of mindfulness meditation and stripped of supernatural beliefs such as reincarnation. He further argues that more widespread practice of meditation could lead to a more reflective and empathetic population and reduce political tribalism. In line with his background, Wright draws heavily on evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology to defend the correctness of Buddhism's diagnosis of the causes of human suffering. He argues the modern psychological idea of the modularity of mind resonates with the Buddhist teaching of no-self (anatman).