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PODCAST

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

Buddhism Beyond Belief is a podcast from Susan Piver, a 30 year student of Tibetan Buddhism and founder of the Open Heart Project, an online meditation community with close to 20000 members.With Susan as a friend and guide, we will look at traditional teachings like the four noble truths and the six paramitas–but not from an academic standpoint. Rather, we will talk about how to make it all personal and relevant in everyday life.This podcast is not about Buddhist doctrine. It’s about how anyone can

religion & spirituality buddhism

All Episodes

42:30

Transcending Insanity, Part Six: True Wisdom

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/10/31

In this episode, I explore the sixth and final pāramitā—prajna, or wisdom—the one beyond words and concepts. True wisdom isn’t about knowledge but about recognizing the interdependence of all things and walking the Middle Way between eternalism (“something lasts forever”) and nihilism (“nothing matters”). We revisit the first five pāramitās—generosity, discipline, patience, exertion, and meditative absorption—and see how they lead us to the spacious awareness that meditation reveals. Mindfuln...

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39:00

Meditation is for Mystics (it’s not a life hack)

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/10/24

In this episode, I talk about something that’s been making me a little grumpy: how meditation is often reduced to stress relief. While that’s a real benefit, it misses the deeper purpose — waking up to reality itself in order to be of benefit to others. Meditation isn’t a self-improvement plan. It’s a path of presence — one that begins with self-awareness but is meant to open outward, toward others and the world. When practice stops at “me,” it can harden into self-absorption. When we remembe...

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27:20

Buddhism and the Enneagram (with a musical aside)

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/10/17

In this episode, I share why I wrote The Buddhist Enneagram and how two life-changing systems—the Buddha Dharma and the Enneagram—can support your journey toward wisdom, compassion, and self-understanding. Contrary to common views of Buddhism as merely stress relief, I explore its deeper invitation: to live more fully, to wake up, and to meet life with an open heart. The Enneagram, in turn, becomes a powerful upaya—a skillful means—for making compassion real. In this episode, I talk about: Wh...

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22:18

The Antidote to Anxiety: A Buddhist View (With Drugs)

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/10/10

In this episode, I share something very personal and deeply resonant for the times we’re living in: how we vacillate between hope and fear, and how the Buddhist path invites us to wake up beyond either one. Also, drugs. Just gotta say that right up front. We often think of mindfulness or meditation practice as a way to feel better, to reduce stress or calm down—and while those benefits are real and important, this path is so much more. It’s about learning how to live fully awake, moment...

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15:24

How to Choose a Meditation Teacher

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/09/26

Thinking about working with a meditation teacher? It’s a powerful step—but how do you choose the right one? In this episode, I offer a framework based on the three Yanas (vehicles) of Buddhist practice. Each path reflects a different view of meditation—and can help you clarify the kind of guidance you need. Three Yanas, Three Teaching Styles 1. Hinayana – The Foundational Path Best if you're starting out and need structure. Look for a teacher who emphasizes: Simplicity and disciplineEthica...

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19:18

Transcending Insanity, Part Five: Meditative Absorption

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/09/19

In this episode, I explore the fifth of the six paramitas, or transcendent actions of the bodhisattva path: Meditative Absorption—sometimes just called meditation. But this isn’t your typical “sit on the cushion and follow your breath” kind of conversation. We go deeper into what it means to live meditation—to carry the practice off the cushion and into our everyday experience. Highlights from this episode: Why the Buddhist path is so much more than stress relief Meditation isn’t just a...

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24:04

A Rebroadcast of Our First Episode – “On Meditation:...

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/09/12

I'm away this week, so we're revisiting the very first episode of the podcast. Originally titled “On Meditation: An Uncommon View,” it now becomes episode 25. Meditation is often framed as a self-help tool—to reduce stress, manage pain, improve sleep, or boost performance. And yes, science supports all of that. But the original intention, as taught by the Buddha, was something much deeper: a path to wake up from suffering, discover wisdom, cultivate compassion, and live with courage. This epi...

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26:32

Transcending Insanity, Part Four: Exertion

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/09/05

In this episode, I dive into the fourth of the six paramitas, or transcendent actions, from the classical Buddhist teachings: exertion. If you’ve been following along with our exploration of the first three—generosity, discipline, and patience—you’ll know these aren’t lofty ideals but practical ways to bring dharma off the cushion and into real life. Here, we go deep into what exertion really means. Spoiler: it’s not about trying harder. I talk about what makes exertion so powerful, what gets...

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18:01

Transcending Insanity, Part Three: Patience

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/08/29

In this episode, I move on in our exploration of the Six Paramitas (“transcendent actions”) to the third paramita: patience. There is a common misconception that patience means tolerating bad behavior or remaining silent in the face of harm. Instead, patience is a profound and active spiritual practice that can help us transcend aggression and stay present with reality as it unfolds. Drawing on classical Buddhist teachings and a personal story about losing my temper in traffic, I talk a...

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22:56

Transcending Insanity Part Two: Discipline

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/08/22

This week we continue our exploration of the Six Paramitas (or Transcendent Actions)—the Buddhist teachings on how to go beyond suffering and confusion into wakefulness, compassion, and liberation. I talked about the first paramita, Generosity, in a previous episode. Now we look at the second: Discipline. This isn’t the harsh, rigid discipline of making yourself do things you don’t want to do. Here, discipline is a joyful, courageous return to presence—a practice of continuously coming back t...

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17:30

Seven Sources of True Wealth

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/08/15

In this episode, I explore a little-known yet profoundly practical Buddhist teaching: The Seven Riches of the Universal Monarch. I warmly invite you to look beyond the modern view of mindfulness as merely a stress-relief tool; rather, consider your practice as a transformative lens on how to live fully, wisely, and with meaning. Drawing from classical Buddhist teachings, my own seminary training, and over 30 years of personal practice, I share how these "seven riches" can serve as guiding pri...

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20:45

Transcending Insanity, Part One: Generosity (the...

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/08/08

This episode starts off a new series on the Six Paramitas (Transcendent Actions). Focusing on the first paramita: generosity, I share how this quality—often misunderstood as mere niceness or material giving—is actually the foundation for waking up, finding sanity, and increasing the sanity of this world. I talk about three forms of generosity: Ordinary generosity – Giving material things with an open heart The gift of dharma – Sharing wisdom in a humble, useful way The gif...

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27:24

Choosing the Buddhist Path: How and Why

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/07/25

In this new episode, I explore what it actually means to become a Buddhist through the Refuge Vow. Potentially misunderstood as a formality or an unnecessary label, I discuss the spiritual and practical significance of the vow. Refuge is taken in the Three Jewels—Buddha (awakening), Dharma (wisdom/path), and Sangha (community). What do they mean? I also share about my own journey in taking the vow in 1993, how I was trained and given permission to offer the vow myself, and the internal change...

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23:06

The 7 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Meditation

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/07/18

In today’s episode, I take a deep dive into the meditation questions I’ve been asked the most over the past three decades—as a student, as a teacher, and now, as someone who teaches others to teach. We talk about the real stuff. The messy, wonderful, confusing, luminous questions that arise when you sit down on your cushion and meet your own mind. Highlights: “Why can’t I stop thinking?” You’re not supposed to. That’s not a failure—it’s reality. Thoughts are not the enemy. “Why do ...

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23:23

Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to the Dharma

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/07/11

In this episode, I explore a classical teaching throughout the Buddhist world, The Four Reminders, also known as the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to the Dharma. When I first heard them, I thought how can I forget what I just heard?! Turns out, I can’t. Warning: once you hear them, you can’t unhear them either. They are at once brutal and deeply compassionate. Much like life itself. Highlights: The Four Thoughts are uncomfortable but essential contemplations that help you see with wh...

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27:31

Egolessness, Self-Kindness & the Buddhist Enneagram

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/06/27

In this episode, I explore the tension between spiritual teachings on egolessness and the deeply personal need for self-understanding. I talk about how meditation reveals both the illusion of self and the reality of who we are. I also share how the Enneagram—a system of personality types—has been an invaluable tool for fostering compassion and clarity in myself and my relationships. Highlights: 1. The Problem with Egolessness Teachings on “no self” can feel like a shaming of personal identity...

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26:35

Five Suggestions for Primordial Confidence

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/06/20

In this very, very crazy world, it’s easy to feel powerless. But from my decades of Buddhist practice, I've learned that it’s not just an inside job– you can actually arrange your outer world to give you strength. 1. Clean Up Your Space I know this sounds like a scold but it isn’t. When you walk into chaos, you feel chaotic. When you walk into a space that's been tended to—not perfect, just cared for—you feel elegant. Your care then perfumes the environment. 2. Wear Nice Clothes Not fancy or ...

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28:41

The Problem with Egolessness

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/06/13

In this episode, I take a deep dive into a topic that a lot of people (myself included) find confusing; what does it mean to be egoless? Drawing from my 30+ years of experience, I share my own issues with the call to transcend ego within the Western cultural backdrop of individualism, shame, and self-judgment. Key Points: "Ego as the enemy" can reinforce cultural self-shaming: Broadly speaking, we are wired to monitor, scrutinize and “fix” our flaws and mitigate our failings. This kind ...

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19:07

The Four Noble Truths of Love

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/05/23

In this episode, I share my personal adaptation of Buddhist principles for relationships, "The Four Noble Truths of Love." Drawing from my own 26-year marriage and moments of deep disconnection, I talk about how Buddhist wisdom helped me navigate challenges. Key Points include: Love Affairs vs. Relationships: There is a fundamental difference between love affairs (characterized by romance, intensity, desire, and perhaps some drama) and relationships (characterized by intimacy, closeness...

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17:56

Buddhist Cosmology: The Six Realms of Being

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver ·

2025/05/16

Which one are you in right now? In this episode, I explore the six realms of Buddhist cosmology which can be understood as both literal places of rebirth and psychological states we all experience. I also mention how this might help us contextualize the chaos and cruelty of our current political situation in the US. The realms include: The God Realm - A place of complete abundance where beings have everything they desire but no motivation to seek enlightenment The Jealous God/Asura Realm ...

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32 results

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