Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

Susan Piver
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  • BUDDHISM

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 bring the profound wisdom of the dharma into their real life: at home, at work, and in love. The foundation for it all is meditation as a spiritual practice, not the latest life hack. Let’s go beyond the science and celebrity testimonials to discover the true power of meditation which is not based in self-improvement but in self-discovery. 

  1. The Noble Eightfold Path: Step One: Seeing Clearly

    1D AGO

    The Noble Eightfold Path: Step One: Seeing Clearly

    Send us a text In this episode, I begin a conversation about the Fourth Noble Truth, the Noble Eightfold Path, and its first step, Right View. I review the first three Noble Truths and reflect on how Buddhism is often misunderstood as a tool for stress reduction, when it is actually a profound path of liberation from suffering. I explore how suffering arises not simply from loss or disappointment, but from grasping. I share why Right View is the essential foundation that allows the rest of the path to unfold with coherence and meaning. Highlights Why Buddhism is more than mindfulness or stress reductionThe Four Noble Truths and suffering as dissatisfaction rooted in graspingRight View as the foundation of the Noble Eightfold PathRelative and absolute perspectives on loving kindness and non-dualityMeditation as letting go, presence, and opennessMentions The Four Noble Truths and The Middle Way: Foundations of the Journey, episode 5 of Buddhism Beyond Belief The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships by Susan Piver The Heart of Unconditional Love: A Powerful New Approach to Loving-Kindness Meditation by Tulku Thondup The Play Of Thought by Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche Music I share a personal story about how Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” changed my life, and I offer the song as this episode’s after party music. You can also listen here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Ask me a question You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Fearless Creativity: A Meditation and Writing Retreat  Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for Fearless Creativity If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com. Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

    35 min
  2. Strength in a Time of Crisis: What Helps?

    JAN 30

    Strength in a Time of Crisis: What Helps?

    Send us a text This morning, the Open Heart Project Sangha gathered as we do every day to meditate and reflect together. The group was larger than usual, a clear sign of how shaken many of us are by what is happening in the United States right now. I began by saying there is nothing I can offer that makes this moment acceptable or less horrifying. There is no teaching that explains it away. What we can do is see and feel the suffering clearly, without denial or false comfort. We talked about the exposure of cruelty and hypocrisy, while also remembering that this country has held real goodness alongside real harm. I explored the three poisons that distort our response to crisis: grasping, delusion, and aggression. Although we must act and resist, aggression only breeds more aggression. Now what? Drawing on Buddhist teachings about the realms of existence, I focused on the human realm as the place where we can wake up and respond with sanity. During times that I cannot defeat my enemies, I can still strengthen my friends. That shift restores strength and energy. I closed by underscoring the importance of continuing to imagine a sane and compassionate world, no matter how far off it may feel. Without the ability to envision what is possible, we lose the ability to create it.  We dream on behalf of others. Highlights: Why this moment calls for community rather than answersThe danger of responding from grasping, delusion, or aggressionRemembering both the harm and the goodness in our collective historyThe human realm as a source of strength and responsibilityStrengthening friends when you cannot defeat enemiesWhy imagining a better world is crucialMixing sanity into situations of profound cruelty Music For the after party, I share “Say It’s Not So” by Angela Strehli, my favorite female blues singer. The track features Derek O’Brien, who also composed the music for this podcast. This song is deeply personal to me, and it cuts straight to the heart every time. You can also listen here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Ask me a question You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Fearless Creativity: A Meditation and Writing Retreat  Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for Fearless Creativity, a meditation and writing retreat offe If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com. Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

    32 min

  3. JAN 16

    Four Karmas: Actions That Protect the Mind

    Send us a text In this episode, I introduce the Four Karmas—pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and destroying—as practical actions for meeting chaos, conflict, and confusion without losing clarity or heart. In this Buddhist framework, karma means action, not fate. These are not strategies for getting your way, but ways to protect the mind, deepen compassion, and interrupt ignorance in real time. I also explore the “ Māras ,” the obstacles that can distort each karma, and why wisdom sometimes needs to be gentle—and sometimes fierce. Drawing on the story of the Buddha under the Bodhi tree, I reflect on how distraction, shame, and aggression show up in our own lives, and how these four actions help us meet them skillfully. Highlights Karma as action, not reward or punishmentThe Four Karmas as tools for clarity and compassionHow wisdom can be peaceful or wrathfulKnowing when to add, wait, attract, or let go The Four Karmas (Briefly) Pacifying: Settling down to see clearly, often through deep listening rather than fixing.  Obstacle: Spiritual bypassing.Enriching: Adding what genuinely increases vitality and connection, based on what’s actually needed.  Obstacle: Accumulating without applying.Magnetizing: Receptivity—allowing insight, creativity, and help to come toward you.  Obstacle: Emotional reactivity that obscures perception.Destroying: Ending or pruning what no longer serves, without aggression.  Obstacle: Total shutdown instead of skillful cutting. Closing Music I end the episode with “Waloyo Yamoni (We Overcome the Wind)” by Christopher Tin—a piece that feels vast, direct, and deeply human. If you found this episode meaningful, please share it or leave a review. It truly helps. During this episode, I mentioned my upcoming retreat on meditation and writing, Fearless Creativity. You can learn more here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Ask me a question You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Learn to Teach Meditation The Open Heart Project Meditation Teacher Training returns this January. If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com. Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

    40 min

  4. JAN 9

    Three Qualities of Awakening

    Send us a text As we move into a new year, how do we deepen our understanding: of ourselves, our relationships, and our spiritual practice? In this episode, we explore the three essential steps of learning in the Buddhist tradition: hearing, contemplating, and meditating. Highlights: Why the first step, hearing, is more than listening: it’s opening to what’s being offered without judgment or projection.How contemplating allows teachings to be tested, weighed, and integrated through experience rather than accepted blindly.What it means to meditate in the deepest sense: living a teaching, letting it shape your being.A story from a meditation student learning to let go of constant vigilance and just breathe.Reflections on Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness and integrating wisdom into daily life.If you want to learn something deeply—whether meditation, spiritual practice, or life itself—these three steps are your path. Podcast After Party – Song Feature: We celebrate music as a form of transmission and joy with a performance by the legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum (also spelled Oum Kalsoum, Om Kalsoum, Umm Kalsoum, Om Kulthoum, Oum Kulthoum, and Umm Kolthoum). Her song Lelat Hob (Night of Love) showcases the power of live music, devotion, and cultural adoration.  For the full version of this song, you can listen here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Ask me a question You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Learn to Teach Meditation The Open Heart Project Meditation Teacher Training returns this January. We begin January 17th, 2026.  I teach every session. It’s intimate, rigorous, supportive—and it’s for anyone who wants to help others work with their own minds and hearts. Click here to learn more & sign up. If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com. Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

    26 min

  5. 12/26/2025

    Inexplicable Magic: An Excerpt From My Upcoming Book

    Send us a text For the final episode of the year, I am sharing a short excerpt from a book I am writing called Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics. This work grows directly out of the heart of this podcast and its focus on how we actually live–not as monastic meditators, but as householders. In this excerpt, I reflect on the Buddha’s awakening and on meditation as it was originally understood, not as self-improvement or stress reduction, but as a path of waking up from delusion and helping others do the same. I explore the connection between mindfulness and awareness. Mindfulness is essential, but it is the ground, not the fruition.  Awareness cannot be cultivated through effort. It can only be allowed, and it is where insight, opening, and real transformation arise organically. This episode looks at meditation as a way of relating rather than fixing. A practice that breaks the heart open and reveals wisdom, compassion, and bravery. It’s not a transaction, but a way of living, and, ultimately, a way of dying. To close out the year, I share one of my most beloved pieces of music, Sentimental Walk from the film Diva, a piece that brings spaciousness and calm and accompanies me often when I write. Thank you for listening and practicing with me this year. I look forward to continuing the conversation in 2026. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Ask me a question You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Building a Mindful New Year is a free, six-day online program exploring how Buddhist practice can help us stay present, steady, and values-aligned in uncertain times. Through daily teachings, meditation, and community practice, we focus on supporting ourselves first—so we can more honestly meet our lives and care for others as the new year begins. You can jump in anytime between 26–31 December to gain access to all 6 talks. Sign up here. Learn to Teach Meditation The Open Heart Project Meditation Teacher Training returns this January. We begin January 17th, 2026.  I teach every session. It’s intimate, rigorous, supportive—and it’s for anyone who wants to help others work with their own minds and hearts. Click here to learn more & sign up. If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com. Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

    16 min

  6. 12/19/2025

    Buddhism and the Four Immeasurable Qualities

    Send us a text As we close out a year many of us are ready to leave behind, this episode reflects on what we might want to carry forward—and what we can gently let go of. I explore the Buddhist teaching of the brahmavihāras, or Four Immeasurables, as a way of giving our hearts a place to live that is honest, resilient, and humane. The Four Immeasurables—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—are called “immeasurable” because they are not limited resources. They don’t require perfection or self-improvement. They begin with noticing what is actually happening. In this episode, we explore: Loving-kindnessBegins with softening toward ourselves, not being “nice” or agreeableExtends outward to loved ones, strangers, and even enemies without requiring forgiveness or approvalFar enemy: hatredNear enemy: conditional or performative kindnessCompassionFeeling another’s pain as our own, grounded in shared humanityDistinct from sympathy or pityFar enemy: crueltyNear enemy: pitySympathetic joyFeeling another person’s happiness as our ownA remedy for isolation and scarcity thinkingFar enemy: envyNear enemy: shallow or distracting pleasureEquanimityStaying present with joy and sorrow without grasping or pushing awayFully engaged, not numb or indifferentFar enemy: graspingNear enemy: indifference or “good vibes only” detachmentThroughout the episode, I emphasize that the practice is not about trying to embody these qualities, but about noticing our real relationship to them. That noticing itself is the practice. Music Segment We close with a podcast after party featuring “Jump Around” by House of Pain, along with a story from my time working at Tommy Boy Records in the early ’90s and a brief exploration of the mysterious opening sample. A link to The Best Sample in History video is included here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Ask me a question You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com. Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

    24 min

  7. 12/12/2025

    The Way of Listening: Songs That Stayed With Me

    Send us a text In today’s episode, I’m doing something a little different. Lately I’ve been ending each show with what I called the Podcast After-Party—I share a song I love, along with a few words about why it matters to me. I never meant it to be anything formal. It was simply a delight, a way of sharing the music that has struck some essential chord in my life (no pun intended). I’m not a scholar of music, nor a musician, nor anything close. But I’ve been lucky. My early years in Austin, I worked at a little blues bar called Antone’s—where I landed only because my car broke down—and it opened my ears in a way I could never have planned. I learned to hear. That hearing became a kind of companion to my practice: a way of sensing spaciousness, precision, longing, and joy in another language. As this year comes to an end, I wanted to gather all those after-parties into one place. Today’s episode is simply that: the songs I’ve shared with you, with my original commentary, offered again for your listening pleasure. The songs featured in this compilation are: Episode 28 “Christine Leroy” by the Johnson Mountain Boys An early American  ballad that moved me deeply and launched the after-party itself, reminding me how music carries both sound and devotion. Episode 29 “Tribal Dance” and “Albatross” by Peter Green Two pieces from a singular musician whose playing embodies spaciousness, warmth, and directness. His work is a study in attunement rather than control. Episode 30 “My One and Only Love” by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman A tender, refined expression of what I call “undone”—an invitation to let the heart be unguarded. Episode 31 “Blue Sky” by The Allman Brothers Band A song about presence, joy, and the beauty of two instrumental voices finding harmony without forcing it. Episode 32 “Swim Away” by Toni Price A haunting a cappella piece about longing for home; spare and full of ache. Episode 33 “Double Trouble” by Otis Rush A dark, piercing blues performance that shows how restraint can reveal more than virtuosity. Episode 34 “Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell (written by Jimmy Webb) A spacious, aching ballad often called one of the greatest songs ever written. A portrait of quiet yearning that still feels timeless. Episode 35 “Zungguzungguguzungguzeng” by Yellowman A cornerstone of reggae’s remix tradition, built on the famous “Diseases riddim.” A reminder of presence, rhythm, and vitality. Thank you for listening, for sharing this practice and this music with me, and for making space for a little after-party each time we meet. Ask me a question You c If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com. Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

    1h 10m

  8. 12/05/2025

    When Practice Isn’t Enough: A Buddhist Look at Panic

    Send us a text In this episode, I speak directly to a question I’m often asked: what can we do when anxiety or panic takes over? While many people associate Buddhism with calming the mind, the path is far more layered than stress reduction. Sometimes the most skillful response is not meditation but something far more ordinary and tender. I share my own experience with severe panic attacks—episodes triggered whenever I felt trapped, especially on airplanes. These attacks arrived suddenly and with enormous force, and none of my usual tools helped. Not meditation. Not breath practice. Not even medication or, memorably, tequila. What ultimately made a difference was human connection: one person’s kindness interrupting the spiral of fear. The turning point came from a United Airlines pilot, Captain Denny, whose simple presence and reassurance steadied me. Later, I learned to ask seatmates for brief conversation during takeoff. Every single time, someone responded with kindness. That small act—letting myself be seen—became my true mantra. Sometimes the most effective practice is to ask another human being to care, even for a moment. Meditation, I learned, can actually intensify panic, and it’s important to acknowledge that. In moments of terror, the dharma may show up not as a technique but as connection, vulnerability, and shared humanity. Highlights Why Buddhist practice offers more than stress reliefMy experience with claustrophobia-related panic attacksThe flights where panic overwhelmed every coping strategyHow Captain Denny’s kindness changed everythingThe healing power of vulnerability for both giver and receiverWhy meditation can sometimes intensify fearThe “mantras” that truly helped: someone sees me, someone cares, we’re in this togetherAfter-party: Yellowman, “Zungguzungguguzungguzeng” and a brief history of the “Diseases” riddimThank you for listening, for sharing the podcast with anyone who might benefit, and for being part of this exploration of the dharma. I’ll see you next week. Music Segment  “Zungguzungguguzungguzeng,” performed by Yellowman, built on the legendary “Diseases” riddim—an essential thread in reggae’s remix lineage and a showcase of Yellowman’s remarkable presence. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is available here. Ask me a question You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Learn to Teach Meditation The Open Heart Project Meditation Teacher Training returns this January. We begin January 17th, 2026.  I teach e If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com. Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

    24 min
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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 bring the profound wisdom of the dharma into their real life: at home, at work, and in love. The foundation for it all is meditation as a spiritual practice, not the latest life hack. Let’s go beyond the science and celebrity testimonials to discover the true power of meditation which is not based in self-improvement but in self-discovery. 

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