Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

Susan Piver
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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. 

  1. 1d ago

    How Do You Help Someone Who is Dying?

    Send us Fan Mail This is a shorter episode, recorded while my family and I accompany my mother through hospice care. I reflect on an instruction I received when I first learned to meditate: resting more fully on the out breath than the in breath. As I prepare to be with my mother at the end of her life, that instruction has taken on new meaning. I share a few experiences that have shaped how I understand death, presence, and what it means to simply be there when a loved one is dying. Highlights: Why my meditation practice rests on the out breathThe link between breathing out and letting goMy own near-death experience and how it colors the way I am accompanying my motherThe impossibility of knowing what is right during such moments Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness.  Learn more and buy your copy here. 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

  2. Jul 17

    What is Emptiness?

    Send us Fan Mail What does "emptiness" actually mean in Buddhism? It is one of the most misunderstood teachings, often taken to mean nothingness or the absence of meaning. In this episode, I discuss emptiness through the Zen koan "Mu," a personal story of heartbreak, and the Buddhist understanding that we are not separate from one another. Rather than pointing to a void, emptiness shows the fullness of all phenomena and the compassion that comes from recognizing it. Highlights: The Zen teaching of "Mu" A story of my own broken heart that pointed out the nature of emptinessWhy emptiness does not mean meaninglessnessMind as relationalThe link between emptiness and compassionWhy meditation is about more than improving your thoughtsListener Question How do you work with someone who pushes your buttons? I share Pema Chödrön's advice “to feel the feelings and drop the story,” and why staying with the felt experience can change how we relate to difficult situations. Send me your questions: You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Music This week's song is Along Comes Mary by The Association, a pop classic with astonishing lyrics, unforgettable harmonies, and what may be the greatest handclaps ever recorded. Mentioned in this episode: My book The Wisdom of a Broken Heart: How to Turn the Pain of a Breakup into Healing, Insight, and New Love Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. New course: 30 Days of Dharma For 30 days, beginning September 13th, I’m offering a chance to practice all of this together with a small group of people who want to take the dharma off the cushion and into ordinary life. We'll create a personalized daily routine, meditate, study the teachings, and look at how wisdom, compassion, and power actually show up at home, at work, and in our relationships. Every participant will have one-on-one time to consult with me and my co-teacher, Crystal Gandrud, about your practice before, during, and following the program. You don't need to be a Buddhist. You only need a willingness to begin where you are and be yourself. Space is limited. Learn more here. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat  Let’s practice together in person at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any prior meditation experience. Learn more and register. My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness.  Learn more and buy your copy here. 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

  3. Jul 10

    Four Reminders that Deepen Spiritual Practice

    Send us Fan Mail This week I share one of the central teachings in Tibetan Buddhist practice: the Four Reminders that turn the mind toward the dharma. I had a recent conversation with Lama Sonam Rinpoche who said to me multiple times in the course of a few hour conversation: there is no more important teaching than this. In this episode, I try to offer some insights into why a great Lama might say such a thing.  Highlights: How the Four Reminders create a trustworthy foundation for spiritual practiceWhy your life really, really mattersHow impermanence brings clarity to everyday livingA practical way to understand karma The weird way that acknowledging suffering actually helpsHow these contemplations can deepen any meditative or contemplative practiceListener Question Can we get so focused on spirituality that we lose touch with the “real world”? I talk about the difference between real practice and spiritual bypassing, and why the path is never separate from ordinary life. Ask me a question You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form. Music This week's track is "Okie Dokie Stomp" by the musical miracle known as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Mentioned in this podcast: Episode 12, Buddhist Cosmology: The Six Realms of Being Also mentioned: great contemporary blues artist Sue Foley’s live version of Okie Dokie Stomp My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness.  Learn more and buy your copy here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. New course: 30 Days of Dharma For 30 days, beginning September 13th, I’m offering a chance to practice all of this together with a small group of people who want to take the dharma off the cushion and into ordinary life. We'll create a personalized daily routine, meditate, study the teachings, and look at how wisdom, compassion, and power actually show up at home, at work, and in our relationships. Every participant will have one-on-one time to consult with me and my co-teacher, Crystal Gandrud, about your practice before, during, and following the program. You don't need to be a Buddhist. You only need a willingness to begin where you are and be yourself. Space is limited. Learn more here. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat  Let’s practice together in person at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any prior meditation experience. Learn more and register. 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

  4. Jul 3

    How to Live as a Mystic

    Send us Fan Mail It’s episode 60! A perfect place to reach a summation of my new book, Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics which posits that meditation is not about becoming a better version of yourself. It is a spiritual practice that opens you to the three qualities of the awakened mind: wisdom, compassion, and power. How do these qualities arise from sitting there, doing “nothing”? All I know is that millions of practitioners over thousands of years have reported that it is so.   In this episode, we look at the seven principles of living as a mystic, hiding in plain sight.  In this episode: Why meditation is a spiritual path, not a self-help projectA common misconception about meditation and how it keeps people from practicingHow your everyday life provides the perfect gateway to magicAn introduction to a Buddhist teaching, the three kāyas, and how it all relates to the magic of meditationSensing what is under the surface is just as “real” as whatever is on the surfaceHow meditation helps us relate to ourselves, others, and the worldMusic This episode closes with "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" by Blind Willie Johnson, a recording that seems to come from somewhere else.  Send your questions or reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness.  Learn more and buy your copy here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. New course: 30 Days of Dharma For 30 days, beginning September 13th, I’m offering a chance to practice all of this together with a small group of people who want to take the dharma off the cushion and into ordinary life. We'll create a personalized daily routine, meditate, study the teachings, and look at how wisdom, compassion, and power actually show up at home, at work, and in our relationships. Every participant will have one-on-one time to consult with me and my co-teacher, Crystal Gandrud, about your practice before, during, and following the program. You don't need to be a Buddhist. You only need a willingness to begin where you are and be yourself. Space is limited. Learn more here. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat  Let’s practice together in person at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any prior meditation experience. Learn more and register. 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

  5. Jun 19

    We Dream on Behalf of Others: Presence, Agency, and Staying Sane

    Send us Fan Mail This episode picks up on the sixth principle of spiritual practice from my new book, Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics: We Dream on Behalf of Others.  Meditation protects our minds from the incessant barrage of those who seek our attention, whether for good or, most probably, for ill. Great forces are vying for agency over your thoughts right now. I hope that doesn’t sound conspiracy theory-y! It just seems obvious that a lot of money is being spent to capture attention spans as so much consumerist fodder. What could possibly go wrong?! Besides everything!  In this episode, I talk about the importance of maintaining sovereignty over your inner world, in no small part because it enables you to keep dreaming…visioning…imagining…remaining connected to what is possible–not as a means of escaping reality but of laying the ground for creating a new reality, one that includes decency, sanity, and care for others.  There are many who simply cannot dream right now, and for very understandable reasons. Many are under siege. Homeless. Hungry. Living in a fire of rage.  Right now, we are able to dream. This may not always be so, but while it is, we could dream on everyone’s behalf. Because what we cannot imagine, we cannot build.   Highlights: In the Heart Sutra, the Buddha's meditative absorption stirs a student, Sariputra, to ask an important question.Because none of us is truly separate, your practice affects everyone around you.Plenty of beings cannot dream right now because they are besieged, hungry, sick, or without a home, so the rest of us can hold dreams for them.If we cannot dream something, we cannot build it, and there are forces that would rather their dreams of money and power become ours. Don’t do it!!Meditation is how I keep my own mind: I notice a thought, call it a thought, and come back to the the present.Listener question From Kim, a parent who wants to stay informed for the sake of conversation with her children, but is deeply disturbed by all the things happening in  2026 America.. Send your questions or reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Music  "A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins, a mid-90s hit I love for its weird, fuzzy guitar tone. Idiosyncratic guitar playing FTW. My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom.  Learn more and buy your copy here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat  Come practice with me at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any prior meditation experience. Learn more and register. If this one meant something to you  Please subscribe, leave a rating or review, and/or send it to someone who's curious about meditation, spiritual practice, or the Buddhist path. Or just feeling better, really. Free meditations: my free weekly newsletter  Come be in community: the Open Heart Project sangha  More about all of it: openheartproject.com 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

  6. Jun 12

    The Inexplicable Magic of Cleaning Up After Yourself

    Send us Fan Mail “The first rule of magic is containment,” said the great Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way and many other books. This points to the idea that the world we live in changes the way our minds and hearts work. The more uplifted our world, beginning with our actual home, the more potency we have in our spiritual quest. Why? It’s magic?   In this episode, I explore the fifth principle from Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics: We Clean Up After Ourselves. I also answer a listener's question about why the Buddha described friendship, not as helpful along the way, but as the way. And for the podcast after party, we check in with the great Ini Kamoze.  Highlights Why caring for your environment is a spiritual practiceHow the "container principle" shapes meditation and daily lifeWhat it means to clean up after yourself — in your space and in your relationshipsRepairing small moments of disconnectionWhy the Buddha taught that spiritual friendship is the whole of the pathThe role of sangha in practiceMusic Listen to "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze and tell me you somehow remained seated.  Mentioned in this podcast: Fake Buddha Quotes My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom.  Learn more and buy your copy here. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Send me your questions: You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. New 7-Day Program Starts June 14th Seven Days of Inexplicable Magic is a chance to immerse yourself in post-meditation practice, aka the rest of your life. What happens when practice follows you into your relationships, home life, bill-paying, creative pursuits? Together, we will find out.. The program follows the arc of my new book, and I'm co-leading it with my friend, Crystal Gandrud. Come find out more. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat  Come practice with me at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any prior meditation experience. Learn more and register. 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

  7. Jun 5

    The Importance of Spiritual Boundaries

    Send us Fan Mail The spiritual path asks you to open up, and the more you do so, the more you feel everything: your tenderness, things you’ve been avoiding, your deepest longings. It’s important to stay open to all of this but being open takes judgment. I know people say you shouldn’t judge but I say, hell yes, you’ve got to judge. The deepening vulnerability of the journey requires discernment and self-protection. In this episode, I explore the fourth principle from my new book, Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics: We Are Boundaried. I discuss healthy boundaries, the importance of relying on teachers who can introduce you to your own wisdom (not theirs alone), and a traditional teaching called the Seven Treasures that help us establish protection, agency, and trust in our knowing. Highlights • Why boundaries matter • Meditation as ground, path, and fruition • The three qualities cultivated through practice: compassion, clarity, and courage • Three teachers: outer, inner, and secret • The line between a community that supports you and one that seeks to take you over • The Seven Treasures as a framework for protection and self-trust • A listener's question about progress in meditation, and where to actually look for signs your practice is working Music For the after party I'm playing "Who Do You Love" by Bo Diddley. It's deep and full of swagger, from one of the true original rockers.Have a listen. My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which go counter to conventional wisdom.  Learn more and buy your copy here. Watch this episode on video  If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Send me your questions:  You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. New 7-Day Program A new 7-day programSeven Days of Inexplicable Magic is an immersion into what happens when practice gets off the cushion and into the rest of your life. It follows the arc of the new book, and I'm co-leading it with my friend, Crystal Gandrud.Come find out more. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat  Come practice with me at Drala Mountain Center, up in the Colorado Rockies, for a retreat on the bodhisattva path: what it takes to live with real courage and an open heart in the middle of our ordinary, chaotic, beautiful lives. We'll talk honestly about how to recognize and rouse basic sanity right where we already are. Everyone's welcome, and you don't need any experience to come.Learn more and register. Learn more and register here. 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

  8. May 29

    The Wisdom of a Broken Heart

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I explore one of the most persistent misunderstandings about meditation: that it is supposed to make you feel better. From my experience, meditation does not numb heartbreak or smooth out emotional life. It opens us more fully to our experience. I talk about why vulnerability is not a failure of practice, but a sign that something real is happening. I also share thoughts on heartbreak as a path of awakening, the connection between heartbreak and compassion, and why meditation with eyes open benefits everyday life. Highlights: • Why meditation makes you feel more, not less • The connection between heartbreak and awakening • Softening toward yourself as the root of compassion • Why vulnerability is part of the spiritual path • Reestablishing agency when the mind runs wild • The difference between looking to receive love and looking to offer it • How awareness “cuts through” during meditation • Why I teach meditation with eyes open Music After Party I talk about the song “Dark End of the Street” by James Carr and why it remains one of the most heartbreaking songs about longing and love ever recorded. Also from me on Buddhism and heartbreak: The Wisdom of a Broken Heart Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here. Send me your questions: You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. New Book & New Program For more on the topic of meditation and heartbreak, please look for my new book, Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics, out June 1. It explores meditation not as self-improvement, but as a spiritual path rooted in ritual, heartbreak, creativity, vulnerability, and awakening in everyday life. You’re also invited to join Seven Days of Inexplicable Magic, an immersive program exploring how meditation practice can move beyond the cushion and into every aspect of your life. Learn more here. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat  Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for a meditation retreat exploring the bodhisattva path and what it means to live with courage, compassion, and clarity in everyday life. Through guided meditation, teachings, and conversation, we’ll reflect on how to recognize and express basic sanity in the midst of our actual lives. All are welcome, and no prior meditation experience is required. Learn more and register here. 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

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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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