Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I reflect on a recent conversation in the Open Heart Project sangha about scientific research on meditation. Yes, meditation can improve brain function and mood. But if we stop there, we may miss the point.There’s a much older, deeper body of “research” drawn from lived experience over thousands of years. Meditation is not just about feeling better. It’s about waking up, opening fully to life, and discovering a freedom that goes far beyond conventional thought.I share seven core principles from my upcoming book Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics that challenge the self-improvement framing of practice.Highlights:Meditation is not a tool to fix what’s broken. We begin from wholeness, not deficiency.Practice is rooted in ritualThe personal is not the problemTurning toward sorrow opens the door to real compassionBoundaries are part of spiritual lifeCleaning up your environment strengthens your inner lifeWe practice for others, not just ourselvesLive as a mystic in everyday lifeThe middle way is not a compromise but a lived reality beyond rigid frameworks and extremesThis episode is an invitation to look at meditation’s deeper proposition. Mentioned in this episode: The Middle Way: To learn more, please check out our episode #5.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.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.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailHere is a new episode after an unexpected pause. I’m moving to a new house and that has stirred disorientation, emotional complexity, and a break from familiar patterns. The truth is, I just didn’t know if I had anything of use to say. Also, I was in a bad mood? Needy! It happens! It turns out that this unsettled place provided a good context to consider a question raised in our Open Heart Project sangha: do Buddhists pray? If so, to whom?In a non-theistic tradition, rather than being directed toward an external deity, prayer becomes a way of relating to awareness itself. The images, rituals, and expressions of devotion are not about reaching for something outside us, but about connecting to the wisdom, compassion, and courage already present.In this episode, I explore prayer as communion rather than asking, and how everyday acts of attention, care, and listening can deepen our relationship with the divine.HighlightsWhat it means that Buddhism is non-theisticWhy you can practice meditation without adopting a belief systemBuddhist deities as reflections of your own wisdom mindPrayer as communion rather than petitionEveryday life as an expression of prayerListening, presence, and awareness as the heart of practiceSend 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.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I bring all eight steps of the Noble Eightfold Path together. This teaching is a way of living, not a project of self-improvement. This is about how we relate to experience and how that shapes suffering or freedom.HighlightsRight ViewSeeing clearly begins in the present moment.Meditation helps us loosen our grip on thoughts and recognize we don’t truly know.What we seek arises when there is space, not through more thinking.Right IntentionIntention matters more than outcome.Pause and examine what is driving your actions.Let care for others be part of every decision.Right SpeechPractice real listening rather than simply reacting.Avoid harming self and others through your words.Ask: Is it true, beneficial, clear, and timely?Right ActionNo fixed rules, but the five precepts offer guidance.Act with care, compassion, and awareness.Letting go reduces the tendency to create more suffering.Right LivelihoodYour work is part of the path.Avoid harm and consider how you relate to others in the work you do.Integrity at work supports the spiritual journey.Right EffortRather than pushing harder, Right Effort means not giving up.Build daily patterns that supports what matters most.Include yourself and others in that commitment.Right MindfulnessNot a tool for optimization.Practice presence with precision and openness.Be with experience as it is.Right ConcentrationTrain attention by returning to a single focus.Over time, attention becomes steady and connected.Offering full attention is not separate from enlightenment.ConclusionThis path isn’t linear or something to complete. It’s something to live.Test it for yourself. Bring your own intelligence to what you hear.Thoughts?You can send your questions or reflections 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 offering dedicated time for creative work alongside guided meditation and conversation. Writers of all genres and levels are welcome, with no prior meditation experience required. 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThis week we arrive at the final step of the Noble Eightfold Path: Right Samadhi, often translated as concentration or absorption. If the earlier steps help us see clearly and act with intention, this final step gathers the mind into a unified experience.Right Samadhi is not about forcing the mind to focus. It begins with learning to place attention on one thing and come back when it wanders. From there, it deepens into the ability to give your attention fully to another person. And eventually, it points beyond both of those, toward a loosening of the sense that there is a separate “you” paying attention to something else.In this episode, I explore Right Samadhi through three lenses: foundational, relational, and transformational.HighlightsWhat Right Samadhi actually means beyond “concentration”Why the ability to focus is becoming rare and why it mattersMeditation as training attentionAttention as the basis of loveWhat it means to truly listen to another personThe challenge of stepping outside self-focused attentionThe possibility of awareness without a subject or objectRight Samadhi as the culmination of the Noble Eightfold PathMusic After PartyThis week I share “Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears” by A Winged Victory for the Sullen.You can also listen here.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is coming soon.Thoughts?You can send your questions or reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Get your copy of The Buddhist Enneagram From March 10 – April 10, you can receive 30% off the new physical edition of The Buddhist Enneagram when you order directly from Shambhala Publications. Use code ENNEAGRAM30 at checkout. If this book has been on your reading list, or if you know someone who might benefit from this perspective on the Enneagram, this is a great time to pick up a copy. Buy yours here.If you’d like a free chapter, sign up for my weekly meditation newsletter here.Fearless Creativity: A Meditation andIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThis week we explore Right Mindfulness, the seventh step of the Noble Eightfold Path. While the earlier steps shape how we see and act in the world, this step turns us inward again, toward our direct experience.Right Mindfulness is not about self-improvement or optimization. It is a way of relating to the mind as it is. Through meditation, we begin to see that thoughts are not a problem to solve, but something to notice, release, and return from, again and again.In this episode, I explore Right Mindfulness through three qualities that arise in practice: precision, openness, and spaciousness.HighlightsWhy mindfulness is not a tool for fixing yourselfThe simple meditation formula: notice, let go, come back, begin againWhy thoughts are not the problemPrecision as the foundation of practiceOpenness to allowing experience to be as it isSpaciousness for the true nature of mindThe shift from identifying with thoughts to recognizing awareness itselfMusic After PartyThis week I share “I Won’t Cry” by Doug Sahm, a true Texas legend. You can also listen here.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is coming soon.Thoughts?You can send your questions or reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Get your copy of The Buddhist Enneagram From March 10 – April 10, you can receive 30% off the new physical edition of The Buddhist Enneagram when you order directly from Shambhala Publications. Use code ENNEAGRAM30 at checkout. If this book has been on your reading list, or if you know someone who might benefit from this perspective on the Enneagram, this is a great time to pick up a copy. Buy yours here.If you’d like a free chapter, sign up for my weekly meditation newsletter here.Fearless Creativity: A Meditation and Writing Retreat Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for FeIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThis week we explore Right Effort, the sixth step of the Noble Eightfold Path. While the earlier steps guide how we understand reality and how we act in the world, Right Effort begins to turn inward. It concerns how we work with our own mind and inner life.Right Effort does not mean pushing harder or forcing yourself to improve. It begins with a commitment not to give up on yourself. From there, it becomes a practice of directing your energy wisely, caring for your inner world, and recognizing that even difficult states of mind can contain seeds of wisdom.In this episode, I explore Right Effort through three lenses: foundational, relational, and transformational.HighlightsWhy Right Effort is not about striving or pushing yourselfA personal story about learning not to give up on myselfThe role of daily structure in supporting what truly mattersHow meditation helps us reclaim agency over our attentionThe effort required to remember our shared humanityWhat it means to “look deeply” at difficult emotionsHow anger, desire, anxiety, and spaciness can contain seeds of wisdomMusic After PartyFor the after party, I share a short song called Regular Rabbit by Stephen Spencer. He writes songs based on stories told by his young daughter, and they capture something simple and reassuring about being human. This one brings me joy every time I hear it.You can also listen here.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Thoughts?You can send your questions or reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Get your copy of The Buddhist Enneagram From March 10 – April 10, you can receive 30% off the new physical edition of The Buddhist Enneagram when you order directly from Shambhala Publications. Use code ENNEAGRAM30 at checkout. If this book has been on your reading list, or if you know someone who might benefit from this perspective on the Enneagram, this is a great time to pick up a copy. Buy yours 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThis episode, we pause our exploration of the Noble Eightfold Path before returning next week with Right Effort.This week, Shambhala Publications (my favorite publisher) is reissuing my book, The Buddhist Enneagram. I’m so proud this is happening and I wanted to take this chance to share thoughts on the two wisdom streams that have shaped my life for more than three decades: the Buddhadharma and the Enneagram.Highlights:Why compassion is central to Buddhist teaching and why it can be most difficult in our intimate relationshipsNine patterns of attention through which we experience the same worldHow understanding these patterns can transform conflict with partners, family, and colleaguesA personal example of how different Enneagram types notice different things in the same situationThe three centers of intelligence in the Enneagram: instinctual, emotional, and mentalHow each center responds differently when life does not go our wayThe three instinctual drives that shape each type: self-preservation, social, and intimate connectionWhy these combinations create 27 nuanced ways of beingHow each type carries both an idealization and an avoidanceUsing the Enneagram not to label people but to understand them and remain connectedHow the system can support genuine compassion in everyday lifeMusic selection:I share a recording of “Black Night,” most famously associated with musician Charles Brown. The version we listen to features Willie Nelson and Dr. John from the album Milk Cow Blues. I talk about the extraordinary musicians on the track, including producer and guitarist Derek O’Brien, who created the theme music for this podcast. You can also listen to it here.Get your copy of The Buddhist Enneagram From March 10 – April 10, you can receive 30% off the new physical edition of The Buddhist Enneagram when you order directly from Shambhala Publications. Use code ENNEAGRAM30 at checkout. If this book has been on your reading list, or if you know someone who might benefit from this perspective on the Enneagram, this is a great time to pick up a copy. Buy yours 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore Right Livelihood, the fifth step on the Noble Eightfold Path. We began with Right View and Right Intention, then moved into speech and action. Now we turn to how we earn a living. It may sound ordinary, but the way we work, relate, and exchange value in the world can either bind us more tightly or support liberation. I share three lenses from the Buddhist tradition to investigate what Right Livelihood might mean for us now.HighlightsWhy your job belongs on a path aimed at awakeningThe foundational teaching: avoid professions that cause harmWork as relational practice, the workplace as a practice communityRight Livelihood as Bodhisattva activity in daily lifeProtection, money, and the spiritual function of financial stabilityWhen Buddhism meets consumer culture How business and interdependence might inform one anotherMusic After PartyIn our after-party, I share “Le Bien, Le Mal” from Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 by Guru, featuring MC Solaar.Their collaboration feels like a true exchange. Two artists building something together, each sharpening the other. You can hear the mutual respect. You can also listen here.Thoughts?You can send your questions or reflections 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 offering dedicated time for creative work alongside guided meditation and conversation. Writers of all genres and levels are welcome, with no prior meditation experience 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore Right Action, the fourth step on the Noble Eightfold Path. We begin with Right View and Right Intention, then move outward into speech. Now we take those steps into how we live and act in the world. Right Action is not a fixed rulebook. It is nuanced, relational, and always evolving. I share three lenses from the Buddhist tradition that help us investigate what right action might mean in our lives right now.HighlightsWhy Right View is about seeing beyond our education, insights, and intelligenceHow Right Intention arises from recognizing interconnectednessWhy there is no universal playbook for Right ActionThe Five Precepts as a foundational guide: no killing, no stealing, no lying, no intoxicant abuse, no sexual misconductRight Action through the Mahayana lens: loving kindness, compassion, and taking joy in others’ happinessThe Vajrayana perspective: karma, karmic seeds, and the possibility of planting none at allLetting go as a radical form of actionHow meditation reveals the mind noticing itself“Mind resting in mind” and the end of karmic momentumMusic After PartyIn our after party, I share “Feel Like Going Home” from the album Folk Singer by Muddy Waters, produced by Willie Dixon and featuring Buddy Guy. It is spare, intimate, and timeless.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Thoughts?You can send your questions or reflections 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 offering dedicated time for creative work alongside guided meditation and conversation. Writers of all genres and levels are welcome, with no prior meditation experience 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore the third step of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Speech, and why it might more accurately be called Right Listening. I begin with a story about the so-called “Marcus Syndrome”, the habit of using someone else’s speaking time to prepare your reply. From there, I revisit Right View and Right Intention, and how the way we hold our inner world naturally shapes the words we send out into the world.We look at the classical categories of unskillful speech and then discuss four questions you can ask yourself before you speak. At the heart of it all is the rare and vulnerable skill of listening.  I also reflect briefly on a teaching from the Heart Sutra about how one’s capacity to listen can create deeper insight in others.HighlightsThe “Marcus Syndrome” and the illusion that we are listening when we are really rehearsingHow Right View and Right Intention give rise to Right SpeechWhy listening may be the highest communication skillThe four forms of unskillful speechLying, including half truths and things we repeat without certaintyAbusive speech, and the difference between harm and skillful angerDivisive speech that separates people from one anotherIdle speech that fills space without purposeFour questions to ask before speakingIs it trueIs it beneficialIs it clearIs it timelyThe power of presence and how good listening is contagiousMusic After PartyA Change Is Gonna Come by Sam CookeI share why this song feels like a masterwork of sorrow and strength. It is a statement of grief and hope held in the same breath.You can also listen here.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Thoughts?You can send your questions or reflections 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 offering dedicated time for creative work alongside guided meditation and conversation. Writers of all genres and levels are welcome, with no prior 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailWhen I first started my own business years ago, I was full of doubt, excitement, fear, and hope, often all at the same time. Out of nowhere, a major opportunity landed in my lap that could have launched everything forward. There was just one problem. I did not respect the work of the person offering it. In this episode, I reflect on that moment and how a single sentence from my meditation teacher changed the way I understand right intention, karma, and the mysterious consequences of our actions.This conversation explores right intention through personal experience and Buddhist teachings, moving from practical self examination to a much larger, more mysterious view of how our actions ripple through the world. I also share a personal story about illness, healing, and what it means to work with karma without knowing how or when it will resolve.HighlightsThe early days of my business and an opportunity that forced a difficult ethical decisionA Tibetan Buddhist teaching that reframed how I think about success and failureWhat right intention really means beyond good outcomesRight view and the radical idea of interconnectednessThe three cycles of Buddhist teaching and how each understands intentionHow our actions move into the world like wave forms, not straight linesA personal story about injury, illness, and how it impacted my view of karmaThree ways to understand right intention in daily lifeLetting go of expectations while still acting with care and responsibilityMusic After PartyI share one of my all time favorites, Bobby Blue Bland’s recording from 1961, Two Steps from the Blues. I talk about why this album is such a turning point in blues and R & B history, and why Bland’s voice remains unforgettable to me. I also reflect on hearing him live while working at Antone’s in Austin, the reverence he inspired, and the joy of recently meeting his son, Rodd Bland, who continues the legacy in his own powerful way.You can also listen here.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Ask me a questionYou 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 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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.HighlightsWhy 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 opennessMentionsThe Four Noble Truths and The Middle Way: Foundations of the Journey, episode 5 of Buddhism Beyond BeliefThe Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships by Susan PiverThe Heart of Unconditional Love: A Powerful New Approach to Loving-Kindness Meditation by Tulku ThondupThe Play Of Thought by Kyabje Dudjom RinpocheMusicI 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 videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Ask me a questionYou 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 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThis 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 crueltyMusicFor 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 videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Ask me a questionYou 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 offering dedicated time fIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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.HighlightsKarma 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 goThe 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 MusicI 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 videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Ask me a questionYou can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Learn to Teach MeditationThe Open Heart Project Meditation Teacher Training returns this January.We begin 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailAs 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 videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Ask me a questionYou can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Learn to Teach MeditationThe 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailFor 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 videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Ask me a questionYou 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 MeditationThe 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailAs 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 SegmentWe 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 videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.Ask me a questionYou can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.BuIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 BoysAn 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 GreenTwo 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 HartmanA tender, refined expression of what I call “undone”—an invitation to let the heart be unguarded.Episode 31“Blue Sky” by The Allman Brothers BandA song about presence, joy, and the beauty of two instrumental voices finding harmony without forcing it.Episode 32“Swim Away” by Toni PriceA haunting a cappella piece about longing for home; spare and full of ache.Episode 33“Double Trouble” by Otis RushA 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 YellowmanA 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 questionYou can send your questionIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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.HighlightsWhy 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 videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is available here.Ask me a questionYou can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Learn to Teach MeditationThe Open Heart Project Meditation Teacher Training returns this January.We begin January 17th, 2026. I teach every session. It’s inIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore what I believe to be one of the most urgent Buddhist teachings for our current moment: Right Speech. Many people associate Buddhism with stress reduction or calming the mind, and while those benefits are real, the path is far more robust. It offers a way to wake up, to see clearly, and to live everyday life with more meaning, compassion, and courage.I also share a story that unfolded early this morning at Austin’s Barton Springs pool—an unexpected confrontation between two dog owners that I somehow stepped right into. It wasn’t pretty. I wasn’t pretty! As I reflected on what happened, I realized it offered a lens for examining Right Speech, what it is, what it isn’t, and how challenging it can be to practice it in real time.Right Speech is the third step on the Noble Eightfold Path, following Right View and Right Intention. It is essential. Speech is our bridge to one another and a central part of the path. In this episode, I walk through the four characteristics of wrong speech, the five questions to ask yourself before speaking, and the ways in which our words—and the intention behind them—shape the world.I close with a song for our podcast after-party: “Wichita Lineman,” written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by Glen Campbell, one of the most beautiful and mournful songs I know.HighlightsWhy Buddhism is more than mindfulness or stress reliefWhy Right Speech may be the most vital teaching for our timeA real-life story about conflict, dogs, and my unplanned interventionThe four kinds of wrong speech: lying, divisive speech, abusive speech, idle speechFive questions to ask before speaking:Is it the right time?Is it truthful?Is it gentle or kind?Is it beneficial?Is it spoken with goodwill?Reflections on whether my own speech this morning met any of these criteriaWhy awareness of speech is a profound spiritual practiceThank you for listening, for sharing the podcast with anyone who might enjoy it, and for being part of this exploration of the dharma. I’ll see you next week.Music Segment“Wichita Lineman,” written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by Glen Campbell in 1968, is a spacious, aching ballad often hailed as one of the greatest songs ever written. Its haunting melody, iconic six-string bass solo, and portrait of quiet longing make it a perfect companion for reflection.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is available here.Ask me a questionYou can send your 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Buddhism Beyond Belief, I explore how we can keep our meditation practice genuinely spiritual without making it complicated, performative, or “weird.” After more than thirty years of practice, I’ve learned that depth comes from sincerity, not technique. The simplest form of meditation—just sitting—can open profound dimensions of patience, clarity, confusion, authenticity, and genuine confidence.I share a story from a long retreat in the Colorado Rockies, where I unexpectedly found myself helping to produce a classical music recording inside a sacred building called the Great Stupa. Unsure how to preserve the serenity of the space, I asked my teacher for guidance. He offered three simple instructions that continue to shape my practice today: make offerings, request blessings, and dedicate the merit.In this episode, I talk about what each step means, how it can frame a daily practice, and why ritual helps us sustain a spiritual view without needing anything elaborate. I also reflect on how the effects of meditation show themselves–not during the practice, but in the rest of our lives.I close this episode with music I love. This time, I share “Double Trouble” by the incomparable Otis Rush—one of the most haunting, emotionally searing blues artists of all time. I talk about his unusual left-handed, upside-down guitar style, the mystery of the track’s opening lyric, and my own early encounters with Otis Rush that left an indelible mark on me.Highlights:Why approaching meditation as a ritual can deepen the spiritual dimension of practiceA story from a Colorado retreat and making a recording inside the Great StupaThe three steps my teacher offered for keeping practice sacred:Make offerings: Enter practice with generosity by offering your present-moment heartRequest blessings: Turn toward the sources of wisdom you hold in the highest regardDedicate the merit: Offer whatever goodness arises to benefit all beingsHow simplicity in meditation can lead to profound effects in daily lifeReflections on Otis Rush’s unique sound and the emotional power of “Double Trouble”Memories of encountering his music and how it shaped my understanding of depth and authenticityMusic SegmentThe episode ends with “Double Trouble” by Otis Rush—a dark, piercing, beautifully restrained blues performance that reveals how much can be said with very few notes.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is available here.Ask me a questionYou can send your qIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Buddhism Beyond Belief, I explore how we truly enter the path—not through esoteric or “advanced” practices, but by grounding ourselves in simple awareness and presence. After more than thirty years of practice and teaching, I’ve come to see that depth in meditation isn’t about complexity. It’s about sincerity—how fully we can find our breath, sit with our mind, and meet life as it is.I share what the Tibetan Buddhist tradition calls the seven characteristics of a Dharmic person—qualities that guide anyone, Buddhist or not, toward wisdom and compassion. Together, they offer a map for living with steadiness, clarity, and an open heart, even when life feels messy or painful.I also tell a story about grief, and how the seemingly simple quality of good conduct can become an act of warriorship—opening to heartbreak instead of turning away.And as always, I close with music I love: this time, “Swim Away” by the late Toni Price—an artist of rare authenticity whose voice carries both ache and freedom.Highlights:Why Buddhism is not just about stress reduction, but about liberation and living fully.Why “advanced” practices mean nothing without the ability to find your breath.The Seven Characteristics of a Dharmic Person:Passionlessness: Tolerating life’s small irritations without chasing perfection.Contentment: Slowing down to appreciate the everydayness of daily life.Fewer Activities: Creating space by loosening the grip of constant doing.Good Conduct: Living with care, attention, and courage to face what is painful.Awareness of the Teacher: Recognizing and honoring the sources of wisdom that awaken you.Propagating Prajna (Wisdom): Bringing what you’ve verified as true into daily life.An Attitude of Goodness: Trusting your inherent wholeness—your Buddha nature.Reflections on grief, love, and the courage to open to heartbreak.A story from Sharon Salzberg and the Dalai Lama on self-esteem and basic goodness.How Buddhist faith is not rooted in belief, but in living what you’ve discovered to be true.Music SegmentThe episode ends with “Swim Away” by Toni Price—a haunting acapella piece about longing to return home.Watch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is available here.Ask me a questionYou can send your questions via Instagram DM or through 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I offer a guided meditation and explore what it really means to not be trying—not striving to get somewhere, even in practice. Rather than exerting effort or resisting, meditation invites us to let go again and again and rest in a state of receptivity.We look at how love, insight, and creativity are not things we can get, but things we receive, and how meditation teaches us to rest in that open space. I also clarify common misconceptions about meditation—especially the idea that we must stop thinking—and instead suggest developing awareness of thought rather than control over it.We end with a reflection on attention, presence, and the natural rhythm of the breath, followed by a story about one of my favorite songs, “Blue Sky” by The Allman Brothers Band, and the beauty of two voices joining in spontaneous harmony.Highlights:Letting go of striving and resting in presenceThe art of receiving rather than seekingThoughts as part of awareness, not the enemy of itAttention as placement, not analysisThe connection between meditation, creativity, and loveClosing reflection: “Blue Sky” by The Allman Brothers BandWatch this episode on videoIf you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is available here.Ask me a questionYou can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Learn to Teach MeditationThe 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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. Mindfulness is only half the path; the other half, awareness, brings love, creativity, and compassion.We also look at the three forms of wisdom—worldly, beyond worldliness, and beyond even dharma—and the essence of the Heart Sutra: “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.”I close with a piece of music I love, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman’s “My One and Only Love,” a perfect expression of what I call undone and refined.Highlights:Prajna as direct, wordless knowingThe Middle Way between extremesEmptiness as fullness and interconnectionMindfulness vs. awareness in meditationThe three forms of wisdomThe Heart Sutra’s simple truthClosing reflection: Coltrane and Hartman’s timeless duetWatch this episode on video If you’d like to see me share my reflections, the video version is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdpt80EJvOcAsk me a questionYou can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.Learn to Teach MeditationThe 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 remember its spiritual heart, it becomes a way to connect — energetically, compassionately, courageously. This has nothing to do with religion.To see meditation as a spiritual practice, it helps to examine (to a very small degree) the nature of mind itself. After all, mind is what we work with during practice and this is different than mere thought.  I also share how the enneagram offers a roadmap for seeing ourselves and others more clearly. We explore:The three centers of intelligence — gut, heart, and headThe three instinctual drives — self-preservation, social, and sexual/intimateThe three responses to pain — toward, against, and away (known in Buddhism as the three poisons)These perspectives remind us that our differences are not barriers but gateways to understanding and that the point of practice is to blend with animate energies rather than wall ourselves off from them.And finally, I share a bit of music. I talk about Peter Green, the brilliant early member of Fleetwood Mac, whose songs “Tribal Dance” and “Albatross” embody the powerful qualities of spaciousness, warmth, and directness. His playing reminds me that true artistry, like true practice, is about attunement rather than control.Highlights:Why meditation is more than stress reductionUsing the enneagram to deepen compassionThe true nature of mindThe “three poisons” in Buddhist teachings and how they obscure clarityMentioned:The Buddhist Enneagram by Susan Piver“Tribal Dance” by Peter Green “Albatross” by Peter GreenWatch this episode on video If you’d like to see me share my reflections, the video version is available here.Ask me a questionYou can send your questions via Instagram DM or through 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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:Why Buddhist teachings go far beyond “calming down”How I first encountered the Enneagram—and why it changed everythingThe connection between your “flaws” and your true natureReal-life stories of how understanding Enneagram types transformed relationshipsThe Buddhist view that our poisons are our wisdomHow each Enneagram type maps onto a path of transformationPlus:At the end, I share a beautiful bluegrass song that has moved me deeply—“Christine Leroy” by the Johnson Mountain Boys. It’s our new “after-party” segment to celebrate the power of music and storytelling. Listen to the whole song here: https://open.spotify.com/track/0obAxxHy2PoTA7BM2aadDt?si=d51c970c363e4c05 Have a question for me?Send a voice message via DM on Instagram (@susanpiver)—I’d love to hear from you. *Please note: Your recording might be included in a future podcast episode and answered on the show. Learn to Teach MeditationThe 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 to moment, even in a world that feels increasingly chaotic, confusing, and difficult to make sense of.I talk about:Why hope and fear, despite being opposites, are really two sides of the same coin—and how both can pull us away from the present.A wild (and yes, drug-fueled!) story from my younger years in a legendary Austin blues club that showed me this truth in vivid, unforgettable  ( and weird) detail.How beliefs, including those we cling to in hope or hide from in fear, can become obstacles. .Why anxiety is often a symptom of mind and body splitting apart, and how we can work with that.And most importantly, how meditation is the simplest, most profound practice I know for returning to presence and synchronizing body and mind.Highlights:The Buddhist view of beliefs: Why even “positive” ones can be a trapWhat Stevie Ray Vaughan and meditation have in common (sort of!)What happened  to me when they suddenly dropped away (this is the drugs part)How anxiety may simply be a case of your mind and body being out of syncPractical ways to come back to the moment, even when the world feels like it's falling apartLearn to Teach MeditationThe 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThinking 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 Styles1. Hinayana – The Foundational PathBest if you're starting out and need structure. Look for a teacher who emphasizes:Simplicity and disciplineEthical foundationBuilding a consistent practice2. Mahayana – The Compassionate PathIdeal if you're feeling more open to others and want your practice to reflect that. Seek a teacher who guides:The Four Immeasurables: love, compassion, joy, equanimityHow to connect practice with service and daily life3. Vajrayana – The Transformational PathFor those ready to work with everything—including chaos—as part of the path. A Vajrayana teacher will focus on:Sudden awakeningMeeting life directly, without avoidanceTransforming emotions into insightVajrayana is my home. I teach meditation not to calm down, but to wake up—to all of it: beauty, difficulty, uncertainty, and joy.If you’re looking for a teacher, ask yourself:Do I need grounding and structure?Am I drawn to compassion and connection?Do I want to use every part of life as practice?Clarity about your needs will help you find the right guide.A previous episode of this podcast (about the Four Noble Truths) was mentioned. You can listen to Episode 13 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 about calming down or feeling better—though it may help with that. It’s a path of waking up, and of learning to live more fully and meaningfully.What meditative absorption really means On the cushion, we train our attention by returning again and again to an object—often the breath.Off the cushion, meditative absorption means being fully present in our lives, moment to moment—absorbed in experience rather than just our thoughts about it.A deep inquiry into thought itselfWhere do thoughts come from? Where do they go? Can we remain absorbed in what lies beyond them?An exquisite (and challenging) passage from a traditional Buddhist textI read a short but powerful teaching on the nature of thought, mind, and perception—and how they are ultimately without a fixed basis.What is a Bodhisattva, really?Someone who vows to be of benefit to all beings—not because they’re a “good person,” but because, eventually, you realize… what else is there to do?My personal story of taking the Bodhisattva VowIncluding what I gave up (and immediately wanted back), and why that experience still teaches me something today.The cloud and sky metaphor for meditationYour thoughts are the clouds. You are the sky. That sky-like awareness is what meditative absorption connects you to.As always, you don’t have to be a Buddhist to find value in these teachings. The dharma is vast, pragmatic, and endlessly nuanced. I share what I’ve learned through 30+ years of practice, not because I have the answers—but because these teachings continue to challenge and change me.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailI'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 episode explores meditation as a spiritual practice—a way to move beyond conventional thinking and connect with your natural clarity, without relying on religious belief or cultural appropriation.Topics discussed:Meditation as Self-Inquiry: In many wisdom traditions, the core aim is to understand the nature of mind. In Buddhism, this process is meditation.How Meditation Went Mainstream: Once seen as fringe, meditation is now widely accepted for its health benefits—though its deeper spiritual dimensions often get lost.Three Yanas (Vehicles) in Buddhism and Three Views of Meditation:Hinayana (Foundational Vehicle): Focuses on personal liberation, calming the mind, and cultivating simplicity and discipline.Mahayana (Great Vehicle): Emphasizes compassion, the bodhisattva path, and using meditation to benefit others.Vajrayana (Indestructible Vehicle): A mystical path where meditation serves as a direct means to awakening and transformation.Instead of approaching meditation only for outcomes like stress relief, what happens if we let it reveal something deeper?As always, Buddhism Beyond Belief invites you to explore for yourself—don’t take my word for it.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 in its way, and how to reconnect with your own life force—especially when you feel disheartened or overwhelmed.This episode is personal, honest, and yes, maybe a little long. But I hope it offers something of use to you as we navigate life with as much wisdom, courage, and compassion as we can muster.Highlights:Exertion ≠ Trying Harder:Most of us are already trying as hard as we can. Buddhist exertion is not about pushing more—it’s about opening more.What Exertion Is: A continual willingness to engage with reality, to stay with your life and your heart—even when you don’t know where it’s all going.The Three Forms of Laziness:Procrastination or Avoidance: Often rooted in hopelessness or shame.Being Too Busy: When the essential things—like you—fall to the bottom of the list.Losing Heart: When the state of the world or your own limits make you forget your innate goodness.The Three Forms of Exertion:Suit of Armor: Not armor as in closing off, but as in showing up with commitment and presence, no matter what.Action: You keep going. You don’t give up. You come back.Never Being Satisfied: Staying curious. You haven’t reached the bottom of your own wisdom yet.A Different View on Motivation:Exertion is fueled by generosity, discipline, and patience. These are things we receive through openness, not willpower.How Beliefs Can Block Exertion:Our belief systems—especially those we don't even realize we have—can narrow our perception and prevent us from experiencing what's real.Restoring Exertion Through Humor: When we lose our sense of humor, it can be a red flag. Humor often signals a return of energy and perspective.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 about how we can remain connected to our own and others’ humanity—even in difficult moments—and why doing so is essential for a compassionate life.Highlights:What Patience Is (and Isn't):Not about tolerating wrongdoing or suppressing anger.True patience is the opposite of aggression—it’s about staying present and not shrinking the world to your anger.A personal story of losing patienceTwo Keys to Patience:Staying connected to humanity—even when angry.Letting go of expectations.Three Forms of Patience (from the Buddhist tradition):Overcoming Others’ Destructiveness – Meeting aggression without adding more.Realizing the Nature of Aggression – Seeing the pain behind harmful actions (in others and ourselves).Individual Examination – Resisting assumptions and prejudice; seeing each situation and person freshly.War has never led to peace, and hatred has never resolved anything. We must learn to fight injustice without aggression.Cultivating patience begins with how we relate to our own inner experiences.What would happen if you responded to frustration or criticism without expectations—and stayed open to the humanity behind every interaction?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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThis 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 to your intentions, your inner world, your experience, and your humanity.Highlights:Why discipline must be paired with generosity to avoid self-aggression.The Buddhist definition of discipline as “coming back” over and over, especially in meditation.How thinking for yourself and not outsourcing wisdom is a powerful form of discipline.The three forms of discipline:Binding Yourself – Committing to opening up, even when it's uncomfortable.Gathering Virtuous Dharmas – Continuing to deepen your understanding through study, reflection, and practice.Benefiting Sentient Beings – Shifting focus from self alone to bringing care for others into your experienceThe three-step method of learning in Buddhist tradition: Hearing, Contemplating, and Meditating. (We usually stop at hearing, regurgitating, and then forgetting.)How including others in your awareness brings joy, strength, and clarity, even in chaotic times.“Discipline is synonymous with joy. Not yippy joy—but the joy of not hiding from your life.”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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 principles for cultivating intimacy, purpose, vitality, and inner wisdom in daily life. I even share a story about lying on a couch mid-conversation and realizing my ideal form of social interaction.Highlights:Why mindfulness is more than just stress relief – It’s a path to living with depth, presence, and authenticity.Introduction to the obscure yet profound teaching of the Seven Riches of the Universal Monarch, possibly rooted in the indigenous Bön tradition of Tibet.The 7 Riches unpacked:Consort – The value of intimate connection (romantic or platonic) rooted in trust and love.Minister – Having a trusted source of wisdom or guidance (a person, study, or tradition).General – A sense of protection, whether from people, community, or even financial stability.Horse – The wellspring of vitality and momentum, from energy to inspiration.Elephant – Living with purpose and steady, grounded intention.Wish-Fulfilling Jewel – Deep self-knowledge and compassion as the truest wealth.The Wheel – Integration of all six riches into a cohesive, supportive whole.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThis 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 heartThe gift of dharma – Sharing wisdom in a humble, useful wayThe gift of fearlessness – Helping others feel stronger and less alone, often through the simple act of listeningHighlights:Why generosity is the gateway to all other ParamitasHow practicing generosity transforms the way people respond to youWhat it really means to lead with offering, rather than seekingA beautiful, powerful definition of listening: “When you stop thinking your thoughts and start thinking mine.” –Catherine MacCounPractical ways to embody generosity in daily life—emails, conversations, arguments, and moreAs always, don’t take my word for any of this—reflect on these teachings yourself, and see what arises.This is a rich and grounding episode for anyone interested in living more deeply, whether or not you identify as Buddhist.Next week, I’ll share about the second paramita, discipline (Shila), or how to stay intentional without becoming rigid.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 changes that often follow taking the vow.Taking refuge isn't about labeling yourself—it's about recognizing a path you're already on.Highlights:What the Refuge Vow actually is—and isn’tThe meaning and power of the Three JewelsWhen (and if) you know you're ready to take the vowPersonal stories of transformation, doubt, and commitmentHow taking the vow changes your relationship with life“The best time to take the Refuge Vow is when it simply feels like a recognition of something that has already happened.”Resources & Links:Visit Susan’s Substack & continue the conversation: Susan Piver on SubstackLearn more or join her community: The Open Heart ProjectMentioned in podcast: Episode 8: Who Can You Trust in the Spiritual World?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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 we keep our eyes open during practice?” Eyes open helps us stay here, in this life, not some special spiritual realm. We’re not retreating. We’re engaging—with softness and awareness.“I feel like I’m hyperventilating… or I’m weirdly obsessed with my breath or eyes—what’s happening?” You’re just noticing more. That wide open space you’ve created isn’t empty—it’s your awareness. And yes, it’ll settle.“What if I have a really good idea during meditation?” The real answer is: call it thinking, let go, return to the breath. But… I also share my (slightly quirky) workaround involving my thumbs.“Can meditation help with depression, anxiety, or trauma?” This is an important and delicate topic. Meditation is not a cure-all, and it is essential to proceed gently, and ideally with guidance from a trusted healthcare provider.“I’m overwhelmed by feelings when I meditate. Isn’t this supposed to calm me down?” Not always. Sometimes the most compassionate choice is to not meditate. Or to gently make your feeling—rather than your breath—the object of attention.“How do I know if I’m doing it right?” Because, let’s face it, it feels boring. But the answer is not on the cushion—it’s in your life. Are you more kind? More patient? More real? Then yes, you’re doing it right.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 what truly matters. They are:Precious Human Birth – It's rare and valuable simply to be here. If one person in your line had done something different, you would not be you!Impermanence and Death – Death is real (but only 100% of the time) and comes without warning.Karma is real – Actions have results, whether or not in this lifetime.Samsara is an ocean of unavoidable suffering. Sure, there are also great things, but even they come with suffering because they all eventually dissolve.Remembering these truths can turn your mind toward wisdom, compassion, and a life of generosity.Even if you don't identify as Buddhist, these reflections can offer clarity in how to live more deliberately and kindly.With personal stories and my best insights, I hope to share how remembering these truths can shift your priorities and bring you back to what matters most.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 EgolessnessTeachings on “no self” can feel like a shaming of personal identity.Meditation helps us see both our egoless nature and our genuine self.2. Meditation as Friendship with SelfEncourages self-awareness and emotional honesty.3. The Enneagram as a Spiritual ToolDescribes 9 personality types; not limiting but illuminating.Helps identify personal patterns and build self-compassion.Integrated with Buddhist values like loving-kindness.4. Three Enneagram Frameworks to Understand Yourself and OthersCenters of Intelligence:Mental: Thinkers → anxiety under stress.Gut: Intuitive types → anger under stress.Heart: Emotional types → neediness or withdrawal under stress.Instinctual Drives:Self-preservation: Focused on safety and comfort.Social: Motivated by group belonging.One-to-One: Seeks deep personal connection.Stress Responses (Karen Horney’s model):Toward: Seeks harmony.Against: Confronts conflict.Away: Withdraws from tension.Understanding your own wiring—how you think, feel, relate, and react—is not a detour from spiritual growth, but part of its foundation. Tools like the Enneagram, when combined with meditation, become powerful aids in cultivating compassion for yourself and others. True spiritual insight begins with self-acceptance.For more on the enneagram from a Buddhist perspective, check out my book, The Buddhist Enneagram: Nine Paths to Warriorship.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 expensive—just clean clothes that you actually like. When you pick something off the floor (and we all do this sometimes), you're already starting your day feeling a little defeated. But when you choose something you love—the color, the fabric, how it makes you feel—you're clothing yourself with respect.3. Eat Good Food This isn't about being vegan or gluten-free or whatever diet advice everyone's shouting about. It's about getting the best quality you can afford and eating it with kindness toward yourself. If you want smoothies, get good ingredients. If you want a cocktail, make it carefully. Appreciate the details that go into preparation and clean-up. Most important, as best you can, relax aggression (from self or others) about food.4. Spend Time with People Who See You Clearly We all have people who make us feel small—your boss, that difficult sibling, the friend you don't know how to break up with. Minimize time spent with such people, as you are able to do so. Maximize time with people who, when you look at yourself through their eyes, you see someone lovely and smart and kind. That's very empowering.5. Connect with the Natural World When I swim at Barton Springs here in Austin, even in the midst of Texas political insanity, I remember that there's a power at work that has its own logic, that doesn't care what I think. Being part of something larger—even feeling small in it—is actually delightful.Friends, these aren't just good habits. They're ways to create a world that holds you, that gives you strength instead of requiring you to manufacture it from scratch every single day. And right now, when everything feels shaken, that might be exactly what we need.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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 of self-focus in our culture makes it easy to see so-called ego as a problem to solve and our very own self as an obstacle on the journey.Relating to our wounds and pursuing spiritual insight are not mutually exclusive:  Both are essential and can coexist.Meditation fosters receptivity, not self-improvement: Rather than fall into the trap of using meditation to solve your problems, allow your practice to make the space for the wisdom that’s already a part of you. It will arise naturally.Egolessness is about openness, not self-denial: Genuine egolessness is not about prioritizing everyone else and abandoning yourself entirely. Our practice of letting go, being present; this is more helpful when it comes to realizing egolessness. It’s not about forcing yourself out; rather, it’s about being with what is (you are a part of what is) and receiving the love, wisdom, and insight that reveal rather than force egolessness. 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn 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, deep knowing, and sometimes irritation).The Buddha’s Four Noble TruthsLife is suffering/unsatisfyingGrasping causes sufferingThere is a cessation of sufferingThe Noble Eightfold PathThe Four Noble Truths of Love (made up by me)Relationships never stabilize (what?!)Thinking they should stabilize creates instabilityMeeting the instability together is loveViewing all disconnects (barring abuse of any kind)  as ways to deepen intimacy helpsFor more on this topic, check out my book,  The Four Noble Truths of Love NOTE: We'll be taking a two-week break. The Buddhism Beyond Belief Podcast will return with a new episode on June 13. Mwah!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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailWhich 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 enlightenmentThe Jealous God/Asura Realm - Beings with power and resources consumed by covetousness and aggression, always fighting for more. And more. (Sound familiar?)The Human Realm - The most fortunate realm with the right balance of suffering and ease for spiritual development. Yay us!The Hungry Ghost Realm - Represents insatiable desires and cravings that can never be fulfilledThe Animal Realm - Characterized by basic survival needs and limited spiritual capacity, yet capable of love and connectionThe Hell Realm - A place of constant suffering with no relief, glimpsed through our experiences of heartbreak and witnessing sufferingResources Mentioned:"A Guided Tour of Hell" by Sam Bercholz - Featuring descriptions and visual depictions of the hell realmsJoin my meditation community, the Open Heart Project Sangha, to practice together and learn how to apply these teachings to everyday life. Would be great to see you there!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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailWhy do we turn to meditation when things fall apart—and what are we really supposed to do with all these overwhelming emotions? In this short episode, we explore three powerful ways to relate to difficult feelings like anger, fear, and anxiety: as afflictive; as bridges to compassion; and as hidden forms of wisdom. All three ways are accurate, though usually only the first is described in Buddhist writings.In this episode, you’ll hear about how to work skillfully with emotional intensity, not necessarily by escaping it, but by uncovering the fierce clarity and deep humanity that may lie beneath. 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Susan reflects on one of the most common meditation struggles: staying consistent. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why can’t I just do the thing I know is good for me?”—this episode is for you.The surprising truth? It’s not a discipline problem. It’s a misunderstanding of what meditation really is.Main Topics Covered:The Real Reason Consistency is HardIt’s not about willpower.Most people approach meditation as self-improvement—but it’s actually a spiritual practice.Self-help says: “Something is wrong with me.” Spiritual practice says: “I am already whole.”Three Spiritual Anchors for a Deeper PracticeMake OfferingsSmall rituals (light a candle, burn incense) open your heart to mystery and devotion. They move the practice from “What can I get?” to “What can I discover?”Request BlessingsCall in your lineage: spiritual teachers, ancestors, artists, activists—anyone who’s shaped your path. You’re not sitting alone.Dedicate the Merit Offer the benefits of your practice to all beings (including yourself!). Whatever happens during your session—delight, frustration, sleepiness—it can be of benefit, even though we may not be able to imagine how.Three Practical Supports for Consistency (aka The Three Jewels)These are the classic Buddhist “refuges,” and they’re also the structure we need to stay steady:Buddha – Your own awakened nature. Sitting down to meditate is a reconnection with this.Dharma – Study, reflect, journal—contemplate the deeper why behind your practice.Sangha – Practice with others, even virtually. Community is often the missing key.Final Takeaway:Consistency doesn’t come from willpower—it comes from aligning with meaning.When meditation is treated as a way to open your heart rather than a way to “fix” yourself, a deeper magic is glimpsed.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn Buddhism (as in most wisdom traditions), compassion is central—but it’s often misunderstood. It’s not about being nice, it’s about being awake. True compassion is wise, fierce, and rooted in awareness.“Idiot compassion” is a term coined by Chögyam Trungpa to describe misguided kindness that stems from the three poisons:Grasping – trying to feel good or be liked.Aggression – trying to control or make something (or someone) disappear.Delusion – trying to avoid seeing what is really going on.True compassion requires discernment, not people-pleasing. It might mean being sweet, but it could also mean getting angry or saying nothing. The only way to know is by paying attention.In activism, the same principle applies: if our actions come from hate, they’ll echo hate. If they come from a broken heart longing to ease suffering, different gates will open.There are two kinds of compassion to consider:Relative compassion helps others through kindness and care.Absolute compassion is dwelling in perfect recognition of interdependence. (To learn more about this, see previous episodes on the Heart Sutra.)The spiritual path is just as much about courage as it is about kindness. It asks us to meet suffering not with spiritual bypassing, but with a heart shattered open and ready to serve.SM (for Genevieve)Not all compassion is created equal.In Buddhism, compassion isn’t about being nice. It’s about being awake.Sometimes it’s soft. Sometimes it’s fierce. But it’s never about avoiding discomfort.Chögyam Trungpa called it “idiot compassion” when our desire to help is rooted in:• Craving (to be liked)• Aggression (to control or avoid conflict)• Delusion (pretending everything’s fine)Real compassion comes from clarity.It doesn’t always look “spiritual.” Sometimes it sets boundaries. Sometimes it says no. And when rooted in heartbreak for the suffering of the world, it becomes powerful.Let’s remember that true love can also be fierce. 🔥#compassion #buddhism #idiotcompassion #fiercelove #spiritualpath #openheart #wakeup #chogyamtrungpa #realcompassion #awarenessIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailTrusting a spiritual teacher is one of the most important—and complex—decisions on the path. This talk explores three personal experiences: one with a brilliant but inscrutable and controversial teacher, another with a teacher whose misconduct led to a break, and a third with a humble, quietly extraordinary master who became the true source of guidance.The central lesson? Let your practice—not personality—be the guide.Ask yourself:Does this deepen my path?Do I respect the community?Are the teachings centered—not the teacher?Stay alert to these red flags: charisma, drama, and self-centered authority.Be patient. Trust your intuition. Protect your mind.In the end, the Dharma must be passed on with integrity, clarity, and humility—without replicating harmful hierarchies or watering it down into self-help.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn the previous episode, we discuss a teaching that is central throughout the Buddhist world: the Prajnaparamita sutra, also known as The Heart Sutra. While being utterly confounding, at the same time it is a perfect primer on the true meaning of emptiness and ultimate compassion. Turns out, these are the same thing. Who knew?! If you missed it, just go back one episode. In this episode, we go through the Sutra of the Heart of Transcendent Knowledge line by line and look at the various terms (skandha? dhatu?) as well as the main characters (Avalokiteshvara and Sariputra). There are many translations of this important teaching. The one discussed in this episode is here. To learn more, check out Susan’s new (very short) book, Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart SutraDiscussed in this episode:Introduction to the Heart SutraThe Heart Sutra is the “pith” or essence of transcendent wisdom.Begins with “Thus have I heard,” inviting personal inquiry and interpretation.Narrated by Ananda (known for memory)The SettingThe Buddha is in deep meditative absorption (samadhi) surrounded by a full assembly:Monks (wisdom, foundational teachings)Bodhisattvas (compassion, Mahayana teachings)The Core Teaching: EmptinessAvalokiteshvara realizes the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, formation, consciousness) are empty of inherent nature.Famous line begins: “Form is emptiness; emptiness is form.”Radical NegationEven foundational teachings like the Four Noble Truths are negated:No suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path.Even wisdom and attainment are negated—nothing to gain or strive for.The Power of EmptinessRealizing emptiness removes mental obscurations and eradicates fear.This leads to full awakening—just like all Buddhas of the past, present, and futureThe Heart Sutra MantraThe mantra:Om gate gate pÄragate pÄrasaṃgate bodhi svÄhÄ(Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond, awakening, so be it.)Described as the mantra that calms all suffering and is to be known as truth.Cosmological ContextGods, jealous gods (asuras), humans, and celestial beings (gandharvas) all rejoice.The human realm is ideal for practice: enough comfort to contemplate, enough suffering to be motivated.PersoIf 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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss a teaching that is central throughout the Buddhist world: the Prajnaparamita sutra, also known as The Heart Sutra. While being utterly confounding, at the same time it is a perfect primer on the true meaning of emptiness and ultimate compassion. Turns out, these are the same thing. Who knew?!There are many translations of this important teaching. The one discussed in this episode is here. In part one of this two-part episode, Susan talks a bit about the history of the text, what we can learn from it, and how best to approach a teaching that is both supremely powerful and impossible to understand. Good luck! Come back next week for part two where we break it down, line-by-line.To learn more, check out Susan’s new (very short) book, Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart SutraDiscussed in this episode:Emptiness & No-SelfThese aren't nihilistic ideas — they're about interdependence.Nothing exists independently — everything (including “you”) arises from causes and conditions.Emptiness isn’t a void — it's a space of infinite potential.Like a womb: empty, yet full of creative possibility.Compassion Arising from EmptinessRelative compassion: being kind, patient, helpful — depends on awareness.Absolute compassion: rooted in the deep realization that all beings are connected.Real compassion arises from presence, not just being “nice.”Three Ways the Meaning Comes ThroughThe wordsThe sound of the wordsThe environment into which it is spokenHow to Approach the Heart SutraForm a personal relationship with the text.Understanding isn't the goal — connection is.Heart Sutra’s wisdom is felt, not explained.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project 

Send us Fan MailThe Buddha’s Early Life & AwakeningSiddhartha was a protected prince, shielded from suffering by his father.He encountered old age, sickness, and death for the first time during a trip outside the palace.This led him to renounce his privileged life and seek liberation from suffering.He meditated under the Bodhi tree, seeking truth beyond suffering.Achieved enlightenment, saw through the nature of suffering, and articulated the Four Noble Truths.The Four Noble Truths (Overview):Life is suffering (Dukkha) – More accurately, life is unsatisfying because everything is impermanent.Cause of suffering – Grasping, clinging, and pretending we can make things unchanging.Cessation of suffering – Let go of grasping, and suffering will cease.Path to cessation – The Noble Eightfold Path (e.g., right view, right speech, right livelihood, etc.).Three Types of Suffering:Suffering of suffering – Painful experiences like illness and death; inevitable.Suffering of change – Joy and success are temporary; fear of loss brings suffering.All-pervasive suffering – A background unease or existential dissatisfaction, even when life is “good.”The Middle Way:Buddhism embraces neither eternalism (belief in eternal divine reward/punishment) nor nihilism (belief in nothing beyond material existence).The Middle Way is not the mid-point between the two. What is it?Direct Experience Over Belief:Don’t take the Buddha’s word for it — verify teachings through your own lived experience.Belief systems, even Buddhist ones, are seen as potential obstacles.Wisdom comes from mixing teachings with direct experience, not from intellectualization.Final Reflection:The true spiritual path is one’s own journey of discovery.All teachings are tools; the real teacher is your own mind, inseparable from wisdom itself.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 [email protected] by Citizens of SoundMusic by: Derek O'Brien©Open Heart Project