Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

Send us Fan Mail I talk with my longest time spiritual friend, Samuel Bercholz, founder of Shambhala Publications and author of the new book, Rude Awakenings . It was written at the request of his second root teacher, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche , who asked Sam to write a book containing everything he learned from his first root teacher, the great and mysterious Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. For me, this book lives up to its subtitle: An Unconventional Guide to the Buddhist Path . It was written by someone who has known and published almost all of the great Buddhist (and other) masters of our lifetime, checked everyone’s sincerity and realization, and drawn, as far as I can tell, impeccable conclusions about the true dharma and who and what to trust. I trust him deeply. In addition to his extraordinary accomplishments, he is my closest spiritual friend. Sam taught me how to meditate more than 30 years ago and is still my meditation teacher. He gave me the refuge vow (by which one formally commits to the Buddhist Path), taught me how to give this vow, and, most importantly, introduced me to my root teacher, Tulku Thondup Rinpoche . In this first of 3 short episodes, we talk about his beginnings as a practitioner, the centrality of Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal, wakefulness, lineage, and why the relationship with a teacher is so important in Vajrayana Buddhism. We also look at how to find a teacher without becoming confused by cultural forms or an individual’s charisma. Highlights: Why did Sam write this book? Who are Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal and how do you invoke them? What is the 7-Line Supplication ? How do you find a teacher? What qualities do you look for? The relationship between teacher, lineage, and awakened mind Why a teacher is indispensable in Vajrayana practice How to investigate a potential teacher with both intelligence and heart The difference between Buddhist teachings and the cultures in which they developed For more on my personal thoughts about Chögyam Trungpa and other teachers who have influenced me, please listen to episode 8 , “Who Can You Trust in the Spiritual World?” Mentioned in this episode: Traleg Kyagbon Rinpoche Thinley Norbu Rinpoche Ogyen Chowang Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . My new book is now available - in print and in audio format Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics , is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness. Learn more and buy your copy here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail Heartbreak can make our usual strategies for managing pain useless. It can also show us what is true about being human: everything changes, everything ends, and love is precious because it cannot be held onto. In this episode, I look at how heartbreak itself can become part of the spiritual path. Highlights: Bringing heartbreak to the path without trying to turn it into a lesson How impermanence shows us the preciousness of each moment Why heartbreak reveals our deep connection with other people Heartbreak as love unbound from an object Being with what is, without trying to change it Mentioned in this episode: My book, The Wisdom of a Broken Heart Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . My new book is now available - in print and in audio format Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics , is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness. Learn more and buy your copy here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail When heartbreak is overwhelming, the instinct is often to make it stop. But what if the practice is not to fix what we're feeling, but to learn how to be with it? In this episode, I continue looking at three ways Buddhism offers us a path through heartbreak. The second way is practicing loving-kindness. Highlights: Learning to make space for a racing mind instead of trying to shut it down Working with the intensity of heartbreak without insisting that it disappear How loving-kindness can turn suffering into compassion Extending our wish for relief for ourselves, those we love, strangers, difficult people, and all beings Why caring for others can bring back a sense of strength and agency Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . My new book is now available - in print and in audio format Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics , is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness. Learn more and buy your copy here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail Heartbreak is something we have the tendency to want to get rid of as quickly as possible. But some heartbreaks cannot be “fixed” or hurried. In this episode, I look at how Buddhist teachings can help us when heartbreak has a life of its own. We start with the mind: learning to be with what is happening rather than trying to change it. Meditation is a way to let the mind settle naturally in times of emotional upheaval. Highlights: Why some heartbreaks cannot be solved or pushed away quickly The three yanas as three different ways to work with heartbreak The first step is learning to work with your mind What heartbreak can show us about love, compassion, and being of benefit Mentioned in this episode: My book, The Wisdom of a Broken Heart More on the yanas in this podcast episode, Episode 26, How to Choose a Meditation Teacher Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics , is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness. Learn more and buy your copy here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail How do we recognize a true teacher? In this episode I talk about the outer teacher, the inner teacher, and the secret teacher. Along the way I share a story from teaching the Heart Sutra , reflect on an unexpected lesson about joy, and use a piece of music to show how wisdom can reach us through content, direct experience, and the context in which it all unfolds. Highlights: What the outer, inner, and secret teacher represent in Buddhist practice Why real learning is often based in recognition rather than picking up new information How expectations color the voice of the inner teacher A story from a Heart Sutra retreat and an unexpected teaching on joy How music shows three different ways of knowing Why the outer teacher's job is to point us toward the wisdom we already have Mentioned in this episode: The Heart Sutra Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics , is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness. Learn more and buy your copy here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail It's no secret that many forces are competing for your attention, especially online. Some are noble and righteous. Some are not. Trying to track it all is...exhausting. The need for boundaries around our hearts and minds has never been more important. We must preserve our energy so that we can continue to care, dream, and love. Meditation helps establish mental and emotional boundaries. This is not about bypassing. It is about retaining life force to fight the good fight and respond to your world with intense clarity, compassion, and purpose. Please have a listen to this episode to learn more. Highlights: Why meditation helps set strong mental boundaries Reclaiming your attention from distraction and overwhelm How working with the breath builds discernment and agency Why protecting your attention is a radical act The difference between reacting to the world and responding on purpose How protecting your energy lets you be of greater benefit to others Referenced in this episode: Buddhist Cosmology: The Six Realms of Being (Episode 12) Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics , is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness. Learn more and buy your copy here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail This is a shorter episode, recorded while my family and I accompany my mother through hospice care. I reflect on an instruction I received when I first learned to meditate: resting more fully on the out breath than the in breath. As I prepare to be with my mother at the end of her life, that instruction has taken on new meaning. I share a few experiences that have shaped how I understand death, presence, and what it means to simply be there when a loved one is dying. Highlights: Why my meditation practice rests on the out breath The link between breathing out and letting go My own near-death experience and how it colors the way I am accompanying my mother The impossibility of knowing what is right during such moments Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . My new book is now available Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics , is available for purchase. Explore the spiritual path through 7 principles which run counter to conventional wisdom on mindfulness. Learn more and buy your copy here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I reflect on a recent meditation and writing retreat where participants explored grief, heartbreak, violence, loss, and the experiences that shape us most deeply. I talk about why the personal is not an obstacle to spiritual practice but the very material of the path itself. I explore how teachings on egolessness can become distorted into self-erasure, and why real transformation begins by turning toward our experience with curiosity, courage, and love. I also answer a listener question about non-duality, discuss why it may be impossible to “understand” intellectually, and share thoughts on how wisdom comes to us through openness rather than effort. Highlights Why difficult personal experiences are often the doorway into creativity, insight, and connection The transformative power of being witnessed and deeply heard How teachings on egolessness can become confused with shame or self-rejection Why your suffering, brilliance, confusion, and history are part of the spiritual path “What you seek does not come from you. It comes to you.” How ritual creates receptivity in meditation practice Why spiritual practice does not remove heartbreak, but changes our relationship to it Non-duality and why it may be experienced rather than understood Music After Party I share my love of 1980s reggae and dancehall through Wayne Smith’s “Under Mi Sleng Teng,” a track that helped transform reggae music through its groundbreaking digital riddim. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . Send me your questions: You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for a meditation retreat exploring the bodhisattva path and what it means to live with courage, compassion, and clarity in everyday life. Through guided meditation, teachings, and conversation, we’ll reflect on how to recognize and express basic sanity in the midst of our actual lives. All are welcome, and no prior meditation experience is required. Learn more and register here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I explore why spiritual practice becomes sustainable through ritual, not force. I share the story of a month-long meditation retreat where I discovered an unexpected sense of ease in both meditation and writing, and how that experience led me to begin teaching meditation and writing retreats myself. I also introduce the first principle from my new book, Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics : We engage in daily ritual. Through the Buddhist teaching of the three jewels, Buddha, dharma, and sangha, I explore how wakefulness, contemplation, and community create the conditions for practice to truly take root. Highlights Why meditation retreats can unlock creativity, focus, and flow How structure and repetition create a container for spiritual practice The first principle of Inexplicable Magic : we engage in daily ritual Buddha as wakefulness itself, not just a historical figure Dharma as reflection, contemplation, and connection to wisdom Why community, or sangha, is essential for sustaining practice What really happens when meditation becomes difficult or boring Simple ways to bring the three jewels into daily life Music After Party I share “Uncloudy Day” by The Staple Singers, featuring the extraordinary guitar playing of Pops Staples and the unforgettable voice of Mavis Staples. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . Send me your questions: You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes. Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for a meditation retreat exploring the bodhisattva path and what it means to live with courage, compassion, and clarity in everyday life. Through guided meditation, teachings, and conversation, we’ll reflect on how to recognize and express basic sanity in the midst of our actual lives. All are welcome, and no prior meditation experience is required. Learn more and register here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail In 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 ritual The personal is not the problem Turning toward sorrow opens the door to real compassion Boundaries are part of spiritual life Cleaning up your environment strengthens your inner life We practice for others, not just ourselves Live as a mystic in everyday life The middle way is not a compromise but a lived reality beyond rigid frameworks and extremes This 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 info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail Here 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. Highlights What it means that Buddhism is non-theistic Why you can practice meditation without adopting a belief system Buddhist deities as reflections of your own wisdom mind Prayer as communion rather than petition Everyday life as an expression of prayer Listening, presence, and awareness as the heart of practice 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. Watch this episode on video If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here . Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for a meditation retreat exploring the bodhisattva path and what it means to live with courage, compassion, and clarity in everyday life. Through guided meditation, teachings, and conversation, we’ll reflect on how to recognize and express basic sanity in the midst of our actual lives. All are welcome, and no prior meditation experience is required. Learn more and register here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail In 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. Highlights Right View Seeing 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 Intention Intention matters more than outcome. Pause and examine what is driving your actions. Let care for others be part of every decision. Right Speech Practice real listening rather than simply reacting. Avoid harming self and others through your words. Ask: Is it true, beneficial, clear, and timely? Right Action No fixed rules, but the five precepts offer guidance. Act with care, compassion, and awareness. Letting go reduces the tendency to create more suffering. Right Livelihood Your 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 Effort Rather 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 Mindfulness Not a tool for optimization. Practice presence with precision and openness. Be with experience as it is. Right Concentration Train attention by returning to a single focus. Over time, attention becomes steady and connected. Offering full attention is not separate from enlightenment. Conclusion This 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 here . If you enjoyed this episode: Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path. For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, it would be great if you would subscribe, give it a five star rating and share it with a friend. To join or learn more about The Open Heart Project please visit openheartproject.com . Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project

Send us Fan Mail This 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. Highlights What Right Samadhi actually means beyond “concentration” Why the ability to focus is becoming rare and why it matters Meditation as training attention Attention as the basis of love What it means to truly listen to another person The challenge of stepping outside self-focused attention The possibility of awareness without a subject or object Right Samadhi as the culmination of the Noble Eightfold Path Music After Party This week I share “Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears” by A Winged Victory for the Sullen. You can also listen here. Watch this episode on video If 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 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 info@susanpiver.com Produced by Citizens of Sound Music by: Derek O'Brien ©Open Heart Project