Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

Trusting 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.

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

In 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 Sutra

Discussed in this episode:

Introduction to the Heart Sutra

The 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 Setting

The Buddha is in deep meditative absorption (samadhi) surrounded by a full assembly:

Monks (wisdom, foundational teachings)

Bodhisattvas (compassion, Mahayana teachings)

The Core Teaching: Emptiness

Avalokiteshvara realizes the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, formation, consciousness) are empty of inherent nature.

Famous line begins: “Form is emptiness; emptiness is form.”

Radical Negation

Even 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 Emptiness

Realizing emptiness removes mental obscurations and eradicates fear.

This leads to full awakening—just like all Buddhas of the past, present, and future

The Heart Sutra Mantra

The 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 Context

Gods, 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.

Personal Reflection

Susan has chanted the Heart Sutra daily for over 30 years.

While her understanding doesn’t always deepen, her love for the sutra does.

Encourages others to form their own love affair with the text

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

In 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 Sutra

Discussed in this episode:

Emptiness & No-Self

• These 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 Emptiness

• Relative 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 Through

1. The words
2. The sound of the words
3. The environment into which it is spoken

How to Approach the Heart Sutra

• Form a personal relationship with the text.
• Understanding isn't the goal — connection is.
• Heart Sutra’s wisdom is felt, not explained.

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

The Buddha’s Early Life & Awakening

Siddhartha 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):

1. Life is suffering (Dukkha) – More accurately, life is unsatisfying because everything is impermanent.
2. Cause of suffering – Grasping, clinging, and pretending we can make things unchanging.
3. Cessation of suffering – Let go of grasping, and suffering will cease.
4. Path to cessation – The Noble Eightfold Path (e.g., right view, right speech, right livelihood, etc.).

Three Types of Suffering:

1. Suffering of suffering – Painful experiences like illness and death; inevitable.
2. Suffering of change – Joy and success are temporary; fear of loss brings suffering.
3. 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.

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

Perhaps contrary to popular belief, meditation does not make us feel all zen. Rather, it actually makes us feel more deeply.

Discussed in this episode:

Meditation Heightens Emotions – It doesn’t numb feelings but makes them more vivid.

Trauma-Sensitivity is Important – Meditation can help with grief and sorrow but may amplify trauma. The practice should be handled with great care.

Options for Working with Strong Emotions in Meditation:

Stop meditating if it’s overwhelming.

Label emotions as “thinking” and return to the breath.

Focus on the physical sensation of the emotion without engaging in its story.

Feelings vs. Thoughts – Emotions are real, but the stories we tell about them create suffering. “Feel the feeling, drop the story.” –Pema Chodron

Personal Stories:

A heartbreak revealed that suffering was increased by the thoughts added to the reality of loss. The loss (a breakup) was not optional, but the additional thoughts were.

A career setback and a chance encounter with an experienced meditator taught that meditation isn’t about avoiding emotions but facing them.

Meditation’s Impact – It is rare that anything happens while meditating. It’s actually pretty hard and boring. However! Progress shows up “off the cushion” as increased wisdom, compassion, and resilience.

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

In this (embarrassing) episode, long-time Buddhist practitioner Susan Piver describes an episode of road rage (her own) and the moment her rage turned into compassion. Spoiler: it has nothing to do with remembering Buddhist principles and everything to do with simply being human. 

Discussed in this episode:

What are the Four Immeasurables?

Loving-kindness – Recognizing our shared humanity.

Compassion – Feeling others’ sorrow as our own.

Sympathetic Joy – Sharing in others’ happiness.

Equanimity – Maintaining balance amidst emotional ups and downs.

How Meditation Cultivates Compassion

Why is meditation so famously associated with compassion? How does sitting there, “doing nothing,” open your heart? 

Instead of numbing emotions, meditation deepens our ability to feel.

It helps us break habitual emotional reactions and respond with awareness.

Compassion is Organic

It is not something we can turn on or off—it is our natural state.

On Road Rage and Compassion

Susan describes losing her temper in traffic but experiencing an instant shift in a split second when she began to confront the other driver. Compassion is not about excusing bad behavior but about recognizing shared humanity.

True compassion arises when we see others not as obstacles, but as people.

This reflection highlights how meditation is not passive but an active practice that transforms how we relate to the world.

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

This episode provides a deep and practical exploration of meditation, defines meditation as something more than mindfulness, it also includes awareness. Common misconceptions are enumerated. The key takeaway is that meditation is not about achieving a specific state but about learning to be with yourself as you are, with openness and curiosity. Includes a 10-minute guided meditation.

Introduction to Meditation & Mindfulness

Many wisdom traditions emphasize examining one’s own mind as the start of a spiritual journey. In the Buddhist tradition, this is done through meditation or mindfulness practice.

What is meditation? It involves choosing an object of attention (e.g., breath, an image, or a mantra) to focus on instead of thoughts.

Mindfulness and Awareness

Meditation is often described as “mindfulness meditation,” but a more accurate term is mindfulness-awareness meditation.

Mindfulness is something that can be actively worked on and developed. Awareness, on the other hand, expands naturally when space is created by allowing thoughts to settle.

Misconceptions About Meditation

Misconception #1: Meditation Requires Stopping Thoughts

Impossible and unnecessary. Meditation is not about shutting thoughts off but about changing the relationship with them.

Misconception #2: Meditation is a form of Self-Help

While it may help in many ways, meditation is not about self-improvement—it’s a path of transformation and liberation.

It allows one to see beyond the conventional mind rather than just becoming a better version of oneself.

Misconception #3: Meditation Will Make You Peaceful

It softens inner defenses, allowing for greater emotional depth and authenticity. Instead of bringing peace, it makes one more genuine and vulnerable.

Meditation Instruction & Practice (10 minutes)

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

Meditation is most often described as a self-help technique that will support you to improve performance, reduce stress, manage pain, and sleep better. All of this is true. Thank you, science! However, as first transmitted by the Buddha, the practice was not described in any such terms. Rather, it was offered as a way to wake up from suffering, realize true wisdom, extend compassion, and live with bravery. We in the West can still expect such outcomes without relying in any way on cultural appropriation or religious beliefs. 

Beginning with the right view, meditation as a spiritual practice can introduce you to your natural brilliance that lies just beyond conventional thought. 

Discussed in this episode:

Meditation as Self-Inquiry:

Across wisdom traditions, investigating the true nature of mind is encouraged. In Buddhism, this investigation is called meditation.

Shift in Meditation’s Popularity:

Initially, meditation was seen as a fringe or cult-like activity, but it has now become mainstream, valued for its mental and physical health benefits. However, many of its deeper spiritual aspects have been overshadowed by a Western emphasis on productivity and well-being.

Three Yanas (Vehicles) of Buddhism and Three Views of Meditation:

• Hinayana (Foundational Vehicle): Focuses on the Four Noble Truths, discipline, simplicity, and renunciation. Meditation in this tradition helps calm afflictive emotions and establish inner peace.
• Mahayana (Great Vehicle): Encourages compassion, loving-kindness, and the bodhisattva path—using meditation to open the heart and connect with others to be of benefit in this world.
• Vajrayana (Indestructible Vehicle): This is the mystical (or esoteric) branch of Buddhism and it emphasizes meditation as a path to immediate awakening and profound transformation. 

Meditation’s Transformational Potential:

Instead of approaching meditation with fixed expectations (e.g., better sleep, reduced stress)—we could allow the practice to reveal deeper insights that lie just beyond conventional thought.

Buddhism Beyond Belief invites listeners to investigate meditation for themselves and not take anyone’s words at face value (including the podcaster’s), and encourages personal exploration.

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project

Buddhism Beyond Belief is a podcast from Susan Piver, a 30 year student of Tibetan Buddhism and founder of the Open Heart Project, an online meditation community with close to 20000 members.

With Susan as a friend and guide, we will look at traditional teachings like the four noble truths and the six paramitas–but not from an academic standpoint. Rather, we will talk about how to make it all personal and relevant in everyday life. 

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

Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project