Episoder
-
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 Susanâs new (very short) book, Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra
Discussed in this episode:
Emptiness & No-Self
These aren't nihilistic ideas ĂąâŹâ they're about interdependence.Nothing exists independently ĂąâŹâ everything (including âyouâ) arises from causes and conditions.Emptiness isnât a void ĂąâŹâ 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 ĂąâŹâ depends on awareness.Absolute compassion: rooted in the deep realization that all beings are connected.Real compassion arises from presence, not just being ânice.âThree Ways the Meaning Comes Through
The wordsThe sound of the wordsThe environment into which it is spokenHow to Approach the Heart Sutra
Form a personal relationship with the text.Understanding isn't the goal ĂąâŹâ connection is.Heart Sutraâs wisdom is felt, not explained.Produced by Citizens of Sound
Music by: Derek O'Brien
©Open Heart Project -
The Buddhaâs 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):
Life is suffering (Dukkha) â More accurately, life is unsatisfying because everything is impermanent.Cause of suffering â Grasping, clinging, and pretending we can make things unchanging.Cessation of suffering â Let go of grasping, and suffering will cease.Path to cessation â The Noble Eightfold Path (e.g., right view, right speech, right livelihood, etc.).Three Types of Suffering:
Suffering of suffering â Painful experiences like illness and death; inevitable.Suffering of change â Joy and success are temporary; fear of loss brings suffering.All-pervasive suffering â A background unease or existential dissatisfaction, even when life is âgood.âThe 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:
Donât take the Buddhaâs word for it â 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 oneâs 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 -
Mangler du episoder?
-
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 â It doesnât numb feelings but makes them more vivid.
Trauma-Sensitivity is Important â 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 itâs overwhelming.
Label emotions as âthinkingâ and return to the breath.
Focus on the physical sensation of the emotion without engaging in its story.
Feelings vs. Thoughts â Emotions are real, but the stories we tell about them create suffering. âFeel the feeling, drop the story.â âPema 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 isnât about avoiding emotions but facing them.
Meditationâs Impact â It is rare that anything happens while meditating. Itâs actually pretty hard and boring. However! Progress shows up âoff the cushionâ 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 â Recognizing our shared humanity.
Compassion â Feeling othersâ sorrow as our own.
Sympathetic Joy â Sharing in othersâ happiness.
Equanimity â Maintaining balance amidst emotional ups and downs.
How Meditation Cultivates Compassion
Why is meditation so famously associated with compassion? How does sitting there, âdoing nothing,â 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 offâit 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 oneâs 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 âmindfulness meditation,â 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-improvementâitâs 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 Meditationâs 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 pathâusing 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.Meditationâs Transformational Potential:
Instead of approaching meditation with fixed expectations (e.g., better sleep, reduced stress)âwe 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 anyoneâs words at face value (including the podcasterâs), 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 paramitasâbut 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. Itâs 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. Letâs 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
