Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver
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.
Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver
Buddhist Cosmology: The Six Realms of Being
Which 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 enlightenment
The 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 fulfilled
The Animal Realm - Characterized by basic survival needs and limited spiritual capacity, yet capable of love and connection
The Hell Realm - A place of constant suffering with no relief, glimpsed through our experiences of heartbreak and witnessing suffering
Resources Mentioned:
- "A Guided Tour of Hell" by Sam Bercholz - Featuring descriptions and visual depictions of the hell realms
- Join 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!
Thoughts? Email us at info@susanpiver.com
Produced by Citizens of Sound
Music by: Derek O'Brien
©Open Heart Project