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.

All Episodes

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

Three Qualities of Awakening

January 09, 2026 • Susan Piver • Season 1 • Episode 39

As 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 video
If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.

Ask me a question
You can send your questions via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.

Learn to Teach Meditation

The 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:

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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