Four Karmas: Actions That Protect the Mind Artwork

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.

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Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver

Four Karmas: Actions That Protect the Mind

January 16, 2026 • Susan Piver • Season 1 • Episode 40

0:00 | 39:41

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In this episode, I introduce the Four Karmas—pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and destroying—as practical actions for meeting chaos, conflict, and confusion without losing clarity or heart. In this Buddhist framework, karma means action, not fate. These are not strategies for getting your way, but ways to protect the mind, deepen compassion, and interrupt ignorance in real time.

I also explore the “ Māras ,” the obstacles that can distort each karma, and why wisdom sometimes needs to be gentle—and sometimes fierce. Drawing on the story of the Buddha under the Bodhi tree, I reflect on how distraction, shame, and aggression show up in our own lives, and how these four actions help us meet them skillfully.

Highlights

Karma as action, not reward or punishment
The Four Karmas as tools for clarity and compassion
How wisdom can be peaceful or wrathful
Knowing when to add, wait, attract, or let go

The Four Karmas (Briefly)

Pacifying: Settling down to see clearly, often through deep listening rather than fixing.
Obstacle: Spiritual bypassing.
Enriching: Adding what genuinely increases vitality and connection, based on what’s actually needed.
Obstacle: Accumulating without applying.
Magnetizing: Receptivity—allowing insight, creativity, and help to come toward you.
Obstacle: Emotional reactivity that obscures perception.
Destroying: Ending or pruning what no longer serves, without aggression.
Obstacle: Total shutdown instead of skillful cutting.

Closing Music

I end the episode with “Waloyo Yamoni (We Overcome the Wind)” by Christopher Tin—a piece that feels vast, direct, and deeply human.

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During this episode, I mentioned my upcoming retreat on meditation and writing, Fearless Creativity. You can learn more here.

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