Susan Piver's Blog, page 5

In which the entire spiritual path is explained in 4 sentences

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and I send you my love. 

Before today’s sit, I share with you a chant I have been doing for more than 30 years: The Four Dharmas of Gampopa. In this short talk, I talk about who Gampopa was and how magical these four dharmas are. In fact, they outline the entire journey in just 4 sentences:

Grant your blessing so that my mind may be one with the dharma.
Grant your blessing so that dharma may progress along the path.
Grant your blessing so that the path may clarify confusion.
Grant your blessing so that confusion may dawn as wisdom.

Please have a listen to hear a bit more about what each line means who this “you” is of whom you request blessings. What do you think? I always love to hear from you. 

With love, 
Susan

 

PS: At the end of this video, I mention the two in-person retreats I’m teaching this year:

Kripalu April 11–13
Drala Mountain Center Aug 25–Sep 1

Would be great to see you at either. ❤️

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Your practice has never been more important. Here’s how to keep it consistent.

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and send you my love. 

Before today’s sit, I offer some suggestions for ensuring that your meditation practice is consistent and, even more important, that it provides support for meditation as a spiritual practice (rather than–or in addition to–our self-improvement programs).

There are three supports you need. Please have a listen and let me know what you think. I always love to hear from you.

With love, Susan

PS To sign up for your free month, click here. 

 

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Sharing with you one of the most important spiritual lessons I ever learned (spoiler: you already know how to do it)

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. 

In the past weeks, I’ve tried to convey to you how important your practice is–and not just for yourself (which it is), but for others and for this world. I outlined 6 points to explain how we view our practice here in the OHP as way more than self-help, but as a path of genuine transformation. If you want to go back and listen (or re-listen), they are all listed below. 

This week, I share with you the 7th point: one of the most important spiritual lessons I ever learned, though it seemed at first to be masquerading as advice from some Miss Manners or other. IT ISN’T!!

Here it is: Clean up after yourself, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Please have a listen to this video where I walk through what this means. And share a very embarrassing story about something stupid I did involving pizza boxes. 

Enjoy!

With love,
Susan

 

The OHP View of Practice:

We Engage in Daily Ritual 
We Live as Mystics (Hiding in Plain Sight) 
The Personal is Not the Obstacle–It is the Way 
The Meaning and Power of Heartbreak
The Importance of Dreaming to Make a Better World
Maintaining Mental and Emotional Boundaries

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The importance of emotional boundaries—and how meditation helps

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. 

Before today’s sit, I share a few thoughts (okay, more than a few) about the vital importance of remaining in control of your attention. Many forces in the world are vying for it, including people you agree and disagree with. 

While it is of utmost importance to pay attention to the suffering and chaos of the world, it is of equal importance to conserve our mental and emotional energies so that we can deploy them effectively for the benefit of others. This is not about staying positive or reducing stress. It’s about holding on to your wisdom and compassion. Please have a listen and let me know what you think.

With love,
Susan

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It’s still important to dream. Meditation can actually help make a better world.

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. 

Before today’s sit, I continue the conversation begun a few weeks ago to discuss how we view meditation in the OHP. (It’s different from most views!) The first point was We Engage in Daily Ritual. The second was We Live as Mystics (Hiding in Plain Sight). The third was The Personal is Not the Obstacle—It is the Way and the most recent was The Meaning and Power of Heartbreak. If you want to go back and watch, feel free! But it is not necessary.

Today, I want to move on to another important aspect of our meditation practice: It encourages us to dream on behalf of others. In a dream-starved world where it can seem impossible and even frightening to allow visions of a good, sane, just world to take shape, we can still continue to imagine and, possibly, bring that world into being. When we imagine beyond insanity, it supports others to do so as well.

Don’t take my word for this! Have a listen and let me know what you think.

With love,
Susan

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Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra – Info Session on February 12, 2025

Thank you to everyone who registered for this talk on my new book, Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra.

During our conversation yesterday, some expressed (understandable) uncertainty about which skandha (heap) went with which sense perception and so on. I made this very inadequate drawing that hopefully clarifies more than it confuses.

Love,
Susan

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The meaning and power of heartbreak

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. 

Before today’s sit, I continue the conversation begun two weeks ago to discuss how we view meditation in the OHP. (It’s different from most views!) The first point was We Engage in Daily Ritual. The second was We Live as Mystics (Hiding in Plain Sight). The third is The Personal is Not the Obstacle–It is the Way. If you want to go back and watch, feel free! But it is not necessary.

Today, I share some thoughts about what so many are experiencing right now, for all sorts of very real reasons: heartbreak. According to wisdom tradition, this awful and disorienting feeling has great utility on the spiritual journey.

Please have a listen and let me know what you think.

With love,
Susan

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On the spiritual path, the personal is not an obstacle. It is the way.

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are finding joy and ease as much as possible.

Before today’s sit, I continue the conversation begun two weeks ago to discuss how we view meditation in the OHP. (It’s different from most views!) The first point was We Engage in Daily Ritual. The second was We Live as Mystics (Hiding in Plain Sight). And today, I share some thoughts about what many spiritual traditions frown upon: your personal likes and dislikes. Most often, such things are dismissed as “ego” (whatever that is), something to be got rid of. I feel the opposite. Who you are, what you love, what makes you crazy—these things are stepping stones along the way. Trying to ignore them does not work. Instead, we could embrace ourselves exactly as we are. This turns out to be an expedient move on the way to happiness and compassion.

Please have a listen and let me know what you think.

With love,
Susan

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Meditation as a path to real happiness

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope your practice is going well. If it isn’t for any reason, I hope you will immediately switch to a much more difficult practice: being gentle with yourself.

Before today’s sit, I share some thoughts about how meditation is actually more of a mystical practice than self-improvement. In fact, it can introduce us to sources of lasting joy. Please have a listen and lmk what you think!

With love,
Susan

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Accessing the power of ritual

Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are finding steadiness and friendship wherever you look.

Before today’s sit, I share some thoughts about a favorite subject of mine: the power of ritual. Ritual takes our practice out of the realm of self-help only and situates it in the realm of magic. I try to explain more about this in the video and also share some of the details of my own personal ritual, in case that is interesting.

I’m always interested to hear what you think.

With love,
Susan

PS If you are interested in knowing more about what happens in the OHP sangha (membership community), please check out my end-of-the-year letter with reflections about 2024 and what is planned for 2025. This is not the easiest time for seekers and meditators, but it is an important time…and our sangha is a source of wisdom, support, and friendship. It is a place to cry, laugh, and find your people. And be confused and delighted together! See all my different hairdos! All the things. It’s serious and light-hearted at the same time. At least I think so. 🙂

PPS Let us rouse the wish together on this MLK Day (in the USA) that all beings are able to skillfully navigate chaos and find sanity and liberation and solidarity.

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