Susan Piver's Blog, page 8
July 28, 2024
In which we listen to music and search for our true teacher
Hello and many thanks for the kind responses to our recent series on the 8-fold path. I’m so glad we can contemplate these profound teachings together. If you missed the series, no worries! It will rerun at some point.
In the meantime, I’m just back from teaching a retreat on the Heart Sutra in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. (The text we used is here.) As I was trained, the meaning of this profound text can be expressed in three ways. It is contained in the words themselves; the sound of the words; and the environment that is created (or discovered) when they are recited.
What I want to focus on here is not the Heart Sutra (although I’m writing a small book about it, stay tuned!) but the layered way in which meaning is transmitted.
In Buddhist thought, these layers are called outer, inner, and secret. In this video, I try to explain what is meant—and then play a piece of music for you as a much better way of understanding it all. I chose “You Don’t Know What Love Is” as rendered by the great Chet Baker. In this video, I suggest you listen to it three times; once to hear the words, then to hear the sound of the words, and finally to note how or if the felt-sense of your environment shifts.
The reason I’m going all out on this topic is because this is how we learn the dharma altogether—via outer, inner, and secret teachers. On the outer level, we hear or read someone’s words. On an inner level, our own wisdom is awakened. And on the secret (shhh!) level, our world somehow begins to change.
How does this all sit with you? I’d love to hear.
Love,
Susan
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July 21, 2024
8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 8 is…
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. So far, we have covered:
Right View
Right Intention
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Today we move on to the final step, Right Concentration, which has more to do with letting go than trying harder.
I truly hope you have benefited from this exploration of the noble eightfold path. Please let me know what you learned, discovered, or were surprised by. I always love to hear from you!
Much love, Susan
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July 14, 2024
8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 7 is…
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. So far, we have covered:
Right View
Right Intention
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Today we move on to the seventh step, Right Mindfulness. Interestingly, here, mindfulness has more to do with relaxation than anything else. Thoughts? I always love to hear from you.
Much love,
Susan
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July 7, 2024
8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 6 is…
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. So far, we have covered:
Right View
Right Intention
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right View and Right Intention comprise true wisdom. Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood describe how to live an ethical life. Now we turn to Right Effort which, together with Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration explain how to work with our minds.
Right Effort is not about working harder. I’m sure you’re already working as hard as you can. Rather, it has more to do with diligence and never giving up on yourself, others, or the world. A tall order, I realize. Please have a listen to this short talk (followed by a guided 10-minute meditation) and let me know what you think! I always love to hear from you.
Much love, Susan
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June 30, 2024
8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 5 is…
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. So far, we have covered:
Right View
Right Intention
Right Speech
Right Action
Today we move on to the fifth step: Right Livelihood. How can we turn work, money, and the effort to express ourselves into a part of the spiritual journey? Please have a listen! Many thoughts were expressed in this video! What do you think? I’d love to hear.
Much love,
Susan
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June 23, 2024
8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 4 is…
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on the noble eightfold path. Today we continue our conversation with step number four: Right Action
To view previous talks:
Right View
Right Intention
Right Speech
Please have a listen to this short talk to learn more about what actions we can take (and which to avoid) to bring more goodness into the world. Which needs it! You can do it!
Thoughts or questions? Love to hear them.
Much love,
Susan
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June 16, 2024
8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 3 is…
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. Right View is here and Right Intention is here in case you want to review.
Today’s talk is about the third step on the noble eightfold path: Right Speech. Spoiler alert: this one can save the world. I’m not even kidding. In this talk, I offer some thoughts on the four things that comprise wrong speech and the six things we can do instead. I’m not going to lie: these are not easy. At first. But because they all depend on introducing a tiny gap between what you think and what you say, with the support of a consistent meditation practice, it gets easier and easier.
Thoughts? Love to hear them.
Much love,
Susan
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June 9, 2024
8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 2 is…
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project.
I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. Today’s talk is about the second step on the noble eightfold path: Right Intention.
Next video: Right Speech (my personal favorite)
Thoughts? Love to hear them.
Much love,
Susan
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June 2, 2024
8 Steps to Stop Suffering: Step 1 is…
Hello, wonderful Open Heart Project. I hope you are well and enjoying this series of videos on foundational Buddhist teachings. The idea here is not to make you (or anyone) into “Buddhists” but to draw from this extraordinary wisdom what can be applied to your life.
In the last few weeks, we talked about the first three of the Four Noble Truths:
How to accept the unacceptable (Life is suffering)How to stop grasping (The cause of suffering)The secret of unhappiness (Is the cessation of suffering possible — yes, it is)This week, we move on to the fourth noble truth which is The Noble Eightfold Path. It describes the eight steps we can take to realize what it means to stop suffering. Then we can help others to stop suffering in a more direct way.
The eight steps along the path are:
Right ViewRight IntentionRight SpeechRight ActionRight LivelihoodRight EffortRight MindfulnessRight ConcentrationIn this video I offer a brief overview of the eightfold path (and how it is organized according to three categories: ethical conduct, living a mindful life, and true wisdom). (Many numbers!) And then go on to discuss what is meant by Right View.
Next video: Right Intention!
Thoughts? Love to hear them.
Much love,
Susan
PS Our wonderful friend of the Open Heart Project, Marisa Viola, is teaching a meditation immersion retreat July 12-16 at Shantigar in beautiful Western Massachusetts. Can’t recommend Marisa highly enough so if you’re in New England, this is totally worth checking out. All the details are here.
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May 26, 2024
The Secret to Unhappiness
Hello, welcome to your meditation practice! Before today’s 10-minute sit, I share some thoughts about the third noble truth of Buddhism, the cessation of suffering. As a reminder, the first noble truth says that life is suffering (meaning impossible to stabilize). The second noble truth posits grasping as the cause. Now, with the third noble truth, we begin to open the door to what we could do instead of suffer.
As I was thinking about this short talk this morning, I wanted to be sure to mention that I do not know any secrets to happiness…however, I have uncovered some secrets to unhappiness. Sort of joking? In any case, when we stop to examine our unhappiness we may discover something that alleviates suffering—not because we have crafted a solution but perhaps we have opened up to tolerate the discomfort that gives rise to unhappiness. When we open, we create space around something that may otherwise read claustrophobic. Meditation is essential in this regard. It shows us how to pause.
Also, I share a story about what happened to me a few nights ago when I woke up in an abject state of terror.
Have a listen and let me know what you think.
Love,
Susan
PS! Remember that you are warmly invited to join the Open Heart Project sangha, our membership community. The conversations go deeper and we have more time together. Please check it out, it would be great to see you there.
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