A Powerful New Take on the Enneagram (from my new book)

A Powerful New Take on the Enneagram (from my new book)

Author: Susan Piver March 13, 2026 Duration: 50:08

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This episode, we pause our exploration of the Noble Eightfold Path before returning next week with Right Effort.

This week, Shambhala Publications (my favorite publisher) is reissuing my book, The Buddhist Enneagram. I’m so proud this is happening and I wanted to take this chance to share thoughts on the two wisdom streams that have shaped my life for more than three decades: the Buddhadharma and the Enneagram.

Highlights:

  • Why compassion is central to Buddhist teaching and why it can be most difficult in our intimate relationships
  • Nine patterns of attention through which we experience the same world
  • How understanding these patterns can transform conflict with partners, family, and colleagues
  • A personal example of how different Enneagram types notice different things in the same situation
  • The three centers of intelligence in the Enneagram: instinctual, emotional, and mental
  • How each center responds differently when life does not go our way
  • The three instinctual drives that shape each type: self-preservation, social, and intimate connection
  • Why these combinations create 27 nuanced ways of being
  • How each type carries both an idealization and an avoidance
  • Using the Enneagram not to label people but to understand them and remain connected
  • How the system can support genuine compassion in everyday life

Music selection:

I share a recording of “Black Night,” most famously associated with musician Charles Brown. The version we listen to features Willie Nelson and Dr. John from the album Milk Cow Blues. I talk about the extraordinary musicians on the track, including producer and guitarist Derek O’Brien, who created the theme music for this podcast. You can also listen to it here.

Get your copy of The Buddhist Enneagram
From March 10 – April 10, you can receive 30% off the new physical edition of
The Buddhist Enneagram when you order directly from Shambhala Publications. Use code ENNEAGRAM30 at checkout. If this book has been on your reading list, or if you know someone who might benefit from this perspective on the Enneagram, this is a great time to pick up a copy. Buy yours

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Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project 


In Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver, ancient wisdom meets the messy reality of modern living. Susan Piver, drawing from three decades as a student of Tibetan Buddhism and her experience guiding the nearly 20,000-member Open Heart Project meditation community, acts as a thoughtful companion rather than a distant teacher. This isn't about scholarly lectures; it's a conversation. You'll hear explorations of foundational concepts-the four noble truths, the six paramitas, and more-but always through the lens of direct, personal application. The focus is on how these teachings can resonate in the middle of a busy workday, within complex relationships, or during moments of quiet doubt. Each episode of this podcast feels like a genuine discussion about integrating contemplative practice into all aspects of life, from physical health and spiritual curiosity to navigating everyday stress. The aim is to move past doctrine and into direct experience, offering practical insights for cultivating resilience, compassion, and a sense of groundedness. Whether you're well-versed in Buddhist thought or simply curious about a more mindful approach to fitness, health, and personal growth, Susan's guidance is both accessible and deeply authentic. Tune in for a perspective that values lived understanding over belief, creating space for clarity and an open heart amid the noise.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 52

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver
Podcast Episodes
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Eight: Right Samadhi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:29
Send us Fan MailThis week we arrive at the final step of the Noble Eightfold Path: Right Samadhi, often translated as concentration or absorption. If the earlier steps help us see clearly and act with intention, this fin…
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Seven: Right Mindfulness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:45
Send us Fan MailThis week we explore Right Mindfulness, the seventh step of the Noble Eightfold Path. While the earlier steps shape how we see and act in the world, this step turns us inward again, toward our direct expe…
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Six: Right Effort [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:59
Send us Fan MailThis week we explore Right Effort, the sixth step of the Noble Eightfold Path. While the earlier steps guide how we understand reality and how we act in the world, Right Effort begins to turn inward. It c…
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Five: Right Livelihood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:42
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore Right Livelihood, the fifth step on the Noble Eightfold Path. We began with Right View and Right Intention, then moved into speech and action. Now we turn to how we earn a livin…
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Four: Right Action [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:40
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore Right Action, the fourth step on the Noble Eightfold Path. We begin with Right View and Right Intention, then move outward into speech. Now we take those steps into how we live…
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Three: Right Speech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:11
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore the third step of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Speech, and why it might more accurately be called Right Listening. I begin with a story about the so-called “Marcus Syndrome”,…
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Two: The Power of Intention [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:50
Send us Fan MailWhen I first started my own business years ago, I was full of doubt, excitement, fear, and hope, often all at the same time. Out of nowhere, a major opportunity landed in my lap that could have launched e…
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step One: Seeing Clearly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:58
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I begin a conversation about the Fourth Noble Truth, the Noble Eightfold Path, and its first step, Right View. I review the first three Noble Truths and reflect on how Buddhism is often m…
Strength in a Time of Crisis: What Helps? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:05
Send us Fan MailThis morning, the Open Heart Project Sangha gathered as we do every day to meditate and reflect together. The group was larger than usual, a clear sign of how shaken many of us are by what is happening in…
Four Karmas: Actions That Protect the Mind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:41
Send us Fan MailIn 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 Budd…