Buddhism and the Four Immeasurable Qualities

Buddhism and the Four Immeasurable Qualities

Author: Susan Piver December 19, 2025 Duration: 23:30

Send us Fan Mail

As we close out a year many of us are ready to leave behind, this episode reflects on what we might want to carry forward—and what we can gently let go of. I explore the Buddhist teaching of the brahmavihāras, or Four Immeasurables, as a way of giving our hearts a place to live that is honest, resilient, and humane.

The Four Immeasurables—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—are called “immeasurable” because they are not limited resources. They don’t require perfection or self-improvement. They begin with noticing what is actually happening.

In this episode, we explore:

  • Loving-kindness
    • Begins with softening toward ourselves, not being “nice” or agreeable
    • Extends outward to loved ones, strangers, and even enemies without requiring forgiveness or approval
    • Far enemy: hatred
    • Near enemy: conditional or performative kindness
  • Compassion
    • Feeling another’s pain as our own, grounded in shared humanity
    • Distinct from sympathy or pity
    • Far enemy: cruelty
    • Near enemy: pity
  • Sympathetic joy
    • Feeling another person’s happiness as our own
    • A remedy for isolation and scarcity thinking
    • Far enemy: envy
    • Near enemy: shallow or distracting pleasure
  • Equanimity
    • Staying present with joy and sorrow without grasping or pushing away
    • Fully engaged, not numb or indifferent
    • Far enemy: grasping
    • Near enemy: indifference or “good vibes only” detachment

Throughout the episode, I emphasize that the practice is not about trying to embody these qualities, but about noticing our real relationship to them. That noticing itself is the practice.

Music Segment
We close with a podcast after party featuring “Jump Around” by House of Pain, along with a story from my time working at Tommy Boy Records in the early ’90s and a brief exploration of the mysterious opening sample. A link to
The Best Sample in History video is included 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.

Bu

If you enjoyed this episode:

Please rate, review, and share it with a friend who’s curious about mindfulness, spiritual commitment, or the Buddhist path.

For more on Buddhist teachings and how our humanity isn’t necessarily in our way, sign up for my free weekly newsletter or join the Open Heart Project sangha for more connection with community and with me.

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

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…
A Powerful New Take on the Enneagram (from my new book) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:08
Send us Fan MailThis 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…
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…