The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Eight: Right Samadhi

The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Eight: Right Samadhi

Author: Susan Piver April 3, 2026 Duration: 25:29

Send us Fan Mail

This 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 final step gathers the mind into a unified experience.

Right Samadhi is not about forcing the mind to focus. It begins with learning to place attention on one thing and come back when it wanders. From there, it deepens into the ability to give your attention fully to another person. And eventually, it points beyond both of those, toward a loosening of the sense that there is a separate “you” paying attention to something else.

In this episode, I explore Right Samadhi through three lenses: foundational, relational, and transformational.

Highlights

  • What Right Samadhi actually means beyond “concentration”
  • Why the ability to focus is becoming rare and why it matters
  • Meditation as training attention
  • Attention as the basis of love
  • What it means to truly listen to another person
  • The challenge of stepping outside self-focused attention
  • The possibility of awareness without a subject or object
  • Right Samadhi as the culmination of the Noble Eightfold Path

Music After Party

This week I share “Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears” by A Winged Victory for the Sullen.

You can also listen here.

Watch this episode on video
If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is coming soon.

Thoughts?
You can send your questions or reflections via Instagram DM or through
our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.

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 here.

If you’d like a free chapter, sign up for my weekly meditation newsletter here.

Fearless Creativity: A Meditation and

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
Choosing the Buddhist Path: How and Why [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:24
Send us Fan MailIn this new episode, I explore what it actually means to become a Buddhist through the Refuge Vow. Potentially misunderstood as a formality or an unnecessary label, I discuss the spiritual and practical s…
The 7 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Meditation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:06
Send us Fan MailIn today’s episode, I take a deep dive into the meditation questions I’ve been asked the most over the past three decades—as a student, as a teacher, and now, as someone who teaches others to teach.We tal…
Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to the Dharma [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:23
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore a classical teaching throughout the Buddhist world, The Four Reminders, also known as the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to the Dharma. When I first heard them, I thought how…
Egolessness, Self-Kindness & the Buddhist Enneagram [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:31
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I explore the tension between spiritual teachings on egolessness and the deeply personal need for self-understanding. I talk about how meditation reveals both the illusion of self and the…
Five Suggestions for Primordial Confidence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:35
Send us Fan MailIn this very, very crazy world, it’s easy to feel powerless. But from my decades of Buddhist practice, I've learned that it’s not just an inside job– you can actually arrange your outer world to give you…
The Problem with Egolessness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:41
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I take a deep dive into a topic that a lot of people (myself included) find confusing; what does it mean to be egoless? Drawing from my 30+ years of experience, I share my own issues with…
The Four Noble Truths of Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:07
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I share my personal adaptation of Buddhist principles for relationships, "The Four Noble Truths of Love." Drawing from my own 26-year marriage and moments of deep disconnection, I talk ab…
Buddhist Cosmology: The Six Realms of Being [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:56
Send us Fan MailWhich one are you in right now?In this episode, I explore the six realms of Buddhist cosmology which can be understood as both literal places of rebirth and psychological states we all experience. I also…
Meditation, Rage, and Other Strong Emotions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:16
Send us Fan MailWhy do we turn to meditation when things fall apart—and what are we really supposed to do with all these overwhelming emotions? In this short episode, we explore three powerful ways to relate to difficult…