How Do You Help Someone Who is Dying?

How Do You Help Someone Who is Dying?

Author: Susan Piver July 24, 2026 Duration: 16:43
Send us Fan Mail This is a shorter episode, recorded while my family and I accompany my mother through hospice care. I reflect on an instruction I received when I first learned to meditate: resting more fully on the out breath than the in breath. As I prepare to be with my mother at the end of her life, that instruction has taken on new meaning. I share a few experiences that have shaped how I understand death, presence, and what it means to simply be there when a loved one is dying. Highligh...

In Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver, the ancient wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism meets the messy reality of modern living. Susan Piver, drawing from three decades of personal practice and her role guiding a large online meditation community, acts as a thoughtful companion rather than a distant teacher. Each conversation in this podcast moves beyond theoretical doctrine to explore how core teachings-from the four noble truths to the practice of the paramitas-can be woven into the fabric of daily experience. You’ll hear discussions that feel applicable whether you’re dealing with stress, navigating relationships, or simply seeking a more grounded sense of purpose. The tone is accessible and personal, focusing on direct experience over dogma. This approach makes the podcast a resource for anyone curious about integrating contemplative practice into areas of health, fitness, and personal spirituality, regardless of their background. It’s about finding practical clarity and an open heart amidst life’s constant changes, with Susan offering insights that feel both timeless and immediately useful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver
Podcast Episodes
We Dream on Behalf of Others: Presence, Agency, and Staying Sane [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:48
Send us Fan Mail This episode picks up on the sixth principle of spiritual practice from my new book, Inexplicable Magic: Meditation for Mystics: We Dream on Behalf of Others. Meditation protects our minds from the inces…
The Inexplicable Magic of Cleaning Up After Yourself [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:20
Send us Fan Mail “The first rule of magic is containment,” said the great Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way and many other books. This points to the idea that the world we live in changes the way our minds and he…
The Importance of Spiritual Boundaries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:48
Send us Fan Mail The spiritual path asks you to open up, and the more you do so, the more you feel everything: your tenderness, things you’ve been avoiding, your deepest longings. It’s important to stay open to all of th…
The Wisdom of a Broken Heart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:07
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I explore one of the most persistent misunderstandings about meditation: that it is supposed to make you feel better. From my experience, meditation does not numb heartbreak or smooth ou…
The Way is Personal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:57
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I reflect on a recent meditation and writing retreat where participants explored grief, heartbreak, violence, loss, and the experiences that shape us most deeply. I talk about why the pe…
Ritual Sustains Spiritual Practice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:12
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I explore why spiritual practice becomes sustainable through ritual, not force. I share the story of a month-long meditation retreat where I discovered an unexpected sense of ease in bot…
Starting Over: Meditation for Mystics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:52
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I reflect on a recent conversation in the Open Heart Project sangha about scientific research on meditation. Yes, meditation can improve brain function and mood. But if we stop there, we…
Do Buddhists Pray? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:04
Send us Fan Mail Here is a new episode after an unexpected pause. I’m moving to a new house and that has stirred disorientation, emotional complexity, and a break from familiar patterns. The truth is, I just didn’t know…
Recap: The Noble Eightfold Path [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:53
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I bring all eight steps of the Noble Eightfold Path together. This teaching is a way of living, not a project of self-improvement. This is about how we relate to experience and how that…
The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Eight: Right Samadhi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 fi…