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, 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: 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…