The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Five: Right Livelihood

The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Five: Right Livelihood

Author: Susan Piver March 6, 2026 Duration: 26:42
Buddhism Beyond Belief with Susan Piver
ReligionReligion & SpiritualityAlternativeBuddhismFitnessHealthHealth & FitnessSpirituality

Send us Fan Mail

In 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 living. It may sound ordinary, but the way we work, relate, and exchange value in the world can either bind us more tightly or support liberation. I share three lenses from the Buddhist tradition to investigate what Right Livelihood might mean for us now.


Highlights

  • Why your job belongs on a path aimed at awakening
  • The foundational teaching: avoid professions that cause harm
  • Work as relational practice, the workplace as a practice community
  • Right Livelihood as Bodhisattva activity in daily life
  • Protection, money, and the spiritual function of financial stability
  • When Buddhism meets consumer culture 
  • How business and interdependence might inform one another


Music After Party

In our after-party, I share “Le Bien, Le Mal” from Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 by Guru, featuring MC Solaar.

Their collaboration feels like a true exchange. Two artists building something together, each sharpening the other. You can hear the mutual respect. 

You can also listen here.


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

Fearless Creativity: A Meditation and Writing Retreat 

Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for Fearless Creativity, a meditation and writing retreat offering dedicated time for creative work alongside guided meditation and conversation. Writers of all genres and levels are welcome, with no prior meditation experience required. 

Learn more and register here.

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

Official website RSS
youtube
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 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…

123456»