Buddhism and the Enneagram (with a musical aside)

Oct 17, 2025

Discover how Buddhism transcends stress relief to offer profound life insights. The Enneagram emerges as a powerful tool for self-understanding and compassionate action. Listen to real-life transformations shaped by recognizing personal patterns. Delve into how perceived flaws can reveal true nature and foster self-compassion. Plus, enjoy a heartfelt bluegrass song that showcases the connection between music and emotion.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Buddhism Is More Than Stress Relief

Susan Piver argues Buddhism is more than stress relief; it’s a path to wake up and be liberated from suffering.
She frames the Dharma as a pragmatic guide to living with wisdom, compassion, and courage.

ANECDOTE

Enneagram Changed How She Sees Herself

Susan Piver describes how learning the Enneagram reframed traits she saw as flaws into wiring differences and increased her self-compassion.
This shift helped her stop self-blame and begin appreciating parts of herself she once criticized.

INSIGHT

Enneagram As A Skillful Means

Piver calls the Enneagram an upaya, a Buddhist "skillful means" that increases compassion by guiding how we relate to others.
She says it functions as a blueprint for compassionate action toward self and others.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this episode, I share why I wrote The Buddhist Enneagram and how two life-changing systems—the Buddha Dharma and the Enneagram—can support your journey toward wisdom, compassion, and self-understanding.

Contrary to common views of Buddhism as merely stress relief, I explore its deeper invitation: to live more fully, to wake up, and to meet life with an open heart. The Enneagram, in turn, becomes a powerful upaya—a skillful means—for making compassion real.

In this episode, I talk about:

Why Buddhist teachings go far beyond “calming down”
How I first encountered the Enneagram—and why it changed everything
The connection between your “flaws” and your true nature
Real-life stories of how understanding Enneagram types transformed relationships
The Buddhist view that our poisons are our wisdom
How each Enneagram type maps onto a path of transformation

Plus:
At the end, I share a beautiful bluegrass song that has moved me deeply—“Christine Leroy” by the Johnson Mountain Boys. It’s our new “after-party” segment to celebrate the power of music and storytelling. Listen to the whole song here: https://open.spotify.com/track/0obAxxHy2PoTA7BM2aadDt?si=d51c970c363e4c05

Have a question for me?

Send a voice message via DM on Instagram (@susanpiver)—I’d love to hear from you. *Please note: Your recording might be included in a future podcast episode and answered on the show.

Learn to Teach Meditation

The Open Heart Project Meditation Teacher Training returns this January.
We begin January 17th, 2026.
I teach every session. It’s intimate, rigorous, supportive—and it’s for anyone who wants to help others work with their own minds and hearts.

Click here to learn more & sign up.

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