# Cara Lai: A Field of Compassion: or How to Not Make War with Your Bushes (Retreat at Spirit Rock)

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Podcast: [Dharma Seed: dharma talks and meditation instruction](https://stenobird.com/podcast/dharma-seed-dharma-talks-and-meditation-instruction-503230)
Published: 2026-09-10T19:11:09+00:00
Episode link: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/99334/
Audio file: https://dharmaseed.org//talks/99334/20260910-Cara_Lai-SR-a_field_of_compassion_or_how_to_not_make_war_with_your_bushes_retreat_at_spirit_rock-99334.mp3?rss=
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Duration seconds: 3100

## Resource

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Pain is unavoidable; suffering is what we add by resisting it. This talk traces that distinction through a rage-filled retreat, an ongoing war with invasive shrubs, and the near enemies — pity, overwhelm, "fierce compassion" — that masquerade as care while keeping suffering at arm's length.

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## Transcript

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