Rideau Lakes Zen - Sit Still And Work Hard

Rideau Lakes Zen

Sit Still And Work Hard

by Janice

Some photographs are very subtle, and this is one of those pieces.

Beaver are known for their hard work building complex, sturdy structures from various parts of nature, and they are interesting to watch. Beaver are a species where partners usually stay together for life and they form strong family groups. Sometimes, they work together in a coordinated effort as a group. This beaver was all alone eating breakfast, but the beaver most certainly was part of a larger family group. The beaver was sitting on a rock munching on some lily pads, contemplating its breakfast with its hands looking almost like they were in the prayer mudras. The beaver repeated this process a number of times, slipping off the rock to pick more lily pads by chewing them off underwater at the stem, and returning over and over again to sit there and enjoy a green leafy breakfast, stem, leaf and all. Then the beaver would sit and digest just like this. The beaver was stealthy and graceful gliding around in and out of the water, making almost no sound. It was the beaver's munching noises which caught my attention while I was practicing not far away at a place I used to go.

Surprisingly, this beaver wasn't bothered at all by my camera presence. Beaver normally won't let you get this close, making a loud warning splashing noise with their tail and swimming away if you are in their space. I was able to get quite a number of photographs from different angles with just a regular lens.

Sit still and work hard is a good motto for practicing Zen. Sit still and work hard sincerely with the right intent in your heart every day and you and the Universe will naturally become one.

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