At Huffpost the Rev. Zesho Susan O'Connell has an interesting
article reminding us that Zen meditation is more than just a stress-reduction technique. Titled "Zen Practice is Dangerous and Difficult," she has some great things to say,
Zen practice is difficult and dangerous, in that directs us to see the hollowness of our basic concepts of who we are. The essence of Zen is not merely about being relaxed, or about improvement -- it is about being awakened. Zen calls for "relinquishment." Relinquishment of what? Relinquishment of the dualism of opposites -- the ideas of good and bad, being and non-being, pure and impure... of self and other. This relinquishment, when it is total, is the dropping off of body and mind. It is a situation where self-centeredness is vaporized. It is the experience of the end of suffering.
Indeed, the ego can see this as a threat and put up a fight, thus the meditator can experience all sorts of disturbances. The trick is just to not cling to these disturbances or delusions: just let them come and go without attachment. The goal is far greater than just relaxation: it is the "end of suffering."
Central to the bestowing of the Kalachakra initiation is the creation of a mandala. "Mandala" literally means "center and circumference" and in the tantric context connotes a circular diagram symbolizing a universe with a deity in the center of his or her palace complete with entourage, gatekeepers, and a surrounding environment. Mandalas are painted on cloth and temple walls, created from colored sand, or fashioned from wood, stone or colored threads.
