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Shodo Harada, Roshi

Maezumi Roshi with his Mother

1940 –

Honorary founder of Great Vow Zen Monastery, and the current teacher of Chozen & Hogen Bays.

Shodo Harada Roshi was born in 1940 in Nara, Japan . He began his Zen training in 1962 when he entered Shofuku-ji monastery in Kobe, Japan, where he trained under Yamada Mumon Roshi for twenty years. He was then given dharma transmission (inka) and was subsequently made abbot of Sogen-ji monastery in Okayama, Japan where he has taught continuously since 1982.

Harada Roshi is heir to the teachings of Rinzai sect Zen Buddhism as passed down in Japan from Hakuin Zenji and his successors. Harada Roshi's teaching includes the traditional Rinzai practices of daily sutra chanting, zazen (seated meditation), sanzen (private interviews with the teacher), sussokan (breath counting) and koan ('past cases') study, samu (work), sesshin (intensive retreats), teisho (lectures by the teacher) and takuhatsu (alms receiving). While the outward appearance of this type of training may seem rigorous and Spartan to some, it is important to note that Harada's teaching is formed by deep compassion and permeated by the simple and direct Mahayana doctrine that all beings are endowed with the clear, pure Original Buddha Mind. The purpose of training is to realize this mind in ourselves and in all other beings.

With this all-embracing view constantly in mind, Harada Roshi has been training people of various backgrounds at Sogenji since 1982 and welcomes serious students (men and women, lay and ordained) from all over the world. He has trained men and women from Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Iran, Greece, Sweden, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Vietnam, and Japan.

 In 1989, Harada Roshi made his first visit to Seattle and has returned since then to lead sesshins at other locations in Washington state, including Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, Bastyr University, and the Whidbey Institute. Several years ago, Harada Roshi began to lead sesshins at Tahoma One Drop Monastery on Whidbey Island. He also visits one country abroad each year to lead sesshins and maintain his connection with students there.

©2006 Zen Community of Oregon
Updated: July 31, 2006
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