Shodo Harada Roshi’s approach to social and environmental concerns is grounded in the core of Zen practice rather than in explicit ideological programs. He emphasizes that genuine concern for society and the natural world must arise from deep realization—kensho—and sustained zazen, so that action is not driven by anger or abstract idealism. When the illusion of separation falls away, care for people, animals, and the earth appears as a natural, unforced expression of awakening. In this sense, social and ecological responsibility is not an “add‑on” to practice, but the spontaneous manifestation of seeing one’s true nature.

Within the monastic context, Harada Roshi integrates these concerns through work practice and a simple way of life. At his training monasteries, physical labor such as gardening, growing food, cleaning, and repair work is treated as an essential part of the path. This oryoki‑like attention to daily activity cultivates respect for resources, attentiveness to waste, and a lifestyle that minimizes unnecessary consumption. Environmental awareness is thus woven into the fabric of daily routines, rather than treated as a separate topic of activism or doctrine.

Ethically, his teachings link inner states to outer conditions, making social and environmental issues inseparable from the transformation of mind. Basic Buddhist principles—non‑harming, compassion, humility—are connected to concrete behavior in diet, use of resources, interpersonal conduct, and engagement with conflict. Greed, anger, and indifference are presented as roots that manifest outwardly as social injustice and ecological damage; to work with these mental afflictions in meditation is therefore to address their wider consequences. From this perspective, spiritual practice that ignores social and environmental suffering is incomplete.

Harada Roshi also situates practice within a broader historical and communal context. Having lived through the aftermath of war and the rise of materialism, he points to the consequences of violence and nationalism as examples of what happens when inner peace and mutual respect are neglected. In his teaching to lay practitioners in various countries, he encourages the integration of zazen with professional and civic life—whether in family, workplace, or community engagement—rather than treating Zen as a retreat from the world. His “One Drop” imagery, in which each drop is inseparable from the ocean, expresses the insight of interdependence: what is done to the environment and to others is, ultimately, done to oneself.