Shodo Harada Roshi’s emergence as a Zen teacher unfolded within the traditional structures of Rinzai Zen training and transmission. Born in Nara Prefecture, he entered monastic life as a young man and became a monk at Shofuku-ji temple. There he placed himself under the guidance of Yamada Mumon Roshi, a respected Rinzai master. This step marked not merely a career choice but a wholehearted entrustment of his life to the discipline and insight of the Zen path as embodied in his teacher.

Within this context, his training was characterized by rigorous practice in the classical Rinzai manner. At Shofuku-ji he engaged in intensive zazen and systematic koan study, supported by the demanding rhythm of monastic life and frequent retreats. Over many years, this training was not simply intellectual or ritual; it required a thoroughgoing transformation of mind and heart, tested repeatedly in the face-to-face encounters with his teacher. Through this process he completed the traditional koan curriculum under Yamada Mumon Roshi’s supervision.

The decisive turning point in his formation came when Yamada Mumon Roshi granted him inka, or dharma transmission. This formal recognition signified that his realization had been confirmed and that he was authorized to carry the lineage forward as a teacher in his own right. In the Rinzai tradition, such transmission is not a casual endorsement but a solemn acknowledgment that the student has embodied the teaching sufficiently to guide others. Thus, his authority as a Zen master rests not on personal charisma, but on this carefully tested and ceremonially conferred succession.

Following this transmission, Shodo Harada Roshi assumed a leadership role as abbot of Sogen-ji monastery in Okayama Prefecture. In that capacity he became responsible for the training of monks and lay practitioners, offering them the same kind of intensive practice that had shaped his own path. Over time, his teaching extended beyond Japan, and he accepted students from various countries, eventually founding One Drop Zendo in the United States. His journey illustrates how, in the Zen tradition, a teacher is not self-appointed but is gradually forged through disciplined practice, confirmed realization, and the weighty responsibility of transmitting a living lineage.