In Shodo Harada Roshi’s presentation, Zen is not a speculative philosophy but a direct path to realizing the true nature that all beings already possess. This true nature, often described as Buddha-nature or the “original face,” is a mind of original purity, wisdom, and compassion that exists prior to the layers of conditioning and ego. Zen points to a way of seeing reality “just as it is,” beyond dualistic thinking and conceptual elaboration. Enlightenment, in this light, is not the acquisition of something new but the recognition of what has always been present. The emphasis falls on immediate, lived experience rather than abstract belief.

The core of this path is zazen, seated meditation, where posture, breath, and awareness are unified in stillness. Harada Roshi emphasizes “just sitting,” not as passive drifting but as wholehearted presence, returning again and again to simple, vivid awareness without grasping at special states. Kōan practice, including the use of “Mu,” functions as a sharp tool to cut through habitual thought and ego-clinging, not as an intellectual puzzle to be solved. Through sustained engagement with a kōan, the separation between subject and object can fall away, revealing the nondual nature of experience. In this way, Zen practice directly challenges the mind’s tendency to cling to fixed views and self-centered narratives.

For Harada Roshi, the rigor of practice is essential: one is urged to bring total, one-pointed effort to each moment, fueled by a deep questioning about life, death, and identity. This seriousness is not grim but wholehearted, asking that one “stake one’s life” on the matter of awakening rather than approach it half-heartedly. Intensive retreats (sesshin) and close guidance from a qualified teacher provide a container in which this depth of inquiry can mature. Within such a context, letting go of attachment to outcomes while maintaining sincere effort becomes a central discipline. The mind that does not fixate is then able to respond to circumstances with clarity and freedom.

Equally important is the extension of Zen beyond the meditation hall into every facet of daily life. Work, chanting, cooking, cleaning, and all interpersonal encounters are treated as fields of practice, where the same undivided attention and selfless functioning are cultivated. Physical work and ordinary tasks become opportunities to transcend the dualism of self and other through complete engagement in the present moment. When practice permeates daily life in this way, the unity of meditation and action becomes evident; there is no separation between formal sitting and the simplest activity. From this realization, compassionate and responsible action naturally arises, expressing the awakened mind in concrete, beneficent ways.