was a Sà Âtà  Zen monk who trained under both Sà Âtà  and Rinzai teachers. He became known for his teaching combining methods from both schools. The HaradaâÂÂYasutani zen lineage founded by his disciple Hakuun Yasutani has become one of the major Zen traditions in the West. He is known as the "Great Cloud".
Born in an area known today as Obama, Fukui Prefecture, he entered a Sà Âtà  temple as a novice at age 7 and continued training in temples during his primary and high school years. Haunted by existential questions, at age 20 he entered Shogen-ji, a well-known Rinzai monastery; it is reported that he experienced kensho after two and half years there. In 1901 he graduated from Komazawa University (then Sà Âtà Â-shu Daigakurin), the Sà Âtà  university.
He eventually studied under various Sà Âtà Â-priests such as Harada Sodo Kakusho, Oka Sotan, Akino Kodo, Adachi Tatsujun, Hoshimi Tenkai, and Rinzai-priests such as Unmuken Taigi Sogon and Kogenshitsu Dokutan Sosan, with whom he completed koan-study. From the years of 1911 to 1923, Harada held a professor position at Soto-shu Daigakurin.
A very strict disciplinarian, he served as abbot at various Sà Âtà  temples throughout Japan: Hosshin-ji, Chisai-in, Bukkoku-ji, Sà Âji-ji and Chigen-ji. Until almost age 90, he conducted week-long sesshin at Hosshin-ji 6 times a year; he also held sesshin elsewhere.
Harada Roshi's teaching integrated the Rinzai use of Kà Âan, a practice which was abolished in the Sà Âtà Â-school in the 19th century under influence of Gento Sokuchu (1729âÂÂ1807). He also departed from the Sà Âtà  conventions of his day by training lay persons with monks rather than separately.
A well-known heir in the West is Hakuun Yasutani Rà Âshi, a Sà Âtà  monk who he also trained in koan study. This led ultimately to the spread of combined Sà Âtà  and Rinzai methods by the Sanbo Kyodan (today Sanbo-Zen International), Zen-community founded by Yasutani which became influential in the West. Harada himself, however, remained within the Sà Âtà  sect. It is often claimed in the West that he received Rinzai inka shomei (dharma transmission) from Dokutan Rà Âshi; he didn't, as he didn't want to leave the Soto-sect.
Harada Rà Âshi may be viewed as an eclectically talented Sà Âtà  teacher who did not abide by sectarian boundaries in regard to practice method.
Harada has been criticized for his support of the Japanese War-endeavors. A famous quote from Harada, cited in Zen at War, is:
Dharma-heirs from Harada Roshi are: