Born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, in 1924, TANGEN HARADA trained at Hosshin-ji monastery and became an heir of the famous Sogaku Harada Roshi. At age thirty, Tangen Roshi became the abbot of Bukkoku-ji monastery, where he taught for close to sixty years. Maintaining a strict and traditional spirit of practice, he accepted all manner of students—monastic and lay and of all nationalities, gender, and ages. He was one of the most revered contemporary Zen masters of the Soto School, influencing the many students and teachers around the world who practiced under his guidance until his death in 2018.