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Daiun Sogaku Harada (October 13, 1871 - December 12, 1961) was a Rinzai and Soto Zen monk born in an area known today as Obama, Japan in Fukui Prefecture. In 1901 Daiun Sogaku graduated from Komazawa University (then Soto-shu Daigakurin). He studied under various Soto and Rinzai masters such as Oka Sotan, Akino Kodo, Adachi Tatsujun, Hoshimi Tenkai, Unmuken Taigi Sogon, and Kogenshitsu Dokutan Sosan. From the years of 1911 to 1923, Harada held a teaching position at his former school as a professor at Soto-shu Daigakurin. A very strict disciplinarian, he had served as abbot at various temples throughout Japan: Hosshin-ji, Chisai-in , Ankokuji, Hoonji, and Chigenji. In 1937 he retired from Chigenji and lived out his remaining years as a hermit at his hermitage known as Kakusho-ken.
Daiun Sogaku Harada was a militarist as well as a Zen monk. In 1939 he said "[If ordered to] march: tramp tramp, or shoot: bang, bang. This is the manifestation of the highest Wisdom. The unity of Zen and war of which I speak extends to the farthest reaches of the holy war [the Japanese invasion of China]". Source: Review by David Loy of the book "Zen at War" at http://www.bpf.org/tsangha/loy-victoria.html.
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