Background
Hara was born in Iwakitaira Domain.
原坦山
Hara was born in Iwakitaira Domain.
He was later also superintendent of the Soto-shu Daigaku-rin (currently Komazawa University). Hara figures in several well-known koans. The Muddy Road
This is one of the most famous stories of Tanzan.
Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road.
A heavy rain was falling. As they came around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross at an intersection.
"Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.
Ekido did not speak until that night when they reached a lodging temple.
Then he could no longer restrain himself. "We monks don"t go near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. lieutenant is dangerous. Why did you do that?"
"I left the girl there," said Tanzan.
"Are you still carrying her?"
In Tokyo in the Meiji era there lived two prominent teachers of opposite characteristics.
He never drank intoxicants, nor did he eat after eleven o"clock in the morning. The other teacher, Tanzan, a professor of philosophy at the Imperial University, never observed the precepts.
When he felt like eating he ate, and when he felt like sleeping in the daytime he slept. "Hello, brother," Tanzan greeted him.
"Won"t you have a drink?"
"I never drink!" exclaimed Unsho solemnly.
"One who does not drink is not even human,’ said Tanzan. "Do you mean to call me inhuman just because I do not indulge in intoxicating liquids!" exclaimed Unsho in anger. Then if I am not human, what am I?"
Tanzan wrote sixty postal cards on the last day of his life, and asked an attendant to mail them.
Then he died.
The cards read:
I am departing from this world. This is my last announcement. Tanzan. July 27, 1892.