Karen

Reverend Karen Harrison, born and raised in Canada with roots in Northern Ontario and Ukraine, developed a deep connection to nature during her childhood spent in the woods. Despite having indigenous blood on her father’s side, she felt most spiritually free in the wild, away from the constraints of urban life.

Her spiritual journey took a significant turn during her teenage years when she encountered various influences. On her mother’s side, an independent and artistic aunt inspired her to explore her creativity. Additionally, she had early memories of past lives, contributing to her sense of spiritual awareness. As a teenager, she delved into meditation, initially introduced by Allen Ginsberg, and later explored Zen Buddhism.

In her adult life, Karen became an active peace activist, engaging in anti-nuclear movements and global peace initiatives. Her journey led her to meet various spiritual mentors, including a Tibetan Buddhist Lama and Zen masters. Despite briefly considering becoming a nun, she realized her inclination towards more natural and flexible spiritual practices.

In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Karen’s path intertwined with Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen master actively involved in international peace efforts. Through their collaboration, Karen learned about the work Thich Nhat Hanh had done in Vietnam, addressing issues like environmental pollution and world hunger. Together, they formed an English-speaking Sangha that combined meditation practice with social justice activism.

Karen continued her engagement in social justice work, collaborating with organizations such as the Community of Reconciliation and contributing to peace initiatives globally. Her involvement with Vietnamese refugees and the anti-apartheid movement further solidified her commitment to social causes.

Karen’s spiritual journey is marked by a balance between meditation practice and social activism, embodying a holistic approach to spirituality and a deep connection to the Earth and its inhabitants.

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Karen Harrison’s journey offers a deeply personal look at what happens when Buddhist practice moves beyond the meditation cushion and into the complexity of everyday life.

Her relationship with the teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh and the Plum Village tradition helped her discover a way of practicing that could hold together two parts of her life she once struggled to reconcile: the contemplative and the activist. Rather than withdrawing from the difficulties of the world, Karen began to see mindfulness as a way of meeting them more fully—with greater presence, compassion, and clarity.

In her full profile, Karen reflects on how this understanding has shaped her response to war, environmental concerns, social division, and the suffering she encounters around her. She explores what it means to deepen practice when the problems of the world can feel overwhelming, and why caring for our own minds and hearts can transform the way we care for others.

Her story also reaches into questions that are more intimate: her connection with nature, the importance of teachers along the path and the community that supports practice, as well as her evolving understanding of death, continuation, and what remains.

Karen’s experience invites a larger question at the heart of Beyond the Cushion: What does spiritual practice look like when we carry it with us into the world?

Register to explore Karen’s complete profile and hear, in her own words, how decades of practice have shaped the way she understands activism, compassion, interconnectedness, and what it means to live the Dharma rather than simply study it.