Karen Terzano
Karen Terzano, (born 1950), is an American Zen Buddhist teacher in the Ordinary Mind School tradition, founded by Charlotte Joko Beck (1917-2011). Karen has worked as a research psychologist and university professor while maintaining an active psychotherapy practice. She holds a Ph.D. in Physiological Comparative Psychology as well as one in Clinical Psychology and specialized in Ethology for her Master’s degree in Biology.
Karen began Zen practice in the late 1980s, studying for several years during the 1990s with Hwalson Sunim, a teacher within the Chogye Order of Korea, a Lin-chi (Rinzai) form of Zen. In 1998 she moved to Costa Rica and there became a formal student of Sunyana Graef, a Dharma Heir of Phillip Kapleau. In 2005 Karen returned to the United States where she spent 2 years in residence at the Vermont Zen Center before leaving on what she calls her, “Walkabout” period, a series of solitary wilderness pilgrimages. In 2009 Karen retook her formal vows with her current teacher, Barry Magid of the Ordinary Mind School, and received Denkai from him in 2011. She is a current member of the Lay Zen Teachers Association. Karen received full teacher rights in a denbō ceremony in New York, in 2014.
In leading traditional retreats where invited, and by conducting pilgrimages of various types, Karen has worked for several years with an electronic sangha, comprised of students from all over the world. Then, in 2012, with permission from her teacher, Karen established the Tavallinen Mieli Zendo in Tampere, Finland, and now serves as its guiding teacher, spending several months in residence there each year.
Karen would be happy to answer practice-related questions and may be contacted directly at karenterzano(at)gmail.com.
Magnus Norén
Magnus Norén is a father of three and works as a licensed psychologist living in Falun, Dalarna Sweden. Magnus has practiced Zen Buddhism since the late nineties mainly in a Soto Zen sangha until he visited Barry Magid and found his way to Karen Terzano and her emerging sangha in northern Europe from 2013 and onward. He received denkai in October 2019 from Karen and has been permitted to teach. Magnus conducts zazenkai and sesshin where invited and is open to contact with practice-related concerns at larsmagnusnoren@gmail.com
Timo Teräväinen
Timo Teräväinen was named a Zen teacher by Karen Terzano. He is currently not teaching actively.