About Great Harbour Dharma

Why Great Harbour?

This website is hosted from Halifax, Nova Scotia on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people. The traditional name of this place is Kjipuktuk, which means "Great Harbour". The website is named in recognition of the Mi'kma'ki people as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land on which I live and practice.

What Is Dharma?

In the context of this website, Dharma refers to the teachings of the Shakyamuni Buddha and the true nature of reality that those teachings point to (this definition is borrowed with love from Wikipedia). Dharma here is a reference to the philosophy or religion commonly referred to as Buddhism.

Who Are You?

A trick question? I am a constantly changing flow of aggregates, changing every moment. To answer conventionally, though, my name is John (Könchok Tashi Wangpo) and I'm a Canadian Buddhist. I studied world religion (and Buddhism and Hinduism in particular) academically in university, but when it came time to pursue actual practice I was left with serious difficulty finding resources and community way over here on the Atlantic coast of Canada. Through many fortune circumstances the opportunities arose for me to study with several great teachers of Buddhism through the internet and through travel. I conceived of this website to potentially help others who find themselves feeling alone without community and support while exploring the Dharma. If one were to try to stick my practice into labeled boxes, I practice mostly in the Drikung Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, but firmly believe all three vehicles of the Dharma are valid and I hope to be able to provide information and resources to support the diverse paths anybody who stumbles upon this little corner of the internet might follow.

Can You Teach Me Buddhism?

I am not a teacher, lama, or serious scholar, so probably not directly. If I can, I will point you to a source or a teacher with expertise that might help you, but I'm not a guru or a lineage holder. I'm just a lay yogi following the path. I do have some formal academic history studying the Dharmic religions, I'm a certified meditation teacher, I've taken some courses in Buddhist philosophy from some of the "brand name" institutions, and I've done my share of retreat time, but none of this qualifies me to be your actual Dharma teacher. Take what I (and most other random people on the internet) say with a grain of salt and use discernment in what you choose to take away.

If You're Not A Teacher Why Are You Even Here?

We're all in this together and we are all connected. It can feel really lonely when you're first starting out and a lot of the resources out there are very scholarly or assume you already have considerable study and practice under your belt. It can feel overwhelming to figure out where to start. I'm here to let you know you're not alone and hopefully try to provide you with resources to help you find your way along the path. 

Why Didn't You Reply To My Email?

I have a job and my own practice so e-mails might be slow to reply to, but I promise I'll do my best to get back to you in a timely manner. Just a heads up, I'll be in retreat most of June and July 2025 so expect a little delay while I limit screen time. 

Hey, What About... ?

Feel free to drop me a message at info@greatharbourdharma.com if you have anything else you'd like me to answer.