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SETEN TOMH is a Canadian writer, editor, and spiritual philosopher known for his work in Buddhist studies, esotericism, poetry, and progressive political activism. With a lifelong commitment to exploring the intersections of spirituality and social change, his interests span from the intricacies of the Pali Canon to modern critiques of capitalism and climate collapse.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Seten was adopted in 1955 by Gordon and Anne Duncan and raised in King City, a rural enclave evolving into a bedroom community for Toronto’s financial elite. Even as a young man, Seten saw through the veneer of capitalist privilege, turning instead to the revolutionary ideas of Bakunin, Chomsky, and Dr. Richard Wolff. His intellectual pursuits drew him into socialism, urban planning, and the radical visions of R. Buckminster Fuller, Ray Kurzweil, and Jacques Fresco.

Spiritually, Seten’s journey began in childhood — first sparked by a public school teacher’s encouragement and solidified by a UFO sighting in the late 1960s. These early experiences ignited a passion for comparative spirituality, leading him through the Western esoteric tradition, Jungian psychology, and the perennial philosophies of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. After 2000, he embraced Buddhism as his primary focus, studying at the Nalanda College of Buddhist Studies under Dr. Suwanda Sugunasiri, as well as with Rigpa and the Nalandabodhi Foundation. He formally took the bodhisattva vow in 2011 and again in 2012.

Today, Seten is the spiritual director of the Universal Buddha Centre and has taught dharma philosophy at multiple organizations, including the former Buddha Center, Dharma by the Tracks, Riverside Dharma Centre, and Dharmata. He has contributed extensively to Quora and Goodreads and is a published author with a prolific body of work. His books explore both the scholarly and mystical dimensions of Buddhism, from Conversations with the Buddha to his poetic works like UR Poems.

His published works include:

Dharma Talks (2012)
Fundamental View (2013)
Conversations with the Buddha: A Reader’s Guide to the Digha Nikaya (2015)
The Good Path of Laozi (trans., 2019)

Forthcoming projects include Buddha & the UFO, a study of the intersection between Buddhism and the UFO Phenomenon.

Seten’s work has received praise from prominent figures such as Dr. Robert Thurman and the late Michael Stone. His talks have also been republished by the Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia.

Vision

I see the Dharma as a living transmission. Each crossing of cultures reshapes it, and today the West is giving rise to a Universal Vehicle — a form that honours tradition while speaking in the language of ordinary life.

My work is rooted in the bodhisattva vow, the discipline of compassion. It engages Buddhist teaching alongside esoteric traditions and contemporary questions, not to blur them together but to deepen their resonance.

I hold that the Dharma belongs to all, not to the privileged few, and that its ethic points toward freedom, cooperation, and dignity. To this end, I write and teach in plain speech, drawing from both ancient texts and lived experience.

damian.glendullen – Second Life

From an early age, ANKH JOS JOSZPE felt and heard the call of the spiritual. His earliest memories — asking life’s big questions and realizing the importance of living from a place of love and wisdom — go back to before he was seven years old. Raised in a Roman Catholic family, Ankh began questioning the faith around the age of sixteen,
disillusioned by the double standards he witnessed around him. A few years later, a powerful vision called him onto a deeper path, inspiring him to study the world’s major religions as well as modern wisdom traditions like Theosophy and esotericism.

Throughout his life, Ankh has been deeply committed to encouraging the development of love-wisdom in others. Since 2008, he has also shared his insights within the virtual world of Second Life, where many have sought his guidance through Tarot readings. Ankh has been actively involved with several spiritual, gnostic, and Buddhist organizations within Second Life. It was during this time that he met Seten Tomh, as Seten was giving presentations at the old Buddha Center, where Ankh was also leading a discussion group. Ankh felt a strong resonance with Seten’s work, and the two discovered a shared approach to wisdom philosophies, including Buddhism. Their collaboration has continued over many years, and today Ankh contributes his heart and mind to the Universal Buddha Centre in Mieum.

jos.joszpe – Second Life

Would you like to teach dharma at the new Buddha Centre? If so, please send your Buddhist resume to dollarability@gmail.com.