Alexander Duncan (b. 1954) is a Canadian writer, Dharma teacher, and independent scholar known for his work on Buddhism, esotericism, and spiritual philosophy. Writing under his own name and pseudonyms including Seten Tomh, he has authored over twenty books including early Buddhist doctrine, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna traditions, and Western occult systems, particularly the legacy of Aleister Crowley, ritual symbolism, and comparative spiritual models.
Duncan’s approach to Buddhism is grounded in the Bodhisattva ideal, informed by deep study of the Pāli Canon, Tibetan Vajrayāna, and Zen traditions. His philosophical orientation is shaped by a commitment to the Ekayāna (“One Vehicle”)—a universal interpretation of the Dharma that transcends sectarian boundaries and seeks to address the spiritual challenges of contemporary humanity. His teaching and writing emphasize clarity, accessibility, inclusivity, and the capacity of the Dharma to promote both individual liberation and collective transformation.
He maintains two ongoing blogs:
- Dharmata – Focused on Buddhist teaching, textual commentary, and the development of a Western Dharma vocabulary rooted in classical sources.
- Bethelkhem: The Secret Door – Dedicated to esotericism, with an emphasis on Aleister Crowley, Hermetic systems, Qabalah, and metaphysical symbolism.
Duncan lives and teaches in Toronto, Canada, and continues to contribute to the evolving conversation around the future of Buddhism in the global West.
Published Works
Index to Canadian Legal Literature (1981)
Wealth Management Techniques Exam Prep (2006)
Derivatives Fundamentals Study Notes (2008)
Canadian Investment Funds Course Study Notes (2009/10?)
Applied Financial Planning Study Notes (2011)
The Secret Wisdom of 666, writing as Max Demian (2011; revised edition, 2018)
Buddhist Self-Ordination: A Dharma Strategy for the West (2011)
Khatas (2012)
Excrescence of Bacchus (2012)
Dharma Notes (2012)
Fundamental View: Ten Talks on the Pali Canon (2013)
Conversations with the Buddha: A Reader’s Guide to the Digha Nikaya (2015; revised second edition, 2018)
Dharma Talks (2017; revised edition, 2019)
The Good Path of Laozi, writing as Seten Tomh (2019; revised 2020, 2025)
The Treasure House of Secrets, writing as Seten Tomh (2020)
UR Poems (2021)
Fire in the Mountain (2021)
ardhe42 (2022)
The Chiselled Garden (2024)
Selected Poems of Seten Tomh (2024)
The Keys of El (2024)
Chronological Biography
1953. Conceived in June or July.
1954, April 9. Firstborn son of Carole Watkin, named Barry Watkin. Born in the Mayfair Hospital, Toronto.
1955. Adopted in June. Thus began a period of devastating and chronic psychological abuse and neglect which continued until 1978, leaving me with chronic PTSD.
1964-1965. Interest in the spiritual quest precipitated by reading The Book of Forbidden Knowledge. Called “a superstitious fool” by Mrs. Peckover, my Grade 4 teacher at Doris M. Patton Public School, King City. Presented a short talk on sorcery to my class. Realized myself as a spiritual being.
1968 or 1969. UFO experience in August, followed by receiving Aleister Crowley’s Magick in Theory and Practice as a gift the following Christmas. My mind was opened to the Great Work. This book was my constant companion for many years.
1971. Ouija board experience with A.R. which convinced me of the reality of “spirits” in some sense, including a personal prediction that was fulfilled about three years later. See Quora.
1973, July to 1974, June. Attended first year at Brock University. Suffered from malnutrition caused by SAGA Foods while living in residence which left me bedridden with acute bronchitis for the second semester, but I passed (barely).
1974, November. Death of father (by adoption) from hereditary polycystic kidney disease following a six-week illness. Began an intensive period of study of comparative religion, including C.G. Jung, Mircea Eliade, Joseph Campbell, and others.
1975, September to 1978, June. Completed a four-year honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from York University. Graduated with second class honours.
1980. Informally accepted the Buddhadharma. Hired by the Carswell Company of Canada to research and produce their Index to Canadian Legal Literature.
1983, February. Death of mother (by adoption).
1984-1985. Briefly associated with an intentional community in Pleasant Bay, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia entitled “Grantosh Orchestrated.”
c. 1988. Vision of Red Tara, which directed me towards an interest in Tibetan Buddhism. Experienced samadhi (for about 30 seconds).
1990s. Wrote The Secret Wisdom of 666, under the pseudonym of Max Demian. This book remained unpublished for many years until I comprehensively reedited it and published it for the first time in 2011.
after 2005. Became an active spiritual seeker and spent time with Rigpa, the Nalanda College of Buddhist Studies, where I became president of the Student Association, and the Nalandabodhi Foundation. Website praised by Michael Stone. Encouraged to publish my Buddhist poetry by Dr. Robert Thurman.
2009, July. Death of biological mother, Carole Watkin (b. 1934).
2011, June. Swore the Vow of a Bodhisattva for one year.
2011-2024. Began an extended period of writing poetry and prose, including works on Aleister Crowley, Buddhism, and an original translation of Laozi’s Tao Te Ching, using a variety of pseudonyms (see Published Works, above). Initiated the Dharmata website (www.palisuttas.com) as an archive of my work.
2012, December 21, 5 a.m. Renewed the Vow of a Bodhisattva in the spiritual presence of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) in the presence of a witness. Received the Buddhist name T—– T——. Dreamt I prostrated before the Dalai Lama in a private audience which is held to be an auspicious sign in s.e Asian Buddhism.
2013, June 19. Began teaching the Buddhadharma at the Buddha Center, Sapphire Bay. I continue (November 2025) to present a cycle of 108 original one-hour dharma talks on a 14-month schedule as well as a weekly Guru Yoga Practice.
2015, March. Retired.
2024, January 17. Began to publish my poetry and dharma talks on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@Seten_Tomh).
2024, December 3. Began to upload selected works to http://www.archive.org.
2025, September 11. Published “Monte Carlo Simulation of the Page 60 Slash in The Book of the Law,” (https://archive.org/details/monte-carlo-simulation-of-the-page-60-slash-in-the-book-of-the-law_202509), proving the reality of “preterhuman intelligence” with a statistically significant probability of 1 in 50,000. Result replicated by a third party.
Connect with Alex:
Dharmata 