Author name: D. B. Smith

D. B. Smith is an independent historian, ritualist, and comparative religion scholar specializing in the intersections of Western esotericism, Freemasonry, and Eastern contemplative traditions. He formerly served as Librarian and Curator at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, overseeing historically significant artifacts and manuscripts, including those connected to George Washington’s personal life. __________________________________ Initiated into The Lodge of the Nine Muses No. 1776, a philosophically focused lodge in Washington, D.C., Smith studied under influential figures in the Anglo-American Masonic tradition. His work has been featured in national and international Masonic publications, and his efforts have helped inform exhibits, lectures, and televised documentaries on the history and symbolism of Freemasonry. _________________________________________________ Smith’s parallel study and practice of Soto Zen Buddhism—including ordination as a lay practitioner in the Katagiri-Winecoff lineage—has led him to investigate convergences between ritual, mindfulness, symbolic systems, and the evolving role of spiritual practice in secular societies. He is the founder of Science Abbey, a platform for interdisciplinary inquiry across religion, philosophy, science, and cultural history.

Buddhism, Community, Contemplative Science, Cosmos & Consciousness, Eastern Mystical Tradition, Ethics & Society, Freemasonry & Fraternalism, Humanism, Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality, Visualization, Western Mystery Tradition, ZEN

Freemasonry and Zen: A Contemplative Brotherhood

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The Zen Master, the Master Mason, and the scientific humanist may use different tools—zafu, square and compasses, or microscope—but all seek the same outcome: a well-built world and a well-formed person.

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