Eshin Woodward is a U.S. born soto zen priest living in Japan. After graduating University of North Texas and starting a career as a commercial and jazz trumpet player in Chicago, Eshin was introduced to Buddhism at Buddhist Temple of Chicago, a Pure Land or Jodo Shinshu temple. Inspired by the teaching of Rev. Patti Nakai at B.T.C., Eshin continued to study Buddhism voraciously. Transitioning to graduate school five years later, Eshin found himself quickly embedded in the community at Buddha Eye Temple in Eugene, Oregon, where he took up residency, received precepts (jukai and the dharma name, Eshin) and a whole lot of inspiration from abbot, Rev. Ejo McMullen. Armed with a deeper practice experience and a fresh master's degree in jazz composition, Eshin returned to Chicago at the calling of work, both in music and in early childhood education.

In 2019, Eshin moved to Japan to get closer to Soto Zen's roots. With great fortune, Eshin became friends with a group of monks in a rural town east of Nagoya, among whom was Tetsudo Horiba, who became Eshin's ordaining and later dharma transmission master. Eshin spent two years in formal training monasteries, one year in Toshoji in Okayama prefecture practicing under abbot Seido Suzuki Roshi. Then one more year at Soto Zen's original and fabled head temple, Daihonzan Eiheiji, where he was the only non-Japanese among 130 other monks. Presently, Eshin works at the temple where he served ceremonially as head monk, in a very rural area south of Nagoya. There he tends to 5 goats, cleans endlessly, and performs ceremonies and funerals alongside the abbot. In April of 2026, Eshin will be returning to Daihonzan Eiheiji where he will serve in the International Department.