Zen Master Yueh Shan & Thinking's Bad Rap

A Practitioner's Guide Hohm Press Paperback: 125 pages 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"  $24.95 ISBN: 978-1-963433-14-2                                                                                                          RELEASE DATE: APRIL 15, 2026 TAKING PRE-ORDERS NOW! What does it mean to truly “think of not thinking”? This timeless question, posed in a brief yet profound dialogue between the Chinese Chan master Yüeh Shan and a nameless monk, opens the doorway to one of Zen’s most important and misunderstood teachings: shikantaza, or “just sitting.” Thinking’s Bad Rap invites readers into the radical non-dual vision of Eihei Dōgen (1200–1253), the brilliant Japanese Zen master and founder of the Soto school. Drawing on Dōgen’s writings, koans, and practice instructions, this book re-examines the delicate interplay of thinking, not-thinking, and “non-thinking” (hishiryo), a state that transcends but does not negate thought. Rather than demonizing the mind or idealizing silence, Dōgen shows us how true practice harmonizes body, breath, and mind—allowing realization to unfold naturally in each moment. Through a close reading of the famous koan “Yüeh Shan’s Thinking and Not Thinking,” the author unpacks centuries of commentary, translation, and misinterpretation, offering a corrective to the modern tendency to undervalue thought in Zen practice. In doing so, the book highlights Dōgen’s radical insistence that authentic practice is not about escaping our humanity, but embracing it fully. Thinking and not-thinking, presence and absence, silence and expression—all are mutually reinforcing when approached through the lens of non-duality. Readers will be guided through: • The historical background of Dōgen’s pilgrimage to China and the formation of his teaching. • Detailed explorations of key terms—shiryo (thinking), fushiryo (not-thinking), and hishiryo (non-thinking). • Insight into Dōgen’s critiques of quietist or goal-driven meditation approaches. • Concrete practice instructions rooted in shikantaza. • Reflections on how the mind of zazen extends beyond the cushion into daily life. More than an academic study, Thinking’s Bad Rap illuminates the philosophical depth of Dōgen’s teaching while encouraging readers to enact it directly. With clarity and accessibility, the book bridges the gap between doctrine and practice, supporting practitioners in cultivating what Dōgen called “authentic practice”—where enlightenment and practice are one, here and now. This book is for Zen practitioners, Buddhist scholars, and seekers who long for a deeper, more balanced understanding of meditation. Whether you are new to Zen or seasoned in practice, Thinking’s Bad Rap offers a transformative way of relating to the simple act of sitting. Seiso Chugai Paul Cooper is an ordained priest and a transmitted teacher in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri. He has practiced and studied in both the Soto and the Rinzai traditions. began his formal practice in 1980 Seiso received Dharma transmission from Sojun Diane Martin Roshi. He is the founder and former guiding teacher of the Two Rivers Zen Community in Narrowsburg, NY. He currently lives in Barre, Vermont where he founded and leads the Barre Zen Meditation Center. He teaches and practices the shakuhachi as a Zen arts practice. Seiso is a psychoanalyst and maintains a private practice working as a supervisor with therapists in training and with individuals and couples in Montpelier, Vt. He is widely published on Psychoanalysis and Zen including his most recent publication: Zen Master Yueh Shan and Thinking's Bad Rap, A Practitioner’s Guide (2026 Hohm Press) REVIEWS: Seiso Cooper’s new book on “thinking’s bad rap” offers a scholarly corrective to what the Rinzai master Hakuin saw as the "do-nothing" school, as well as to the “think-nothing” tendency in some teachings, which Cooper exposes as the intellectual equivalent of puritanical tendencies to eradicate physical urges: purifying mind instead of purifying body. There are even those who misinterpret Kodo Sawaki’s saying that “all the sutras and commentaries are only a footnote to zazen” as encouraging us to “read nothing.” Cooper gives us the “exclude nothing” alternative—for he gets us thinking while encouraging us to get to nonthinking—in the spirit of Dogen’s non-dualistic practice-realization, shikantaza. ~ Richard Reishin Collins, author of No Fear Zen,"  Seiso invites us to enter the vital center of the teaching, of Shikantaza; and for those who practice and study the Way, I strongly recommend them to read and study this deep and important work. Beyond the word, beyond the mind.  ~Philippe Rei Ryu Coupey, ~ Author, In the Belly of the Dragon. Seiso Paul Cooper’s latest contribution points to the importance of intense presence without sticking to conceptual knowing. Through his practice of psychoanalysis and his Zen understanding he brings to life the wise expression “Not knowing is most intimate.” This paradoxical wisdom applies to Zen practice and Bion’s psychoanalytic approach. Letting go of conceptual thought allows for the deepest connection.  -Grace Schireson, Ph.D. Zen priest, and clinical psychologist.