Speaking, Silence, Movement and Stillness!

Koan: A long time ago the venerable master Mann-Gong and Yong-Song had a little conversation at the Korean Zen Academy. Master Yong-Song asked the following Koan of master Mann-Gong, "Tell me, merely departing from speaking, silence, movement and stillness."

Master Mann-Gong pretended he did not hear. Then master Yong-Song asked him, "Is this the Aposiopesis?" Master Mann-Gong answered, "No." He was obviously in Aposiopesis, but two masters never completed this conversation.

Later, master Jon-Kang (one of the disciples of master Mann-Gong) heard of this event and told the Venerable Mann-Gong, "It is as though both of you masters entered the muddy water while strangling each other." Venerable master Mann-Gong asked in return, "Then how would you respond?" At that time Master Jon-Kang said, "What could possibly be said merely departing from speaking, silence, movement and stillness?" Venerable master Mann-Gong said, "Very good. Very good indeed."

Behold

Observing the above talk of two great masters, and since there is the statement, merely departing from, there is a question why there should not be any way to say a word. It is most difficult not to speak and not to be silent as well as not to move and not to be still. In fact, the body has no way doing all of these at the same time. How is it possible to do something without doing any of them? If one wants to discover the way of merely departing from all of them, then he must discover the moment before entry into the womb.

Zen Master Hye-Am

What is the discovery of 'the moment before entry into the womb?' If one asked me what it is, I would say, "Broken glass is non-cohesive," which means that by 'merely departing from' all of them, is non-cohesive broken glass. Both in theory and in practice there is a way to talk about 'merely departing from speaking, silence, movement and stillness.' However, even though we can talk about that discovery, the essence itself cannot, by any means, be grasped. Now, 'the broken glass is non-cohesive' means that whatever is in pieces cannot be made into the original whole. He then sang a Verse:

One word of "speaking, silence, movement and stillness," Who could possibly break through it? If one possibly asked me to comment after departing from them, I would say "Broken glass is non-cohesive."