Study Hall

I am still working my way through Zen Pivots by Sokei-An, and have been surprised by the depth of what he was teaching people all those years ago. Here is a passage that struck me this morning:
'In the beginning, when I was giving lectures here in New York, when I sat in SILENCE the audience thought the Reverend has forgotten a word and is thinking about it. But it is not that. My meaning was that there are no words to speak about it with. Then some of my audience would say, "Reverend, do you need a dictionary?"
No, I don't need a dictionary. This is not written in a dictionary. The human being cannot explain THIS. I said THIS; I didn't say "this attitude" or "this silence". I said THIS. Human beings cannot explain THIS.'
I remember reading that people who heard Suzuki Roshi lecture in Japanese thought that he was much more compelling in English. It makes me wonder, if you can't express the dharma in words, using a language you are less comfortable with, and have fewer habitual patterns of expression in may yet bring you a little closer to the things you cannot explain. It gives the mind more opportunity to fall through the gaps.