silence, become silent, stop speaking, leave as is
黙 centers on the absence of speech: being silent, falling quiet, or stopping speaking. The sense of leaving something as is extends naturally from not interfering or saying anything.
黙 is the Japanese simplified form of 默. The older form combines 黒 (black, dark) with 犬 (dog), suggesting a dog staying quiet in the dark. The modern form replaces 黒 with 里 and 灬, but the core idea of silence remains.
A village (里) has a dog (犬) sitting quietly by the fire (灬). The dog is silent, not barking, and the village leaves things as they are.
For モク, imagine a monk (モク) meditating in silence in the village, with the dog resting quietly by the fire. The monk's silence cues モク.
to be silent; to say nothing
silence; being silent; quiet; hush
Revelation (book of the Bible); the Apocalypse
tacit; unspoken; implicit
tacit approval; tacit permission; connivance; acquiescence; toleration; overlooking
remaining silent; keeping secret
untalkative; quiet; taciturn; reticent; uncommunicative
silent prayer
silence; keeping silent; taciturnity
ignoring; disregarding; taking no notice of; refusing to comment on; turning a deaf ear to
(tacitly) implying; implication
meditation; silent contemplation
keeping silent
to stop talking; to be silent
reading silently
the Revelation of St. John the Divine (book of the Bible)
quietly and assiduously
selective mutism
selective mutism
complete silence (regarding a crime); remaining silent