Unsui
Encyclopedia
Unsui or kōun ryūsui in full, is a term specific to Zen Buddhism which denotes a postulant
awaiting acceptance into a monastery
or a novice
monk who has undertaken Zen training. Sometimes they will travel from monastery to monastery (angya
) on a pilgrimage
to find the appropriate Zen master
to study with. The term unsui, which literally translates as "cloud, water" comes from a Chinese
poem which reads, "To drift like clouds and flow like water." Helen J. Baroni writes, "The term can be applied more broadly for any practitioner of Zen, since followers of Zen attempt to move freely through life, without the constraints and limitations of attachment, like free-floating clouds or flowing water." According to author James Ishmael Ford
, "In Japan, one receives unsui ordination at the beginning of formal ordained
practice, and this is often perceived as 'novice ordination.'"
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism, the term unsui is also used for
"Ch'an or zen monks who, having achieved enlightenment (satori) after an initial period of training under their first master, take to the road in search of other masters. This is done in order to either test their awakening against them or deepen it with them. The term refers to their lack of a fixed abode
during this period." Therefore the translation of itinerant monk found on several Japanese-English online dictionaries.
Postulant
A postulant was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a monastery or a convent, both before actual admission and for the length of time preceding their admission into the novitiate...
awaiting acceptance into a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
or a novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
monk who has undertaken Zen training. Sometimes they will travel from monastery to monastery (angya
Angya
Angya is a term used in Zen Buddhism in reference to the traditional pilgrimage a monk or nun makes from monastery to monastery, literally translated as "to go on foot." The term also applies to the modern practice in Japan of an unsui journeying to seek admittance into a monastery for the first...
) on a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to find the appropriate Zen master
Zen master
Zen master is an umbrella title sometimes used to refer to an individual who has been recognized by an authorized Zen lineage holder and teacher as having met his or her own teacher's standards of realization or insight. These standards vary widely in different traditions, and may vary among...
to study with. The term unsui, which literally translates as "cloud, water" comes from a Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
poem which reads, "To drift like clouds and flow like water." Helen J. Baroni writes, "The term can be applied more broadly for any practitioner of Zen, since followers of Zen attempt to move freely through life, without the constraints and limitations of attachment, like free-floating clouds or flowing water." According to author James Ishmael Ford
James Ishmael Ford
James Ishmael Ford is an American Zen Buddhist priest and Unitarian Universalist minister. He was born in Oakland, California on July 17, 1948...
, "In Japan, one receives unsui ordination at the beginning of formal ordained
practice, and this is often perceived as 'novice ordination.'"
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism, the term unsui is also used for
"Ch'an or zen monks who, having achieved enlightenment (satori) after an initial period of training under their first master, take to the road in search of other masters. This is done in order to either test their awakening against them or deepen it with them. The term refers to their lack of a fixed abode
No fixed abode
No fixed abode or without fixed abode is a legal term generally applied to those who do not have a fixed geographical location as their residence...
during this period." Therefore the translation of itinerant monk found on several Japanese-English online dictionaries.