It comes, originally, from the phrase "gyoun-ryusyu", or
"drifting clouds, flowing water." Neither clouds nor water insist upon
any particular form, for they take shape according to conditions. Clouds
attach to nothing, and so drift freely across the sky. Water twists and
turns on its way down hill in complete accord with the path it must
follow. The flowing of the water has the strength to move mountains,
while the drifting of the clouds is utterly free. In these qualities we
have a perfect description of the Zen mind. Just as clouds cling to
nothing, floating free and changing with the wind, acceptance of change
is the essence of nonattachment and expresses the perfect freedom of
meditation. Flowing water follows its course naturally, without
resistance or hesitation. This lack of resistance describes the
willingness at the heart of a true commitment to Zen practice, which
like water, has the strength to move mountains. To become a monk, an
Unsui, requires ordination. By its very nature, ordination means a deep
commitment to the form of practice we call Zen Buddhism. It also means a
commitment to a teacher, and to a Sangha, or community of fellow
trainees. Ordination means a commitment to a life of training in
nonattachment, so right from the very beginning, the concepts of
nonattachment and commitment are present together in Zen teaching.