also: くもみず
noun
itinerant priest; wandering monk; mendicant
Only with reading うんすい
Specifically refers to a Zen monk who travels from temple to temple, often on a pilgrimage or seeking teaching. The term evokes the image of drifting clouds and flowing water.
彼は若い頃、雲水として日本中を旅した。
In his youth, he traveled all over Japan as an itinerant priest.
noun
clouds and water
Literal meaning of the kanji; used in poetic or descriptive contexts. The reading くもみず is rare and archaic.
山水画には雲水の表現が欠かせない。
In landscape painting, the depiction of clouds and water is essential.
From the kanji 雲 (cloud) and 水 (water), symbolizing the free, unattached movement of a Zen monk. The reading うんすい is the standard Sino-Japanese reading.