「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」Origin, Source, Circle, New Year’s Day?

You may not be aware that when people exchange New Year’s greetings on New Year’s Day, the character “元Yuan” in “元旦Yuan Dan” (New Year’s Day) carries profound philosophical thoughts of Chinese civilization. “元(Yuan)” is homophonic and shares the same origin with “原(origin)”,”源(source)”, and “圆(circle)”, symbolizing the origin of all things. From the moon-shaped archways in gardens, to the interplay of reality and reflection in bronze mirrors, and even to the myriad worlds refracted by dewdrops, the image of “圆(circle)” vividly presents the profound connotations of “元(Yuan)”.

However, in Chinese aesthetics, perfection is never the ultimate pursuit. Zeng Guofan once said, “Flowers are not fully blooming and the moon is not fully round; in the end, ‘small fullness’ surpasses ‘complete fullness’.” This profound understanding of “imperfection” is vividly reflected in the creations of ancient Chinese scholars. In landscape paintings, there are blank spaces; in poetry, the meaning is often left to the imagination. These artistic pursuits reflect the Chinese people’s insight into the laws of nature. The Chinese deeply understand the principle that “excess leads to deficiency and prosperity leads to decline.” True completeness does not lie in external perfection but in inner peace and wisdom.

The significance of New Year’s Day lies not only in celebrating the beginning of a new year, but also in reminding us that on the path to perfection, we should maintain humility and reverence, seek balance amid changes, and understand true completeness in imperfection. In the cyclical flow of time, we should keep our minds clear and composed.

The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.