The Multiple Spatial Implications of "Yuan" in the Tao Te Ching

"Yuan" appears three times in the Tao Te Ching. It is a crucial concept that reveals Laozi's spatial philosophy. It embodies the spatial dimension of the Dao, highlighting the boundlessness and pervasiveness of the Dao's spatial existence and movement. Moreover, "Yuan" manifests the spatial orientation of the sage's virtue, delineating the profound and expansive spiritual realm of the sage. These two layers of meaning intertwine to provide a metaphysical foundation for the expression of the Dao through natural landscapes and objects, while also establishing the subjective conditions for the spatial perception of artistic "distance". Thus, "Yuan" serves as a key philosophical root and fundamental purpose of the concept of distance in Chinese art.