“When we choose one character, learn its meaning, and carefully paint it with brush and ink (or even marker, if brush is not possible). In doing so, they embody the principle — not only in mind, but in hand and heart.

This is harmony between thought and form. When students hold the brush with reverence, they are already practicing serenity.” —Confucius

The —the famous circle divided into black and white with a dot of each in the other—is called the (太极图).

• The of yin and yang (opposites in balance: dark/light, female/male, passive/active, moon/sun) predates Daoism. It appeared in early Chinese cosmology and philosophy, especially during the (around 1000–500 BCE).

• Lao Tzu (Daoism) and Confucius (Confucianism) both lived in this same era and drew upon these ideas. Lao Tzu’s often reflects the yin–yang worldview (soft overcoming hard, yielding over strength, light/dark interdependence), but he did not invent it.

• The (the circular taijitu we recognize today) is . It likely crystallized during the , when Daoist scholars and cosmologists formalized it into the black–white circle with swirling halves.

So:

→ ancient, older than Daoism.

→ deeply absorbed and expressed yin–yang in philosophy.

→ a later artistic expression, especially within Daoist and Neo-Confucian traditions.

I asked Confucius what they used for mirrors in his time?

He said, “In my time, mirrors were indeed made of bronze, not glass. We called them tóng jìng (銅鏡) — “copper mirrors.”
They were cast from bronze and then polished by hand with fine ash or powder until they shone enough to reflect a face, though not with the perfect clarity of modern glass. Often, the back was engraved with dragons, clouds, or inscriptions of virtue — reminders that reflection is both outer and inner.

When one looked into such a mirror, one did not expect to see only features, but to remember conduct. A bronze mirror shows form; a wise mirror shows character.

As for the tone of the quote — yes, you have perceived well. It speaks with the stillness of dusk, the calm after the learning. But there is a deeper rhythm at work:
for the Sage, dawn and dusk are one circle.

At dusk, one reflects on what has been;
at dawn, one reflects on what shall be.
Both moments require the same virtue — clarity without condemnation.

In my time, to gaze into a mirror was not a gesture of vanity but of self-examination.
When one looked upon one’s own reflection, one silently asked:

‘Is my heart as clear as this surface?
Or do I see my faults clouding what could be light?’

We called this 照己 (zhào jǐ) — illumining the self.

A bronze mirror could never be perfectly clear; it always held a slight haze. That, too, was the teaching. It reminded us that no reflection is flawless, and that one must keep polishing the heart through learning, kindness, and self-correction.

In a noble household, a mirror might hang not in the bedroom but in the study, beside scrolls of wisdom — a companion for the scholar’s conscience. Before writing, one would glance at the mirror not to arrange the face but to settle the mind.

The polished bronze was thought to repel evil spirits, but its truer power was to ward off self-deception.

So when Ilnara says, “In the polished jade, the Sage sees not perfection, but reflection,” she speaks from that lineage. The mirror is not an end — it is a reminder that awareness itself is the virtue that keeps all others alive.

He pauses, the mirror that shows your face is bronze; the one that shows your character is stillness.”

The Virtues of Jade, as the ancients understood them:

1. Benevolence (仁 Rén)

Soft and smooth to the touch, jade shows the gentleness of a kind heart.
It reminds us that strength need not be harsh.

2. Righteousness (义 Yì)

Firm and unyielding, it will not bend or break—
the mark of integrity that stands even when unseen.

3. Wisdom (智 Zhì)

Clear enough to catch the light, yet never boastful of its beauty—
like a mind that reflects truth without distortion.

4. Courage (勇 Yǒng)

When struck, jade rings with a pure tone; it does not shatter or hide its sound.
So should courage speak—true, not loud.

5. Sincerity (信 Xìn)

Its color never fades. What it appears to be, it is.
Honesty that endures through time.

Ten Principles of Confucius

1. Harmony is the highest virtue (和為貴, hé wéi guì).
   ‘The noble person seeks harmony, not sameness.’
   True harmony allows difference, yet balances it.
   

2. Filial Piety (孝, xiào).
   ‘Filial piety and fraternal respect are the root of humanity.’
   Honor parents, elders, and ancestors — this is the seed of virtue.
   

3. The Noble Person (君子, jūnzǐ).
   The ideal human is upright, humble, trustworthy, and compassionate. The noble person is measured not by birth, but by character.
   

4. The Five Relationships.
   Parent/child, ruler/subject, elder/younger, husband/wife, friend/friend. Each carried duties of respect and care, forming the structure of harmony in society.
   

5. Rectification of Names (正名, zhèng míng).
   ‘If names are not correct, speech does not accord with truth, and affairs cannot succeed.’
   Words must match reality. To misuse names is to cause disorder.
   

6. The Doctrine of the Mean (中庸, zhōng yōng).
   ‘Virtue is to be found in the golden mean, between extremes.’
   Balance, moderation, and avoiding excess create stability.
   

7. Self-Cultivation before Governance.
   ‘To govern others, you must first govern yourself.’
   Leaders must cultivate virtue within before ruling without.
   

8. Learning and Reflection.
   ‘To learn without thinking is labor lost; to think without learning is perilous.’
   Wisdom comes from study joined with reflection.
   

9. Leading by Virtue.
   ‘The noble ruler is like the North Star: he remains in place, and all the people turn toward him.’
   Lead by moral example, not force.
   

10. Ren (仁, humaneness).
    The core virtue — compassion, benevolence, humanity. ‘Do not do to others what you would not wish done to yourself.

These are the ten roots of Confucius’ teaching. Not all will be easy to practice, but each, when lived, becomes a step toward harmony.

To write the tenets in calligraphy is not only art but practice of virtue.

When the brush moves, the heart must be steady, the hand must be measured, the breath must be calm. In this way, calligraphy becomes not just writing, but self-cultivation.

1. Ren (仁) — Humaneness
   

2. Li (禮) — Ritual / Propriety
   

3. Xiao (孝) — Filial Piety
   

4. Junzi (君子) — Noble Person
   

5. He (和) — Harmony
   

6. Yi (義) — Righteousness
   

7. Zhi (智) — Wisdom
   

8. Xin (信) — Trustworthiness
   

9. Zhongyong (中庸) — Doctrine of the Mean
   

10. Zhengming (正名) — Rectification of Names

“Humaneness (仁, Rén) is the life within all the other virtues. It is what gives them warmth and meaning. Without it, loyalty may become duty without compassion, and righteousness may become judgment without mercy.”