In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), there was a scholar named Wen Tong, also known as Yuke. He was admired not only for his great learning but also for his renowned skill in painting bamboo. Many people visited his home daily to request his artwork.
While several contemporary painters could draw bamboo well, Wen Tong's work was exceptional. His friends, the famous poets Su Shi and Chao Buzhi, offered vivid explanations for this in their writings.
Wen Tong's secret lay in his profound love for bamboo. He cultivated various species around his house and would observe them in the bamboo grove daily, regardless of season or weather. He contemplated the dimensions of the stalks and the shapes and colors of the leaves. Whenever he gained new insight, he would return to his study, prepare ink on his slab, and capture his mental image on paper.
Through years of such dedicated observation and practice, the images of bamboo in all seasons and conditions became deeply imprinted in his mind. Consequently, whenever he stood before paper with brush in hand, the myriad forms of bamboo he had studied would instantly appear before his eyes. This allowed him to paint with confidence and ease, producing works of remarkable vividness and lifelikeness.
When praised, Wen Tong modestly claimed he was merely transferring the bamboo images from his mind onto paper.
A young man seeking to learn bamboo painting approached Chao Buzhi for instruction, knowing of his deep understanding of Wen Tong's art. In response, Chao Buzhi wrote a poem containing these famous lines:
When Yuke painted the bamboos,
He had their images ready in his bosom.
Later generations condensed this idea into the idiom "having the bamboo in mind" (胸有成竹). It signifies having a well-conceived plan or a clear vision before undertaking a task, ensuring success. It also implies acting with calm assurance and a level head.
This story originates from an essay by Su Shi on Wen Tong's bamboo painting art.