In the art of landscape painting in China, as in many other forms of arts, one always finds Daoist roots more apparent than the influences from Confucian or Buddhist traditions. The most fundamental subject matter that elucidates the Daoist origin of this art in China lies in the attitude of Chinese painters toward “forms.” Despite numerous studies concerning the history and techniques of Chinese painting, it is very necessary to analyze ancient texts on the philosophy of painting based on Daoist teachings to understand how ideas manifest in forms and how one can transcend from forms to ideas. Investigating the link between the art of Chinese painting and Daoist metaphysics, this study seeks to answer how the treatise “Introduction to Landscape Painting” by Zong Bing (375–443 CE, a lay Buddhist practitioner) resolves the paradox between the limitation of forms and the transcendence of Dao as the Supreme Principle. The findings of this study show that Zong Bing, by proposing concepts such as “kindred resemblance” and relying on the “numinous spirit,” transforms landscape painting into a locus of manifestation for the “charm of the Dao.” Finally, it is elucidated that adhering to the principle of “correspondence with the eye and concordance with the heart” turns the artwork into a gateway that frees the heart-mind of the viewer who steps into it from the bounds of form and connects him to the celestial archetypes of forms.