Abstract: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a vast and profound system of knowledge, and beginners often find it difficult to approach. Modern TCM education frequently begins with abstract theories such as yin-yang, the five phases, zang-fu organs, and meridians. Although this helps construct a systematic framework of knowledge, it can also make TCM appear daunting to newcomers. TCM did not originate from abstract concepts imposed upon life and disease; rather, it gradually developed through long-term observation of nature, the human body, and patterns of disease, forming a mode of thinking that proceeds from observing images and phenomena to grasping underlying principles. Based on this understanding, this article summarizes the first lesson about “learning TCM with ease” delivered by Academician Tong Xiaolin at the “TCM training course for Western medicine practitioners” at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. It proposes a TCM learning pathway that moves “from observation to abstraction, and from thinking to practice”. This pathway takes “image-based thinking” as the key entry point, enabling learners to understand TCM principles through the observation of natural laws; deepens the holistic view of life through the concept of “unity of form and spirit”; bridges TCM pattern differentiation with modern medical indicators through the “state-target differentiation and treatment” approach; enhances clinical efficacy by mastering the essence of “dose-effect relationships in formulas and medicinals”; and integrates the wisdom of “medicine and food sharing the same origin” into everyday life.