The expression originates from a line in Song-dynasty Emperor Huizong’s (1082-1135)“Palace Poems,”which reads,“Forget your worries, enjoy leisurely tranquility playing the game of go.”In other words, the game of go allows a person to forget his worries. Emperor Huizong indulged himself in many leisure pursuits. He displayed great talent in them, and took special delight in the game of go. With his encouragement, the game became very popular and produced quite a few national champions, making the Song Dynasty a celebrated era for the game. A grand master in that time was an individual called Li Yimin who was appointed by the Emperor as an on-call game official in the Imperial Academy. He compiled a renowned game manual entitled A Manual to Forget Worries and Enjoy Leisurely Tranquility, using the words from the poem by Emperor Huizong. It is the earliest book on the game of go known to exist in China today. Many men of letters in ancient China loved music, board games, calligraphy, and painting. Therefore, there were many writings on board games.

So a man of virtue hates to remain unnoticed after his death. The Book of Changes encourages men of virtue never to stop exerting themselves and historians clearly recorded stories of rises and falls, successes and failures. Why does an individual need to forget worries by playing the game of go? (The History of the Jin Dynasty)

The game of go can make one forget worries and enjoy leisurely tranquility. Maids in the imperial palace all excel in the game of go despite their tender age. They practice by the manual behind windows among themselves, lest the emperor call them in for a contest. (Emperor Huizong of Song: Palace Poems)