Ancient and modern significance of annual harvest of soil and water in the East

Sorry, I don't know the ancient and modern meaning of "learning from the East". However, according to your question, I speculate that "the land of the East receives the year" may be an expression about divination. In ancient times, it may refer to the harvest of grain in the eastern land or the maturity of grain in the square land.

If you need a more exact answer, I suggest that you consult the relevant research of Oracle Bone Inscriptions or other ancient documents, which may help you to better understand the meaning of this word.