Can someone explain the solution to the final temple puzzle?

The greatest thing about the puzzles in The Witness is that they make perfect sense... or so I thought, until I came across one I just couldn't solve.
I ended up looking up the solution (much to my own annoyance) and to my surprise, I still didn't understand how you were supposed to know how to solve it.

Can anyone explain the logic behind it?

The solution I found:

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1 Answer

Hint 1:

You're not seeing the whole picture...

Hint 2:

The buildings on the island were built a while ago. The temple area is in especially bad shape.

Solution:

This puzzle is very old, and the tree branch has broken. You can find the missing piece on the floor near your feet.

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