Hexagram 13: Tóng Rén (Fellowship)

The Judgment

Tong Ren (or 'Union of men') appears here (as we find it) in the (remote districts of the) country, indicating progress and success. It will be advantageous to cross the great stream. It will be advantageous to maintain the firm correctness of the superior man.

同人：同人于野，亨。利涉大川，利君子贞。

Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)

In Tong Ren the weak (line) has the place (of influence), the central place, and responds to (the corresponding line in) Qian (above); hence comes its name of Tong Ren (or 'Union of men'). Tong Ren says: - The language, 'Tong Ren appears here (as we find it) in (the remote districts of) the country, indicating progress and success, and that it will be advantageous to cross the great stream,' is moulded by its containing the strength (symbolled) in Qian. (Then) we have (the trigram indicating) elegance and intelligence, supported by (that indicating) strength; with the line in the central, and its correct, position, and responding (to the corresponding line above): - (all representing) the correct course of the superior man. It is only the superior man who can comprehend and affect the minds of all under the sky.

彖曰：同人，柔得位得中而应乎乾，曰同人。同人于野，亨，利涉大川，乾行也。文明以健，中正而应，君子正也。唯君子为能通天下之志。

The Great Image

(The trigrams for) heaven and fire form Tong Ren. The superior man, in accordance with this), distinguishes things according to their kinds and classes.

象曰：天与火，同人；君子以类族辨物。

The six lines

1. Line 1 (first): The first NINE, undivided, (shows the representative of) the union of men just issuing from his gate. There will be no error.

   '(The representative of) the union of men is just issuing from his gate:' - who will blame him?

   In plain words: Fellowship at the gate: no fault. The first line is strong and low and does not favour its own kin: as soon as it steps out of the gate, it joins with others. The Small Image asks: going out to join others, who could blame you?

   初九：同人于门，无咎。 象曰：出门同人，又谁咎也。

2. Line 2 (second): The second SIX, divided, (shows the representative of) the union of men in relation with his kindred. There will be occasion for regret.

   '(The representative of) the union of men appears in relation with his kindred:' - that is the path to regret.

   In plain words: Fellowship within the clan: regret. The second line is the only yin line in the hexagram and corresponds to the fifth, but it limits itself to those close to it, which is narrow. The Small Image calls this a way that leads to regret.

   六二：同人于宗，吝。 象曰：同人于宗，吝道也。

3. Line 3 (third): The third NINE, undivided, (shows its subject) with his arms hidden in the thick grass, and at the top of a high mound. (But) for three years he makes no demonstration.

   'He hides his arms in the thick grass:' - because of the strength of his opponent. 'For three years he makes no demonstration:' - how can he do anything?

   In plain words: Hiding troops in the undergrowth, climbing a high hill to look out; for three years it does not rise up. The third line is strong but not central and wants to seize the second line, but the fifth line, its rival, is strong, so it dares not strike. The Small Image says the troops hide because the enemy is strong, and asks how not rising for three years could ever get anywhere.

   九三：伏戎于莽，升其高陵，三岁不兴。 象曰：伏戎于莽，敌刚也。三岁不兴，安行也。

4. Line 4 (fourth): The fourth NINE, undivided, (shows its subject) mounted on the city wall; but he does not proceed to make the attack (he contemplates). There will be good fortune.

   'He is mounted on his city-wall;' but yielding to the right, 'he does not proceed to make the attack (he contemplated).' (Where it is said),'There will be good fortune,' (that shows how) he feels the strait he is in, and returns to the rule of law.

   In plain words: Mounting the wall, yet not attacking: good fortune. The fourth line also wants the second, but knowing it is not right, it stops. The Small Image says that by what is right it cannot attack, and its good fortune lies in returning to the right way after being hemmed in.

   九四：乘其墉，弗克攻，吉。 象曰：乘其墉，义弗克也。其吉，则困而反则也。

5. Line 5 (fifth): In the fifth NINE, undivided, (the representative of) the union of men first wails and cries out, and then laughs. His great host conquers, and he (and the subject of the second line) meet together.

   The first action of (the representative of) the union of men (here described) arises from his central position and straightforward character. 'The meeting secured by his great host' intimates that the opponents of it have been overcome.

   In plain words: In fellowship, first weeping and wailing, then laughter; the great armies overcome the obstacles and meet. The fifth line corresponds to the second, but the third and fourth lines stand between them, so it takes effort to come together. The Small Image says the first weeping comes from being central and straight, and the armies meeting means the obstacles are overcome.

   九五：同人，先号咷而后笑。大师克相遇。 象曰：同人之先，以中直也。大师相遇，言相克也。

6. Line 6 (sixth (top)): The topmost NINE, undivided, (shows the representative of) the union of men in the suburbs. There will be no occasion for repentance.

   '(The representative of) the union of men appears in the suburbs:' - his object has not yet been attained.

   In plain words: Fellowship in the open country: no regret. The top line is furthest out, away from everyone; it has no one to join with, but no strife either. The Small Image says its aims are not yet achieved.

   上九：同人于郊，无悔。 象曰：同人于郊，志未得也。

Line positions

4 of the six lines stand in their proper place (strong lines in odd places, weak lines in even places).

The second and fifth lines hold the central places of the lower and upper trigrams; being one strong and one weak, they correspond, and both are also in their proper places.

Of the three pairs of corresponding places (first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top), 1 pair is made of one strong and one weak line.

Strong lines belong in odd places and weak lines in even places; the second and fifth are the central places; first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top correspond, and they "respond" when one is strong and the other weak.

These are structural conventions, not scores of good or bad fortune. Commentators differ: Wang Bi treats the first and top places as beginning and end without fixed yin or yang positions. Read each line with its Small Image and the whole hexagram.

Place in Jing Fang's eight palaces

Jing Fang grouped the 64 hexagrams into eight "palaces" of eight, each headed by a doubled trigram. Changing the lines of the head hexagram one by one from the bottom gives the next five; the last two are the "wandering soul" and "returning soul" hexagrams. The Li palace runs: Lí (head), Lǚ (1st change), Dǐng (2nd change), Wèi Jì (3rd change), Méng (4th change), Huàn (5th change), Sòng (wandering soul), Tóng Rén (returning soul).

A recorded case from Takashima

Tong Ren to Ge: a boardroom fight, and whether he will lose his post: A company's president and its major shareholders had fallen out, and the shareholders wanted a general meeting to replace the officers. An officer afraid for his post received the top line of Tong Ren, "fellowship in the outskirts; no regret". Takashima advised him to take no side and stay out of it.

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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction.

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