Hexagram 13 Tong Ren - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of Fellowship
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Hexagram 13 Tong Ren - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of Fellowship
Tong Ren's six lines tell the complete story of genuine fellowship — from the initial, limited fellowship at the gate, through the conflicts and difficulties that arise when fellowship is narrow or self-serving, to the great fellowship of the open wilderness where people of genuine inner virtue unite around a shared purpose that transcends all boundaries. This is the journey of Tong Ren.
Line 1 — Nine at the Bottom: Fellowship at the Gate
Fellowship with people at the gate. No blame.
The first line of Tong Ren describes the beginning of fellowship — the fellowship at the gate, the threshold of genuine community. The gate is the boundary between the familiar and the open: fellowship at the gate is the fellowship of the neighborhood, the immediate community, the people one naturally encounters. This is not the great fellowship of the open wilderness, but it is without blame — it is the natural beginning of genuine community.
- Stage: The beginning of fellowship — the natural, immediate community of the gate
- Action: Begin with the fellowship that is naturally available; do not force the great fellowship before the natural cycle has prepared it
- Danger: Mistaking the fellowship of the gate for the fellowship of the open wilderness — remaining at the gate when the natural cycle calls for the open field
- Wisdom: No blame — the fellowship of the gate is the natural beginning; it is not the fulfillment
When this line appears: Begin with the fellowship that is naturally available. No blame in starting small. The fellowship of the gate is the foundation of the fellowship of the open wilderness.
Line 2 — Six in the Second Place: Fellowship with the Clan
Fellowship with people in the clan. Humiliation.
The single yin line of Tong Ren — the structural center of the hexagram — describes the danger of narrow fellowship. Fellowship with the clan is the fellowship of the in-group: the faction, the party, the exclusive community that defines itself by excluding others. This is the humiliation of Tong Ren: the person who could be the unifier of genuine fellowship — the yin line that gathers all the yang forces — instead narrows their fellowship to the clan, and in doing so, betrays the genuine potential of Tong Ren.
- Stage: The danger of narrow fellowship — the in-group, the faction, the exclusive clan
- Action: Resist the pull of narrow fellowship; open the fellowship beyond the clan to include all people of genuine inner virtue
- Danger: Factionalism — the corruption of genuine fellowship into exclusive in-group loyalty
- Wisdom: Humiliation — the person who narrows genuine fellowship to the clan betrays the genuine potential of Tong Ren
When this line appears: Examine the fellowship you are building. Is it genuinely open, or is it the fellowship of the clan — the in-group that defines itself by excluding others? The humiliation of Line 2 is the warning against factionalism.
Line 3 — Nine in the Third Place: Hidden Weapons in the Thicket
He hides weapons in the thicket; he climbs the high hill. For three years he does not rise up.
The most difficult line of Tong Ren — the person who approaches fellowship with hidden weapons, with concealed agenda, with the intention of using the appearance of fellowship for personal advantage. The hiding of weapons in the thicket is the image of the person who cannot achieve genuine fellowship through genuine means and so resorts to concealment and strategy. The three years of not rising up is the consequence: the person who approaches fellowship with hidden weapons finds that genuine fellowship is not available to them.
- Stage: The corruption of fellowship — concealed agenda, hidden weapons, strategic approach to genuine community
- Action: Lay down the hidden weapons; approach fellowship with genuine openness and genuine inner virtue
- Danger: The strategic approach to fellowship — using the appearance of genuine community for personal advantage
- Wisdom: Three years of not rising up — the person who approaches fellowship with hidden weapons finds that genuine fellowship is not available to them
When this line appears: Examine your approach to the fellowship you are seeking. Are you approaching with genuine openness, or with hidden weapons — concealed agenda, strategic calculation, the intention of using the appearance of fellowship for personal advantage? Lay down the hidden weapons.
Line 4 — Nine in the Fourth Place: Climbing the Wall, Unable to Attack
He climbs up on his wall; he cannot attack. Good fortune.
The turning point of Tong Ren — the person who has approached fellowship with the intention of conflict finds themselves unable to attack. The climbing of the wall is the image of the person who has prepared for conflict but finds, at the moment of confrontation, that the conflict is not necessary — that the genuine fellowship of Tong Ren is available without the conflict they had prepared for. Good fortune: the recognition that genuine fellowship does not require the defeat of the other.
- Stage: The resolution of conflict — the recognition that genuine fellowship does not require the defeat of the other
- Action: Lay down the weapons of conflict; recognize that genuine fellowship is available without the conflict you had prepared for
- Danger: Persisting in the conflict when genuine fellowship is available — attacking when the wall has already been climbed
- Wisdom: Good fortune — the recognition that genuine fellowship does not require the defeat of the other
When this line appears: The conflict you have prepared for is not necessary. Genuine fellowship is available without the defeat of the other. Lay down the weapons of conflict and accept the good fortune of genuine community.
Line 5 — Nine in the Fifth Place: Fellowship — First Weeping, Then Laughing
People bound in fellowship first weep and lament, but afterward they laugh. After great struggles they succeed in meeting.
The ruler's position in Tong Ren — the great fellowship that is achieved only after genuine struggle. First weeping and lamenting: the genuine difficulty of achieving genuine fellowship across genuine difference, genuine conflict, genuine separation. Then laughing: the genuine joy of the fellowship that is achieved after genuine struggle. After great struggles they succeed in meeting: the genuine fellowship of Tong Ren is not the easy fellowship of the gate or the narrow fellowship of the clan — it is the fellowship that is achieved through genuine struggle and genuine perseverance.
- Stage: The great fellowship — achieved through genuine struggle, genuine perseverance, genuine meeting across genuine difference
- Action: Persevere through the weeping and lamenting; the genuine fellowship of Tong Ren is available after genuine struggle
- Danger: Giving up before the laughing — abandoning the genuine fellowship before the genuine meeting has been achieved
- Wisdom: First weeping, then laughing — the genuine fellowship of Tong Ren is achieved through genuine struggle and genuine perseverance
When this line appears: The genuine fellowship you are seeking requires genuine struggle and genuine perseverance. Do not give up before the laughing. After great struggles, you will succeed in meeting.
Line 6 — Nine at the Top: Fellowship in the Open Wilderness
Fellowship with people in the meadow. No remorse.
The fulfillment of Tong Ren — the fellowship of the open wilderness, the meadow beyond the walls of the clan and the gate of the city. The fellowship of the meadow is the fellowship of the open field: not the great fellowship of Line 5 (which is achieved through great struggle) but the quiet, expansive fellowship of the person who has moved beyond the boundaries of clan and faction to find the genuine community of the open wilderness. No remorse: the fellowship of the meadow is without the complications of the narrow fellowship of the clan or the hidden weapons of Line 3.
- Stage: The fulfillment of fellowship — the open wilderness, the meadow beyond all boundaries
- Action: Move beyond the boundaries of clan and faction; find the genuine community of the open wilderness
- Danger: The fellowship of the meadow is expansive but not as intense as the great fellowship of Line 5 — it is the fellowship of the open field, not the fellowship of the great struggle
- Wisdom: No remorse — the fellowship of the open wilderness is the fulfillment of Tong Ren
When this line appears: Move beyond the boundaries of clan and faction. The fellowship of the open wilderness — the genuine community that transcends all boundaries — is available to you. No remorse.
The Complete Journey: A Summary
- Line 1: Fellowship at the gate — the natural beginning; no blame
- Line 2: Fellowship with the clan — the danger of narrow fellowship; humiliation
- Line 3: Hidden weapons in the thicket — the corruption of fellowship; three years of not rising up
- Line 4: Climbing the wall, unable to attack — the resolution of conflict; good fortune
- Line 5: First weeping, then laughing — the great fellowship achieved through genuine struggle
- Line 6: Fellowship in the meadow — the open wilderness; no remorse
The consistent theme: genuine fellowship moves from the narrow to the open, from the gate to the wilderness, from the clan to the genuine community that transcends all boundaries. The journey of Tong Ren is the journey from the fellowship of the familiar to the fellowship of the genuinely open — the fellowship that is available to all people of genuine inner virtue.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1: The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2 (This Article): The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Tong Ren in Practice
- Part 4: Philosophy — Tong Ren in Confucian, Taoist, and Political Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Community, Leadership, Collaboration, Belonging
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Social Psychology, Collective Intelligence, Contemporary Relevance
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