Heaven Fire Tongren: Confucian-Daoist Dialogue and the Investigation of Ancient Spiritual Origins from a Pre-Qin Perspective

Chapter One: Introduction—The Question of Tóng Rén

Section 1: What is Tóng Rén—A Fundamental Inquiry

The two characters Tóng Rén (同人), seemingly ordinary, conceal the deepest concerns of Pre-Qin thought. What is Tóng (同, Accord/Same)$2 What is Rén (人, Human/People)$3 When Tóng and Rén combine, what state of existence and spiritual realm do they point toward$4 These inquiries are not mere over-interpretation by later commentators, but rather the inherent problematic consciousness contained within the Book of Changes itself.

We must first return to the text of the Book of Changes itself. The hexagram statement for Tóng Rén states:

"Gathering in Accord in the wilds brings success (hēng). It is advantageous for crossing the great river; it is advantageous for the noble man to persevere (zhēn)." (Yijing, Tóng Rén Gua Ci: 同人于野，亨。利涉大川，利君子贞。)

These thirteen characters immediately raise a series of profound questions. Why must one "gather in accord in the wilds" (tóng rén yú yě)$5 Why does gathering in the wilds lead to "success" (hēng)$6 What is the intrinsic connection between "advantageous for crossing the great river" (lì shè dà chuān) and "gathering in accord"$7 Why is "advantageous for the noble man to persevere" (lì jūn zǐ zhēn) specifically mentioned—does this imply that the Way of Tóng Rén is not accessible to everyone, but only achievable by the jūnzǐ (noble man)$8

Next, we examine the Commentary on the Decision (Tuanzhuan)’s interpretation of this hexagram:

"Tóng Rén, the yielding element attains the proper position and centrality, and responds to Qian (Heaven), thus it is called Tóng Rén. Tóng Rén says: 'Gathering in Accord in the wilds brings success. It is advantageous for crossing the great river.' This is the movement of Qian. Civilization coupled with vigor, centrality and correctness leading to correspondence—the noble man is correct. Only the noble man can fully connect the will of all under Heaven." (Tuanzhuan: 同人，柔得位得中，而应乎乾，曰同人。同人曰："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 final sentence of the Tuanzhuan—"Only the noble man can fully connect the will of all under Heaven"—is truly thunderous. What kind of spirit and breadth of vision is required to "connect the will of all under Heaven" (tōng tiān xià zhī zhì)$9 Why only the noble man$10 What is the relationship between Tóng Rén and this highest aspiration$11

Then consider the Great Image Commentary (Daxiangzhuan):

"Heaven and Fire gather in accord. The noble man thereby classifies lineages and distinguishes things." (Daxiangzhuan: 天与火，同人。君子以类族辨物。)

"Heaven and Fire gather in accord"—Heaven is above, and Fire flares upwards; they move together, hence Tóng Rén. But why does this lead to the noble man's action of "classifying lineages and distinguishing things" (lèi zú biàn wù)$12 "Classifying and distinguishing" pertains to separation, while "Tóng Rén" pertains to unification. How are these concepts of division and unification unified in the Daxiangzhuan's view$13

These questions form the starting point for our inquiry. We will follow the thread of the hexagram image, the hexagram statement, and the line statements, delving deeper layer by layer, while using Pre-Qin Confucian and Daoist thought, as well as ancient mythology and customs, as reference points, in an effort to understand the profound meaning of the Tóng Rén hexagram within its oldest cultural context.

Section 2: The Position of Tóng Rén in the Book of Changes—The Principle of Sequence

To understand Tóng Rén, we cannot isolate it from the overall structure of the Book of Changes. The Commentary on the Sequence of Hexagrams (Xuguazhuan) states:

"Things cannot end in Obstruction (Pǐ), therefore it is followed by Tóng Rén. Those who accord with others will certainly see things return to them, therefore it is followed by Great Possession (Dà Yǒu)." (Xuguazhuan: 物不可以终否，故受之以同人。与人同者物必归焉，故受之以大有。)

This tells us that Tóng Rén (Hexagram 13) immediately follows Pǐ (Hexagram 12, Obstruction). Pǐ symbolizes Heaven and Earth not connecting, and all things becoming blocked. The Tuanzhuan of Pǐ says: "Heaven and Earth do not meet, and thus all things are blocked; superiors and inferiors do not connect, and thus there is no state under Heaven." In a time of ultimate obstruction (Pǐ), Heaven and Earth are sealed off, people's hearts are scattered, and the state is unstable. Why, after the extreme of obstruction, does Tóng Rén immediately follow$14

The answer from the Xuguazhuan is: "Things cannot end in Obstruction." Things cannot remain in a state of blockage forever. When obstruction reaches its extreme, it must transition toward openness. And the first step toward openness is precisely "Tóng Rén"—the reaggregation of people, the reconnection of hearts.

This is an extremely insightful arrangement. Why is the key step from obstruction to openness "Tóng Rén" and not something else$15 We should consider this in light of Pre-Qin historical experience. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the world was fragmented, feudal lords vied for hegemony, and ritual propriety broke down—this was precisely an age of Pǐ. The core concern of the various schools of thought (Zhuzi Baijia) that emerged during this time was: How can the world return to "Accord" (Tóng)$16 How can scattered hearts be reunited$17 What was the ultimate aim of Confucius’s travels across the feudal states$18 Was it not to reestablish the Way of Tóng Rén in a world choked by obstruction$19

The Xuguazhuan continues: "Those who accord with others will certainly see things return to them, therefore it is followed by Dà Yǒu (Great Possession, Hexagram 14)." This further reveals the causal relationship between Tóng Rén and Dà Yǒu: those who can accord with others will inevitably attract all things to themselves, hence Dà Yǒu follows Tóng Rén. This logic is strikingly similar to what Confucius said: "Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors." (Analects, Lǐ Rén).

Why does "according with others" lead to "things returning"$20 This embodies a profound principle: in the Pre-Qin worldview, "Accord" (Tóng) was not mandatory unification, but a natural attraction based on intrinsic virtue. As Confucius stated in the Analects (Weizheng):

"To govern by means of virtue is like being the North Star. It maintains its place, and all the stars turn toward it." (为政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而众星共之。)

Governing through virtue naturally attracts the world. The Way of Tóng Rén is the way to move others with virtue, to attract them with sincerity, and to gather them by righteousness.

Section 3: The Tóng in Tóng Rén—An Etymological Tracing of the Original Meaning

To deeply understand the Tóng Rén hexagram, we must undertake an etymological tracing of the character Tóng (同).

The character Tóng has rich usage in Pre-Qin texts. Although the Shuowen Jiezi was compiled by Xu Shen in the Han Dynasty (and is used here merely for linguistic reference), the lineage of meaning it reflects can be traced back to the Pre-Qin era. The Shuowen states: "Tóng, to combine and meet." Tóng means to combine (hé) or to convene (huì). The combination and meeting of people is precisely Tóng Rén.

However, in Pre-Qin texts, the connotation of Tóng is far richer than just "combine and meet."

The Discourses of the States (Guoyu, Discourse of Zheng) records the words of Elder Shi to Duke Huan of Zheng, which includes a classic discussion on "Harmony" (Hé) and "Accord" (Tóng):

"Harmony indeed generates things; Accord does not continue. To harmonize the different by means of the different is called Hé, thus it can flourish and things return to it. If you supplement the same with the same, it will eventually be discarded." (国语·郑语)

Elder Shi here explicitly distinguishes between Hé and Tóng: Hé is the调和 (adjustment/blending) of different things, from which continuous generation arises; whereas Tóng, if merely a simple accumulation of similar things, cannot develop further. This seems to create a tension with the spirit of the Tóng Rén hexagram—is the Tóng in Tóng Rén the kind of Tóng criticized by Elder Shi, or is it a Tóng that encompasses Hé$21

This question is further elaborated by Minister Yan Ying. The Zuo Zhuan (20th Year of Duke Zhao) records Yan Ying's words:

"Harmony is like a soup: water, fire, vinegar, salted meat, salt, plums, used to cook fish and meat, fanned by firewood. The chef harmonizes them, seasoning them with flavor, supplementing what is lacking, and venting what is excessive... When the noble man eats it, his heart is pacified. 'What the lord says is right, you also say right; what the lord says is wrong, you also say wrong. If you mix water with water, who can eat it$22 If you play only the zither and the lute, who can listen to it$23 The failure of Accord (Tóng) is just like this.'" (左传·昭公二十年)

Yan Ying uses cooking and music as analogies to illustrate that Hé requires the combination of different elements, whereas Tóng—if merely water mixed with water, or monotonous playing of zither and lute—lacks vitality.

So, is the Tóng spoken of in the Tóng Rén hexagram the Tóng criticized by Yan Ying and Elder Shi$24 We believe not. On the contrary, the Tóng spoken of in the Tóng Rén hexagram is precisely the higher-level Hé achieved on the basis of recognizing difference. How do we know this$25

First, by looking at the hexagram image. Tóng Rén is Qian (☰) above and Li (☲) below—Qian is Heaven, Li is Fire. Heaven and Fire are fundamentally different things—Heaven is high above, Fire blazes below. They are not a simple accumulation of like elements, but a "Accord" (Tóng) achieved because two different kinds of forces share the same upward tendency (Qian is vigorous and moves up, Li Fire blazes up). This is the Hé of "harmonizing the different by means of the different," not the Tóng of "supplementing the same with the same."

Second, by looking at the Daxiangzhuan: "The noble man thereby classifies lineages and distinguishes things." Classifying and distinguishing things requires first recognizing differences in order to seek commonality. If one does not distinguish things, one does not know their differences; if one does not classify lineages, one cannot bring them together. Unification is achieved only after differentiation—this is the spirit of Hé.

Third, by looking at the six lines. The process of "gathering in accord" described in the six lines of Tóng Rén is not a smooth, simple harmony, but is full of contradiction, conflict, and struggle—the third line reads "hiding armed men in the brush" (fú róng yú mǎng); the fourth line, "mounting the wall but failing to attack" (shèng qí yōng, fú kè gōng); the fifth line, "first crying out and then laughing" (xiān háo tí ér hòu xiào)—all these show that true Tóng Rén must undergo the tempering of difference and conflict before profound unification can be attained.

Therefore, the Tóng spoken of in the Tóng Rén hexagram is by no means homogenization that cancels difference, but rather the true "Great Accord" (Dà Tóng) achieved after acknowledging difference and undergoing conflict. This resonates with the ideal of "Great Accord" described in the Book of Rites (Lǐ Jì, Rites of Passage, Rites of Passage*):

"When the Great Way prevails, the world is held in common. Worthy and capable men are selected, and trustworthiness and mutual accord are practiced. Thus, people do not only love their own parents, nor only care for their own children... The old find their end in peace, the able-bodied find their employment, the young find their growth, and the widowed, solitary, orphaned, disabled, and sick all find support. Men have their proper roles, and women have their proper place. Wealth is loath to be left discarded on the ground, yet it is not necessarily stored for oneself; strength is loath to be kept from exertion, yet it is not necessarily exerted for oneself. Thus, conspiracies do not form, and brigandage and rebellion do not arise, so outer gates are not closed. This is called Great Accord." (礼记·礼运)

The age of "Great Accord" is not one where everyone is the same and lacks differences; rather, it is one where "worthy and capable men are selected"—respecting the unique qualities and talents of each person, and where "men have their proper roles, and women have their proper place"—each occupying their proper position and finding their due. This is precisely the highest "Accord" achieved amid difference.

Section 4: Research Methodology and Statement of Perspective

The research method of this paper can be summarized in four characters: "Inquiry" and "Resonance."

"Inquiry" means that we question "Why$26" for every character, every sentence, and every image in the Tóng Rén hexagram. Why is it "Heaven over Fire" and not "Fire over Heaven"$27 Why must one "gather in accord in the wilds"$28 Why is the initial line, "Gathering at the door," without blame, while the second line, "Gathering in the ancestral temple," results in regret (lìn)$29 Why does the third line suddenly introduce the martial image of "hiding armed men in the brush"$30 These inquiries are not intended for intellectual display, but to penetrate the core meaning of the hexagram.

"Resonance" means that we quote extensively from Pre-Qin texts, not merely to make simple comparisons—"Look, this sentence is similar to that one"—but to allow different texts to illuminate and clarify each other through dialogue. A sentence from the Analects might respond precisely to a question implied in a Tóng Rén line statement; a concept from the Laozi might offer a new perspective for understanding the hexagram image. This resonance is an internal dialogue within the Pre-Qin intellectual world.

From a perspective standpoint, this paper mainly adopts two levels:

First, the perspective of Pre-Qin Confucian and Daoist thought. Confucianism centers on Rén (Benevolence); Daoism aims at Zìrán (Naturalness). Both have profound and distinct thoughts on the fundamental questions of "How should people interact$31" and "How can humanity connect with Heaven$32" The Tóng Rén hexagram stands exactly at the intersection of these issues.

Second, the perspective of ancient mythology and folklore. The lower trigram of Tóng Rén is Li, which represents Fire. What significance did fire hold in the lives of ancient peoples$33 Fire worship, communal bonfires, the fire used in Heaven sacrifices—did these ancient memories settle into the symbolic system of the Tóng Rén hexagram$34 We will attempt to understand the original spirit of Tóng Rén from this older stratum.

It must be specially noted that this paper strictly adheres to the temporal boundary of the Pre-Qin and ancient periods, involving no interpretations from the Han Dynasty or later. This is not because later interpretations lack value, but because we wish to return to the original context to listen to the oldest voices.