Chapter Sixteen: Comprehensive Conclusion --- When Heaven and Fire Unite in Virtue, the Great Meaning of Tong Ren

The core spirit of Tong Ren may be summarized in eight aspects:

Root: What hearts have in common (principle and righteousness)
Image: Heaven and Fire traveling together (different yet same-directed)
Virtue: Civilized yet strong (bright and vigorous)
Function: Penetrating the aspirations of all under Heaven
Method: Classifying clans and distinguishing things (first differentiate, then unite)
Precondition: Favorable for the noble person's perseverance
Highest realm: Fellowship in the open field (the Great Unity)
Journey: From sorrow to joy (first anguish, then laughter)

The Tong Ren hexagram occupies a unique position in pre-Qin thought --- more ancient than any school's doctrine, deeper than any school's teaching, encompassing the Daoist Way of Heaven, the Confucian civilization, and the Mohist universal love within its image of "Heaven and Fire."

From the earliest ancestors gathering around campfires, through the sage-kings' ritual order, to the Hundred Schools' contention --- the Way of Fellowship has been expressed differently in each era, yet its core spirit remains constant.

Inquiry never ends --- this is the life-force of the Yijing. The question "how can person and person achieve true harmony$14" existed when the earliest ancestors sat around their campfires, became more pressing in the age of the Hundred Schools, and in any age where human beings exist, will continue to be asked.

As long as Heaven remains above, as long as fire still burns, the yearning for goodness in the human heart will never be extinguished --- and the Way of Fellowship will never end.

The Shijing ("Da Ya," "Wen Wang") says:

"Though Zhou is an ancient state, its mandate is ever new."

Heaven-Fire Fellowship --- Heaven and Fire forever travel together.

Person and person --- will in the end be of one heart.

Appendix: Complete Transcription of the Tong Ren Hexagram's Canonical Texts

For the reader's convenience, the complete original canonical texts of the Tong Ren hexagram are transcribed here.

Judgment (Gua Ci): Fellowship in the open field --- success. Favorable to cross the great river. Favorable for the noble person's perseverance. (Tong ren yu ye, heng. Li she da chuan, li junzi zhen.)

Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan Yue): Tong Ren: the yielding obtains its position and attains the center, and responds to Qian --- hence Tong Ren. The Judgment says: "Fellowship in the open field --- success. Favorable to cross the great river" --- this is the movement of Qian. Civilized yet strong, centered and correct in its response --- this is the correctness of the noble person. Only the noble person is able to penetrate the aspirations of all under Heaven.

Commentary on the Image (Xiang Yue): Heaven together with Fire: Fellowship. The noble person thereby classifies clans and distinguishes things.

Initial Nine: Fellowship at the gate --- no blame. Image: Going out the gate for fellowship --- whom would blame him$15

Six in the Second: Fellowship within the clan --- stinginess. Image: Fellowship within the clan --- this is the path of stinginess.

Nine in the Third: Hiding troops in the thicket, ascending the high hill --- three years without rising. Image: Hiding troops in the thicket --- the enemy is strong. Three years without rising --- how can one prevail$16

Nine in the Fourth: Mounting the wall, unable to attack --- good fortune. Image: Mounting the wall --- righteousness makes it impossible. Its good fortune lies in reflecting when in difficulty and returning to the rule.

Nine in the Fifth: In fellowship, first cries of anguish, then laughter. A great army overcomes, and they meet. Image: The beginning of fellowship --- because of his centered uprightness. The great army meets --- this speaks of mutual overcoming.

Top Nine: Fellowship in the suburbs --- no regret. Image: Fellowship in the suburbs --- the aspiration is not yet fulfilled.

Xu Gua Zhuan (Commentary on the Sequence): Things cannot remain forever in obstruction; hence they are followed by Tong Ren (Fellowship). One who is in fellowship with others will inevitably have things return to him; hence it is followed by Da You (Great Possession).

Za Gua Zhuan (Miscellaneous Notes): Tong Ren: closeness.

(End of Article)

Author: Xuanji Editorial Board

Postscript: This article has striven to conduct a comprehensive, in-depth investigation of the Heaven-Fire Fellowship hexagram from the perspectives of the pre-Qin and archaic periods. It extensively cites original texts from the Yijing and its commentaries, the Lunyu, the Mengzi, the Xunzi, the Laozi, the Zhuangzi, the Shijing, the Shangshu, the Zuo Zhuan, the Guoyu, the Liji, the Mozi, the Guanzi, the Hanfeizi, and other pre-Qin classics, employing a method of mutual resonance and reciprocal illumination to recover the rich significance of the Tong Ren hexagram from the most ancient cultural stratum. Given the constraints of length and scholarly ability, oversights are inevitable, and corrections from experts are earnestly welcomed. It is hoped that this article may offer those who aspire to investigate the Way of the Yijing some measure of reference --- and that alone would satisfy the author's wish.