Chapter Two: General Discussion of the Hexagram Image --- Why Heaven and Fire Signify "Fellowship"

Section 1: Qian Above, Li Below --- The Natures of the Two Trigrams

The Tong Ren hexagram is composed of the upper trigram Qian (Heaven) and the lower trigram Li (Fire/Clinging). To understand the comprehensive meaning of this six-line hexagram, we must first thoroughly apprehend the natures of these two constituent trigrams.

The Nature of Qian:

The Shuo Gua Zhuan (Discussion of Trigrams) says of Qian:

"Qian is the strong, the creative." "Qian is Heaven, the circular, the ruler, the father, jade, metal, cold, ice, deep red, a fine horse, an old horse, a lean horse, a piebald horse, the fruit of a tree."

The core nature of Qian is jian --- strength, vigor, ceaseless dynamism. The Image commentary of the Qian hexagram says: "The movement of Heaven is vigorous; the noble person thereby ceaselessly strengthens himself." The vigor of Qian is the vigor of Heaven's ceaseless course, the vigor of the eternal revolution of sun, moon, and stars. It represents the most fundamental creative power of the cosmos --- the purity of yang energy.

In its images, Qian is Heaven, the ruler, the father. Heaven covers all things; the ruler governs all people; the father heads the household. What these three share is: occupying the superior position, leadership, vigor, and vastness.

Why is Qian also "circular" (yuan)$30 Because the movement of Heaven is the cyclical movement of return. The Xi Ci Shang Zhuan (Great Treatise, Part I) says: "Qian knows the great beginning." Qian represents the great beginning of all things, and beginning upon beginning, ending and beginning again, is precisely circular movement.

The Nature of Li:

The Shuo Gua Zhuan says of Li:

"Li is clinging, attachment." "Li means brightness; it is where all things appear to one another; it is the trigram of the south." "Li is fire, the sun, lightning, the middle daughter, armor and helmets, spears and weapons; in people it is the big belly; it is the dry trigram; it is turtle, crab, snail, clam, and tortoise. In trees, it is the tree with a withered crown."

The core nature of Li is li --- clinging, attachment. Fire must cling to combustible material to exist; sun and moon must cling to the sky to shine. At the same time, li carries connotations of civilization and beauty --- the very word wenming ("civilization," lit. "patterned brightness") is used in the Tuan Zhuan to describe the Li trigram.

Li is also "brightness" (ming). Fire is Li because fire illuminates the darkness, making all things "appear to one another." The Shuo Gua Zhuan calls Li "the trigram of the south" because the south is where brightness is most intense (in the northern hemisphere, the sun reaches its zenith in the south).

Why is Li also associated with "armor and helmets" and "spears and weapons"$31 This seems incongruent with the image of "civilization" and "brightness." But if we think more deeply, we find that armor and weapons are all "hard outside, soft inside" --- armor is hard on the exterior but hollow within to protect the body; weapons have metal surfaces encasing wooden shafts. And the trigram image of Li is precisely yang outside, yin inside --- two yang lines flanking one yin line: solid outside, empty inside. This "solid outside, empty inside" structure is the fundamental characteristic of Li.

Among Li's images, there is one of particular importance: the sun. The Xi Ci Shang Zhuan says:

"The sun and moon revolve in their courses, producing now cold, now heat."

The sun corresponds to Li; the moon to Kan. The sun is the brightest presence in the sky, illuminating all things and leaving nothing hidden --- this has a profound connection to the meaning of "fellowship." The precondition of "fellowship" is "brightness" --- the ability to see one another, to be open and frank, to deal with each other in candor. Without brightness, people can only grope in the dark, suspicious of one another.

Why does the combination of Qian and Li constitute "Fellowship"$32

This is a critical inquiry. Among the sixty-four hexagrams, each is composed of two trigrams, but not just any two trigrams placed together produce a meaningful hexagram name. Why is it specifically Qian above and Li below --- Heaven above, Fire below --- that constitutes "Fellowship"$33

To answer this, we must understand the relationship between Heaven and Fire.

Section 2: The Image of Heaven and Fire Traveling Together

The Da Xiang Zhuan describes the Tong Ren hexagram thus:

"Heaven together with Fire: Fellowship. The noble person thereby classifies clans and distinguishes things."

"Heaven together with Fire: Fellowship" --- Heaven and Fire together make the image of Fellowship. Why$34

Heaven is above; fire by its nature flames upward. The Shuo Gua Zhuan says: "Li is fire." The essential nature of fire is to burn upward. When flames rise, their direction aligns with Heaven's position --- both are upward. Heaven and Fire --- one above, the other moving upward --- share the same direction of movement. This "co-directionality" is the basic image of tong.

But we must press further: why does "co-directionality" mean "fellowship"$35 Does sharing a direction mean sharing a heart$36

We believe the image of Heaven and Fire traveling together contains at least the following layers of meaning:

First layer: Unity of aspiration.

Heaven represents the highest ideal, the ultimate destination. Fire moving upward is advancing toward that highest ideal. When people share the same aspiration --- advancing toward "Heaven" --- they are "in fellowship." The Master said (Lunyu, "Li Ren"):

"If one hears the Way in the morning, one may die content in the evening."

"The Way" (dao) is the Way of Heaven, the highest ideal. When people all take "hearing the Way" and "practicing the Way" as their aspiration, they naturally come together --- this is fellowship.

Second layer: Unity of brightness.

Heaven is the great brightness; fire too is bright. The Tuan Zhuan says that the Tong Ren hexagram possesses the quality of being "civilized yet strong" --- "civilized" (wenming) derives from the lower trigram Li; "strong" (jian) from the upper trigram Qian. Heaven's brightness is the brightness of sun and moon; fire's brightness is the brightness of the human world. When Heaven's brightness and humanity's brightness merge, it is a state of universal illumination and candid encounter. In this state, between person and person there is no concealment, no deception, no hidden scheming --- this is precisely the foundation of "fellowship."

The Lunyu ("Yan Yuan") records that when Sima Niu asked about the noble person, the Master said:

"The noble person is free from anxiety and free from fear." "When inner examination reveals no fault, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear$37"

Only when inner examination reveals no fault can one be magnanimous. Only with magnanimity can one be in fellowship with others. Openness and integrity are the fundamental precondition of the Way of Fellowship.

Third layer: Mutual communication of vital energy (qi).

The qi of Heaven descends; the qi of fire ascends; the two meet, intersect, and communicate in the middle. This mutual communication of qi is the basic mechanism by which all things come into being. The Xi Ci Shang Zhuan says:

"When the qi of Heaven and Earth mingle and fuse, the myriad things transform and come forth. When male and female unite their essences, the myriad things are born."

The intercourse of Heaven's and Earth's qi is the wellspring of all life. In the Tong Ren hexagram, the mutual communication of Qian's (Heaven's) qi and Li's (Fire's) qi symbolizes the spiritual intercourse between person and person. The reason people can achieve tong is not external compulsion but the natural sympathetic resonance of their inner spiritual qi.

Fourth layer: Archaic image --- the Heavenly Fire sacrifice.

From the perspective of archaic folk custom, the image of "Heaven together with Fire" may have an even more ancient source: the sacrificial fire offered to Heaven. When the earliest ancestors sacrificed to the gods of Heaven, they invariably kindled great fires --- letting the flames surge upward toward Heaven as a medium of communication between the human world and the celestial. The Zhouli (Rites of Zhou), though compiled later, preserves the ritual of liao (burning offerings to Heaven), which clearly has very ancient origins. The Shijing ("Da Ya," "Sheng Min") describes the sacrificial scene of Lord Millet (Hou Ji):

"He took the aromatic artemisia and the sacrificial fat, he took the ram for the road-sacrifice; he roasted and broiled, to bring about the coming year."

Roasting (fan) and broiling (lie) are both methods of burning sacrificial offerings with fire. The flames carry the aroma of the offerings heavenward, communicating thereby with the gods. In this sense, the combination of "Heaven and Fire" symbolizes not only natural phenomena but also the mode of communication between humans and Heaven. And the deepest layer of meaning in "fellowship" perhaps includes precisely this tong between humans and Heaven --- the unity of Heaven and humanity.

Section 3: Supplementary Perspectives from the Interlocking, Opposite, and Inverted Hexagrams

To fully understand the image-meaning of the Tong Ren hexagram, we must also attend to its interlocking (hu gua), opposite (cuo gua), and inverted (zong gua) hexagrams.

Inverted Hexagram (Zong Gua):

Inverting Tong Ren (Heaven-Fire) produces Da You (Fire-Heaven, Great Possession). Tong Ren and Da You are a pair of inverted hexagrams, two sides of the same coin. Tong Ren emphasizes the gathering of people; Da You emphasizes the abundant possession that such gathering brings. This perfectly accords with the Xu Gua Zhuan: "One who is in fellowship with others will inevitably have things return to him; hence it is followed by Great Possession."

Why does flipping Tong Ren produce Great Possession$38 In Tong Ren, Heaven (Qian) is above and Fire (Li) below; inverted, Fire (Li) is above and Heaven (Qian) below. In Tong Ren, brightness (Li) is covered by Heaven (Qian) --- the brightness is inward, restrained; people gather because of this inner brightness. In Da You, brightness (Li) is suspended high above, like the sun at its zenith, illuminating all things beneath --- this is the splendor of "Great Possession."

From Tong Ren to Da You is a process from inner gathering to outer abundance. This tells us: "fellowship" is the cause; "great possession" is the effect. The unity of human hearts is fundamental; material possession is the result.

Opposite Hexagram (Cuo Gua):

The opposite hexagram of Tong Ren (every line reversed) is Shi (The Army, Earth-Water). Shi concerns armies, war, and the leadership of multitudes. Tong Ren is gathering through peaceful means; Shi is leadership through military means --- the two form an intriguing contrast.

Why is the opposite of Tong Ren the Army$39 This seems to suggest an inner correspondence between the Way of Fellowship and the art of war. One who can achieve fellowship can lead armies; one who can gather people can command troops. More profoundly, true "fellowship" requires military-like discipline, order, and principle --- not the mere massing of a rabble but an organized, purposeful cohesion.

The frequent appearance of war imagery in Tong Ren's six lines --- Nine in the Third "hides troops in the thicket," Nine in the Fourth "mounts the wall," Nine in the Fifth "a great army overcomes and they meet" --- corroborates this inner link between fellowship and the army.

Interlocking Hexagram (Hu Gua):

The interlocking hexagram of Tong Ren (lines 2-3-4 forming the lower trigram, 3-4-5 forming the upper) is Gou (Encountering, Heaven-Wind). Gou means meeting, an unexpected encounter. This interlocking hexagram reveals a dynamic hidden within Tong Ren: the fellowship of Tong Ren often begins with a chance encounter. The affinity between people sometimes starts with an unexpected meeting. But whether that meeting can develop into true "fellowship" depends on whether both parties possess an inner spiritual tong.

Section 4: The Relationship of Heaven and Fire from the Perspective of the Five Phases

In pre-Qin yin-yang and Five Phases (wuxing) thought, Heaven pertains to Metal (Qian is Metal), and Fire overcomes Metal. From the perspective of Five Phases mutual overcoming, Li (Fire) and Qian (Metal) appear to stand in a relationship of conquest. Why, then, is a combination containing such a relationship named "Fellowship" --- harmonious unity$40

This question touches a deep dimension of pre-Qin Five Phases thought. The Guanzi ("Wu Xing") chapter, though systematized, traces its intellectual roots to an earlier period. The relationships of mutual generation and conquest among the Five Phases are not merely antagonistic; they can also represent balance through restraint. Fire's "overcoming" of Metal need not mean destruction; it can mean "tempering" --- through the tempering of fire, metal becomes a useful vessel. The Guanzi says:

"Metal is born from Earth... The way of Metal is punishment and execution... The way of Fire is bright illumination."

Fire illuminates; Metal punishes. In the Tong Ren hexagram, Li (Fire) is below and Qian (Metal) is above. Fire tempers from below; metal takes shape above --- is this not a metaphor for the Way of Fellowship$41 True "fellowship" is not a bland harmony free of friction and conflict, but a higher-order concord achieved through conflict and tempering.

This resonates profoundly with Yanzi's "discrimination of harmony and sameness" in the Zuo Zhuan (Duke Zhao, Year 20). Yanzi's "harmony is like broth" --- various different and even opposing seasonings placed together, mutually stimulating and restraining one another, ultimately producing a delicacy --- this is precisely he (harmony) within ke (overcoming).

Section 5: One Yin, Five Yangs --- The Special Structure of Tong Ren

Another feature of the Tong Ren hexagram worthy of deep reflection is its yin-yang structure: five yang lines and one yin line. That sole yin line is Six in the Second --- occupying the center position of the lower trigram Li.

In hexagrams with one yin and five yangs (besides Tong Ren, there are Gou and Guai, among others), that sole yin line invariably holds special significance --- it is the key to the entire hexagram, the focal point of all the yang lines' attention. In Tong Ren, Six in the Second plays exactly this role.

The Tuan Zhuan says: "The yielding obtains its position and attains the center, and responds to Qian --- hence it is called Tong Ren." Six in the Second, as a yin line (yielding) in a yin position (the second position, an even number, belongs to yin), "obtains its position." Occupying the center of the lower trigram, it "attains the center." Corresponding to Nine in the Fifth of the upper trigram Qian (the second and fifth positions correspond --- a fundamental rule of the Yijing), it "responds to Qian." It is precisely because Six in the Second satisfies these three conditions --- obtaining position, attaining the center, responding to Qian --- that the entire hexagram is named "Fellowship."

Why does a single yin line's "obtaining position and attaining the center" suffice to make the whole hexagram "Fellowship"$42

This touches the deep reflections on the relationship between "the one" and "the many" in pre-Qin thought. The Most High (Laozi) said:

"The Way gives birth to the One; the One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to the myriad things. The myriad things carry yin on their backs and embrace yang, and through the blending of qi they achieve harmony." (Laozi, Chapter 42)

"The myriad things carry yin and embrace yang" --- in a yang-dominated environment, the presence of yin is precisely the key to harmony. In Tong Ren's five yangs and one yin, that sole yin line (Six in the Second) is precisely the critical factor enabling the five yang lines to be "in fellowship." Without this yin line, the hexagram would be pure Qian --- all yang, no yielding; though it would possess the virtue of "ceaseless self-strengthening," it would lack the gentleness for "fellowship with others." It is the presence of Six in the Second that provides the entire hexagram with a "center" --- a focal point around which all the yangs can orbit, respond, and orient.

This is like a community that needs a core figure to cohere hearts. This core figure need not be the most powerful (a yin line is softer than a yang line) but must be the most centered, the most properly positioned, and the most able to respond to the leader above (Nine in the Fifth).

From another angle, Six in the Second occupies the center of the lower trigram Li; Li is fire, is brightness. Six in the Second is that fire that coheres human hearts --- like a bonfire in the dark of night, around which people gather, warmed by it, illuminated by it. This image accords perfectly with the primordial experience of early humans sitting around a campfire! We shall discuss this point in detail in the chapter on archaic myth and folk custom.