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

Section 1: "Gathering in Accord in the Wilds" (Tóng Rén Yú Yě)—Why the "Wilds"$50

The hexagram statement of Tóng Rén is:

"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)." (同人于野，亨。利涉大川，利君子贞。)

The four characters "Gathering in Accord in the wilds" (tóng rén yú yě) are the key to understanding the entire statement. "Tóng Rén" means to accord with people, but why "in the wilds" (yě)$51 Why not "gathering in accord at court" (tóng rén yú cháo), "gathering in accord in the city" (tóng rén yú yì), or "gathering in accord in the chamber" (tóng rén yú shì), but specifically "in the wilds"$52

The "wilds" (yě) held a specific meaning in the Pre-Qin context. The Rites of Zhou (Zhou Li, Office of the Earth) distinguished between the "state/city" (guó) and the "wilds" (yě): the guó was the capital and its immediate surroundings; the yě was the vast region beyond the immediate suburbs. In the social structure of the time, the "people of the state" (guórén) lived within the walls and held relatively higher social and political status; the "people of the wilds" (yěrén) lived outside the walls, engaged in agriculture, and held comparatively lower status.

However, the "wilds" in "Tóng Rén yú Yě" should not be understood merely in this sociological sense of urban versus rural distinction. More importantly, the "wilds" carry the symbolic meaning of "vastness" and "unlimited nature."

The Vastness of the Wilds: Compared to the city walls, clan boundaries, or household gates, the "wilds" are an open space without walls or boundaries. "Gathering in accord in the wilds" implies that this "Accord" is boundless—it is not limited to a small circle of a particular clan, group, or class, but is a Great Accord directed toward all people under Heaven.

Why is this so important$53 Because the process described by the six lines of Tóng Rén is precisely a progression from the narrow to the broad:

• The first line (Nine One): "Gathering at the door" (tóng rén yú mén)—the smallest scope.
• The second line (Six Two): "Gathering in the ancestral temple" (tóng rén yú zōng)—a slightly larger scope within the clan.
• The sixth line (Upper Nine): "Gathering in the suburbs" (tóng rén yú jiāo)—a broad scope already.

But the hexagram statement directly highlights "Gathering in Accord in the wilds"—to accord with people in the broadest space, this is the highest standard. Why is the highest standard "gathering in accord in the wilds" rather than "gathering in accord under Heaven"$54 Because "under Heaven" (tiān xià) is a political concept, whereas "wilds" (yě) is a natural concept. "Gathering in accord in the wilds" implies returning to a natural, original state to accord with others—transcending all artificial hierarchies, ritual laws, and rules, achieving human harmony at the most fundamental level.

The Impartiality of the Wilds: The wilderness has no private walls or fences; it is a space of "public good" (gōng). "Gathering in accord in the wilds" suggests that this "Accord" must stem from a "public heart" (gōng xīn), not a "private heart" (sī xīn). This is consistent with the requirement of "advantageous for the noble man to persevere" (lì jūn zǐ zhēn).

Confucius said in the Analects (Shù Rén):

"The noble man is expansive and open-minded; the small man is narrow and worried." (君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚。)

"Expansive and open-minded" (tǎn tàng tàng) is like the image of the open wilderness—unobstructed, candid, and open. The noble man can "gather in accord in the wilds" precisely because his heart is open and expansive, without selfish motives.

Closeness to Heaven in the Wilds: In the open wilderness, looking up at the sky, the celestial vault directly covers the earth without obstruction. The image of "gathering in accord in the wilds" is that of people in the open confronting Heaven (the upper trigram Qian) in a space without hindrance—this is the most direct state of Heaven-Man communication.

Laozi states:

"Between Heaven and Earth, is it not like a bellows$55 Empty yet never exhausted, moving yet producing ever more." (Laozi, Chapter 5)

The space between Heaven and Earth is like a large bellows, empty yet full of energy. The "wilds" is precisely this empty space between Heaven and Earth—here, the qi of Heaven and Earth flows freely, and the spirits of people flow freely among them.