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

Chapter Four: Detailed Explanation of the Commentary on the Decision (Tuanzhuan): Only the Noble Man Can Fully Connect the Will of All Under Heaven

Section 1: "Yielding Attains the Proper Position and Centrality, and Responds to Qian"—The Central Role of Six Two

The Tuanzhuan opens by revealing the reason for the hexagram's name:

"Tóng Rén, the yielding element attains the proper position and centrality, and responds to Qian (Heaven), thus it is called Tóng Rén." (同人，柔得位得中，而应乎乾，曰同人。)

The key phrase here is: Why does "yielding attaining the proper position and centrality, and responding to Qian" constitute Tóng Rén$72

"Yielding" (róu) refers to the only Yin line, Six Two. "Attaining the proper position" (dé wèi) means the Yin line occupies a Yin position (Two is an even number, belonging to Yin). "Attaining centrality" (dé zhōng) means occupying the central position of the lower trigram. "Responding to Qian" (yìng hū Qián) means corresponding to Nine Five in the upper trigram Qian (the two-five correspondence is a basic rule of the Yijing).

Why are these three conditions—proper position, centrality, and correspondence to Qian—sufficient to achieve Tóng Rén$73

We must understand that in Pre-Qin political philosophy, "Centrality" (Zhōng) was the highest principle of governance. The Great Plan of Yu (Dà Yǔ Mó, though authorship is debated, its ideas are ancient) states:

"The heart of man is perilous and subtle; the Way of Heaven is dark and deep. Be only truly exact and truly one; hold fast to the Center." (人心惟危，道心惟微，惟精惟一，允执厥中。)

"Hold fast to the Center" (yǔn zhí jué zhōng)—sincerely grasping the "Center"—was the inherited secret of the ancient sage-kings. The reason Six Two becomes the core of the Tóng Rén hexagram is first because she "attains centrality" (dé zhōng)—she is in the middle position, unbiased, capable of balancing and coordinating all parties.

"Attaining the proper position" means she is in the correct place—if a person is not in their proper place, even if possessing the virtue of centrality, they cannot exert influence. Confucius said:

"He who is not in his proper office should not press his views on the government." (Analects, Taibai)

Conversely, being in one's proper position allows one to execute one's duties and practice one's Way. Six Two possessing both centrality and proper position is the optimal state of "acting on one's duties while in one's position."

And "responding to Qian" is the most crucial point. Qian is Heaven, the Ruler. Six Two corresponds to Nine Five, meaning there is a close correspondence between the "person" below and "Heaven" (or the "Ruler") above. This state of upper and lower correspondence, Heaven-Man connection, is the core of Tóng Rén—Man accords with Heaven, Man accords with the Ruler, and Man accords with Man.

From another perspective, Six Two is the central line of the Li trigram, which represents Fire and Brightness. A person who is bright and centrally correct can naturally respond to the Way of Heaven and align with Heaven’s mind. The Book of Documents (Gāo Yáo Mó) states:

"Heaven’s brightness is self-bright, derived from the people's brightness. Heaven’s awe is self-awesome, derived from the people’s awe." (天聪明，自我民聪明。天明畏，自我民明威。)

Heaven’s brightness comes from the people’s brightness; Heaven’s majesty comes from the people’s majesty. The relationship between Heaven and man is not one of unilateral command but of bidirectional response. Six Two "responding to Qian" is the embodiment of this Heaven-Man correspondence.

Section 2: "The Movement of Qian"—Vigorous Action

"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." (同人曰："同人于野，亨。利涉大川。"乾行也。)

The Tuanzhuan uses the phrase "the movement of Qian" (Qián xíng yě) to explain why "Gathering in Accord in the wilds" can bring "success" (hēng) and be "advantageous for crossing the great river."

What does "Movement of Qian" mean$74 The core quality of Qian is "Vigor" (jiàn)—unceasing strength. "Movement of Qian" means acting with the quality of Qian—vigorous and unceasing, advancing courageously and directly.

But there is a subtle point here: The upper trigram of Tóng Rén is Qian, and the lower is Li. From the hexagram image, Qian is external and Li is internal. This implies that external action is vigorous (Qian), while internal spirit is bright (Li). External rigidity coupled with internal clarity—this combination is the internal reason why "Gathering in Accord in the wilds" brings success.

Why does it say "Movement of Qian" and not "Movement of Li"$75 Because "Success" (hēng) and "crossing the great river" require actual capacity for action. Insightful clarity is important, but without vigorous capacity for action, the best insight remains mere fantasy. The Analects (Zǐ Hǎn) records Confucius saying:

"The wise are never perplexed; the benevolent are never anxious; the courageous are never fearful." (知者不惑，仁者不忧，勇者不惧。)

Wisdom, Benevolence, and Courage—the Three Virtues—are all indispensable. Wisdom corresponds to "Civilization" (Li), Courage corresponds to "Vigor" (Qian), and Benevolence is the unification of the two—possessing both clear insight and vigorous action leads to the realization of the Way of Benevolence.

Section 3: "Civilization Coupled with Vigor, Centrality and Correctness Leading to Correspondence"—The Unity of Inner and Outer Virtue

"Civilization coupled with vigor, centrality and correctness leading to correspondence—the noble man is correct." (文明以健，中正而应，君子正也。)

This is a general summary of the virtue of the Tóng Rén hexagram. "Civilization coupled with vigor" describes the nature of the two trigrams—Li (Civilization) below, Qian (Vigor) above. "Centrality and correctness leading to correspondence" describes the position of Six Two—Six Two is central and correct, and corresponds to Nine Five.

"Civilization coupled with vigor"—these four characters merit deep consideration. Why not "Vigor coupled with civilization"$1 In Pre-Qin grammar, "A by means of B" (A yǐ B) usually means "having the quality of B based on A" or "A and also B." "Civilization coupled with vigor" means possessing the quality of vigor based on civilization—not reckless valor, but vigorous action that is civilized, cultured, and openly upright.

This aligns perfectly with Confucius's discussion on "Pattern" (Wén) and "Substance" (Zhì):

"When substance overcomes pattern, the result is crudeness. When pattern overcomes substance, the result is affectation. When pattern and substance are well blended, the result is the noble man." (Analects, Yong Ye)

"Pattern" (wén) is external refinement and cultural cultivation; "Substance" (zhì) is intrinsic simplicity and vigorous nature. "Pattern and substance well blended" is the perfect balance of the two. In Tóng Rén, "Civilization" comes from Li (pattern/culture), and "Vigor" comes from Qian (substance/strength). "Civilization coupled with vigor" is exactly "pattern and substance well blended"—this is the core character of why the jūnzǐ is a jūnzǐ.

"Centrality and correctness leading to correspondence" further describes the specific manifestation of the jūnzǐ in the Way of Tóng Rén—"Centrality" means impartiality, avoiding extremes; "Correctness" means maintaining integrity, not following the crowd; "Correspondence" means aligning with the superior (Qian), enabling the connection between above and below. A person who is both central/correct and aligned with those above can play a unifying and guiding role within the populace.

"The noble man is correct" (jūn zǐ zhèng yě)—the Tuanzhuan concludes with the character "Correctness" (zhèng), signifying the noble man's way. In the Way of Tóng Rén, the importance of "Correctness" is especially salient: if the aggregation of people's hearts stems from selfish motives or crooked intentions, it is not true Tóng Rén, but factionalism. Only aggregation stemming from a "correct heart" is the true Way of Tóng Rén.

Confucius stated:

"The noble man unites others in righteousness; the small man unites others in self-interest." (Analects, Weizheng: 君子周而不比，小人比而不周。)

"Uniting others in righteousness" (zhōu) is impartial, universal concern; "Uniting others in self-interest" (bǐ) is partisan collusion. "The noble man unites others in righteousness but does not form cliques; the small man forms cliques but does not unite others in righteousness." This manifestation of "the noble man is correct" in interpersonal relations.

Section 4: "Only the Noble Man Can Fully Connect the Will of All Under Heaven"—The Zenith of the Way of Tóng Rén

"Only the noble man can fully connect the will of all under Heaven." (唯君子为能通天下之志。)

This final sentence of the Tuanzhuan is the most inspiring declaration of the entire Tóng Rén hexagram. "To connect the will of all under Heaven" (tōng tiān xià zhī zhì)—what a magnificent proposition!

Why is it said that "Only the noble man can" achieve this$2 Why can ordinary people not "connect the will of all under Heaven"$3

To answer this, we must ask: What is the "will of all under Heaven"$4 The "will of all under Heaven" is not the specific desire of every individual—some wish to get rich, some wish to be officials, some wish to live in seclusion—these specific desires are myriad and cannot be unified. The "will of all under Heaven" refers to the common pursuit that transcends these specific differences—the yearning for goodness, the desire for a beautiful life, and the expectation of justice and order.

Mencius provided profound insight into this:

"The mouth has tastes common to all; the ear has sounds common to all; the eye has beauty common to all. If it comes to the heart, can it be that there is nothing common$5 What the heart commonly affirms is principle (lǐ) and righteousness (yì). The sage merely discovered this common affirmation before ordinary people." (Mencius, Gaozi II)

"What the heart commonly affirms is principle and righteousness"—there are common things in the hearts of all under Heaven, namely the recognition of Lǐ and Yì. The sage merely discovered this common affirmation earlier than others.

"Connecting the will of all under Heaven" is precisely discovering and unifying this "common affirmation of the heart." And this can only be done by the jūnzǐ. Why$6

First, discovering the "common affirmation of the heart" requires deep introspection and broad knowledge. Confucius said:

"Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." (Analects, Weizheng)

By studying and thinking concurrently, one can both understand the actual conditions of the people under Heaven and see through the surface to grasp the underlying commonality.

Second, connecting the "will of all under Heaven" requires a vast heart and an impartial character. How can someone whose heart is filled only with self-interest possibly understand the will of all under Heaven$7 Laozi states:

"The sage has no constant heart; he takes the heart of the people as his heart. Good men, I will treat them as good; and those who are not good too, I will treat them as good, thus making them good. Trustworthy men, I will treat them as trustworthy; and those who are not trustworthy too, I will treat them as trustworthy, thus making them trustworthy." (Laozi, Chapter 49)

"Taking the heart of the people as his heart"—the sage has no fixed ego; his heart becomes the heart of the people. Whether good or not good, trustworthy or not trustworthy, the sage treats them with goodness and trustworthiness—this unconditional embrace and acceptance is the prerequisite for "connecting the will of all under Heaven."

Third, "connecting the will of all under Heaven" is not just intellectual unification but actualization—making the common aspirations of the people truly achievable. This requires immense capability and unremitting effort.

The Xi Ci Zhuan (Part I) states:

"All under Heaven return to the same goal by different paths; they have one aim but a hundred conflicting thoughts. What need is there for all under Heaven to think or worry$8" (天下同归而殊途，一致而百虑。天下何思何虑？)

"All under Heaven return to the same goal by different paths"—the final destination for all people is the same, only the paths differ. "One aim but a hundred conflicting thoughts"—the ultimate state to be reached is consistent, but the methods of deliberation vary. This profoundly reveals the dialectic between "Accord" (Tóng) and "Difference" (Yì): at the deepest level, all people are "the same," but in specific manifestations, they are "different." To "connect the will of all under Heaven" is to see the common "return" through countless "different paths," and to grasp the unified "aim" through countless "conflicting thoughts."

Section 5: The Overall Structure of the Tuanzhuan

Synthesizing the above analysis, we can outline the structure of the Tuanzhuan's explanation of the Tóng Rén hexagram:

1. Origin of the Name: "Yielding attains the proper position and centrality, and responds to Qian, thus it is called Tóng Rén." (柔得位得中，而应乎乾，曰同人。) — One Yin, centrally positioned and in its proper place, responds to Heaven, hence named Tóng Rén. This reveals the structural foundation of the Way of Tóng Rén.
2. Explanation of the Hexagram Statement: "This is the movement of Qian" (Qián xíng yě)—Success and advantage in crossing the great river stem from Qian's vigorous capacity for action. This reveals the practical impetus of the Way of Tóng Rén.
3. Summary of Hexagram Virtue: "Civilization coupled with vigor, centrality and correctness leading to correspondence—the noble man is correct." (文明以健，中正而应，君子正也。) — Civilization and vigor are united, centrality and correspondence are both present, culminating in the correctness of the noble man. This reveals the demand on character in the Way of Tóng Rén.
4. Ultimate Declaration: "Only the noble man can fully connect the will of all under Heaven." (唯君子为能通天下之志。) — The highest attainment of the Way of Tóng Rén is to connect the will of all under Heaven. This reveals the ultimate goal of the Way of Tóng Rén.

From "structural foundation" to "practical impetus," from "demand on character" to "ultimate goal"—this constitutes a progressive logical structure. Thus, the Tuanzhuan's explanation of Tóng Rén is not arbitrary annotation, but a carefully constructed system of thought.