Chapter Five: Detailed Commentary on the Da Xiang Zhuan --- The Noble Person Thereby Classifies Clans and Distinguishes Things

Section 1: "Heaven Together with Fire: Fellowship" --- The Da Xiang Zhuan's Distinctive Image-Taking

The Da Xiang Zhuan says:

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

The image-taking method of the Da Xiang Zhuan differs from that of the Tuan Zhuan. The Tuan Zhuan emphasizes line-position relationships (especially the position of the ruling line, Six in the Second); the Da Xiang Zhuan emphasizes the natural images of the upper and lower trigrams to extract a lesson.

"Heaven together with Fire: Fellowship" --- Heaven and Fire travel together, hence the name Fellowship. Note that the Da Xiang Zhuan says "Heaven together with Fire" rather than "Fire together with Heaven" --- Heaven is primary, Fire is secondary. Heaven is above; Fire follows upward toward Heaven. This is the basic posture of tong: taking the Way of Heaven as the standard and approaching it in a manner of brightness.

Section 2: "Classifying Clans and Distinguishing Things" --- Differentiation Within Unity

"The noble person thereby classifies clans and distinguishes things" --- this phrase at first glance seems to contradict "fellowship." "Fellowship" emphasizes tong --- harmony, gathering; yet "classifying clans and distinguishing things" emphasizes bian --- categorization, discrimination. Why does a hexagram that emphasizes tong instruct the noble person to engage in the work of bian$6

This reveals a core insight of the Way of Fellowship: true tong must be built upon the foundation of bian.

Without discernment there is no knowledge of sameness and difference, and without knowing sameness and difference, tong is mere blind conflation. The Master said (Lunyu, "Zi Lu"):

"The noble person is harmonious but not conformist; the petty person is conformist but not harmonious."

"Harmonious but not conformist" (he er bu tong) --- harmonious yet not erasing difference. To be "harmonious but not conformist," one must first be able to discern difference. "Classifying clans and distinguishing things" is precisely the prerequisite work for "harmonious but not conformist."

Master Xun had a penetrating exposition. The Xunzi ("Wang Zhi") says:

"When shares are equal, there is no inclination; when power is even, there is no unity; when the multitude is uniform, none can be employed... The former kings detested this disorder, and therefore they instituted ritual and righteousness to create distinctions... The Documents say: 'To make things equal is to make them unequal.' This is what is meant."

"To make things equal is to make them unequal" (wei qi fei qi) --- to achieve true balance, one cannot have simple uniformity. "Classifying clans and distinguishing things" is precisely the practical method of "to make things equal is to make them unequal."

Section 3: From "Distinguishing" to "Unity" --- The Dialectical Logic

The logic from bian to tong proceeds in three steps: first discern differences, then classify by discovering commonalities within differences, then integrate by discovering connections and complementarities among categories, forming an organic whole. This ultimate tong is not the obliteration of difference but organic unity on the basis of difference.

Master Zhuang, from another angle, poses a challenge (Zhuangzi, "Qi Wu Lun"):

"Heaven and Earth were born together with me, and the myriad things and I are one. Since we are already one, can there be words about it$7 Since I have already called it 'one,' can there not be words$8 One and words make two; two and one make three..."

Master Zhuang points out that the moment we use language to "say" unity, the very act has already broken the unity. This reminds us that although "classifying clans and distinguishing things" is a necessary step toward tong, the final realization of tong may transcend the realm of language and concepts.

In archaic ritual activities, we can see the primordial practice of "classifying clans and distinguishing things." Different clans bore different responsibilities in sacrifice, but all converged in a unified ceremony --- the perfect combination of "classifying clans and distinguishing things" and "fellowship."