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

Section 2: Six Two: Gathering in the Ancestral Temple Brings Regret (Lìn)

The line statement for Six Two reads:

"Gathering in Accord in the ancestral temple brings regret (lìn)." (同人于宗，吝。)

The Lesser Image Commentary states:

"Gathering in Accord in the ancestral temple brings regret—this is the path of regret." (同人于宗，吝道也。)

Six Two is the principal line of the Tóng Rén hexagram—we analyzed earlier that the Tuanzhuan's description of "yielding attaining the proper position and centrality, and responding to Qian" refers to Six Two. But why is this most important line judged with "regret" (lìn, predicament or misfortune)$24

"Gathering in Accord in the ancestral temple" (tóng rén yú zōng)—assembling with people within the clan. "Zōng" refers to the lineage or clan—relatives of the same bloodline. Accords within the clan are why this line results in "regret"!

This is one of the most thought-provoking line statements in the Tóng Rén hexagram.

Why is "Gathering in Accord in the ancestral temple" not good$25

The clan was the fundamental unit of Pre-Qin society. A person's primary identification was often with their clan. The Book of Odes (Shi Jing, Lesser Odes of the Kingdom, Cháng Dì) sings:

"The flowers of the bitter orange tree, their branches intertwined and flourishing! Alas for the men of today—none are like brothers... Though brothers quarrel within the walls, they unite against an enemy outside. When good friends come, they greet them with full courtesy." (常棣之华，鄂不韡韡。凡今之人，莫如兄弟。……兄弟阋于墙，外御其务。每有良朋，烝也无戎。)

Although brothers might have internal conflicts ("quarrel within the walls"), they unite externally ("unite against an enemy outside"). The cohesion of the clan comes from kinship; it is natural and strong.

But the intent of the Tóng Rén hexagram is not harmony within the clan, but the Great Accord that transcends the clan, directed toward all under Heaven—the hexagram statement speaks of "Tóng Rén yú Yě" (in the wilds), not "Tóng Rén yú Zōng" (in the ancestral temple).

"Gathering in Accord in the ancestral temple" leads to "regret" for at least three reasons:

First, the scope is too small. The Way of Tóng Rén requires "connecting the will of all under Heaven," whereas "gathering in the ancestral temple" is merely revolving within one's own small circle, far from the vastness of "the wilds."

Second, it easily leads to partiality. Accord within the clan is often based on kinship and private interests, easily evolving into an exclusionary clique. When clan interests conflict with public righteousness, those who "gather in the ancestral temple" often choose clan interests—thereby deviating from the requirement that "the noble man is correct."

Confucius had a subtle discussion on this point. The Analects (Zǐ Lù) records Ye Gong saying:

"In my village there is a man who is upright: when his father stole a sheep, the son testified against him." Confucius said: "The upright men in my party are different from this. A father will screen his son, and a son will screen his father—uprightness is found therein." (吾党有直躬者，其父攘羊，而子证之。孔子曰：吾党之直者异于是。父为子隐，子为父隐，直在其中矣。)

Ye Gong considered the son testifying against his father as "uprightness" (zhí), but Confucius considered father-son mutual concealment as "uprightness." From the perspective of the Tóng Rén hexagram, "gathering in the ancestral temple" embodies this very contradiction—when "Accord" is limited to the clan, it inevitably creates tension with the broader "public righteousness."

Third, it limits the potential of Six Two. Six Two is the principal line of Tóng Rén; her mission is to "respond to Qian"—to correspond with Heaven (Nine Five), thereby realizing the "Accord" between Heaven and Man. But if Six Two is content merely to accord within her clan, she fails to fully realize her potential of "attaining centrality and proper position," much like a person of great talent serving only in a family business instead of contributing wisdom to the world—this is certainly "regret."

The Deeper Meaning of the Lesser Image Commentary: "This is the path of regret."

"Lìn dào yě"—this is a path that leads to predicament. Note, it does not say "disaster" (xiōng, great calamity), but "regret" (lìn, minor difficulty or setback). Because "gathering in the ancestral temple" is still a form of "gathering in accord"—it is just too narrow in scope. While remaining in the clan is not inherently bad, the scope is insufficient. If one can start from the clan and gradually expand to the "wilds," then the "regret" can be resolved.