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

Section 4: A Complete Journey of the Six Lines—The Full Process of Tóng Rén

Now let us review the complete journey of the six lines of Tóng Rén:

1. Nine One "Gathering at the door, no blame"—The Start: Stepping out the door, beginning to interact with others. The posture is open and natural, but the scope is small.
2. Six Two "Gathering in the ancestral temple, regret"—The Limitation: Remaining within the clan, the scope is too narrow. Although safe and comfortable, it is not conducive to a broader Tóng Rén.
3. Nine Three "Hiding armed men in the brush, remaining stalled for three years"—Conspiracy: Attempting to seize the opportunity for Tóng Rén through selfish motives and scheming tactics, resulting in being trapped in difficulty, unable to act for a long time.
4. Nine Four "Mounting the wall but failing to attack, auspicious"—Correction: First attempting attack with force, then voluntarily giving up because "righteousness forbids it" (yì fú kè), reflecting on the error and returning to the correct path amid difficulty.
5. Nine Five "First crying out and then laughing, a great army is able to meet"—Achievement: After experiencing immense suffering and struggle, finally meeting Six Two, achieving true Tóng Rén.
6. Upper Nine "Gathering in the suburbs, no regret"—The Regret: Reaching the farthest point, but the aspiration is not fully realized. Though there is no regret, there is a sense of wistfulness.

These six stages constitute a complete process of "Tóng Rén”—from the start to limitation, from conspiracy to correction, from achievement to regret. The entire process is not a smooth, straight advance but is full of twists, conflicts, and reversals. This is the true depiction of the Way of Tóng Rén in reality—sincere accord between people is never easy.

From another perspective, these six stages can correspond to different levels of "Tóng Rén" experience in life:

• Nine One: Everyday interaction with neighbors and passersby—meeting by chance, associating naturally.
• Six Two: Kinship accord with clan relatives—intimate but possibly partial.
• Nine Three: Trying to win through scheming in competition—a failed method of Tóng Rén.
• Nine Four: Learning self-reflection amid conflict—growing from error.
• Nine Five: Finally meeting a true confidant after arduous struggle—the deepest Tóng Rén.
• Upper Nine: Looking back on the path in later life—though with regret, yet without remorse.

This sequence moves from simple to complex, from shallow to deep, revealing the gradual and winding nature of the Way of Tóng Rén. No one can achieve "Gathering in Accord in the wilds" in one step; everyone must pass through their own door, clan, brush, wall, crying, and suburbs—before gradually approaching that final state of being "in the wilds."