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

Section 1: Confucius on Tóng Rén

Master Confucius, although he did not directly use the term Tóng Rén to articulate his thought, offered numerous discussions on interpersonal relationships, social harmony, and governance that highly resonate with the spirit of the Tóng Rén hexagram.

I. Rén (Benevolence) and Tóng Rén

Rén is the core of Confucius’s thought. The character Rén is composed of "person" (rén) and "two" (èr)—the relationship between two people. The Analects (Yong Ye) records Zhonggong asking about Rén, and Confucius said:

"When going out, treat everyone as if receiving a great guest. Employ the people as if conducting a great sacrifice. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire. Have no complaints in the state, have no complaints in the family." (出门如见大宾，使民如承大祭。己所不欲，勿施于人。在邦无怨，在家无怨。)

"Treat everyone as if receiving a great guest" when going out—treating everyone encountered outside the door with the same respect one shows a distinguished guest. This is the Confucian version of "gathering in accord at the door."

"Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire" (jǐ suǒ bù yù, wù shī yú rén)—the negative formulation of Rén (what not to do). Its positive formulation is recorded in the Analects (Yong Ye):

"The benevolent man, wishing to establish himself, establishes others; wishing to succeed, he helps others to succeed. Being able to take this as a guide, one may call this the method of benevolence." (夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲达而达人。能近取譬，可谓仁之方也已。)

"Wishing to establish himself, he establishes others; wishing to succeed, he helps others to succeed"—this spirit of empathy, putting oneself in another's shoes to understand their needs, is the intrinsic driving force of Tóng Rén. Why$1 Because Tóng Rén is not just gathering together, but a connection of minds—and the foundation of mind-connection is the ability to understand others' feelings and needs. "Being able to take this as a guide" (néng jìn qǔ pì)—understanding others starting from one's own experience—this is the most straightforward method for "connecting the will of all under Heaven."

II. Harmony (Hé) and Tóng Rén

The Analects (Zǐ Lù) records Youzi saying:

"In the use of rites, harmony (hé) is esteemed. This was the beauty of the ways of the former kings. It applies to both great and small matters. If one deviates from this, merely seeking harmony without the regulation of rites, it will also not work." (礼之用，和为贵。先王之道，斯为美。小大由之。有所不行，知和而和，不以礼节之，亦不可行也。)

"Harmony is esteemed" (hé wéi guì)—harmony is the most precious thing. But "seeking harmony without the regulation of rites" is also unacceptable—harmony for the sake of harmony, unchecked by propriety, also fails.

This aligns perfectly with the spirit of the Tóng Rén hexagram's "advantageous for the noble man to persevere" (lì jūn zǐ zhēn)—Tóng Rén (harmony) is the goal, but "noble man's perseverance" (regulation by the correct way) is the safeguard. Without the restraint of the correct way, "Accord" risks becoming "conforming to evil"; without the goal of "Accord," the correct way risks becoming rigid dogma.

III. Learning (Xué) and Tóng Rén

Master Confucius placed great importance on "Learning" in the Way of Tóng Rén. The very first lines of the Analects (Xué Ér), which we quoted earlier, form a complete process of Tóng Rén:

"Is it not a pleasure to learn and practice what you have learned timely$2 Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar$3 Is it not the mark of a gentleman to remain unoffended when others do not recognize his worth$4" (学而时习之，不亦说乎？有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？人不知而不愠，不亦君子乎？)

• "Learning and practicing timely"—first, self-cultivation and enrichment. This corresponds to the lower trigram Li in Tóng Rén—"Civilization." One must first possess brightness, learning, and virtue before being qualified to achieve "Tóng Rén."
• "Having friends coming from afar"—like-minded friends gathering from distant places. This corresponds to the core spirit of the Tóng Rén hexagram—people with the same aspirations naturally come together.
• "Not feeling resentment when unrecognized"—even if the Way of Tóng Rén is not fully realized, one does not blame Heaven or others. This corresponds to Upper Nine's judgment: "Gathering in the suburbs, aspiration not yet achieved."

The sequence of these three sentences aptly corresponds to the three stages of the Tóng Rén Way: self-preparation, aggregation with others, and acceptance of imperfection.

IV. Confucius’s Practice of Tóng Rén

Confucius's entire life was an embodiment of the Way of Tóng Rén. He established private schools, teaching without discrimination—"I have never refused instruction to anyone who brought so much as a single piece of dried meat as tuition" (Analects, Shù Rén). This is Tóng Rén in its broadest sense. His students came from different regions and different social strata: Zixia was a wealthy merchant from Wei, Zilu a rough man from Bian, Yan Hui a poor scholar, and Ran You a versatile practical man—these people with vastly different personalities and backgrounds gathered under Confucius, forming a spiritual community bound by the "Way."

This is the paradigm of "Gathering in Accord in the wilds"—the bond is not based on blood relations, region, or class, but on the "Way" (Dào). Confucius said:

"When the Way prevails in the world, I shall not try to change it." (Analects, Wei Ling Gong: 道不同，不相为谋。)

Conversely, if the Ways are the same, they can plan together. Accord based on shared Way is the highest form of Tóng Rén.