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

Chapter Nine: The Daoist Perspective on the Way of Tóng Rén

Section 1: Laozi on "Accord" (Tóng) and "Difference"

Daoism approaches the issue of Tóng Rén from a different starting point than Confucianism. Confucianism starts from Rén (Benevolence), emphasizing accord based on human ethics; Daoism starts from the Dào (Way), Zìrán (Naturalness), and Wú Wéi (Non-action), revealing the deeper ontological foundation of the Way of Tóng Rén.

I. The Great Accord of the Dao

Laozi states:

"The Way that can be spoken of is not the constant Way. The name that can be named is not the constant Name. The Nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth; the Named is the mother of the myriad things." (Laozi, Chapter 1)

The "Dao" is the common source of all things—Heaven, Earth, and all things arise from the "Dao." If all things come from the Dao, then at the deepest level, all things are "the same"—sharing the same origin, the same substance, and the same destination.

"All things under Heaven are born of Being; Being is born of Non-Being." (Laozi, Chapter 40)

All things arise from "Being" (yǒu), and "Being" arises from "Non-Being" (wú). "Non-Being" is the ultimate source of all things. At the level of "Non-Being," all differences dissolve—there is no distinction between Heaven and Fire, between person and person, between Accord and Difference. This is a more thorough "Accord" than the Tóng Rén hexagram's "Gathering in Accord in the wilds"—it is not according with others in the wilds, but according with all things in "Non-Being."

II. The Accord of Naturalness (Zìrán)

Laozi particularly emphasizes Zìrán—the state in which things are naturally so.

"Man follows the Earth; the Earth follows Heaven; Heaven follows the Dao; the Dao follows its own self." (Laozi, Chapter 25)

"The Dao follows its own self" (Dào fǎ zì rán)—the Dao takes its own naturalness as its law. The highest law is not artificially established but arises naturally.

From the perspective of the Tóng Rén hexagram, the reason "Heaven and Fire" can "accord" is not because someone arranged them to be together, but because their nature is to move upward—Heaven is inherently above, and Fire naturally blazes upward—their "joint movement" is spontaneous.

True Tóng Rén should also be spontaneous—not forced, not arranged, not commanded, but a natural gathering resulting from the resonance of hearts. Laozi states:

"The best of rulers, the people barely know of their existence. The next best, the people love and praise. The next best, the people fear. The next best, the people scorn. When trust is lacking, there is distrust. How grandly aloof he is in his non-action! When his work is done, his aim achieved, the people all say, 'We did it ourselves.'" (Laozi, Chapter 17)

The best ruler allows the people to feel that everything happens naturally—"the people all say, 'We did it ourselves.'" The best Tóng Rén is also like this—people naturally come together without feeling any external coercion or arrangement.

III. The Accord of Non-Action (Wú Wéi)

"In the pursuit of learning, day by day increase; in the pursuit of the Dao, day by day decrease. Decrease and decrease again until you reach non-action. Having reached non-action, there is nothing that is not done." (Laozi, Chapter 48)

"Having reached non-action, there is nothing that is not done" (wú wéi ér wú bù wéi)—by deliberately doing nothing, everything is naturally accomplished.

In the Way of Tóng Rén, this principle means: Do not deliberately try to achieve Tóng Rén—do not use schemes, plots, or strategies to win people's hearts—but rather use a non-action approach so that people's hearts naturally submit. This stands in stark contrast to the scheming of Nine Three, "hiding armed men in the brush," which resulted in "remaining stalled for three years"—a complete failure. This is the flaw of "taking action" (yǒu wéi).

"The Way of Heaven does not contend, yet it is supremely victorious. It does not speak, yet it is supremely responsive. It calls not, yet things come to it of themselves. It draws up its plan loosely, yet nothing is left undone." (Laozi, Chapter 73)

"It calls not, yet things come to it of themselves" (bù zhào ér zì lái)—without summoning, people naturally come to return. This is the highest level of Tóng Rén—attracting hearts through moral influence rather than driving them with power.

IV. "The Highest Good is Like Water" and Tóng Rén

"The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not contend; it dwells in the places that people disdain. Thus it is close to the Dao." (Laozi, Chapter 8)

Water benefits all things and does not contend—this image strongly resonates with the image of Six Two in the Tóng Rén hexagram. Six Two embodies yieldingness in centrality, not contending with any Yang line, yet precisely because of her gentle centrality, she becomes the core of the entire hexagram. What truly gathers people’s hearts is not the aggressive strong contender, but the yielding one who benefits others without contention.

Section 2: Master Zhuangzi on "Making Things Equal" (Qí Wù) and Tóng Rén

Master Zhuangzi’s thought on "making things equal" provides an entirely new dimension for understanding the Way of Tóng Rén.

I. The Oneness of All Things

The Zhuangzi (Discussion on Making Things Equal) states:

"Heaven and Earth were produced together with me; the ten thousand things are one with me." (天地与我并生，而万物与我为一。)

Heaven and Earth were produced simultaneously with me, and all things are integrated with me. This is Zhuangzi’s most extreme expression of "Accord"—not just people according with people, but people according with things, and self according with Heaven and Earth—all existence is an indivisible whole.

If viewed from this perspective, the scope of Tóng Rén extends beyond interpersonal relationships to include relationships between humans and all things. The "Accord" of Heaven (Qian) and Fire (Li) is not an external cooperation between two independent entities, but an internal harmony of things that are fundamentally one.

"The Great Mass exhales qi, and this is called wind. When it does not move, it is silent. When it moves, all its myriad apertures whistle and roar... A gentle breeze brings minor harmony; a rushing gale brings great harmony; when a fierce wind stops, all apertures become void." (Zhuangzi, Discussion on Making Things Equal)

The qi exhaled by the Great Mass is wind. Wind blows through various apertures, producing different sounds—though these sounds are vastly different, they all come from the same current of wind. The different opinions, standpoints, and perspectives of people are also like these sounds—superficially different, but rooted in the same source (the Dao) deep down.

II. The Dissolution of "Right" and "Wrong"

Zhuangzi further asks: What is the fundamental reason people cannot achieve "Accord"$6

"There is nothing that is not another's (that is not 'that'); there is nothing that is not one's own (that is not 'this'). From the perspective of 'that,' one cannot see; from the perspective of 'this,' one knows it. Thus it is said: 'That' arises from 'This,' and 'This' is dependent on 'That.' This is the dialectic of immediate generation. Yet, the immediate generation is immediate death, and immediate death is immediate generation. The immediately right is immediately wrong, and the immediately wrong is immediately right. From 'this' follows 'not-this,' and from 'not-this' follows 'this.' Therefore, the sage does not rely on these, but illuminates them by Heaven. He follows 'this,' and 'this' is 'that,' and 'that' is 'this.' Both 'that' and 'this' have their own right and wrong. In the end, is there really 'that' and 'this'$7 In the end, is there really no 'that' and 'no 'this'$8 When 'that' and 'this' cannot find their counterpart, this is called the pivot of the Dao. When the pivot first grasps the center of the ring, it can respond to infinity." (Zhuangzi, Discussion on Making Things Equal)

"Right" (shì) and "Wrong" (fēi) are relative—what I consider "right," others may see as "wrong"; what I consider "wrong," others may see as "right." If one clings to one's own standard of "right and wrong," one will always be in opposition to others and can never achieve Tóng Rén.

Zhuangzi's solution is to "illuminate them by Heaven" (zhào zhī yú tiān)—not judging by man-made standards of right and wrong, but observing from the perspective of the Way of Heaven. From the perspective of the Heavenly Way, all "right and wrong" are relative and transient—transcending "right and wrong" leads to the "pivot of the Dao" (Dào zhōu), which can "respond to infinity."

This thought deeply resonates with the image of Tóng Rén: "Heaven and Fire gather in accord." Heaven (Qian) is above, representing the highest, transcendent perspective. From Heaven's perspective, all earthly differences and conflicts are insignificant. When people can "illuminate by Heaven"—elevate their perspective to the height of Heaven—they can transcend narrow debates of "right and wrong" and achieve true Tóng Rén.

III. "Sitting and Forgetting" (Zuò Wàng) and Tóng Rén

In the dialogue described by Zhuangzi concerning Yan Hui's progress, the following exchange occurs:

Yan Hui said, "I have made progress." Confucius asked, "How so$9" Yan Hui replied, "I have forgotten benevolence and righteousness." Confucius said, "That is good, but not enough." On another day, Yan Hui returned and said, "I have made progress." Confucius asked, "How so$10" Yan Hui replied, "I have forgotten rites and music." Confucius said, "That is good, but not yet enough." On another day, Yan Hui returned and said, "I have made progress." Confucius asked, "How so$11" Yan Hui replied, "I have forgotten sitting and forgetting." Confucius exclaimed, "How do you mean, sitting and forgetting$12" Yan Hui replied, "I cast aside my limbs and torso, cast aside my hearing and sight, left my form and knowledge, and merged with the Great Flow (Dà Tōng). This is what I mean by sitting and forgetting." Confucius said, "If you merge, you are without attachment; if you transform, you are without constancy. Truly, you are worthy! I ask to follow you." (Zhuangzi, The Great and Venerable Teacher)

"Merging with the Great Flow" (tóng yú dà tōng)—unifying with that infinite, unobstructed Dao. This is Zhuangzi's version of Tóng Rén—not accord between people, but the person's accord with the Dao; not accord achieved through rites and education, but accord achieved through "sitting and forgetting" (letting go of all attachments).

"Casting aside limbs and torso, casting aside hearing and sight, leaving form and discarding knowledge"—letting go of attachment to the body, knowledge, and form. When all attachments are let go, one returns to the original state—identical with the Dao. In this state of oneness with the Dao, the barriers between people naturally dissolve—because the distinction between "you" and "me" was merely an illusion created by attachment.

Although this idea is extreme, it reveals a deep problem in the Way of Tóng Rén: the fundamental reason people cannot truly "accord" is "self-attachment" (wǒ zhí)—everyone clings to their own body, knowledge, position, and interests, thus becoming trapped in their own enclosure, separated from others. To achieve true Tóng Rén, one must, to some extent, let go of self-attachment—not necessarily reaching the extreme state of "sitting and forgetting" described by Zhuangzi, but at least being able to temporarily transcend personal limitations to understand and accept others with a broader heart.

Section 3: Complementarity Between Daoist and Confucian Perspectives

Through the above analysis, we can see that the Daoist and Confucian perspectives on the issue of Tóng Rén are complementary:

Confucian Contribution: Reveals the specific practical methods of Tóng Rén in human society—accord based on the standards of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, using empathy as the method, aiming for the ideal society of Great Accord. Confucianism focuses on "How to do it"—how to achieve harmony among people in the actual world.

Daoist Contribution: Reveals the ontological foundation of Tóng Rén—since all things arise from the Dao, they are one at the deepest level. Daoism focuses on "Why it is possible"—the reason people can accord is that they are fundamentally one at the level of substance.

The combination of these two perspectives perfectly mirrors the two trigrams of the Tóng Rén hexagram: the lower trigram Li (Civilization) corresponds to Confucian humanistic cultivation, and the upper trigram Qian (Heavenly Way) corresponds to Daoist naturalness. "Civilization coupled with vigor"—cultivation based on humanistic education, yet possessing the vigor of the Heavenly Way—this is the optimal portrayal of Confucian-Daoist complementarity.

Laozi states:

"The Way of Heaven is impartial; it always helps the good man." (Laozi, Chapter 79)

The Way of Heaven is impartial, yet it always assists the good man. This statement connects the Daoist "Way of Heaven" with the Confucian concept of "Goodness" (shàn)—although the Way of Heaven transcends worldly good and evil, in its actual operation, it favors the side of righteousness. The phrase "advantageous for the noble man to persevere" in the Tóng Rén hexagram means the same thing—the Way of Heaven (Qian) favors the correct path (zhēn), and the Way of Tóng Rén under the Way of Heaven can only be truly realized under the guidance of the correct path.