Line 1 Yang
Meet others at the gate: begin fellowship by opening your immediate boundary.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 13 · Tóng Rén
Fellowship in the Open
Shared undertakings need fellowship beyond a familiar clique.
☰ Above: Qian · Heaven☲ Below: Li · Fire
Meaning
Fire rises toward heaven as people seek common purpose. Broad fellowship reaches beyond kinship; suspicion and rivalry can turn a bond into confrontation.
FOR REFLECTION
Who is excluded by the way your group defines 'us'?
The six lines
Read from line 1 at the bottom to line 6 at the top. These are paraphrases, not verbatim translations.
Line 2 Yin
Fellowship confined to the clan is narrow; kinship alone cannot serve everyone.
Line 3 Yang
Troops hide in brush and watch from a hill; suspicion stalls action for years.
Line 4 Yang
Atop the wall, refrain from attacking; recognize when an assault is unjustified.
Line 5 Yang
Tears turn to laughter after strong resistance to the meeting is overcome.
Line 6 Yang
Fellowship reaches the outskirts, without regret, though its full aim remains unmet.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 同人James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 13
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.