I Ching · Hexagram 13 of 64
Hexagram 13: Tong Ren （同人） — Fellowship
Fire below heaven: the heat of fire and the energy of heaven both rise, moving the same way. It stands for those of one mind and one aim, friends who share a purpose and not those who merely mingle. The hexagram shows how such people love and work together without friction, passing from obstruction into common labor and on toward the great harmony of the world.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 13 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Tong Ren 同人 · Fellowship |
| Upper trigram | Qian （乾）· Heaven |
| Lower trigram | Zhen （震）· Thunder |
| Structure | Heaven over Thunder |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Fellowship with men in the open field: success. It is favorable to cross the great water; it is favorable for the gentleman to be steadfast.
ExplainedTong Ren is about making friends of one heart and one purpose. The open field is a place free of advantage, unlike court, market or politics where ties cannot reach the heart; a hall of practice is where true friends are easiest to find. Once such friends are found all roads open and each supplies what the other lacks. Real friends share hardship without forsaking one another and sharpen each other into upright people: to cross great waters and to help each other be good is the whole test of friendship.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Tong Ren: the yielding gains place and center and responds to Heaven. This is called Fellowship. Fellowship in the open field: success, favorable to cross the great water, for this is the action of Heaven. Civilized and strong, central and right, he responds; this is the uprightness of the gentleman. Only the gentleman can comprehend the will of the whole world.
ExplainedOne yielding line holds the center and answers the firm Heaven: keeping the central gate connects one with the way of heaven and its holy ones, and that is the friend for a lifetime. Great waters are crossed because heaven acts, the strength being not merely human but the compassion invoked from above. Civilized fire with strong heaven, central and right, sets the gentleman on the true path, and only he understands that every heart is meant for sagehood and salvation and leads them all to one will.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Heaven together with fire: Tong Ren. Thus the gentleman sorts into clans and distinguishes things.
ExplainedHeaven and fire both rise, and so the gentleman knows that things gather by kind. He sorts and draws in the worthy, testing everyone first by whether their aim is to be better and never luring by gain; those who can hear the truth are his kin and rise easily with him.
The Six Lines （六爻）
The lines are read from the bottom upward. Each carries its own text, a Small Image commentary, and a plain-English reading.
Line 1 · YangLine 1
Fellowship at the gate: no blame.
Small ImageGoing out of the gate to fellowship: who could blame him?
ExplainedFirst find the right gate and the companions of one teacher, learning and following together. Broadly this is the single gate of the central opening, and once it is found the first step is without fault; and beyond the gate, brothers are everywhere, correcting and helping one along the road.
Line 2 · YinLine 2
Fellowship within the clan: humiliation.
Small ImageFellowship within the clan: this is the way of humiliation.
ExplainedWithin the same gate, to form clans and cliques and factions narrows the heart and betrays the great harmony. The goal is to make all people fellow disciples of one school; to gather by faction is to turn the great way into a small and narrowing one.
Line 3 · YangLine 3
He hides weapons in the thicket; he mounts his high hill. For three years he does not rise.
Small ImageHiding weapons in the thicket: the foe is firm. For three years not rising: how could he proceed?
ExplainedOld debt lies in ambush in the thicket, ready to strike; by raising one's hill of character high, cultivating benevolence, justice, courage and trust, even years of preparation cannot bring one down. Do not fight them; let companions in practice and the protection of heaven dissolve the debt instead.
Line 4 · YangLine 4
He mounts the wall, but does not attack: good fortune.
Small ImageMounting the wall, in justice he cannot attack. His good fortune is that in straits he returns to the rule.
ExplainedHaving taken the wall and holding every advantage, one still does not attack. The closest are most often the creditors of former lives: when right and power are on one's side, refrain, and when the other is trapped lead him back to the rule of justice without rending the bond.
Line 5 · YangLine 5
Fellowship: first weeping and wailing, afterwards laughing. The great army conquers and they meet.
Small ImageThe first of fellowship is central and straight. The great army meets: it speaks of conquest.
ExplainedAfter the test comes true fellowship with the noble and the holy. However great the difficulty, the great army arrives, obstacles are swept away, and those who wept together now meet with laughter, hearts at one, words like orchids and strength enough to cut through metal.
Line 6 · YangLine 6
Fellowship in the outskirts: no regret.
Small ImageFellowship in the outskirts: his wish is not attained.
ExplainedFellowship in the outskirts is to have the bond but not the season: kindred souls scattered in different lands, unable to gather. There is no regret, for the good bond has fulfilled its part; where conditions fall short, one need not force them.
Key takeaway
True fellowship is one mind and not one profit: find friends who share hardship and sharpen each other into upright people.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 13 (Tong Ren) mean in the I Ching?
Fire below heaven: the heat of fire and the energy of heaven both rise, moving the same way. It stands for those of one mind and one aim, friends who share a purpose and not those who merely mingle. The hexagram shows how such people love and work together without friction, passing from obstruction into common labor and on toward the great harmony of the world.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 13?
Fellowship with men in the open field: success. It is favorable to cross the great water; it is favorable for the gentleman to be steadfast. Tong Ren is about making friends of one heart and one purpose. The open field is a place free of advantage, unlike court, market or politics where ties cannot reach the heart; a hall of practice is where true friends are easiest to find. Once such friends are found all roads open and each supplies what the other…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 13 say?
Line 1: Fellowship at the gate: no blame. Line 2: Fellowship within the clan: humiliation. Line 3: He hides weapons in the thicket; he mounts his high hill. For three years he does not rise. Line 4: He mounts the wall, but does not attack: good fortune. Line 5: Fellowship: first weeping and wailing, afterwards laughing. The great army conquers and they meet. Line 6: Fellowship in the outskirts: no regret.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 13 (Fellowship)?
True fellowship is one mind and not one profit: find friends who share hardship and sharpen each other into upright people.
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