I Ching Hexagram 13: FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN (Tung Jên)

The Judgement

FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN in the open. Success. It furthers one to cross the great water. The perseverance of the superior man furthers.

The Image

Heaven together with fire: The image of FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN. Thus the superior man organizes the clans And makes distinctions between things.

The Lines

6

Nine at the top

Fellowship with men in the meadow. No remorse.

The Image says: 'Fellowship with men in the meadow.' The will has not yet been fulfilled.

5

Nine in the fifth place

Men bound in fellowship first weep and lament, but afterward they laugh. After great struggles they succeed in meeting.

The Image says: The first step in fellowship with men is based on the central and the straightforward. 'After great struggles they succeed in meeting,' which means that they overcome.

4

Nine in the fourth place

He climbs up on his wall; he cannot attack. Good fortune.

The Image says: 'He climbs up on his wall,' but according to right he cannot attack. His good fortune consists in the fact that, being in a quandary, he returns to the rules.

3

Nine in the third place

He hides weapons in the thicket; he climbs the high hill in front of it. For three years he does not rise up.

The Image says: 'He hides weapons in the thicket,' because the enemy is strong. 'For three years he does not rise up.' How can he go on?

2

Six in the second place

Fellowship with men in the clan. Humiliation.

The Image says: 'Fellowship with men in the clan' is the way to humiliation.

1

Nine at the beginning

Fellowship with men at the gate. No blame.

The Image says: 'Who would be to blame for fellowship with men outside the gate?'

The Wisdom of Hexagram — An Eastern Perspective

From Isolation to Universal Brotherhood

If Hexagram 12 represents a world falling apart (Stagnation), Hexagram 13 (T'ung Jên/Fellowship with Men) represents the world coming back together. It marks the evolution from isolation to connection, from division to unity.

This hexagram is a profound critique of narrow-mindedness. It challenges us to look beyond our small circles and "Clans" (Line 2) and to practice true fellowship out in the open "Gate" (Line 1) and "Meadow" (Top Line).

The journey through the lines reveals the complex dance between Unity and Difference. While we strive for connection, paranoia and conflict inevitably arise—men "hide weapons in the thicket" (Line 3) or "climb high walls" to attack (Line 4). Yet, the hexagram promises that true bond cannot be broken by distance or conflict. As Line 5 famously depicts, after the struggle comes the reunion: "First he cries out, then he laughs."

Summary: Human relationships are a fluid mix of the "Same" and the "Different." The I Ching teaches us that the solution to conflict is not war or conservatism, but broad-mindedness. We must learn to "Seek common ground while reserving differences". By breaking down the barriers of the heart, we can move towards the ultimate ideal of Chinese philosophy: the "Ta T'ung" (Great Unity)—a world of harmony and mutual cooperation.