The I Ching, Legge tr.: The Yî King Text: Section I...

This is a classical Chinese divination text from the *I Ching* (Book of Changes), presenting Hexagram 13, "Thung Zăn" (Fellowship with Men / Union of Men), along with line-by-line commentary. The hexagram describes a condition of communal harmony and successful union, contrasted with the preceding hexagram of obstruction, and advises that such union is most auspicious when it arises from disinterested, public-minded motives rather than selfishness — symbolized by its occurring in remote, unsophisticated country rather than among the corrupting influences of large cities. The six individual lines trace a narrative arc from tentative early alliance (line 1), through rivalry, suspicion, and armed standoff among competing parties (lines 3 and 4), to eventual tearful-then-triumphant reunion of the central figures (line 5), and finally a broad but not yet universal fellowship (line 6). The commentary analyzes each line through the lens of trigram symbolism (heaven above, fire below — both ascending), the correct or incorrect placement of strong and weak lines, and their correlative relationships, explaining why certain lines succeed or fail in achieving union. The text's distinctive claim is that genuine fellowship requires the complete absence of factional or partial loyalties — even the "correct" union of lines 2 and 5 draws mild reproach for being too limited in scope.

The I Ching, Legge tr.: The Yî King Text: Section I...

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