Fellowship with Men
Heaven (乾 Qián) above, Fire (離 Lí) below
Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens
I Ching Hexagram 13, 同人 (Tóng Rén), represents Fellowship with Men.
SourceZhouyi (周易, The Book of Changes) — hexagram 13 (同人 Tóng Rén). Chinese source: Chinese Text Project, based on 《武英殿十三經注疏》本《周易正義》 (ctp:book-of-changes/tong-ren). Judgment: received Zhouyi hexagram statement (卦辭). English: Translation by Oriens Editorial Translation. Image: Xiang / Image commentary layer (象傳), distinct from the Judgment and line texts. Image and line English: named translation by James Legge, The Yî King (1899), public-domain translation; online reproduction. The named translation is used for the Image and line statements only.
1. Judgment (卦辭 Guàcí)
同人于野，亨。利涉大川，利君子貞。
Oriens Editorial Translation: Fellowship with others in the open country brings success. Crossing the great water is fruitful; for the cultivated person, steadfastness is fruitful.
2. Image (象 Xiàng / Xiang commentary)
天与火,同人。君子以类族辨物。
James Legge: (The trigrams for) heaven and fire form Thung Zan. The superior man, in accordance with this, distinguishes things according to their kinds and classes.
3. Line Statements (爻辭 Yáocí)
Line 1 of 6 (from the bottom):
初九：同人于門，无咎。
James Legge: The first NINE, undivided, (shows the representative of) the union of men just issuing from his gate. There will be no error.
Line 2 of 6 (from the bottom):
六二：同人于宗，吝。
James Legge: The second SIX, divided, (shows the representative of) the union of men in relation with his kindred. There will be occasion for regret.
Line 3 of 6 (from the bottom):
九三：伏戎于莽，升其高陵，三歲不興。
James Legge: The third NINE, undivided, (shows its subject) with his arms hidden in the thick grass, and at the top of a high mound. (But) for three years he makes no demonstration.
Line 4 of 6 (from the bottom):
九四：乘其墉，弗克攻，吉。
James Legge: The fourth NINE, undivided, (shows its subject) mounted on the city wall; but he does not proceed to make the attack (he contemplates). There will be good fortune.
Line 5 of 6 (from the bottom):
九五：同人，先號咷而後笑。大師克相遇。
James Legge: In the fifth NINE, undivided, (the representative of) the union of men first wails and cries out, and then laughs. His great host conquers, and he (and the subject of the second line) meet together.
Line 6 of 6 (from the bottom):
上九：同人于郊，无悔。
James Legge: The topmost NINE, undivided, (shows the representative of) the union of men in the suburbs. There will be no occasion for repentance.
For the general method for changing lines and relating hexagrams, see How to Read the I Ching.
4. Modern Interpretation (Oriens commentary)
This is an Oriens interpretation, not part of the Zhouyi text.
Fellowship can prompt a careful question about shared purpose: what is actually held in common here, and does the circle close or stay open? The figure's own distinction between fellowship in the open and clique-bound closeness reads here as part of the text's ethical vocabulary — retained as material of the figure, not as social advice.
The Chinese source and translation provenance are identified above. The Judgment is an Oriens Editorial Translation; the Image and line statements are labeled with James Legge. This keeps the modern reflection separate from both the received text and the named translation.
This reflection predicts nothing about friendships, teams, or communities. Health, financial, legal, employment, and relationship decisions belong within their appropriate professional and personal contexts.
Continue with the Hexagram 13 card and the I Ching guide; these are reading paths, not additional predictions.