13 同人 Fellowship
Judgement
You are looking for community with other people, and you look for it in the open field, without hiding or forming a closed circle. That is its strength: the union that counts is the one that opens to everyone. With it there is progress, and even daring something big is a good idea. But union needs integrity: agreeing is not enough, the common purpose must be clean. Ask yourself what you are joining for, and whom you leave out.
Image
Heaven and fire: light rises and spreads. This is how someone sees things who can tell them apart, each by its type and kind. The good ruler sorts affairs into categories. To join others, first see what each thing is. Community is not born from erasing differences, but from recognizing them clearly and working together with them.
Lines
Line 1
You go out your front door to meet others. You begin open, with no ready-made ideas, and you are unlikely to go wrong. There are no sides yet. Before groups and rivalries form, go and talk to someone who thinks differently. A community that starts without closing the door has a better starting point.
Line 2
You join only with your clan, with your own people. It is natural, but it has a price: the community narrows, and there is reason for regret. Ask yourself whether your circle has closed in on itself. Being with people who think alike feels safe, but it leaves out what could enrich you. Open a door, even a small one.
Line 3
You hide your weapons in the thick grass and climb a hill to keep watch. Three years pass and you do nothing. This is distrust turned into paralysis. If you have been on guard against someone for a long time, ask yourself what you expect from that watching. Suspicion can block any meeting.
Line 4
You climb the city wall and do not attack, and that is what is right. Having strength and not using it is not weakness, it is self-mastery. It tends to go well. Ask yourself where you are about to strike without need.
Line 5
First you weep and cry out; afterward you laugh. This is the image of someone who goes through separation before meeting again: a great force overcomes the obstacles and at last they meet. Do not fear the pain before union. Sometimes real community costs tears, and that is why it tastes so good.
Line 6
You are on the outskirts, at the edge of the city: you join with others, but at a distance. It is not a complete union, and still there is no reason for regret. Not every bond needs daily closeness. Ask yourself which of your relationships work precisely because they do not demand more than you can give.
Reflection
- Whom do you leave out of your circle without having really decided to?
- What distrust have you carried for a long time, and whom do you apply it to?
- What strength do you have that you are choosing not to use right now?