Common Ground
tóng rén · Heaven over FireSeek common ground in the open, beyond your own circle.
同人于野，亨。利涉大川，利君子貞。
Meet others out in the open fields, not behind closed doors. Union that is wide and public opens the way. It can carry you across great rivers, and it rewards those who hold to what is right.
The six lines
初九：同人于門，无咎。
You meet others at the gate, just as you step outside. Starting out with no private ties brings no fault.
六二：同人于宗，吝。
You gather only with your own clan. Sticking to so narrow a circle is something to regret.
九三：伏戎于莽，升其高陵，三歲不興。
You hide armed men in the thickets and watch from the high hill. Three years pass and you never rise. Such suspicion leaves you stuck.
九四：乘其墉，弗克攻，吉。
You climb the opponent's wall, then stop short of attacking. Realizing you should not fight is the good outcome here.
九五：同人，先號咷而後笑。大師克相遇。
Those united first wail, then laugh. Great forces must break through what stands between them before they can meet.
上九：同人于郊，无悔。
You meet others out at the edge of town. The union is not complete, but you have nothing to regret in it.
The I Ching is a tool for reflection. Do not use it as the basis for medical, legal or money decisions.