Hexagram 13 · Line 5
Fellowship — 五六
Tong Ren · Wu Liu
The Line
People bound in fellowship first weep and lament, but afterward they laugh. After great battles they succeed in meeting.
Interpretation
Here two people are outwardly separated but inwardly united. They are kept apart by their position in life. Between them rise many obstacles and hindrances that cause them to grieve. But they let no hindrance separate them, remaining true to each other. And although overcoming these obstacles costs hard battles, they will triumph, and then their sadness will turn into joy when they find each other. Confucius says of this: "Life leads the serious man along richly interwoven paths. Often the force of their course is checked, then again it goes straight. Here an eloquent mind may pour itself freely out in words. There the heavy burden of knowledge must shut itself up in silence. Yet where two people are at one in their innermost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze. And where two people understand each other entirely in their innermost hearts, their words are sweet and strong as the scent of orchids."