Teamwork and Alliances Are the Shortcut to Wealth and Strength: Insights from the I Ching Hexagrams Tong Ren and Da You

Why Is It So Hard for One Person to Truly Succeed?

Almost all great undertakings are not accomplished by one person alone.

Enterprises need teams
Nations need alliances
Families need cooperation
Wealth needs networks

Hexagram 13, Tong Ren (Fellowship), and Hexagram 14, Da You (Great Possession), form a pair of hexagrams with interchanged inner and outer trigrams. They reveal an extremely important principle of life:

Teams come first, then wealth follows.

Tong Ren Hexagram: Success Begins with Alliances

The core of Tong Ren hexagram can be summed up in four words: Walk the same path with others.

Step 1: Go Out and Make Friends (First Nine)

“Fellowship at the gate. No blame.”

The first step to success is not making money, but building relationships.

When you are willing to step out of your own world and cooperate, communicate, and share with others, your opportunities begin to multiply.

Step 2: Don’t Stay Only in a Small Circle (Second Six)

The reason many people’s careers stagnate:

Only developing within a circle of acquaintances
Only trusting people from the same background
Fearing contact with unfamiliar fields

Tong Ren hexagram clearly reminds us: A closed small circle will limit your life.

Step 3: Alliances Require Patience (Third Nine)

Teamwork does not succeed immediately.

The early stage of cooperation is often full of:

Misunderstandings
Conflicts
Friction

True alliances take time to build trust.

Step 4: Respect Timing (Fourth Nine)

Even when you are close to success, a breakthrough may still be temporarily out of reach.

This is not failure, but a reminder: The time is not yet ripe.

Step 5: Unite All Forces (Fifth Nine)

“First there is wailing and weeping, then laughter.”

Great teams often go through:

Hardship
Misunderstanding
Loss

But ultimately they welcome victory and joy.

Step 6: Build Alliances Across Regions (Top Nine)

The highest realm:

Cooperate with people far away.

In modern society, this means:

Global cooperation
Cross-industry alliances
Remote teams

Da You Hexagram: Teams Bring Wealth

If Tong Ren hexagram is about “forming alliances,” then Da You hexagram is about “success and wealth.”

Wealth is the result of teamwork.

Stage 1: Be Skilled at Handling Relationships (First Nine)

Having no enemies is the greatest advantage.

Truly successful people are all skilled at resolving conflict.

Stage 2: Wealth Comes from Preparation (Second Nine)

“The great cart is loaded.”

When opportunity arrives, wealth can come at astonishing speed.

The premise is: You are already prepared to receive it.

Stage 3: Virtue Unworthy of Wealth Brings Disaster (Third Nine)

Wealth belongs only to those with ability and virtue.

Stage 4: Be Rich but Not Arrogant (Fourth Nine)

Humility is the key to keeping wealth.

Stage 5: Use Wealth to Help Others (Fifth Six)

True wealth is not possession, but sharing.

Stage 6: Heaven Helps Those Who Help Themselves (Top Nine)

When a person is:

Humble
Kind
Altruistic

Success will last long-term.

Tong Ren → Da You: The Complete Path to Success

Stage	Meaning
Tong Ren Hexagram	Build teams and alliances
Da You Hexagram	Obtain wealth and success

This is the I Ching’s model for success:

Make many friends
Build a team
Form alliances
Strive together
Gain wealth
Give back to society

Important Insights for Modern People

1️⃣ Connections Are Opportunities

Opportunities come from people, not luck.

2️⃣ Teams Are Leverage

One person’s strength is limited; a team’s strength is unlimited.

3️⃣ Wealth Comes from Cooperation

No great wealth is created in isolation.

4️⃣ Success Must Be Altruistic

The more you help others, the easier it is to succeed.

Conclusion: First Tong Ren, Then Da You

Tong Ren hexagram teaches us how to form alliances. Da You hexagram teaches us how to become wealthy.

If you want success and wealth, first learn to walk together with others.

Click this to see all 28 Pairs of Hexagrams that Swapped Inner and Outer Trigrams To Become The Other One

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