I Ching

Fellowship.  When communal bonds unite a group of people, great success is possible.  But such bonds can develop only when personal interests are subjugated to goals which carry in them the essential virtues of humanity.  The broader the basis for action, the greater the good which can be achieved.  And conversely, the greater the potential good, the more powerful the support behind it.  A spirit of cooperation steadies the boat, but it helps to have a beautiful island to row towards.

Learn to respect the strength in diversity, for a community’s true power lies not in its numbers, but in the diverse skills and resources of its members.  Just as the stoutest walls are reinforced with many different materials, so the strongest groups allow differences to co-exist inside the whole.

With a unified group solidly behind you, even very difficult enterprises can be attempted without great risk.

1. When guests gather at the door, enthusiasm is high and divergent aims have not yet arisen.  Such are the beginning days of a fellowship.  Use such moments carefully, for they are opportunities not to be missed.  To foster good will among many at the outset of great enterprises, avoid secret agreements; goodwill is a shrub which flowers only in the light.
2. Fellowship within an exclusive group brings regret or humiliation.  If social contacts are elitist, snobbishness and unhealthy quarreling result.  This creates limitations for everyone.  Avoid pettiness and shallow discrimination.  Be open to others.  Serious loss is unlikely, but hard feelings created by an attempt to gain a temporary advantage are almost always troublesome down the road.
3. Those who mistrust their allies, spying on them and planning surprise maneuvers, usually become trapped in their own nets.  Avoid unnecessary plotting and scheming, for this is a sure sign of the disintegration of community fellowship.  When such a pattern has begun, put a stop to it immediately! Things will only get worse if you continue to play the game.
4. Quarrels and misunderstandings among associates often have a way of settling themselves, and this brings good fortune. Let it happen, because at this time fighting openly is not a good idea.  The image is of  a person who, through a small mistake, comes to see the error of his or her ways before it is too late.   Only by allowing for open disagreement can a community find its way; similarly, each of us must be willing to make a few missteps in order to triumph in the end.
5. The strongest bond on earth is that between two human hearts which have come to know and share each other’s inmost thoughts and desires.  Though separated by circumstances or fate; though divided by differences of opinion; though angered by each other’s behavior, if the bond is true, nothing can break it.  This type of union may cause some sadness and difficulty, but in the end brings the sweetest joy known to man.
6. There is fellowship with convenient associates, but heartfelt warmth is lacking.  The image is a group of people who happen to live beside a certain lake; though they are cordial enough, no great purpose unites them.  But that’s ok; civility may be the lowest form of community, but there is nothing inherently wrong with it.  The situation is not terribly satisfying, but neither is it a cause for great regret.