Hexagram 25 of 64

Innocence无妄

Thunder rolls beneath heaven, and everything keeps to what is true. The early kings nurtured all things in step with the seasons.

Upper
Heaven
Lower
Thunder
Order
25 / 64
Pick a line to read it

元亨。利貞。其匪正有眚，不利有攸往。

Judgment: Great success. Steadiness pays. Anything not upright brings trouble, and it does not help to go anywhere.

天下雷行，物與无妄；先王以茂對時，育萬物。

Image: Thunder rolls beneath heaven, and everything keeps to what is true. The early kings nurtured all things in step with the seasons.

In plain words

The situation: No false moves. Let things be natural.

What you can do: Be straightforward, and stay calm if the unexpected comes.

For culture and reflection only. Our own plain summary, not a translation.

The six lines

  1. 上九无妄，行有眚，无攸利。Innocent action brings trouble. Nothing is gained.In shortEven with honest intent, acting now brings trouble and no gain; hold still for now.
  2. 九五无妄之疾，勿藥有喜。An illness you did not cause. It needs no medicine, and joy will follow.In shortAn unexpected small trouble needs no frantic fix; let it be and it can pass on its own.
  3. 九四可貞，无咎。You can stay steady. No fault.In shortHold to what is yours to do; you can keep at it without trouble.
  4. 六三无妄之災，或繫之牛，行人之得，邑人之災。Disaster that is undeserved. Someone ties up an ox; a passer-by takes it, and the townspeople suffer.In shortTrouble can come even when you did nothing wrong; others may gain while you bear the cost, so stay watchful.
  5. 六二不耕穫，不菑畬，則利有攸往。Not plowing for the harvest, not clearing the new field: then it helps to go forward.In shortDo not count the harvest before planting; just do the work in front of you and moving on works.
  6. 初九无妄，往吉。Innocent action. Going forward brings good fortune.In shortAct honestly without hidden motives; moving forward works in your favor.

Sources Zhou Yi. English by TaoDial.