無妄

Hexagram 25 · 無妄

Upper trigram: 乾 · Lower trigram: 震

Wu Wang (Innocence): the hexagram of uncontrived action. Keep motives honest, meet circumstances as they are, and avoid unnecessary interference.

The image

Heaven stands above thunder, with movement arising under a larger natural order. The first yang line gives the inner trigram a firm beginning. Wu Wang means freedom from falsity or contrivance. Its image favors sincere action without assuming that sincerity controls every external result.

Judgment

元亨。利貞。其匪正有眚，不利有攸往。

Great beginning and flourishing. Constancy is beneficial. If one is not upright, there is error; it is not beneficial to have somewhere to go.

The commentary joins movement with strength under a proper direction. In a negotiation, a straightforward account of what one can provide often serves better than a clever claim designed only to secure agreement.

Great Image

天下雷行，物與无妄；先王以茂對時，育萬物。

Thunder moves beneath heaven, and things participate in innocence. The former kings accordingly responded fully to the seasons and nourished the myriad beings.

Responsive care works with actual conditions instead of forcing a private plan. A gardener attends to soil and season rather than demanding the same growth from every plant.

Line texts

  1. Line 1 · 初九

    无妄，往吉。

    Without falsity, going forward brings good fortune.

    Nine in the first place is correctly placed yang beginning with a sincere purpose. The Small Image sees that purpose attained, like offering a practical service without disguising its limits.

  2. Line 2 · 六二

    不耕穫，不菑畬，則利有攸往。

    Not plowing with an eye to harvest, nor opening a field with an eye to its later yield. Then it is beneficial to have somewhere to go.

    Six in the second place is central yin acting without making gain its sole motive. The Small Image distances it from enrichment, like learning a craft attentively rather than calculating praise for every exercise.

  3. Line 3 · 六三

    无妄之災，或繫之牛，行人之得，邑人之災。

    An undeserved calamity: someone ties up an ox; a passerby gains it, and the townspeople suffer the trouble.

    Six in the third place is yin exposed to consequences unrelated to personal intention. The Small Image contrasts the traveler's gain and the town's difficulty, like an honest worker inconvenienced by someone else's administrative mistake.

  4. Line 4 · 九四

    可貞，无咎。

    One can remain constant. No blame.

    Nine in the fourth place is yang holding to what is genuinely its own. The Small Image emphasizes that inner possession, like keeping a clear professional standard when circumstances offer no reason to change it.

  5. Line 5 · 九五

    无妄之疾，勿藥有喜。

    An undeserved ailment. Without medicine, there is joy.

    Nine in the fifth place is central and correct yang; the Small Image rejects trying an unwarranted remedy. As a metaphor, this can describe leaving a sound workflow alone rather than adding unnecessary fixes; it is not medical advice.

  6. Line 6 · 上九

    无妄，行有眚，无攸利。

    Without falsity, yet action brings error. Nothing is beneficial.

    Nine at the top is yang acting beyond a suitable limit. The Small Image associates the problem with exhaustion, like continuing to revise an already adequate agreement merely because one wants to remain active.

When asking about

Career

Straightforward work often builds trust. State limits honestly and avoid inventing changes just to appear active.

Love

Unforced sincerity can make communication easier. Do not assume good intentions remove the need to understand effects.

Money

Clear motives and transparent terms tend to support sound choices. Separate useful spending from the urge to manipulate an outcome.

Home

Simple, honest agreements often suit family life. Respond to the actual problem instead of imagined hidden motives.

Study

Attention to the subject can matter more than constant concern with results. Give practice its own time and care.

Health

Keep ordinary rest and habits simple rather than experimenting impulsively. See a doctor for any health concern.

Advice

Act honestly within the circumstances you actually face. Accept that some effects lie outside your control, and resist interference without a clear purpose.

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Reference content based on the I Ching classic, not a prediction.