无妄

Hexagram 2: The Receptive → Hexagram 25: Innocence

The Receptive
Earth / Earth
无妄
Innocence
Heaven / Thunder
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 4, 5, 6).

Line 1

初六 履霜堅冰至。

footsteps
shuāngfrost
jiānsolid
bīngice
zhìresults

Six at the beginning means: When there is hoarfrost underfoot, Solid ice is not far off.

Line 4

六四 括囊。无咎无譽。

kuòtied up
nángbag
no
jiùblame
no
praise

Six in the fourth place means: A tied-up sack. No blame, no praise.

Line 5

六五 黃裳。元吉。

huánggolden
chángdress
yuánmost
promising

Six in the fifth place means: A yellow lower garment brings supreme good fortune.

Line 6

上六 龍戰于野。其血玄黃。

lóngdragons
zhànat war
in
wilds
their
xuèblood
xuánindigo
huánggolden

Six at the top means: Dragons fight in the meadow. Their blood is black and yellow.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramEarth HeavenThe Receptive → The Creative
Lower TrigramEarth ThunderThe Receptive → The Arousing

Yilin Verse

延頭遠望,眯為目疾。不見叔姬,使伯心憂。

Craning the neck, gazing far; squinting makes the eyes ache. Not seeing the younger sister; the elder brother’s heart is filled with worry.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Earth upon earth yields to heaven above thunder — Innocence. One stretches forward, peering into the distance, but straining causes the eyes to ache. One cannot see the younger sister, and this makes the elder brother grieve. Heaven and thunder below, the image of Wuwang, depicts all things moving in accordance with heaven's will — the state of innocence, free from ulterior design. The verse captures innocence thwarted: a brother's genuine, guileless longing to see his sister frustrated by sheer distance and physical limitation. No scheming is involved, no false motive — only sincere concern blocked by circumstance. From the Receptive to Innocence, the earth's inability to elevate the gaze becomes the ache of pure-hearted desire that cannot reach its object.

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