无妄

Hexagram 5: Waiting → Hexagram 25: Innocence

Waiting
Water / Heaven
无妄
Innocence
Heaven / Thunder
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 4, 6).

Line 2

九二 需于沙。小有言。終吉。

waiting
on
shāthe sand
xiǎothe small
yǒuhave
yánthings to say
zhōngin the end
auspicious

Nine in the second place means: Waiting on the sand. There is some gossip. The end brings good fortune.

Line 3

九三 需于泥。致寇至。

waiting
in
the mud
zhìinviting
kòuthieves
zhìto approach

Nine in the third place means: Waiting in the mud Brings about the arrival of the enemy.

Line 4

六四 需于血。出自穴。

waiting
in
xuèblood
chūemerge
from
xuéthat

Six in the fourth place means: Waiting in blood. Get out of the pit.

Line 6

上六 入于穴。有不速之客三人來。敬之終吉。

entering
into
xuéa pit
yǒuwith
no
invitation
zhīextended to
visitors
sānthree
rénpeople
láiarrive
jìngto respect
zhīto them
zhōngwill end in
good fortune

Six at the top means: One falls into the pit. Three uninvited guests arrive. Honor them, and in the end there will be good fortune.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramWater HeavenThe Deep → The Creative
Lower TrigramHeaven ThunderThe Creative → The Arousing

Yilin Verse

載璧秉珪,請命于河。周公作誓,沖人瘳愈。

Bearing jade disc and scepter; offering prayers at the river. Duke Zhou composed the oath; the young king was healed.

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

Commentary

Clouds above heaven align with thunder moving beneath heaven in Innocence — the purest alignment of inner and outer. Bearing jade bi and holding the gui scepter, one entreats the spirits at the River altar. The Duke of Zhou composes his oath, and the young king recovers from illness. This directly references the 'Jinteng' (Metal-Bound Casket) chapter of the Book of Documents: when King Wu fell gravely ill, the Duke of Zhou set up three altars, held bi and gui, and offered his own life in exchange for his brother's. The divination was thrice auspicious; the king recovered the next day. From Waiting to Innocence, patient trust becomes active sincerity without calculation — the only force that moves heaven.

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