Hexagram 25
Wu WangInnocence
Heaven (Qian) · Thunder (Zhen)
The image
Under heaven thunder rolls: All things attain the natural state of innocence. Thus the kings of old, Rich in virtue, and in harmony with the time, Fostered and nourished all beings.
This hexagram in one line
Ch'ien, heaven, is above; Chên, movement, is below. The lower trigram Chên is under the influence of the strong line it has received from above, from heaven. When, in accord with this, movement follows the law of heaven, man is innocent and without guile. His mind is natural and true, unshadowed by reflection or ulterior designs. For wherever conscious purpose is to be seen, there the truth and innocence of nature have been lost. Nature that is not directed by the spirit is not true but degenerate nature. Starting out with the idea of the natural, the train of thought in part goes somewhat further and thus the hexagram includes also the idea of the unintentional or unexpected.
Core Meaning
The core judgment of this hexagram.
Thunder moves beneath heaven
Hexagram Judgment
INNOCENCE. Supreme success. Perseverance furthers. If someone is not as he should be, He has misfortune, And it does not further him To undertake anything.
Man has received from heaven a nature innately good, to guide him in all his movements. By devotion to this divine spirit within himself, he attains an unsullied innocence that leads him to do right with instinctive sureness and without any ulterior thought of reward and personal advantage. This instinctive certainty brings about supreme success and “furthers through perseverance.” However, not everything instinctive is nature in this higher sense of the word, but only that which is right and in accord with the will of heaven. Without this quality of rightness, an unreflecting, instinctive way of acting brings only misfortune. Confucius says about this: “He who departs from innocence, what does he come to? Heaven's will and blessing do not go with his deeds.”
Upper and Lower Trigrams
- Heaven (Qian)
- Heaven · Creative
- Thunder (Zhen)
- Thunder · Arousing
Lines
What each of the six positions expresses.
Classics
Tuan CommentaryThe reasoning behind the judgment.
Innocence brings supreme success, because the firm comes from the outside and becomes the ruler within. Movement in accordance with heaven. The great man takes his place in accordance with the will of heaven. If someone is not as he should be, he has misfortune, because he misses the right time for action.
Innocence brings supreme success because the firm energy comes from outside and becomes the ruler within. Movement accords with heaven's way. The great person acts according to heaven's will. If one is not as one should be, misfortune comes because the right time for action is missed.
Great ImageThe image itself, read as a picture of the situation.
Under heaven thunder rolls: All things attain the natural state of innocence. Thus the kings of old, Rich in virtue, and in harmony with the time, Fostered and nourished all beings.
In springtime when thunder, life energy, begins to move again under the heavens, everything sprouts and grows, and all beings receive from the creative activity of nature the childlike innocence of their original state. So it is with the good rulers of mankind: drawing on the spiritual wealth at their command, they take care of all forms of life and all forms of culture and do everything to further them, and at the proper time.
Further
Related hexagrams
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Frequently asked questions
What does Wu Wang / Innocence mean in the I Ching?
Man has received from heaven a nature innately good, to guide him in all his movements. By devotion to this divine spirit within himself, he attains an unsullie...
How should I study Hexagram 25 on this page?
Start with the judgment and image, then read the line statements in sequence. The original impulses of the heart are always good, so that we may follow them confidently, assured of good fortune and achievement of our aims. We should do every task for its own...
How can this hexagram be applied in a modern reading?
Innocence brings supreme success because the firm energy comes from outside and becomes the ruler within. Movement accords with heaven's way. The great person acts according to heaven's will. If one is not as one should...
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Original text from the I Ching; translation based on Richard Wilhelm's German version.