Hexagram 25

Innocence

天雷无妄 · 无妄 · Wú Wàng | Heaven over Thunder

Thunder rolls under heaven; act from sincerity, not calculation.

InnocenceSincerityNaturalnessIntegrity

Upper trigram

乾 · Heaven

Lower trigram

震 · Thunder

The Judgment

“Supreme success, furthering through perseverance. Wrong action brings misfortune.”

The Lines

Nine at the beginningFree of pretense and falsehood. To go forward, good fortune.

Six in the second placeNot plowing for the harvest, not clearing land for its yield — then it is favorable to have somewhere to go.

Six in the third placeUndeserved misfortune: a cow tethered by someone is the traveler's gain and the townsman's loss.

Nine in the fourth placeOne may persevere. No blame.

Nine in the fifth placeAn unexpected illness; use no medicine, and there will be joy.

Nine at the topFree of falsehood, yet to act now brings harm. Nothing is favorable.

Line texts are an original modern translation of the classical Zhou Yi (public domain).

Meaning

The natural, spontaneous force of heaven moves below. Innocence means acting in accord with what is true, free of ulterior motive.

Guidance

Be sincere and natural in what you do; scheming or forced action invites trouble.

When This Hexagram Appears

Situations that call for honest, unaffected action rather than clever maneuvering.

FAQ about Hexagram 25

What does Hexagram 25, Innocence, mean?

Innocence (天雷无妄, hexagram 25 of the I Ching). The natural, spontaneous force of heaven moves below. Innocence means acting in accord with what is true, free of ulterior motive.

What is the Judgment of the Innocence hexagram?

The Judgment reads: “Supreme success, furthering through perseverance. Wrong action brings misfortune.” Thunder rolls under heaven; act from sincerity, not calculation.

What guidance does Hexagram 25 offer?

Be sincere and natural in what you do; scheming or forced action invites trouble.

When does the Innocence hexagram apply?

Situations that call for honest, unaffected action rather than clever maneuvering.

Related Hexagrams

Opposite Hexagram

No. 46 · Pushing Upward

Every line changed to its opposite — the mirror situation.

Reversed Hexagram

No. 26 · The Taming Power of the Great

The same figure turned upside down — the view from the other side.