I Ching Hexagram 25 - Innocence
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 25 "Innocence"
無妄 - Wú Wàng
Thiên Lôi Vô Vọng
Innocence
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☰ Qian, Heaven
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☳ Zhen, Thunder
Other Titles: The Unexpected, The Unintentional, The Symbol of Freedom from Error, Integrity, Without Embroiling, Pestilence, Fidelity, No Error, Freedom from Vainness, Instinctive Goodness, The Simple, Correctness, Subconscious.
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: 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.
Legge: Innocence indicates progress and success through firm correctness. If the action of its subject is incorrect, he will fall into error. In such a case it will not be advantageous to move in any direction.
Blofeld: Integrity. (The Unexpected). [this hexagram has two widely different meanings, both of which occur in what follows.] Sublime success! Righteous persistence brings reward. Those opposed to righteousness meet with injury. It is not favorable to have in view any goal (or destination). [Usually this sentence may be taken to have a wide application; but, in this case, (the Confucian commentary) suggests that it applies only to the enemies of righteousness, though it does have a general application for those who receive a moving line for the sixth place.]
Liu: The Unexpected: sublime success. Benefit. Perseverance. Someone acts incorrectly: misfortune. No benefit for undertakings.
Shaughnessy: Pestilence: Prime receipt; beneficial to determine. If it is not upright there will be an inspection; not beneficial to have somewhere to go.
Cleary (1): Fidelity is creative and developmental. It is beneficial to be correct; if it is not correct, there will be disaster, and it will not be beneficial to go anywhere.
Cleary (2): Freedom from error is very successful, beneficial for the upright. Denial of what is correct is mistaken, etc.
Wu: Freedom from Vainness is primordial, pervasive, prosperous and persevering. If it does not stay in the correct course, there will be calamities and there will be no advantage to have any undertaking.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: 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.
Legge: Thunder rolls under heaven, and everything manifests its original nature, free from all insincerity. The ancient kings, in accordance with this, made their regulations in complete accordance with the seasons, thereby nourishing all things.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes thunder rolling across the whole earth; from it, all things receive their integrity. [The lower trigram is pictured as thunder, but it acts through its power to quicken growth.] The ancient rulers gave abundant and timely nourishment to all.
Liu: Thunder rolls under heaven; everything is innocent. The ancient kings cultivated virtue and used the appropriate time to nourish all beings.
Cleary: Thunder travels under the sky; things accompany with no error. Ancient kings promoted flourishing appropriate to the time and nurtured myriad beings.
Wu: Thunder moves under heaven. All things participate in the spirit of Freedom from Vainness. The ancient kings acted in time to cause all people and things to flourish.
Line 1
初九: 无妄, 往吉．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Innocent behavior brings good fortune.
Legge: The first line, dynamic, shows its subject free from all insincerity. His advance will be accompanied with good fortune.
Blofeld: Moving onward with integrity brings good fortune.
Liu: Innocent actions bring good fortune.
Shaughnessy: The pestilence goes; auspicious.
Cleary (1): Fidelity, without error; it is auspicious to go.
Cleary (2): Going without error leads to good results.
Wu: Without vainness, he will proceed with auspiciousness.
Line 2
六二: 不耕穫, 不菑畬, 則利有攸往．
Wilhelm/Baynes: If one does not count on the harvest while plowing, nor on the use of the ground while clearing it, it furthers one to undertake something.
Legge: The second line, magnetic, shows one who reaps without having ploughed, and gathers the produce of her third year's fields without having cultivated them for that end. To such a one there will be advantage in whatever direction she may move.
Blofeld: Do not calculate the size of the harvest while the ploughing is still in progress, nor gloat over the third year's crop while still planting the virgin ground. It is favorable to seek some object (or destination).
Liu: Do not count the harvest while planting, nor plow the field that lies in fallow. There is advantage in undertaking something.
Shaughnessy: Not sowing or reaping, not breaking new fields nor working old fields; beneficial to have someplace to go.
Cleary (1): Not plowing or harvesting, not making new fields, then it is beneficial to go somewhere.
Cleary (2): Not plowing for the harvest, it is beneficial to go somewhere.
Wu: If he does not expect to reap as he plows the field, or if he does not expect to harvest in a “ripe” field when he cultivates a raw land, he will have the advantage of moving ahead.
Line 3
六三: 无妄之災, 或繫之牛, 行人之得, 邑人之災．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Undeserved misfortune. The cow that was tethered by someone is the wanderer's gain, the citizen's loss.
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows calamity happening to one who is free from insincerity -- as in the case of an ox that has been tied up. A passer-by finds it and carries it off, while the people in the neighborhood have the calamity of being accused and apprehended.
Blofeld: Unexpected calamity. Someone ropes an ox and leads it off -- a gain to the passer-by but a loss to the farmer who owns it!
Liu: An unexpected misfortune: the cow is tied up, and a passerby takes it. The passerby gains, the villagers are in trouble.
Shaughnessy: The pestilence's disaster: someone ties it to an ox. The traveling man's gain, is this of the city man.
Cleary (1): The misfortune of fidelity; a tethered ox is a gain for a traveler, misfortune for the townspeople.
Cleary (2): The misfortune of no error, etc.
Wu: There are hazards despite freedom from vainness. For instance, a villager ties an ox here, but a passerby leads it away. The villager ends up with a loss.
Line 4
九四: 可貞,无咎．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He who can be persevering remains without blame.
Legge: The fourth line, dynamic, shows a case in which, if its subject can remain firm and correct, there will be no error.
Blofeld: Something can be accomplished by righteous persistence and no error is involved.
Liu: If one carries on, no blame.
Shaughnessy: Able to be determined; there is no trouble.
Cleary: One should be correct; then there is no error.
Wu: If he can remain firm and correct, he will be blameless.
Line 5
九五: 无妄之疾, 勿藥, 有喜．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Use no medicine in an illness incurred through no fault of your own. It will pass of itself.
Legge: The fifth line, dynamic, shows one who is free from insincerity, and yet has fallen ill. Let him not use medicine, and he will have occasion for joy in his recovery.
Blofeld: Unexpected illness, but it will be best not to treat it.
Liu: For an unexpected illness, use no medicine. Good fortune will follow.
Shaughnessy: The pestilence's illness: there is no medicine but there is happiness.
Cleary: For sickness without error don’t use medicine; there will be joy.
Wu: He feels sick being free from vainness. He will be happy for having taken no medicine.
Line 6
上九: 无妄, 行有眚, 无攸利．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Innocent action brings misfortune. Nothing furthers.
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows its subject free from insincerity, yet sure to fall into error if he takes action. His action will not be advantageous in any way.
Blofeld: If it is unexpected, a journey now would be injurious. This is a time favorable for those with no destination in view.
Liu: Innocent action brings disaster. No advantage.
Shaughnessy: The pestilence's motion; there is an inspection; there is no place to benefit.
Cleary (1): If fidelity in action has faults, there is no benefit. [This is fidelity not knowing when enough is enough.]
Cleary (2): Even if there is no error, action involves misfortune, so no benefit is gained. [This refers to clinging to a constant and not knowing how to change adaptively.]
Wu: Even without vainness, he will face calamities if he chooses to act. There is nothing to gain. [The sixth is not a position for doing anything aggressively. There is nothing sensible for the sixth to undertake. Doing what is not supposed to be done is an overextension.]
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 25 has the meaning of innocence and simplicity. Carelessness will lead to harm. You must ride the wave to make progress, but also to benefit others.
Adapt to circumstances and avoid opposing the natural laws of right and wrong. Children should listen to parents, and followers should listen to their leader.
With proper action and behavior, you will be led to success. Concentrate on the quality of your work now, not the eventual goal.
