I Ching · Hexagram 25 of 64
25. Wú Wàng 無妄 · Innocence
By Destiny Kua · Updated
Act sincerely without hidden motives.
- Upper trigram
- Heaven 乾
- Lower trigram
- Thunder 震
What hexagram 25 means
Wú Wàng is thunder rolling under heaven: natural, spontaneous action. It is innocence: acting sincerely, without calculation or hidden motives. Actions that come from a true heart succeed. Acting from ulterior motives brings unexpected trouble.
Hexagram 25 in daily life
At work
Do the work honestly, for its own sake. Scheming now backfires.
In relationships
Be genuine. Relationships thrive on sincerity, not strategy.
For yourself
Act from your values, not from expectation of reward.
The six changing lines
If your cast included changing lines (a 6 or a 9), read the matching lines below. Line 1 is the bottom line.
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Line 1 | Acting with innocence: good fortune. |
| Line 2 | Ploughing without thinking of the harvest. Do the work, and things follow. |
| Line 3 | Undeserved misfortune: someone else takes what you had. Accept it and move on. |
| Line 4 | If you stay true, there is no blame. |
| Line 5 | An illness you didn't cause will pass by itself. Don't overcorrect. |
| Line 6 | Acting now, even sincerely, brings trouble. Wait. |
The two trigrams
The lower trigram, Thunder 震 (Zhèn), stands for your inner state and the root of the situation. The upper trigram, Heaven 乾 (Qián), stands for the outer circumstances. In element terms this is Metal over Wood. Thunder is the trigram of Kua 3 and Heaven is the trigram of Kua 6.
Related hexagrams
- Opposite (every line changed): 46. Shēng 升 · Pushing Upward
- Inverted (read upside down): 26. Dà Chù 大畜 · Great Taming
- Trigrams swapped: 34. Dà Zhuàng 大壯 · Great Power
Questions to reflect on
- What would I do here if I weren't calculating?
- Am I attached to the result?
- Where is my action not sincere?
Our line summaries are written in plain English in our own words, based on the traditional meanings. For reflection and entertainment, not prediction or professional advice.