Hexagram 61 of 64 · King Wen order
中孚Inner Truth
Zhōng Fú · ䷼ · above: Wind ☴ 巽 Xùn · below: Lake ☱ 兌 Duì
The power of sincerity that reaches even the most difficult or unconscious parts of the world.A one-line gloss written for this site (AI-assisted). Everything below it is the classical text.
The Judgment 卦辭
豚魚，吉，利涉大川，利貞。
Kung Fû (moves even) pigs and fish, and leads to good fortune. There will be advantage in crossing the great stream. There will be advantage in being firm and correct.
James Legge, The Yî King (1882), the Text. Words in (parentheses) are Legge's own additions.
Commentary on the Judgment 彖傳 (Tuan, the first Wing)
1. In Kung Fu we have the (two) weak lines in the innermost part (of the figure), and strong lines occupying the central places (in the trigrams). (We have the attributes) of pleased satisfaction and flexible penetration. Sincerity (thus symbolled) will transform a country.
2. 'Pigs and fish (are moved), and there will be good fortune:'—sincerity reaches to (and affects even) pigs and fishes.
'There will be advantage in crossing the great stream:'—(we see in the figure) one riding on (the emblem of) wood, which forms an empty boat.
3. In (the exercise of the virtue denoted by) Kung Fu, (it is said that) 'there will be advantage in being firm and correct:'—in that virtue indeed we have the response (of man) to Heaven.
The Image 象
澤上有風，中孚；君子以議獄緩死。
(The trigram representing the waters of) a marsh and that for wind above it form Kung Fû. The superior man, in accordance with this, deliberates about cases of litigation and delays (the infliction of) death.
Legge's Great Image (Appendix II). The Chinese above also carries the Small Images of the six lines.
The six lines 爻辭
Read from the bottom (line 1) to the top (line 6). Each line: the Chinese, Legge's translation, and the Small Image commentary on it.
Line 1 初九
The first line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
虞吉，有他不燕。
The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject resting (in himself). There will be good fortune. If he sought to any other, he would not find rest.
Small Image: 'The first NINE, (undivided), shows its subject resting (in himself). There will be good fortune:'—no change has yet come over his purpose.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 59, Dispersion.
Line 2 九二
The second line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
鳴鶴在陰，其子和之，我有好爵，吾與爾靡之。
The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject (like) the crane crying out in her hidden retirement, and her young ones responding to her. (It is as if it were said), 'I have a cup of good spirits,' (and the response were), 'I will partake of it with you.'
Small Image: 'Her young ones respond to her:'—from the (common) wish of the inmost heart.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 42, Increase.
Line 3 六三
The third line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
得敵，或鼓或罷，或泣或歌。
The third SIX, divided, shows its subject having met with his mate. Now he beats his drum, and now he leaves off. Now he weeps, and now he sings.
Small Image: 'Now he beats his drum, and now he leaves off:'—the position (of the line) is the appropriate one for it.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 9, The Taming Power of the Small.
Line 4 六四
The fourth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
月幾望，馬匹亡，無咎。
The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject (like) the moon nearly full, and (like) a horse (in a chariot) whose fellow disappears. There will be no error.
Small Image: 'A horse the fellow of which disappears:'—he breaks from his (former) companions, and mounts upwards.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 10, Treading.
Line 5 九五
The fifth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
有孚攣如，無咎。
The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject perfectly sincere, and linking (others) to him in closest union. There will be no error.
Small Image: 'He is perfectly sincere, and links others to him in closest union:'—the place (of the line) is the correct and appropriate one.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 41, Decrease.
Line 6 上九
The sixth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
翰音登于天，貞凶。
The topmost NINE, undivided, shows its subject in chanticleer (trying to) mount to heaven. Even with firm correctness there will be evil.
Small Image: 'Chanticleer (tries to) mount to heaven:'—but how can (such an effort) continue long?
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 60, Limitation.
Related hexagrams
lines 2-4 below, 3-5 aboveOpposite 錯卦62. Preponderance of the Small 小過
every line changed
A hexagram is a mirror, not a command: read it to reflect, never to obey. Sources: James Legge (tr.), The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (Oxford, 1882; 2nd ed. 1899), public domain; the Chinese text from Project Gutenberg ebook #25501 (易經), public domain. The trigram facts and the related hexagrams are computed from the line pattern. The gloss, selection and arrangement are CC-BY-SA-4.0 (PlayfulProcess). Data: github.com/PlayfulProcess/recursive-iching.