Line 1 Yang
Go forward without deceit; sincerity grounds the first step.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 25 · Wú Wàng
Without Contrivance
Act sincerely; integrity does not remove every risk.
☰ Above: Qian · Heaven☳ Below: Zhen · Thunder
Meaning
Thunder moves beneath heaven as living things follow their seasons. Acting without contrivance means less scheming and sounder purpose; undeserved harm remains possible.
FOR REFLECTION
Are you doing what is needed or trying to guarantee an uncontrollable outcome?
The six lines
Read from line 1 at the bottom to line 6 at the top. These are paraphrases, not verbatim translations.
Line 2 Yin
Plough without calculating the harvest, clear land without scheming for profit; attend to the work.
Line 3 Yin
A passerby takes the tethered ox, villagers suffer: harm need not imply their guilt.
Line 4 Yang
Hold to the sound course already available, without inventing further maneuvers.
Line 5 Yang
The image of an undeserved illness left unmedicated cautions against hasty attempts to fix things.
Line 6 Yang
Even without deceit, further action brings trouble; sincerity also needs timing.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 無妄James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 25
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.