Line 1 Yang
Careful assurance is favorable; divided loyalties unsettle it. Choose trust on sound grounds and keep your purpose clear.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 61 · Zhōng Fú
Inner Sincerity
Inner sincerity creates a resonance that loud declarations cannot replace.
☴ Above: Xun · Wind☱ Below: Dui · Lake
Meaning
Wind over the lake suggests communication reaching beneath the surface. The mention of pigs and fish widens the reach of trust, which needs substance and consistent action.
FOR REFLECTION
Which action creates trust beyond my claim that I am trustworthy?
The six lines
Read from line 1 at the bottom to line 6 at the top. These are paraphrases, not verbatim translations.
Line 2 Yang
A crane calls in shade and its young responds; a fine cup is offered to share. Sincerity can awaken a natural response.
Line 3 Yin
Facing a counterpart, one drums, stops, weeps, and sings. Letting another's response govern the heart creates instability.
Line 4 Yin
The moon nears fullness; one loses the paired horse without blame. Leaving an old association may serve a sounder commitment.
Line 5 Yang
Trust binds people like a cord. Build the connection through substantive sincerity rather than compulsion.
Line 6 Yang
A cock's call reaches toward heaven; persisting is unfavorable. A lofty voice without supporting substance cannot endure.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 中孚James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 61
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.