I Ching Reading

Hexagram 61: Inner Truth

中孚 · Zhōng Fú · Wind over Lake

sinceritytrustopennessinfluence

Inner Truth (中孚, Zhōng Fú) is hexagram 61 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, in the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Wind (☴) above Lake (☱).

Meaning of hexagram 61

A sincere, open heart can move even the hard to reach. Trust that is real is felt, not argued.

Advice

Be honest and unguarded, act from your true center and let trust do its work.

The two trigrams

Inner Truth places ☴ Wind (Xùn), gentle, gradual and penetrating, above ☱ Lake (Duì), joyful, open and pleasing. The lower trigram is the inner side of the situation and the upper one its outer side.

Hexagram
61. Inner Truth
Chinese name
中孚 Zhōng Fú
Upper trigram
☴ Wind (Xùn)
Lower trigram
☱ Lake (Duì)
Lines
4 yang (solid) and 2 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
61 of 64 (King Wen order)

The six lines of Inner Truth

A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. In a reading, a changing line (a 6 or a 9 in the three-coin method) draws attention to its position.

  1. First line (yang, solid): the beginning. The root of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet shown itself.
  2. Second line (yang, solid): the inner circle. Your immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close range.
  3. Third line (yin, broken): the threshold. A point of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push forward.
  4. Fourth line (yin, broken): the approach. Stepping into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good relationships matter here.
  5. Fifth line (yang, solid): the center of power. The place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most fully expressed.
  6. Sixth line (yang, solid): the culmination. The far edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.

Related hexagrams