Hexagram 25
无妄 Wú Wàng
Innocence
☰ Heaven above ☳ Thunder
Judgment 卦辭
元亨利貞。其匪正有眚。不利有攸往。
Commentary
Success through what is genuine and unforced. If your motives aren't straight, you'll encounter obstacles. Nothing good comes from ulterior purposes. The natural state—uncalculated, unmanipulated—is the only foundation for lasting success. Deviate from this and the deviation becomes your problem.
Classical Text
无妄震下乾上 无妄，元亨利貞。其匪正有眚，不利有攸往。
Wu Wang (Without Falseness), Zhen below, Qian above. Wu Wang: Sublime Beginning, Success, Benefit, Correctness. If one is not correct there will be calamity; it is not beneficial to have a place to go.
Image 象
天下雷行，物與無妄。先王以茂對時育萬物。
Thunder rolls beneath heaven and all things receive their nature without falseness. The ancient kings nourished all beings by aligning with the seasons. You don't force growth; you create conditions for it. This applies equally to crops and character.
Lines 爻辭
無妄往吉
When your impulse is genuine, act on it. The original movement of an honest heart leads toward what's right. No second-guessing needed here.
Classical commentary
初九，无妄往，吉。
Initial Nine: Without Falseness in going forth—auspicious.
不耕穫不菑畬則利有攸往
Work without calculating the harvest. Clear the ground without planning what you'll plant. When you act without scheming, everything you do furthers. Outcome-fixation is the enemy of good work.
Classical commentary
六二，不耕穫，不菑畬，則利有攸往。
Six in the Second: Not plowing yet reaping, not clearing new fields yet having mature land—then it is beneficial to have a place to go.
無妄之災或繫之牛行人之得邑人之災
Undeserved disaster strikes. The tethered ox becomes someone else's gain. This happens—external misfortune that has nothing to do with your character. Don't mistake bad luck for punishment.
Classical commentary
六三，无妄之災，或繫之牛。行人之得，邑人之災。
Six in the Third: The disaster of Without Falseness—someone tethers his ox. The traveler's gain is the townsman's disaster.
可貞無咎
Hold to what you are. What truly belongs to you cannot be lost even if you throw it away. Authenticity doesn't require protection; it requires expression. Stay with your own nature and ignore the noise.
Classical commentary
九四，可貞，无咎。
Nine in the Fourth: One may be correct—no blame.
無妄之疾勿藥有喜
When illness comes from outside and doesn't take root in your character, let it pass without intervention. Don't make it worse by fighting it. Some problems solve themselves if you stop interfering.
Classical commentary
九五，无妄之疾，勿藥有喜。
Nine in the Fifth: The illness of Without Falseness—do not use medicine and there will be joy.
無妄行有眚無攸利
The wrong time for action, but you push anyway. When circumstances don't support progress, forcing movement leads nowhere good. Wait for the moment that matches your intention.
Classical commentary
上九，无妄行，有眚，无攸利。
Top Nine: Without Falseness yet taking action—there will be calamity; nothing is beneficial.