Hexagram 61 of 64
Inner Truth
中孚 (Zhōng Fú)
Inner Truth (zhōng fú) — faithfulness and sincerity held at the center
SincerityAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Gentle, penetrating, persistent — gradual influence that goes everywhere
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Joyful, open, expressive — the pleasure of exchange and communication
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Wind above Lake — breeze meeting marsh. The outer energy of wind shapes the inner disposition of lake.
Meaning
Inner sincerity transforms all it touches. Even pigs and fishes can be moved by genuine truth.
Classical Judgment
“Inner Truth. Pigs and fishes. Good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
Wind over lake: the image of Inner Truth. The superior one discusses criminal cases in order to delay executions.
The Image is a nature scene associated with this hexagram — a symbolic picture that distils its essence. In classic texts, meditating on the Image was considered the proper way to absorb the hexagram's teaching.
Nuclear Hexagram
Lines 2–5 of this hexagram form an inner hexagram called the nuclear hexagram. It reveals the hidden seed or underlying dynamic within the situation — what lies at the core beneath the surface.
#27 — Hidden within
Corners of the Mouth
頤 (Yí) · Nourishment
In a Reading
When hexagram 61 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of sincerity. Sit with the Image — “Wind over lake: the image of Inner Truth” — and consider how this pattern is playing out in your current situation. The Judgment offers the oracle’s direct guidance on how to move with this energy rather than against it.
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