初
初九。虞吉、有它不燕。
Forethought brings fortune; other matters not at ease. Prepare sincerely.
䷼
Hexagram 61
Inner Truth (風沢中孚)
Fūtaku-chūfu / Zhōng Fú
Like an egg with a chick within—inner sincerity moves others and overcomes difficulty.
Judgment
中孚。豚魚吉。利渉大川、利貞。
Inner truth. Good even for piglets and fish. Favorable to cross the great river; benefit in correctness.
True sincerity reaches all, enabling great endeavors.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
九二。鳴鶴在陰、其子和之。我有好爵、吾與爾靡之。
A crane cries in the shade; her young harmonize. I have fine wine; I share it with you. Sincere call brings response and sharing.
三
六三。得敵、或鼓或罷、或泣或歌。
Meeting an opponent—now drumming, now resting, now weeping, now singing. Mixed emotions; sincerity steadies.
四
六四。月幾望、馬匹亡、无咎。
Moon nearly full; the matched horse is lost—no blame. Near completeness, minor loss accepted.
五
九五。有孚攣如、无咎。
Sincerity tied together—no blame. Deep bond holds.
上
上九。翰音登于天、貞凶。
Flying sound rises to heaven—correct yet misfortune. Overly lofty sincerity becomes rigid.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 61, Zhōng Fú (Inner Truth), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Xun (Wind) above and Dui (Lake) below. Like an egg with a chick within—inner sincerity moves others and overcomes difficulty. Use the cards below to map that pattern onto your specific question — a love reading, a career decision, a health concern, or a yes/no choice.
Love & Relationships
Honest heart deepens trust. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 61 (Zhōng Fú) describes the meeting point of Xun (wind) above and Dui (lake) below: how the outer situation meets your inner state. Ask whether you are forcing the relationship to fit a picture, or letting it move at the rhythm this hexagram suggests. For a partnered question, read the changing lines to see which side — yours or the other person's — is being asked to shift.
Work & Career
Sincere effort overcomes obstacles; trust builds success. In work and career, Zhōng Fú points to whether the outer market or workplace (Xun (wind)) and your inner stance (Dui (lake)) are in alignment. If a project, negotiation, or job change is the question, ask what this hexagram says about timing rather than effort: pushing harder rarely changes a Zhōng Fú situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Inner sincerity aids healing; care from the heart. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 61 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Zhōng Fú usually signals where energy needs to be conserved versus where it is asking to be expressed. Combine the hexagram's advice with concrete medical guidance — the I Ching is a reflective tool, not a substitute for professional care.
Decision-Making
When the question is a yes/no — should I take the offer, move, leave, commit? — read Hexagram 61 (Zhōng Fú, Inner Truth) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Like an egg with a chick within—inner sincerity moves others and overcomes difficulty." is your starting frame. Ask: does this action respect that configuration, or fight it? Changing lines, if any, tell you which specific aspect needs to bend.
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