Hexagram 61: 中孚

zhōng fú the truth within; inner truth, central sincerity

By Augustin Chan · Last updated 2025

Upper Trigram风(巽)
Lower Trigram泽(兑)

Judgment

zhōngwithin, inside; central, core, internal, inner
truth; faith, trust, belief, conviction
túnpiglets, young pigs; sons
fish; daughters
promising, auspicious; lucky, fortunate
worthwhile, rewarding, favorable
shèto cross, ford, ferry, venture, experience
great, big, major
chuānstream, river, current, waters
worthwhile, rewarding, gainful
zhēnto persist, continue; be genuine, true, real

中孚。豚鱼吉。利涉大川。利贞。——连最难感化的都会被打动。宜渡险,宜守正。

Image

lake, pool, pond, marsh
shàngabove, over, across, atop, on top of
yǒuis, there is
fēngwind
zhōngwithin
truth
jūnnoble, worthy, honored
young one, heir, disciple
accordingly, therefore, thus
discusses, deliberates, ponders, considers
legal recourse, process; justice; incarceration
huǎnto delay, stay, postpone, slow
execution, death, capital punishment

泽上有风,中孚。君子以议狱缓死。——君子因此审慎刑案,延缓死刑。因为真诚需要时间渗入,不要急于判决。

历史殉道(Historical Martyrdom)

Hexagram 61 digital artifact

陆秀夫崖山蹈海

陆秀夫 (AD 1279)

1279年3月19日。崖山海战。千艘宋船用铁链串连,船多但笨重,面对规模较小但更灵活的元朝舰队。丞相陆秀夫眼看防线崩溃。八岁的末帝赵昺站在他身边。据《宋史》记载,陆秀夫已令自己的妻儿先入海。 史书记载:『自负帝昺投海死』——背着皇帝跳入大海,一同赴死。众多官员和随从随之跳海。事后,大量尸体漂浮在水面。 这不是撤退,不是求存,不是战略转移。这是『收笔』。风行泽上(☴☱):中虚而传真,不歪不曲。陆秀夫这样做,是为了让『意义』本身不被侵犯——让宋朝以自己的方式终结,而非被征服者改写。内心真实握得如此紧,死亡也撬不开。

Historical Context

Period
周代
Oracle Bone Etymology
风(☴)在上,泽(☱)在下——柔顺渗入喜悦的开放。
Traditional Use
中孚讲的是空心的芦苇、虚舟——正因为不强加,才能传递。风吹过湖面,不触及水面,却起涟漪。威廉说:『孚字形似鸟爪握蛋——传递需要真诚与精准,不能用力过猛。』

Lines

Line 1: 虞吉有他不燕

readiness, provision; preparedness, preparation
promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
yǒuto be, have, claim, assume, presume
more than this; extra, other
no, not much, very little
yàncomfort, calm, satisfy; rest, peace, ease

Line 2: 鳴鶴在陰其子和之我有好爵吾與爾靡之

míngcall, cry; voice, song, sound
crane
zàiremaining in; from; within, inside
yīnshadows, shade, darkness, mystery
her, its own
young ones, children, offspring
respond, reply to; harmonize with; answer
zhīher; to it, this
I, we
yǒuhave, hold, possess, bring
hǎofine, favorite, choice, good, excellent
juédecanter, goblet, carafe, bottle of wine
I, we
along with; help, assistance, support
ěryour; from you
will drain, empty, finish, consume, exhaust
zhīit, same, this

Line 3: 得敵或鼓或罷或泣或歌

finding, meeting, encountering, gaining
counterpart, match, equal
huòmaybe; perhaps, perchance; sometimes
to beat, bang on a drum
huòor maybe; perhaps, perchance; sometimes
to quit, stop, cease, leave off, rest
huòmaybe; perhaps, perchance; sometimes
to weep, cry, sob; tears
huòor maybe; perhaps, perchance; sometimes
to sing; song

Line 4: 月幾望馬匹亡無咎

yuèmoon
almost, nearly; approaches
wàngfull; fullness
horse
of a pair; team; mate, match
wángruns away, escapes, disappears, vanishes
no; not; nothing; without, with no
jiùblame; wrong; mistake, error

Line 5: 有孚攣如無咎

yǒubeing, holding; remembering
true, sincere; good faith, promises, trust
luánbond, contract
is like, as good as, quite
no; not; nothing; without
jiùblame; wrong; mistake

Line 6: 翰音登于天貞凶

hànrooster's, cock's; fancy feathers'
yīncrowing, announcement, messages
dēngascend, climb, mount, rise
up to, towards, into
tiānheaven, the sky, celestial
zhēnpersistence, resolve; to persist, continue
xiōngunfortunate, ill-omened; has pitfalls

Practical Guidance

你手上握着的东西,比生存更重要。 可能是你组织声称要坚持的原则。可能是你许下的承诺。可能是一个标准,所有人都已经放弃,因为坚持下去的成本超过任何可衡量的回报。数字不支持。利益相关者不理解。务实派早已离去。 陆秀夫面对的是这个计算的终极版本。朝代已终。皇帝才八岁。所有理性分析都指向投降——救下孩子,谈判条件,保住些什么。但他背着皇帝跳入大海。不是因为死比生好,而是因为有些意义,一旦用征服者的语言翻译,就无法存在。 这个模式是这样的:中孚不是讲死硬或为殉道而殉道。是讲懂得识别:什么时候一样东西的核心——让它成为它自己而非妥协版本的部分——真正面临灭绝。不是麻烦。不是困难。是灭绝。 六十一卦的中虚(两条阴爻被四条阳爻包围)创造出一个空间,真实在其中共振而不变形。就像芦苇传声——空心就是机制。一旦填满算计、务实妥协、『差不多就行』,传导就停止了。 很多人忽略的是:选择不是中孚还是生存。是中孚,还是『我保住的东西仍然存在』的幻觉——在你掏空它之后。陆秀夫明白,投降的宋朝不再是宋朝。形式可能留存,意义已经消失。 你的版本小一些,但结构相同。为追逐数字而放弃核心价值主张的产品路线图。保住名字但失去实质的关系。你『只此一次』降低的标准,直到有一天你发现已经很多年没有坚守过。 威廉说中孚能感动『豚鱼』——最难影响的生物。真正的真诚能穿透任何论证都穿不透的抵抗。但只有真诚是真的,只有中虚没有被权宜填满,才能做到。 问题不是你愿不愿意为原则而死。这很戏剧化但很少见。问题是你愿不愿意为它输。看着数字下跌,利益相关者抱怨,务实派在其他地方宣布胜利——而你维持着那个空心,让真实能够传导。 大部分事情没那么重要。大部分妥协没问题。但有些事情就是那么重要,你自己知道是哪些。中孚问的是:当那样东西面临灭绝——不是麻烦,是灭绝——中虚能守得住吗?

Transformations

When changing lines appear in a reading, this hexagram can transform into another.

Get an interactive reading with this hexagram

Try the Oracle →