Hexagram 25: 無妄
wú wàng —without pretense, without presumption, without falseness
By Augustin Chan · Last updated 2025
Upper Trigram天
Lower Trigram雷
Judgment
無wúwithout, with no, having no
妄wàngpretense, presumption; falseness, guile
元yuánmost; first-rate, supreme, excellent
亨hēngfulfilling; fulfillment, satisfaction, success
利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial
貞zhēnto persist, be loyal, dedicated, steadfast
其qíif, for one who, those, someone
匪fěiis without, devoid of; not being; never
正zhènguprightness, integrity, ethics; upright, true
有yǒuthere will be; has, have; will find
眚shěngsuffering, distress, injury; grave error, consequences
不bùand it is not much; will not be; nothing
利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial
有yǒuto, in have, find, taking on
攸yōusomewhere; a place, direction, purpose
往wǎngto go, move towards; in going; ahead
無妄。元亨利貞。其匪正有眚，不利有攸往。——大成功。堅持有利。如果唔係應該咁，就有災禍。
Image
天tiānheaven, the sky
下xiàbelow, beneath, under
雷léithe thunder
行xíngmoves; acts, sets forth, is on the move
物wùthe beings, creatures, entities; creation
與yǔcollaborate, interact, take part, participate
無wúwithout
妄wàngpretense
先xiānthe ancient, early, original, former, founding
王wángsovereigns, kings, rulers, fathers
以yǐaccordingly, therefore, thus
茂màoprospered, flourished, thrived, developed
對duìaccording to, consistent with, by, as befit
時shíthe season, time, occasion, opportunity
育yùand nurtured, nourished, fostered
萬wànthe myriad, ten thousand; all of
物wùbeings, creatures, things; creation
天下雷行，物與無妄。先王以茂對時，育萬物。——君子豐富自己嘅性格，行動冇隱藏動機。
Cellular Automaton
Conway 生命遊戲 — 第一個滑翔機
John H. Conway（貝爾實驗室 / 數學民間傳說） (AD 1970)
五粒像素、三條規則，然後——冇飛行員嘅移動。喺生命遊戲入面，一個叫『滑翔機』嘅細模式發現咗移動，但唔係靠意圖。呢個就係無妄：行動源自定律，唔係源自謀算。冇陰謀、冇隱藏議程——只係宇宙喺規則清晰嗰陣做佢本來會做嘅嘢。當棋盤係誠實嘅，生命自己會動。為咗聰明而干預你會殺咗佢；將規則設得真確你會得到驚喜——大成功——唔使試。
Historical Context
- Period
- 周代
- Oracle Bone Etymology
- 天（☰）喺上，雷（☳）喺下——創造原理主宰自發嘅震起。
- Traditional Use
- 無妄 = 符合自然秩序嘅意外。做啱嘅嘢；讓結果浮現。算計嘅狡詐帶嚟不幸。
Lines
Line 1: 無妄往吉
無wúwithout, with no, having no
妄wàngpretense, presumption; falseness, guile
往wǎngto go forth, forward, advance, proceed
吉jíis promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
Line 2: 不耕穫不菑畬則利有攸往
不bùwhen, where, if not, without, there is no
耕gēngploughing, tilling
穫huòto, the harvest, reap, yield, cut
不bùand when, where, if not, without
菑zīclearing, breaking new ground, soil
畬yúin, for established, cultivated third year fields
則zéthen; in due order, consequently it is
利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial
有yǒuto have, find, take on; if there is
攸yōusomewhere; a place, direction, purpose
往wǎngto go, move towards; in going; ahead
Line 3: 無妄之災或繫之牛行人之得邑人之災
無wúone without, with no, having no
妄wàngpretense, presumption; falseness, guile
之zhīstill, yet has, holds its; comes to
災zāimisfortune, calamity, adversity, accidents
或huòas when somebody, someone; sometimes
繫xìtethers, ties up; tethering, tying up
之zhīone's, that; his, her, their
牛niúox, cow, cattle and
行xíngon the move; the one
人rénis, means a, the drifter
之zhīhas; ...'s
得déa, an, the find, gain, catch, acquisition
邑yìand is a, the town, village, community
人réninhabitant, member, residents; people, folk
之zhī...'s; ... s'; has, have; come to
災zāia, the calamity, misfortune, adversity, crisis
Line 4: 可貞無咎
可kěinviting; asking, calling for; may there be
貞zhēnpersistence, determination, loyalty, truth
無wúis no, not, nothing; avoids
咎jiùwrong; a mistake, an error
Line 5: 無妄之疾勿藥有喜
無wúone without, with no, having no
妄wàngpretense, presumption; falseness, guile
之zhīstill, yet has, gets, holds its; comes to
疾jíillness, dis-ease, ill, ailment, afflictions; ill
勿wùdo not, don't, never; avoid; permit no
藥yàomedicate, drug; medicines, medication
有yǒuto attain, find, bring about, gain
喜xǐhappiness, enjoyment, well-being
Line 6: 無妄行有眚無攸利
無wúeven, when without, with no, having no
妄wàngpretense, presumption; falseness, guile
行xíngbut, yet advance, progress, activity, going
有yǒubrings about, becomes, has, finds
眚shěngsuffering, distress, error, injury, evil consequence
無wúthis is no, not; this lacks, has no
攸yōua direction, purpose; an aim, orientation
利lìwith merit, of value, with rewards
Practical Guidance
1970年。Conway 玩緊方格紙上嘅細胞自動機，測試簡單規則：一粒細胞根據鄰居生或死。B3/S23——有三個鄰居就出生，有兩個或三個就生存。佢唔係試住設計移動。佢睇緊合法結構產生啲乜。
然後滑翔機出現。五粒像素排成一個模式，斜咁行過棋盤，永遠咁，冇人引導。冇飛行員、冇程式話佢去邊。只係三條規則誠實咁應用，宇宙就發現咗移動。
呢個就係無妄——無邪。唔係天真；係有紀律嘅非做作。你設定重要嘅限制：乾淨介面、真實測試、誠實輸入。然後你唔插手。一旦你從角度行動——出用戶冇要求嘅功能、調數字睇落靚啲、設計結果而唔係讓佢哋浮現——你就污染咗個場。滑翔機停止滑翔。自發行為死咗。
失敗模式唔係計劃唔夠。係用聰明污染棋盤。你迫唔到自發；你只可以建立合法條件，然後讓結構發現佢發現嘅嘢。傲慢嘅工程師相信佢哋可以控制每個結果。誠實嘅工程師將規則設得真確，然後睇住啲乜從棋盤行出嚟。
Conway 冇設計滑翔機。佢設計咗個宇宙讓滑翔機可以存在。將棋盤起得誠實，然後退後。大成功源自定律，唔係謀算。
Transformations
When changing lines appear in a reading, this hexagram can transform into another.
Get an interactive reading with this hexagram
Try the Oracle →