Hexagram 61 of 64 · Wind ☴ over Lake ☱
Inner Truth
Zhōng Fú
Inner truth — sincerity so complete it reaches even pigs and fishes; the trust that opens hearts and crosses great waters.
The Judgment
Inner Truth: pigs and fishes. Good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water. Perseverance furthers. Sincerity that reaches even the least receptive creatures can accomplish anything.
The Image
Wind over the lake: the wind stirs the water because the water is open to it. The wise person discusses criminal cases in order to delay executions — understanding another person from within is the basis of justice.
Hexagram 61 Meaning
The two yin lines in the centre, open, with strong lines above and below: a heart that is empty of prejudice and therefore able to receive truth and transmit it. Inner Truth is the hexagram of sincerity and the trust it creates — the crane calling in the shade, and its young answering. The judgment’s strange phrase, pigs and fishes, means that real sincerity moves even the least intelligent and most unresponsive beings. It can cross the great water. Its opposite is the sincerity that is really a performance (line 3, the drum that stops and starts).
Inner Truth in Love
Trust, at its deepest — the connection where two people understand each other from within. If you are asking about someone, the hexagram says be completely sincere and the sincerity will reach them; the crane calls and its mate answers. In a relationship, this is the time for the truth you have been holding, offered without strategy. Line 2 is one of the most beautiful in the book: “I have a good goblet; I will share it with you.” Share it. Line 3 warns against the relationship that depends entirely on the other person’s moods.
Inner Truth in Career & Money
Trust-building, honest leadership, negotiations where sincerity is the strategy. The hexagram says that genuine inner conviction reaches people that argument cannot. It also counsels understanding others from within before judging them — the image is a judge who delays execution to understand the accused. Great undertakings (the great water) are possible on the basis of trust. Do not fake it; line 6 describes the cock that crows to heaven and cannot fly.
What to Do
Be completely sincere — it reaches further than cleverness. Understand others from within. Share the good goblet. Trust that is real can cross the great water; trust performed cannot.
Inner Truth as a Yes or No
yes
Yes — sincerity carries this; the way is open to the one whose inner truth is real.
The Trigrams
Above: Wind (巽 Xùn) — the gentle — penetration, gradual influence, the eldest daughter.
Below: Lake (兌 Duì) — the joyous — pleasure, openness, the youngest daughter.
The Six Lines of Inner Truth
Read when the line is moving (a 6 or 9 in the cast). Bottom line first.
- 1
Line 1 · yang
Being prepared brings good fortune, if there are secret designs it is disquieting: a single-hearted reliance — divided loyalties poison it.
- 2
Line 2 · yang
A crane calling in the shade, its young answers it — I have a good goblet, I will share it with you: sincere feeling draws its response; share what you have.
- 3
Line 3 · yin
He finds a comrade, now he beats the drum, now he stops, now he sobs, now he sings: dependence on another person’s response — unstable.
- 4
Line 4 · yin
The moon nearly at the full, the team horse goes astray, no blame: turning from a companion to a higher goal — correct.
- 5
Line 5 · yang
He possesses truth which links together, no blame: a leader whose sincerity binds everyone — no blame.
- 6
Line 6 · yang
Cockcrow penetrating to heaven, perseverance brings misfortune: words reaching higher than the character behind them can fly.
Will Inner Truth Appear in Your Cast?
Cast the coins on your own question — free, instant, with every moving line explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hexagram 61, Inner Truth, mean?
The two yin lines in the centre, open, with strong lines above and below: a heart that is empty of prejudice and therefore able to receive truth and transmit it. Inner Truth is the hexagram of sincerity and the trust it creates — the crane calling in the shade, and its young answering. The judgment’s strange phrase, pigs and fishes, means that real sincerity moves even the least intelligent and most unresponsive beings. It can cross the great water. Its opposite is the sincerity that is really a performance (line 3, the drum that stops and starts).
What does Inner Truth mean in love?
Trust, at its deepest — the connection where two people understand each other from within. If you are asking about someone, the hexagram says be completely sincere and the sincerity will reach them; the crane calls and its mate answers. In a relationship, this is the time for the truth you have been holding, offered without strategy. Line 2 is one of the most beautiful in the book: “I have a good goblet; I will share it with you.” Share it. Line 3 warns against the relationship that depends entirely on the other person’s moods.
What does Inner Truth mean for career and money?
Trust-building, honest leadership, negotiations where sincerity is the strategy. The hexagram says that genuine inner conviction reaches people that argument cannot. It also counsels understanding others from within before judging them — the image is a judge who delays execution to understand the accused. Great undertakings (the great water) are possible on the basis of trust. Do not fake it; line 6 describes the cock that crows to heaven and cannot fly.
Is hexagram 61 a yes or a no?
Inner Truth answers "yes". Yes — sincerity carries this; the way is open to the one whose inner truth is real.
Previous hexagram
60. Limitation
limits
Next hexagram
62. Preponderance of the Small
small things
Last updated: August 30, 2026
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