Hexagram 61: Inner Truth
Zhong Fu · 中孚
The Judgment
Pigs and fishes. Good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water. Persistence furthers. Pigs and fishes are the least intelligent of all animals and therefore the most difficult to influence. The force of inner truth must grow great indeed before its influence can extend to such creatures. The whole secret of success depends on finding the right way of approach. First rid yourself of all prejudice and let the psyche of the other person act on you without restraint. Then you will establish contact, understand, and gain power. But this force is not identical with simple intimacy or a secret bond. Association on the basis of common interests holds only up to a certain point. Only when the bond is based on what is right, on steadfastness, will it remain so firm that it triumphs over everything.
The Image
Wind over lake. Discuss criminal cases in order to delay executions. When obliged to judge the mistakes of others, try to penetrate their minds with understanding, in order to gain sympathetic appreciation of circumstances. A deep understanding that knows how to pardon was considered the highest form of justice. This sprang not from weakness but from a superior clarity.
「澤上有風，中孚。」風吹過湖面，激起漣漪——無形的東西產生了可見的效果。君子用這個道理來「議獄緩死」——審理案件時，試著深入理解犯錯者的處境。懂得寬恕的深刻理解，被認為是最高的正義。這不是軟弱，而是更清明的判斷。
The Six Lines
Being prepared brings good fortune. If there are secret designs, it is disquieting. The force of inner truth depends chiefly on inner stability and preparedness. From this state of mind springs the correct attitude toward the outer world. But if you try to cultivate secret relationships of a special sort, it would deprive you of inner independence. The more reliance you place on the support of others, the more uneasy and anxious you become as to whether these secret ties are really tenable.
A crane calling in the shade. Its young answers it. I have a good goblet. I will share it with you. This refers to the involuntary influence of inner being upon persons of kindred spirit. The crane need not show itself on a high hill—it may be quite hidden when it sounds its call, yet its young will hear its note and give answer. Whenever a feeling is voiced with truth and frankness, whenever a deed is the clear expression of sentiment, a mysterious and far-reaching influence is exerted. The root of all influence lies in one's own inner being.
He finds a comrade. Now he beats the drum, now he stops. Now he sobs, now he sings. Here the source of strength lies not in yourself but in your relation to other people. No matter how close to them you may be, if your center of gravity depends on them, you are inevitably tossed to and fro between joy and sorrow. Rejoicing to high heaven, then sad unto death—this is the fate of those who depend upon an inner accord with other persons whom they love.
The moon nearly at the full. The team horse goes astray. No blame. To intensify the power of inner truth, always turn to your superior, from whom you can receive enlightenment as the moon receives light from the sun. However, this requires a certain humility, like that of the moon when not yet quite full. Only by pursuing your course like a horse that goes straight ahead without looking sidewise at its mate can you retain the inner freedom that helps you onward.
He possesses truth, which links together. No blame. This describes the ruler who holds all elements together by the power of their personality. Only when the strength of character is so ample that it can influence all who are subject to you, is the person as they need to be. The power of suggestion must emanate from the ruler. Without this central force, all external unity is only deception and breaks down at the decisive moment.
Cockcrow penetrating to heaven. Persistence brings misfortune. The cock is dependable. It crows at dawn. But it cannot itself fly to heaven. It just crows. One may count on mere words to awaken faith. This may succeed now and then, but if persisted in, it will have bad consequences.
Artwork & Treatise
Woman Holding a Balance
Vermeer
A woman in blue and gold contemplates empty scales, her hand suspended in window light. Johannes Vermeer painted this scene around 1665, positioning a Last Judgment painting on the wall behind her—souls being weighed in divine scales as she weighs earthly metals. But the painter shows a crucial detail: the balance pans hold nothing. She considers the instrument of measurement itself, the state of perfect equilibrium before matter tilts the scales. Her absorbed attention creates a moment of pure contemplation, inner assessment preceding external judgment.
Vermeer captures Zhong Fu (中孚), Inner Truth—Wind above Lake, Xun over Dui. The hexagram structure is unique: both trigrams place yang lines at top and bottom with yin at center, creating an empty core surrounded by strength. This represents sincerity emanating from within, influence through genuine understanding rather than external force. The character 中孚 combines "center" and "confidence," suggesting truth that comes from one's core rather than imposed belief. The woman's empty scales embody this principle—true judgment requires inner vacancy, freedom from prejudice that allows accurate perception. Song Dynasty diviners saw this configuration when situations required careful discernment, when sincerity must cross apparent barriers, when hearts recognize each other despite external differences.
{artwork_reasoning}
The Judgment speaks to Vermeer's woman: "Inner Truth. Pigs and fishes. Good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water. Perseverance furthers." Ancient texts cite this hexagram's power to influence even creatures without reason—pigs and fishes respond to genuine sincerity. The woman studies her balance with absolute focus, her inner state allowing true perception. In divination practice, Zhong Fu appeared in contexts of mediation, treaty-making, any circumstance requiring genuine understanding to bridge divisions.
The Image Text clarifies what the empty scales demonstrate: "Wind over lake: the image of Inner Truth. Thus the superior one deliberates over legal cases in order to delay executions." The hexagram emphasizes careful judgment, sincere assessment before irreversible action. Vermeer's woman pauses at the moment of perfect balance, neither rushing to judgment nor avoiding it. In the I-Ching sequence, Zhong Fu follows Limitation—after accepting necessary boundaries comes the capacity for sincere assessment within those limits, truth that emerges from empty centers rather than fixed positions.
Yilin Verse
烏鳥譆譆，天火將下。燔我屋室，災及妃后。
Jiao Yanshou's Forest of Changes (焦氏易林) — Unchanging verse for 中孚 (Zhong Fu)
Character-by-Character Breakdown
Classical Chinese text with pinyin and English meanings