25 story

The image of hexagram 25
Wú Wàng, moving along with the flow.

Hexagram 25 has trigram Zhèn, Thunder, below or inside, Qián, Heaven, above or outside. Thunder renews, awakens the seeds and jumpstarts all beginnings. Heaven is plans and laws and structures and the power to force creatures to follow them.

What does it mean, 'inner' and 'outer trigram' (popup)

When trigram Zhèn is below (popup)

When trigram Qián is above (popup)

Thunder below Heaven: The power of Thunder to make things grow combined with the structure of Heaven causes all things to start at their own time and to grow into their own potential and shape. Thunder and Heaven create the abundance of nature. All creatures and plants follow their dao within these laws. But humans have the option to deviate from Qián and choose their own laws and beliefs - which usually bring trouble. Humans want predicitable laws, but heaven and nature are too big to be predictable for human minds.

The old diviners gave this combination of trigrams a name: Wú Wàng. It means literally 'not thwart', not erring, pestilence. Especially not to thwart the rules of Heaven, of nature, of things which just happen. Not by abiding to rules but by aligning with life's flow. Many bad things can happen, like pests or drought, but they are not anyone's fault. Not adapting is the only fault.

Ideogram of the hexagram name: the first (upper) character is a person whith a cut off or obstructed head, or exerting himself in vain against an obstacle: without, not. The second character is a woman and a sickle: false, reckless, rash, absurd, unreasonable, presumptuous, untrue, ignorant, stupid, foolish, wild, incoherent, disorderly, to harm, (enter into) a hiding place, an empty womb, barren. 'Not barren' is a description of lush nature, of everything living life to the fullest and the way it is meant to live. But also of following along when an unexpected disaster hits like disaster or pestilence, not fighting it but adapting life to changed circumstances.

The 'Great Image' says: Below Heaven rolls Thunder, beings associate in innocence (or: when the unexpexted hits). The ancient kings made use of lush growth in accordance with the seasons to nurture the myriad beings.

  Hex.25 is the contrast of 46, which is about making things happen step by step and with effort.
  Hex.25 is about moving along with the flow of universe, both in good and bad events. Together enjoying its bounty or assisting each other in its hardships.
  Hex.25 is the inverse of 26, which lives in deference to the values of the mind and humanity.
Hexagram pair 25 and 26 talks about the two sides of one 'story'. One about the meaning of life regarding the laws and values of heaven and nature, the other regarding the laws and values of the mind and spirit.

All hexagram pairs

Story:
Wu wang means literally not to thwart. Especially not to thwart the rules of Heaven, of nature, of ethics, of honesty. Connect your soul to heaven and nature instead of human matters. Live the fullness of a natural and open life, allow your soul to go deep and high, do not stay on the common road where everything is mediocre or in the stranglehold of 'facts'. Enjoy beauty and happiness, energy and love, so sorrow and fears cannot get a grip on you. Where everything is full of life, decay can find no place.

From James de Korne: the Image shows them synchronizing their laws with the "laws of nature" -- an archetypal concept which is found in many mystical traditions. Here is the alchemical version:
The individual terrestrial life should correspond to the laws governing the universe; man's spiritual aspirations should be directed to harmonize with the wisdom of God. If we accomplish this, the inner consciousness will awaken to an understanding of the influences of the stars, and the mysteries of Nature will be revealed to his spiritual perception. Paracelsus

The image of hexagram 25 Wú Wàng, moving along with the flow.

The image of hexagram 25
Wú Wàng, moving along with the flow.