TL;DR: Hexagram Phong Trạch Trung Phu (中孚, hexagram 61) has Xun above and Dui below; the hexagram statement reads: "Trung Phu: Đồn ngư cát, lợi thiệp đại xuyên, lợi trinh". Its six line statements run from the first nine to the top nine, with the Thoán truyện, Đại Tượng and Tiểu Tượng belonging to the Thập Dực. Wang Bi's commentary and Zhu Xi's commentary (Chu Dịch bản nghĩa) are cited separately for each sentence. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: keep your word in work, be sincere in love, be cautious with money, and do not promise beyond your ability.
What is the Feng Ze Zhong Fu hexagram among the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching?
Feng Ze Zhong Fu is hexagram number 61 among the 64 hexagrams in the Zhou Yi sequence. Its Chinese name is 中孚, read in Sino-Vietnamese as Phong Trạch Trung Phu, shortened to Trung Phu. The hexagram consists of the upper trigram Xun (Wind) and the lower trigram Dui (Marsh), that is, Xun above and Dui below.
The hexagram name "Trung Phu" is formed from two characters: "trung" means the middle, the inner heart; "phu" means trust, sincerity. Trung Phu is true trust on the inside, not displayed outwardly yet carrying its own weight. The image of Xun above and Dui below is wind blowing over the surface of a marsh, making ripples spread all the way to the bottom of the water, suggesting sincerity that soaks from top to bottom, from inside out.
On the traditional question of authorship, the I Ching is often attributed to Fu Xi for drawing the hexagrams, King Wen for setting the hexagram statements, the Duke of Zhou for setting the line statements, and Confucius for writing the Ten Wings; modern scholarship does not treat that chain of attributions as proven, but regards the I Ching as a text formed through many layers, with the Ten Wings dating to roughly the 5th to 2nd centuries BCE.
What does the hexagram statement of Trung Phu say, and why does it mention pigs and fish?
The hexagram statement reads: 中孚：豚魚吉，利涉大川，利貞。 Sino-Vietnamese: Trung Phu: Đồn ngư cát, lợi thiệp đại xuyên, lợi trinh. Meaning: Trung Phu, pigs and fish, then good fortune; favorable to cross the great river; favorable to hold firm.
The character "đồn" (豚) is a piglet, the character "ngư" (魚) is fish. How to understand the phrase "đồn ngư cát" has been debated differently by commentators.
Wang Bi's commentary on the line "đồn ngư cát, tín cập đồn ngư dã" in the Tuan Zhuan: fish is the most hidden among creatures, the pig is the lowliest among beasts; when the path of contention does not arise and the virtue of sincere trust, pure and generous, is made clear, then even small, hidden things are reached by trust. Also according to Wang Bi's commentary on the line "lợi thiệp đại xuyên, thừa mộc chu hư dã": riding a boat on the river, if the boat is empty it ultimately does not sink; using Trung Phu to cross difficulties is like sitting in an empty boat.
Zhu Xi in the Zhou Yi Ben Yi comments: phu is trust; the hexagram has two yin lines inside and four yang lines outside, and the two yang lines in the second and fifth positions both attain the center; viewed as a whole hexagram it is empty in the middle, viewed as two trigrams it is solid in the middle, both are images of trust; below, Dui responds above, above, Xun complies below, which is also the meaning of phu; pigs and fish are unthinking creatures, and further there is the image of wood above the marsh, solid outside and empty inside, which is the image of a boat or raft; when trust reaches the point of moving even pigs and fish, one can cross dangers, yet one cannot lose correctness, and so the diviner who can make pigs and fish respond has good fortune, favorable to cross the great river, and must also be favorable in holding correctness.
The Tuan Zhuan says: 中孚，柔在內而剛得中。說而巽，孚，乃化邦也。豚魚吉，信及豚魚也。利涉大川，乘木舟虛也。中孚以利貞，乃應乎天也。 (Trung Phu, the yielding is within and the firm attains the center. Joyous and compliant, trust, and so it transforms the state. Pigs and fish, good fortune: trust reaches even pigs and fish. Favorable to cross the great river: riding an empty wooden boat. Trung Phu, by being favorable to correctness, responds to Heaven.)
In Nhật Nguyệt's reading, the hexagram statement does not measure sincerity by the size of offerings. Pigs and fish are two small kinds, hard to move, and yet they are reached, meaning sincerity travels to the deepest, most hidden places. "Favorable to cross the great river" suggests daring to do great things when sincerity is the foundation, and "favorable to hold firm" reminds us that only steadiness endures. This is a philosophical discussion, not an absolute assertion of fortune or misfortune for any individual.
What does the Great Image of the Trung Phu hexagram say for the noble person?
The Great Image (Xiang Zhuan) reads: 澤上有風，中孚；君子以議獄緩死。 Sino-Vietnamese: Trạch thượng hữu phong, Trung Phu; quân tử dĩ nghị ngục hoãn tử. Meaning: wind above the marsh is Trung Phu; the noble person accordingly deliberates carefully on criminal cases and defers executions.
Wind blows over the marsh, the water's surface ripples all the way to the bottom, suggesting sincerity that soaks from top to bottom. The Image's words are placed alongside the handling of cases: those with the power to decide others' fates should weigh matters very carefully and not rush to a conclusion. This is a standard of ancient times, presented as historical context, not advice to be applied verbatim to every situation today.
Why does Trung Phu come after Jie in the Sequence of Hexagrams?
According to the Xu Gua Zhuan, after the Jie hexagram (number 60) comes the Trung Phu hexagram (number 61). The reason given: when there is restraint, people trust and follow one another. Jie is limit, is measure. When matters have clear measure, people can place their trust in one another.
A clear distinction is needed: the Xu Gua Zhuan is a later commentary, not the words of the classic. The hexagram statements and line statements are the words of the classic; the Tuan Zhuan, Xiang Zhuan, Xi Ci, and Xu Gua Zhuan are the commentary traditions (part of the Ten Wings). When reading the I Ching, one should keep these two layers separate.
What do the six line statements of the Trung Phu hexagram say, and how have commentators understood them?
The six line statements of the Trung Phu hexagram belong to the layer of the classic's words, read from the bottom up. Under each line statement, the commentary section gives the author's name where it appears in the sources consulted.
Initial Nine
Line statement: 初九：虞吉，有它不燕。 Sino-Vietnamese: Sơ cửu: Ngu cát, hữu tha bất yến. Meaning: careful planning brings good fortune; having other intentions brings no peace.
Wang Bi's commentary: "Ngu" also means singleness of purpose. As the beginning of trust, responding to the fourth line, it gains the good of singleness of purpose; when the will has not yet changed and is bound to one thing, therefore "having other intentions brings no peace."
Zhu Xi (Zhou Yi Ben Yi) comments: at the start of Trung Phu, responding above to the Fourth Six, knowing how to weigh what is worthy of trust and trusting it brings good fortune; if there are again other intentions, one loses the correctness of that weighing and has no peace; this is a warning to the diviner.
Small Image: 初九虞吉，志未變也。 (Sơ cửu ngu cát, chí vị biến dã: Initial Nine, careful planning brings good fortune, because the will has not yet changed.)
In Nhật Nguyệt's reading, this line speaks of the moment a commitment begins: ask yourself whether your heart is undivided; while stray thoughts remain, it is not yet time to begin.
Nine Two
Line statement: 九二：鳴鶴在陰，其子和之，我有好爵，吾與爾靡之。 Sino-Vietnamese: Cửu nhị: Hạc minh tại âm, kỳ tử họa chi, ngã hữu hảo tước, ngô dữ nhĩ mi chi. Meaning: the crane calls in the shade, its young echo it; I have a fine cup of wine, I share it with you.
Wang Bi's commentary: being within and lying beneath the layer of doubled yin, walking without losing the center, not following what is outside, letting its own truth be; when establishment is full to the utmost, even in a dark place other things respond, and so it says "the crane calls in the shade, its young echo it"; not coveting power or profit, only sharing virtue, is the measure of sincerity, and so it says I have a fine cup of wine, sharing it with others.
Zhu Xi (Zhou Yi Ben Yi) comments: Nine Two is the truth of Trung Phu, and Nine Five also responds with the truth of Trung Phu, and so there is the image of the crane calling and its young echoing, I have a fine cup of wine and bind it with you; the crane in the shade refers to the Nine in the second position; the fine cup of wine is attaining the center; "mi" has the same meaning as "mị," saying that good virtue is what people delight in, and so although the fine cup of wine is mine alone, the other also feels drawn to it.
Small Image: 其子和之，中心愿也。 (Kỳ tử họa chi, trung tâm nguyện dã: Its young echo it, because the heart within is willing.)
The Xi Ci Shang Zhuan cites this line and discusses the words and actions of the noble person as the trigger mechanism of heaven and earth. That discussion belongs to the Xi Ci Zhuan, a later commentary, not the words of the classic.
In Nhật Nguyệt's reading, this line evokes a scene where a true heart needs no display, yet those on the same wavelength find their way to it, and a true heart usually comes with sharing.
Third Six
Line statement: 六三：得敵，或鼓或罷，或泣或歌。 Sino-Vietnamese: Lục tam: Đắc địch, hoặc cổ hoặc bãi, hoặc khấp hoặc ca. Meaning: meeting an enemy, now beating the drum, now stopping, now weeping, now singing.
Wang Bi's commentary: the third line sits above a lesser yin line, the fourth line sits below a greater yin line, facing each other without being adjacent, which is called an enemy. Taking a yin position in a yang place, it is one who wishes to advance; wishing to advance but blocked by an enemy, therefore it now beats the drum. The fourth line treads correctness and rides above the fifth line, and is not something its own strength can overcome, therefore it now stops. Unable to win and retreating, fearing invasion, therefore it now weeps in sorrow. The fourth line treads compliance and does not contend with others, so when it retreats it suffers no harm, therefore it now sings. Not measuring its own strength, advancing and retreating without constancy, its exhaustion can be known.
Zhu Xi (Zhou Yi Ben Yi) comments: the enemy refers to the Top Nine, its partner in trust; the Third Six is yin and yielding, neither central nor correct, at the end of Dui and responding to the Top Nine, and so it cannot govern itself, and such is the image.
Small Image: 可鼓或罷，位不當也。 (Khả cổ hoặc bãi, vị bất đương dã: It may beat the drum or stop, because its position is not fitting.)
In Nhật Nguyệt's reading, this line describes a state of psychological instability when sincerity is placed in others' reactions rather than in oneself.
Fourth Six
Line statement: 六四：月既望，馬匹亡，无咎。 Sino-Vietnamese: Lục tứ: Nguyệt ký vọng, mã thất vong, vô cữu. Meaning: the moon has passed its full phase, the horse loses its companion of the herd, no fault.
Wang Bi's commentary: in the time of Trung Phu, standing at the head of Xun, responding to the head of Dui, holding correctness and treading compliance in order to ride above the fifth line, inwardly assisting without a leader, outwardly proclaiming moral transformation; full to the measure of yin virtue, and so it says "the moon has passed its full phase"; "the horse loses its companion" is leaving the herd; if in a position of flourishing virtue one contended with others, one would lose one's own flourishing, and so it says cutting off the kind and rising, treading correctness and riding above the honored, not contending with the third line, only then is one without fault.
Zhu Xi (Zhou Yi Ben Yi) comments: the Fourth Six attains correctness in a yin position, its place near the ruler, which is the image of the moon having passed its full phase; "the horse loses" refers to the first line being its companion, and the fourth line then cuts it off and trusts above in the fifth line, and so it is the image of the horse losing its companion; the diviner who is like this is without fault.
Small Image: 馬匹亡，絕類上也。 (Mã thất vong, tuyệt loại thượng dã: The horse loses its companion, because it cuts off its kind and rises.)
In Nhật Nguyệt's reading, this line suggests leaving a familiar group to head upward, acting for the right direction rather than out of discontent.
Nine Five
Line statement: 九五：有孚攣如，无咎。 Sino-Vietnamese: Cửu ngũ: Hữu phu luyến như, vô cữu. Meaning: having trust that binds, no fault.
Wang Bi's commentary: "luyến như" is the phrase for binding one's own trust; in a time of communicating through loyalty, in the honored position as master of all things, how can trust be abandoned, and so "having trust that binds" is what gains "no fault."
Zhu Xi (Zhou Yi Ben Yi) comments: Nine Five is firm, strong, central, and correct, is the truth of Trung Phu and sits in the honored position, as the master of trust; below it responds to Nine Two of the same virtue, and so such is the image and the words for the diviner.
Small Image: 有孚攣如，位正當也。 (Hữu phu luyến như, vị chính đương dã: Having trust that binds, because its position is correct and fitting.)
In Nhật Nguyệt's reading, this is the line of one in a central position, whose sincerity has the strongest power to spread, binding in the sense of voluntariness.
Top Nine
Line statement: 上九：翰音登于天，貞凶。 Sino-Vietnamese: Thượng cửu: Hàn âm đăng vu thiên, trinh hung. Meaning: a high sound rising to heaven, holding firm is also misfortune.
Wang Bi's commentary: "hàn" is flying high; "phi âm" says the sound flies while the reality does not follow; at the top of the hexagram, at the end of trust, when trust ends it declines, inner sincerity is lost, outward ornament is displayed, and so it says "a high sound rising to heaven"; when a high sound rises to heaven, correctness too is destroyed.
Zhu Xi (Zhou Yi Ben Yi) comments: at the extreme of trust and not knowing to change, even attaining correctness is a bad path; and so such is the image and the words for the diviner; the rooster's crow is called hàn âm, and is the image of Xun; at the extreme of Xun it rises to heaven; the rooster is not a creature that rises to heaven yet wants to rise to heaven, and trust that is not in a place worthy of trust yet does not know to change is likewise.
Small Image: 翰音登于天，何可長也。 (Hàn âm đăng vu thiên, hà khả trường dã: A high sound rising to heaven, how can it last.)
In Nhật Nguyệt's reading, this line warns of fine words with an empty heart, great promises with nothing behind them, in contrast to the Nine Two line.
The reversed Trung Phu hexagram and its opposite hexagram
Trung Phu has a rare feature: reversing the hexagram still gives itself. That is, if one reverses the order of the lines from bottom to top, one still gets the Trung Phu hexagram. In the I Ching, this phenomenon is called a hexagram unchanged when reversed. The opposite (thác) hexagram of Trung Phu is Lei Shan Xiao Guo (number 62). This opposition shows that Trung Phu is sincerity at a moderate level, while Xiao Guo is excess in small matters.
Encountering the Trung Phu hexagram when asking about work, love, or money: how should it be understood?
The sections above have separated the classic's words, the commentaries, and the readings. The section below gives Nhật Nguyệt's suggestions for application, not the words of the hexagram statement or line statements.
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestions: on work, the hexagram suggests keeping faith with partners and with oneself, avoiding promises beyond one's capacity. On love, the hexagram suggests sincerity from within rather than outward display; if one side still holds something back, the relationship is easily strained. On money, the hexagram suggests caution, and that one should not act rashly, since without honesty it is hard to enjoy a settled fortune. On health, the hexagram makes no assertion, and should be taken only as a reminder to keep the mind steady. On leadership, the hexagram suggests the kind of person who leads by sincerity, not by coercion.
Comparison table of the six lines of the Trung Phu hexagram
| Line | Line name | Original Chinese text | Sino-Vietnamese | Close meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Nine | 虞吉，有它不燕 | Ngu cát, hữu tha bất yến | Careful planning brings good fortune; having other intentions brings no peace |
| 2 | Nine Two | 鳴鶴在陰，其子和之，我有好爵，吾與爾靡之 | Hạc minh tại âm, kỳ tử họa chi, ngã hữu hảo tước, ngô dữ nhĩ mi chi | The crane calls in the shade, its young echo it; I have a fine cup of wine, I share it with you |
| 3 | Third Six | 得敵，或鼓或罷，或泣或歌 | Đắc địch, hoặc cổ hoặc bãi, hoặc khấp hoặc ca | Meeting an enemy, now beating the drum, now stopping, now weeping, now singing |
| 4 | Fourth Six | 月既望，馬匹亡，无咎 | Nguyệt ký vọng, mã thất vong, vô cữu | The moon has passed its full phase, the horse loses its companion of the herd, no fault |
| 5 | Nine Five | 有孚攣如，无咎 | Hữu phu luyến như, vô cữu | Having trust that binds, no fault |
| 6 | Top Nine | 翰音登于天，貞凶 | Hàn âm đăng vu thiên, trinh hung | A high sound rising to heaven, holding firm is also misfortune |
The structure of the Feng Ze Zhong Fu hexagram in one table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sequence number in the Zhou Yi | 61 |
| Chinese name | 中孚 |
| Upper trigram | Xun (Wind) |
| Lower trigram | Dui (Marsh) |
| Six lines, from top to bottom | yang, yang, yin, yin, yang, yang |
| Nuclear hexagram | Shan Lei Yi (hexagram number 27) |
| Opposite hexagram | Lei Shan Xiao Guo (hexagram number 62) |
| Reversed hexagram | Feng Ze Zhong Fu (hexagram number 61) |
Where do the six lines of the Feng Ze Zhong Fu hexagram stand, and which hexagram does each moving line change into?
The table is read from the initial line (bottom) up to the top line. Line names combine position and nature: yang is called Nine, yin is called Six. The last column is the changed hexagram when that line alone moves, calculated by the same method used by Nhật Nguyệt's divination tool.
| Line | Name | Nature | Correct position | Attains the center | Response | Changes into when moving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Nine | yang | yes | no | with line 4, has response | Feng Shui Huan (hexagram number 59) |
| 2 | Nine Two | yang | no | yes | with line 5, no response | Feng Lei Yi (hexagram number 42) |
| 3 | Third Six | yin | no | no | with line 6, has response | Feng Tian Xiao Chu (hexagram number 9) |
| 4 | Fourth Six | yin | yes | no | with line 1, has response | Tian Ze Li (hexagram number 10) |
| 5 | Nine Five | yang | yes | yes | with line 2, no response | Shan Ze Sun (hexagram number 41) |
| 6 | Top Nine | yang | no | no | with line 3, has response | Shui Ze Jie (hexagram number 60) |
What should be kept in mind when reading the Trung Phu hexagram?
What the hexagram statement and line statements emphasize is not a large offering or a grand promise, but the truth within. Wang Bi's commentary on the Top Nine line said plainly: when trust reaches its end it declines, when inner sincerity is lost and outward ornament is displayed, then correctness too is destroyed. Zhu Xi's commentary on that line also says: trust that is not in a place worthy of trust yet does not know to change is like a rooster wanting to rise to heaven.
One point to keep in mind: the line statements of Trung Phu carry the social standards of ancient times, such as the emphasis on keeping faith in relations between ruler and minister, master and servant, and the ways of speaking about a horse leaving the herd or the moon passing its full phase. It is better read to understand historical context than applied verbatim to life today.
The schools of I Ching commentary do not agree with one another on many points, especially on how to understand the phrase "đồn ngư cát" in the hexagram statement. This article presents the words of Wang Bi's commentary and Zhu Xi's (Zhou Yi Ben Yi) commentary where they appear in the sources consulted, and does not assert which is absolutely correct. Readers should consult multiple sources and check for themselves.
