Hexagram 27. Nourishment (頤 Yí)

Trigrams

Above

☶ Gèn (Mountain) — 山 · Stillness

Below

☳ Zhèn (Thunder) — 雷 · Arousing

Symbolic Meaning

頤 (Yí) concerns what is taken in and what is expressed. It describes the system of intake, processing, and output that sustains life and action.

Judgment

Original Chinese:
頤，貞吉。觀頤，自求口實。
(Yí, zhēn jí. Guān yí, zì qiú kǒu shí.)

"Nourishment. Correct alignment leads to a favorable outcome. Observe nourishment, and seek what fills the mouth for yourself."

This hexagram directs attention to both intake and source. What is taken in must be examined, and its origin understood.

Sustenance must ultimately be secured by oneself, not passively received or misdirected.

Image

Original Chinese:
山下有雷，頤。君子以慎言語，節飲食。
(Shān xià yǒu léi, yí. Jūn zǐ yǐ shèn yán yǔ, jié yǐn shí.)

"Thunder stirs beneath the mountain: nourishment. The superior person is careful in speech and measured in food and drink."

Thunder initiates movement; the mountain contains it. This reflects controlled intake and controlled expression.

Speech and consumption are parallel systems—both must be governed to maintain balance.

Line 1

Original Chinese:
舍爾靈龜，觀我朵頤，凶。
(Shě ěr líng guī, guān wǒ duǒ yí, xiōng.)

"Abandoning your guiding source, you watch another with open mouth. Unfavorable outcome."

The “spirit tortoise” represents an internal source of sustenance or guidance. Abandoning it leads to dependency.

Fixating on others for nourishment breaks autonomy and leads to imbalance.

Line 2

Original Chinese:
顛頤，拂經，于丘頤，征凶。
(Diān yí, fú jīng, yú qiū yí, zhēng xiōng.)

"Disturbed nourishment, deviating from the proper channel. Seeking sustenance from the heights. Moving forward brings unfavorable outcome."

Nourishment is misaligned—taken from the wrong place or in the wrong way.

Attempting to advance under these conditions leads to failure.

Line 3

Original Chinese:
拂頤，貞凶，十年勿用，无攸利。
(Fú yí, zhēn xiōng, shí nián wù yòng, wú yōu lì.)

"Rejecting nourishment. Correct alignment leads to an unfavorable outcome. For ten cycles, do not engage. No direction is favorable."

The system refuses what sustains it. This is a structural error, not a temporary imbalance.

Persistence in this condition leads to prolonged dysfunction.

Line 4

Original Chinese:
顛頤，吉。虎視眈眈，其欲逐逐，无咎。
(Diān yí, jí. Hǔ shì dān dān, qí yù zhú zhú, wú jiù.)

"Disturbed nourishment. Favorable outcome. Focused attention like a hunting tiger. No error."

Nourishment is corrected through precise attention. The tiger image reflects disciplined focus.

When intake is properly directed, balance is restored.

Line 5

Original Chinese:
拂經，居貞吉，不可涉大川。
(Fú jīng, jū zhēn jí, bù kě shè dà chuān.)

"Deviation from the proper channel. Correct alignment leads to a favorable outcome. It is not suitable to undertake a major transition."

There is still misalignment, but stability can be maintained by not advancing.

Large actions amplify imbalance and should be avoided.

Line 6

Original Chinese:
由頤，厲吉，利涉大川。
(Yóu yí, lì jí, lì shè dà chuān.)

"Nourishment is properly directed. Risk present, but it leads to favorable outcome. It is favorable to undertake a major transition."

The system of intake and output is now correct. Movement becomes possible again.

Even with risk, properly aligned nourishment supports major action.