Nourishment (頤) — Hexagram 27

Judgment · 卦辞

Nourishment. Perseverance brings good fortune. Observe nourishment. Seek your own food from the mouth.

頤，貞吉。觀頤，自求口實。

Commentary on the Judgment · 彖传

Nourishment. Perseverance brings good fortune; nurturing what is correct brings good fortune.

頤貞吉，養正則吉也。

Image · 象传

Thunder at the foot of the mountain: nourishment. The wise person is careful with words and moderate in eating and drinking.

山下有雷，頤。君子以慎言語，節飲食。

Six Lines · 六爻

Line 1 ⚊

You abandon your sacred tortoise and watch my moving jaws. Misfortune.

舍爾靈龜，觀我朵頤，凶。

Watching me open my mouth, it is not worthy of esteem.

觀我朵頤，亦不足貴也。

Line 2 ⚋

Turning nourishment upside down, leaving the way to seek it on the hill — advancing brings misfortune.

顛頤拂經于丘頤，征凶。

Six in the second: advance brings disaster, action loses its kind.

六2征凶，行失类也。

Line 3 ⚋

Going against nourishment — perseverance brings misfortune. Do not act for ten years. Nothing furthering.

拂頤貞凶，十年勿用，无攸利。

For ten years do nothing, the Way is greatly opposed.

十年勿用，道大悖也。

Line 4 ⚋

Turning nourishment upside down is good fortune here — the tiger's glaring eye, desire chasing desire — no blame.

顛頤吉，虎視眈眈，其欲逐逐，无咎。

The blessing of the inverted jaw, above bestows radiance.

顛頤之吉，上施光也。

Line 5 ⚋

Leaving the way but dwelling in perseverance — good fortune. Do not cross the great river.

拂經居貞吉，不可涉大川。

Good fortune in staying true comes from yielding to what is above.

居貞之吉，順以從上也。

Line 6 ⚊

The source of nourishment — danger, then good fortune. Favorable to cross the great river.

由頤厲吉，利涉大川。

Following nourishment brings danger and good fortune, a great celebration.

由頤厲吉，大有庆也。

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