27. Nourishment 頤
Yi · Thunder over Mountain
The Judgment
Pay attention to what you take in and what you put out—food, words, information, influences. Right nourishment means choosing carefully what sustains you and others, and being mindful of how you speak and feed your mind. Watch where people seek their sustenance: how someone nourishes themselves and others reveals who they truly are.
The Image
Like a mountain above stirring movement at the base—an open mouth—the wise person is careful with their words and disciplined about what they consume.
What it means
Nourishment asks you to examine your inputs and outputs. What you eat, read, watch, and listen to shapes you; what you say shapes others. Both deserve real care.
Notice whether you are feeding yourself well or filling up on what depletes you. The same goes for the company you keep and the ideas you absorb. Choose sources that genuinely sustain.
This hexagram also points to providing for others. Nourishing the right people, in the right way, is a sign of good character—while seeking nourishment through greedy or undignified means erodes it. Mind both the mouth that takes in and the mouth that speaks.
Love and relationships
Tend to what you give and receive emotionally; healthy relationships are built on mutual, considered nourishment rather than taking or depleting.
Career and decisions
Be deliberate about what skills and information you feed yourself and how you communicate—careful intake and speech build a sustainable reputation.
The six lines
- 1. Six at the beginning
Ignoring your own real sources of strength while enviously eyeing what others have leads nowhere good. Stop comparing and tend to your own nourishment.
When changing: A changing line warns against abandoning your own resources out of envy.
- 2. Six in the second place
Seeking support in the wrong direction—either grasping downward or reaching above your place—throws you off balance. Misplaced dependence brings trouble.
When changing: Changing here flags that you're looking for sustenance in the wrong place.
- 3. Nine in the third place
Pursuing nourishment in a way that goes against what's healthy will not satisfy, no matter how long you chase it. Turn away from this path.
When changing: A changing line strongly advises abandoning an unhealthy source of gratification.
- 4. Nine in the fourth place
Reaching out for the right kind of support, even hungrily, is fine when your aim is sound. Seeking good nourishment with focus brings benefit.
When changing: Changing here blesses an earnest search for genuine, worthy support.
- 5. Six in the fifth place
You may need to depend on someone stronger and stay within your limits rather than striking out alone. Accept guidance and remain steady.
When changing: A changing line counsels relying on a capable other and not overreaching.
- 6. Six at the top
Becoming the source that nourishes many is weighty work, but doing it with awareness brings great good. Take the responsibility seriously and the way opens.
When changing: Changing here calls you to step into the role of provider with care and clarity.
頤 Nourishment
Cast this for your questionOn-page guidance is original modern synthesis for reflection, informed by the public-domain Legge text. It is not a reproduction of any copyrighted translation, and not a prediction.