䷚NourishmentYí

The judgment

贞吉。观颐，自求口实

The jaw moves under a still head: what goes in, and who puts it there, is the whole question. A bad diet costs more than a smaller one.

The image

Thunder stirs under the mountain and the mountain does not move. What you take in shapes you more than what you say.

The six lines

Read from the bottom up. A line that moves is read here, and read again in the hexagram it becomes.

1. 初九Line 1

   舍尔灵龟，观我朵颐，凶

   Eyes fixed on another's bowl, setting aside the one thing that could feed you long-term — a wrong reference point at the very start.

   Marked in the textominous

2. 六二Line 2

   颠颐，拂经，于丘颐，征凶

   Seeking food downward but bypassing your own proper path, then turning to higher ground for sustenance — the direction has already slipped.

   Marked in the textominous

3. 六三Line 3

   拂颐，贞凶，十年勿用，无攸利

   Stuck at the inner limit, neither out nor in, the channel of nourishment twisted by your own hand — no leverage either way.

   Marked in the textominousnothing is served

4. 六四Line 4

   颠颐吉，虎视眈眈，其欲逐逐，无咎

   Close to the seat of power and wary, you lower yourself to draw supply from above, watching hard and wanting fast — the position still holds.

   Marked in the textauspiciousno blame

5. 六五Line 5

   拂经，居贞吉，不可涉大川

   In the main seat but acting off the usual track, holding your place is the steadier move; this is no time to push toward distant ends.

   Marked in the textauspicious

6. 上九Line 6

   由颐，厉吉，利涉大川

   At the very end, the burden of provision lands on you; the closer to closing, the more vigilance it takes — and the far crossing becomes passable.

   Marked in the textdangerauspicious

Where each changing line leads

Flip one line and it is a different hexagram. These are the six it becomes.

• 初九→Splitting ApartHexagram 23
• 六二→DecreaseHexagram 41
• 六三→GraceHexagram 22
• 六四→Biting ThroughHexagram 21
• 六五→IncreaseHexagram 42
• 上九→ReturnHexagram 24