Nourishment

Upper trigram: Mountain (still, resting) · Lower trigram: Thunder (arousing, stirring)

Judgment

The mountain above thunder: the shape of the mouth, meaning both nourishment and speech. This hexagram speaks of a time to watch what you take in, what you say and whose nourishment you choose. The mouth has two functions, feeding the body and producing words; measure matters in both. While nourishing others, one also needs to look after oneself.

Image

Thunder at the foot of the mountain: nourishment. The noble-minded are careful with their words and keep measure in eating and drinking.

Meaning of the six lines (bottom to top)

1. 1Line 1 (from the bottom)Leaving your own sacred tortoise to gaze at another’s feeding. Abandoning your own worth and envying others gives no pleasant result.
2. 2Line 2 (from the bottom)Leaving your own source to seek nourishment from below. Straying from your path can be an empty search.
3. 3Line 3 (from the bottom)Refusing nourishment: persisting in what is wrong brings distress. For a decade it may bring no benefit.
4. 4Line 4 (from the bottom)Turning upward to be nourished: gazing like a tiger, desiring steadily. If this drive joins with firm focus it is not counted as error.
5. 5Line 5 (from the bottom)Deviating from the usual path: steadiness is good, but crossing a great river is not yet favorable. Leaning on another’s wisdom is valuable.
6. 6Line 6 (from the bottom)The source of nourishment: perilous but good in the end. Becoming one who nourishes others brings responsibility; crossing a great river is now favorable.