Mmm. Back for more Chinese culture.

Like the last couple of hexagrams, this hexagram is associated with a tai chi movement -- in this case, fist under the elbow, which goes something like this. For Da Liu, the upper trigram ken represents fingers, and the lower trigram zhen (as previously) indicates a foot ready to kick. Both nuclear trigrams are kun, the earth, which is linked to both things that are hidden and the belly (where seeds sprout and where food goes). Thus, if you follow the symbolism in terms of fighting, this hexagram suggests a simultaneous hidden fist and kick -- and the verse for the fourth line suggests keeping a keen eye on your opponent, in case of just such a simultaneous attack.

What's the character mean?
The character for yi consists of a mouth eating food next to a head wearing a do-rag up top and a pair of legs at the bottom. It used to be translated as "jaws," says Master Huang, but the fact that the mouth is eating and that it's next to a whole person (with the focus on the mouth, in the middle of that big head) really brings focus onto the idea of eating for nourishment -- physical and spiritual.

What's on the top?
The outer trigram is ken (or gen), the mountain. Steadfast. Tall. An upthrusting of earthy yin into heavenly yang.

What's on the bottom?
The inner trigram is zhen, thunder, the deep, rattling boom in the sky.

What's in the guts?
The nuclear trigrams are both kun, the secretive, nurturing earth, where seeds grow.

What's it from far away?
The Judgement and Image verses are concerned with, in essence, variations on "you are what you eat" and "put your money where your mouth is." In other words, this hexagram is advising you to be careful about what you eat and pay attention to what you say (and what the people around you eat and say) -- this is how true superiority is revealed. Wilhelm says of the Image verse:

This is an image of providing nourishment through movement and tranquility. The superior man takes it as a pattern for the nourishment and cultivation of his character. Words are a movement going from within outward. Eating and drinking are movements from without inward. Both kinds of movement can be modified by tranquility.

What's it saying up close?
As mentioned above, the fourth Lines verse warns you to watch for a simultaneous attack -- spying with sharp eyes, watching for a tiger. This is one of many adventures faced on a quest for the "source of nourishment". The first few verses are rather grim, actually, describing the loss of a "magic tortoise" (I have some guesses what this might be in Chinese, but am not sure -- Wilhelm just says it's a powerful creature that lives on air, needing no other food), losing your own sustenance and seeking it from others, then intentionally turning away from good nourishment (it's a warning about junk food from ancient China!). Finally, they give the advice: seek advice from others and don't take on any big projects when you're hungry. Save that for after you've got the knowledge to sustain yourself.


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_{I'm using the Wilhelm/Baynes translation from the comprehensive Wengu collection or the user-friendly Eclectic Energies site, and I'm taking the character translations from Alfred Huang's The Complete I Ching. Feel like going deeper? Check out Hong Kong's Taoist Culture & Information Centre's I Ching page, and the essays & reviews on Ma Xia's Yijing Page.}