Hexagram 27: The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment) (頤 Yí) — I Ching Guide

Q: What is I Ching Hexagram 27 (頤 The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment))?

I Ching Hexagram 27, 頤 (Yí), represents The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment). It is formed by Mountain (艮 Gèn) above, Thunder (震 Zhèn) below. The core teaching of this hexagram is captured in its Judgment: 'The Corners of the Mouth. Perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment and to what a man seeks to fill his own mouth with....'

Q: What does the Image of Hexagram 27 mean?

The Image states: 'At the foot of the mountain, thunder: the image of Providing Nourishment. Thus the superior man is careful of his words and temperate in eating and drinking.' This teaches that the superior person responds to the hexagram's situation by cultivating the corresponding inner quality.

Q: How do the six lines of Hexagram 27 develop its meaning?

The six lines trace a progression through the hexagram's situation. Starting from the bottom (Line 1) through Line 6, each position reveals a different aspect of how The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment) manifests — from initial stirrings to the final outcome. Key lines include the ruler of the hexagram and the culminating line.

Q: What is the relationship between Hexagram 27 and other hexagrams?

Hexagram 27 (The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment)) follows Hexagram 26 in the traditional King Wen sequence, forming a meaningful progression. Its nuclear hexagram and opposite/complementary hexagram provide additional dimensions of meaning.

Oriens

頤

Yí — Hexagram 27

The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment)

Mountain (艮 Gèn) above, Thunder (震 Zhèn) below

Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens

Summary

I Ching Hexagram 27, 頤 (Yí), represents The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment). Formed by Mountain (艮 Gèn) above, Thunder (震 Zhèn) below, this hexagram teaches about the corners of the mouth (providing nourishment). The core message: The Corners of the Mouth. Perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment and to what a man seeks to fill his own mouth with..

Key Takeaways

Hexagram 27 is formed by Mountain (艮 Gèn) above, Thunder (震 Zhèn) below, combining two of the eight trigrams into a unique archetypal situation
The Judgment reveals the hexagram's core teaching through a concise, oracular statement
The six lines trace a progression from initial conditions through to the culmination and outcome
The Image connects the natural symbolism of the trigrams to the conduct of the superior person
This hexagram's wisdom applies to modern situations involving

The Judgment

The Corners of the Mouth. Perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment and to what a man seeks to fill his own mouth with.

— I Ching, The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment)

The Image

At the foot of the mountain, thunder: the image of Providing Nourishment. Thus the superior man is careful of his words and temperate in eating and drinking.

— I Ching, Image

The Six Lines

Line 1: Line 1: You let your magic tortoise go, and look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping. Misfortune.

Line 2: Line 2: Turning to the summit for nourishment, deviating from the path to seek nourishment from the hill. Continuing to do this brings misfortune.

Line 3: Line 3: Turning away from nourishment. Perseverance brings misfortune. Do not act thus for ten years. Nothing serves to further.

Line 4: Line 4: Turning to the summit for provision brings good fortune. Spying about with sharp eyes like a tiger with insatiable craving. No blame.

Line 5: Line 5: Turning away from the path. To remain persevering brings good fortune. One should not cross the great water.

Line 6: Line 6: The source of nourishment. Awareness of danger brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.

Modern Application

Hexagram 27 is about nourishment — physical, intellectual, and spiritual. The image of a mouth (the open space between the top and bottom trigrams) receives what sustains it. The hexagram teaches that we become what we consume: the quality of what we take in determines the quality of what we become. Line 1's magic tortoise represents innate wisdom abandoned for inferior nourishment. The teaching extends beyond food to media consumption, relationships, ideas, and environments. In modern terms, the Corners of the Mouth applies to diet, information diet, financial sustenance, and the deliberate cultivation of what feeds the mind and spirit.

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