Hexagram 27: Nourishment → Hexagram 31: Influence

Nourishment
Mountain / Thunder
Influence
Lake / Mountain
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Line 1

初九 舍爾靈龜。觀我朶頤。凶。

shěforsake
ěryour
língspirit
guītortoise
guānand
me
duǒhanging open
with hungry mouth
xiōngunfortunate

Nine at the beginning means: You let your magic tortoise go, And look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping. Misfortune.

Line 3

六三 拂頤。貞凶。十年勿用。无攸利。

dismissing
the hungry mouth
zhēnpersistence
xiōngis unfortunate
shífor ten
niányears
not to be
yònguseful
this is no
yōua direction
with merit

Six in the third place means: Turning away from nourishment. Perseverance brings misfortune. Do not act thus for ten years. Nothing serves to further.

Line 4

六四 顛頤。吉。虎視眈眈。其欲逐逐。无咎。

diānabnormal
appetite
is promising
the tiger
shìlooks
dānstaring
dānand staring
with its own
passion
zhúis to hunt
zhúand give chase
but no
jiùblame

Six in the fourth place means: Turning to the summit For provision of nourishment Brings good fortune. Spying about with sharp eyes Like a tiger with insatiable craving. No blame.

Line 5

六五 拂經。居貞吉。不可涉大川。

dismissing
jīngthe norms
to practice
zhēnpersistence
is promising
but one is not
suited
shèto
the great
chuānstream

Six in the fifth place means: Turning away from the path. To remain persevering brings good fortune. One should not cross the great water.

Line 6

上九 由頤。厲吉。利涉大川。

yóuat
the appetites
distress
but promising
it is worthwhile
shèto cross
the great
chuānstream

Nine at the top means: The source of nourishment. Awareness of danger brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramMountain LakeKeeping Still → The Joyous
Lower TrigramThunder MountainThe Arousing → Keeping Still

Yilin Verse

喜笑不常,失其福慶。口辟言𤴾,行者畏忌。

Joy and laughter do not last; blessings and good fortune are lost. The mouth gapes, speech grows rash; travelers grow wary and afraid.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Mountain over thunder yields to lake over mountain — Influence, the mutual attraction of opposites. Laughter and joy are inconstant; blessings and good fortune slip away. The mouth gapes open in crooked speech, and travelers grow wary and avoid the path. The verse presents influence corrupted: what should attract instead repels. The open mouth that should nourish instead produces twisted words, driving others away. From Nourishment to Influence, the transformation inverts: the lake above the mountain should draw things upward through gentle receptivity, but here the mouth's misuse — erratic moods and distorted speech — makes all influence poisonous. Travelers, who depend on hospitality, flee from this corrupted welcome.

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