I've always thought of Hex 27 as dealing with input - not food (although it can be that) but ideas that you're feeding on. But now it seems to me that Hex 27 can also cover the much more important area of unconscious assumptions. Unconscious assumptions aren't new input, but they determine the nature of our input - we see things in particular ways because of them.

Whatcha think?

Hi
One of the ways that I interpret hexagram 27 is addictions. This could be food but often it is drugs, and even sex, gambling, meditation or codependency. In other words, hexagram 27 is the 12 step program of the IC.

Hexagram one, the image of a tortoise. We think of the tortoise in western world as something slow but sure. But in the IC sense, it is the ability to withdraw all your limbs and head into the inner world.

So line one is that you lost your childlike ability to feed on the creative juice of chi energy or the Tao. Instead, you become dependent on some outer world drug and now you must have it. That drug is anything that can make you hanker for it and forget that we have all we need within to nourish our souls. Like Jesus said "it is not what you put in your mouth but everything that utter forth from it".

Line two seems to really push this idea to the point where you have totally forgotten how to regenerate yourself through meditation and are looking for an 'unnatural high'. The Buddhist sitting meditation is really designed to get us back to the point of becoming aware of the here and now and not looking for 'highs' in the horizontal field of life. This might even have to do with wanting excitement all the time and not accepting the hum drum of ordinary existence.

I think line three shows where one gets totally depleted when all he does is look outward for what is really within. But line four brings us to a point where we are so hungry for real nourishment, actually starved for it (looking around like a starved tiger) that we finally seek out good things that will bring us back to our correct path. Line five seems to me to be saying that we are handicapped by a chronic notion that the answers always lie 'out there' and so we need a guru or some spiritual helper, the Sage, to help us get back on track. This is like learning to realize the Tao in everyday life which takes us to line 6 where we have once again found where the source is.

Hex. 27 seems to be very related to hex. 48. In 48 I see the bucket and the rope coming up the well as the chi energy going up the chakras to the top chakra, where we are totally fulfilled in every way. Any leak at different points of our chakras will allow our chi energy to leak away and this is unfortunate. If the chi energy can be brought up to the crown chakra without hindrance or 'leaks' we not only fulfill ourselves, but we are a source of fulfillment to everyone else, like the avatar and the Sage.
P.

Yeah, the top three lines are all fortunate, and the bottom three lines are all unfortunate.

And I've seen the possibility of the lines referring to spiritual nourishment (although I don't think the Yi has a spiritual focus or agenda primarily - I think it's a pretty broadband orace - I think it can apply and adapt to a variety of situations very flexibly, spirituality being one of them).

What I'm wondering about is the possibility of nourishment being seen as the impressions we take in because of unconscious assumptions about the way things are: some people tend to have suspicious natures, for example, so they'll see things in a suspicious light; some people have domineering natures, so they'll see things in a different way; others are accommodating and meek, and so they'll see things (take impressions in) in a third way. And so on.

But since you raised the issue of the six lines of Hex 27, here's a question for you regarding 27.6 in the context of your interpretation. Why the 'danger' valuation in that line, do you think? Is it because it's dangerous getting too close the source as direct nourishment? A danger of getting burned?

Hi Dobro
"Is it because it's dangerous getting too close the source as direct nourishment? A danger of getting burned?"

My favorite personal picture of 27.6: The missionary in cannibal land, feeding their hungry souls, far across the great stream, in danger of being FOOD.

It's still a metaphor, but I really am serious.

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The missionary in cannibal land, feeding their hungry souls, far across the great stream, in danger of being FOOD<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmm... I wonder if a missionary in cannibal land qualifies as "white meat" for the health conscious of the bunch...



Luis

I'm not sure if this hex speaks specifically of impressions, but I can see where it would be affected by them. Certain impressions could even prevent us from obtaining the nourishment we need, in which case you might get this hex as a warning that you were neglecting your nourishment.

As to the type of nourishment I think it speaks of all kinds, physical, mental and spiritual. You would get this hex if you were on an unhealthy diet, spending too much time watching mindless tv or separating yourself from your spiritual path, whatever it may be.

Bradford, great analogy for line 6. White meat, cute Luis. I think the danger can also be more subtle. I see line 6 as someone who is responsible for nourishing other people, which indicates dependency. There is always danger when people depend on you, if you fail, it is not only you who suffers. I wonder too, though, if this could be a warning not to be too dependant on someone else, to take responsibility for yourself. just a thought

Seeker-
The dependency thing is a most excellent observation for this line. Give a man a fish ...
or: Biting the hand that feeds them

Luis-
Mormons - the other white meat.

27 - I can get no satisfaction.
So I eat and eat and eat. And become overweight. Physically, emotionally, intellectually.
I've eaten so much, I'm so fat that I can hardly move anymore. But I'm still hungry.
There is this big hole inside me.
I can get no satisfaction ...

I think there's a certain sense of limitation in this Hex. The movement (Thunder) meets the limits/arresting force (Mountain).

So you hit the point where you've got to stop your progress, and stopping is good - this is kind of in line with what Martin is saying.

To quote Star Trek (forgive me): Too much of anything is bad, even Love.

Of course, not enough is bad, too.

- Jeff