Hexagram 27 Yi - Complete Guide Part 4: Philosophy — Nourishment in Confucian, Taoist, and Classical Thought
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 27 Yi - Complete Guide Part 4: Philosophy — Nourishment in Confucian, Taoist, and Classical Thought
Yi raises one of the most fundamental questions of moral and philosophical life: what is the nature of genuine nourishment, and how does the person of genuine inner virtue choose what to nourish themselves with and what to nourish others with? The Confucian tradition, the Taoist tradition, and classical Chinese philosophy each offer a distinct and complementary answer.
The Confucian Reading: Careful Speech and Temperate Living
Shen Du (慎獨): Watchfulness Over Oneself as the Foundation of Genuine Nourishment
The Confucian concept of shen du — watchfulness over oneself, the genuine self-examination that is the foundation of genuine self-cultivation — is the philosophical foundation of Yi. The Great Learning: “What is meant by making the will sincere is the allowing no self-deception.” The genuine nourishment of Yi is the Confucian shen du: the genuine watchfulness over what we nourish ourselves with, the genuine self-examination that does not allow self-deception about the quality of our nourishment. The person who practices shen du — who watches over what they nourish themselves with without self-deception — finds the genuine nourishment that genuine inner virtue requires.
Zheng Ming (正名): The Rectification of Names and the Careful Use of Words
The Confucian concept of zheng ming — the rectification of names, the careful use of words that is the foundation of genuine social order — is the philosophical foundation of Yi's most important practical teaching: the superior man is careful about his words. The Analects: “If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be accomplished.” The careful speech of Yi is the Confucian zheng ming: the genuine rectification of names that makes genuine communication and genuine social order possible. The person who is careful about their words — who uses words with genuine precision and genuine care — nourishes others with genuine truth.
The Paradox of Confucian Nourishment: We Become What We Nourish Ourselves With
The deepest Confucian insight of Yi is the paradox of genuine nourishment as the foundation of genuine character: we become what we nourish ourselves with. The person who nourishes themselves with genuine inner virtue — who is careful about their words, temperate in eating and drinking, mindful of what they take in and what they give out — becomes a person of genuine inner virtue. This is the Confucian paradox of Yi: genuine nourishment is not merely the sustenance of the body but the formation of genuine character.
The Taoist Reading: Natural Nourishment and the Valley Spirit
Zi Ran (自然): Natural Nourishment as the Foundation of Genuine Life
The Taoist concept of zi ran — natural spontaneity, the genuine nourishment that arises naturally from genuine inner virtue without artificial effort or calculation — is the philosophical foundation of Yi. The Tao Te Ching: “The Tao nourishes without striving.” (Chapter 81) The genuine nourishment of Yi is the Taoist zi ran: the genuine nourishment that arises naturally from genuine inner virtue, the pure natural nourishment that sustains all things without striving. The person who nourishes themselves naturally — who receives genuine nourishment without grasping and gives genuine nourishment without depletion — finds the genuine nourishment that genuine life requires.
Gu Shen (谷神): The Valley Spirit as the Image of Genuine Nourishment
The Taoist concept of gu shen — the valley spirit, the genuine receptivity of the valley that receives all things without discrimination and nourishes all things without depletion — is the philosophical foundation of Yi's supreme teaching: the source of nourishment (Line 6). The valley spirit of the Tao Te Ching is the Taoist expression of Yi's Line 6: the person who has become the source of genuine nourishment for all beings, who nourishes all beings from the hilltop without depletion, who receives all things without discrimination and gives all things without grasping.
Classical Chinese Philosophy: What We Nourish Ourselves With and What We Become
The Invariant Constant of Yi: Nourishment as the Foundation of All Genuine Character
The classical Chinese philosophy of Yi is the philosophy of genuine nourishment as the foundation of all genuine character: we become what we nourish ourselves with. The invariant constant of Yi is not the nourishment itself but the natural consequence of genuine nourishment: the person who nourishes themselves with genuine inner virtue naturally becomes a person of genuine inner virtue; the person who nourishes themselves with what is not genuine naturally becomes a person of what is not genuine.
Yi and Da Guo (Preponderance of the Great, Hexagram 28) together express one of the I Ching's most important invariant constants: the natural cycle of genuine nourishment and genuine great preponderance. The genuine nourishment that sustains genuine inner virtue (Yi) naturally leads to the genuine great preponderance that genuine inner virtue makes possible (Da Guo); the genuine great preponderance of Da Guo naturally requires the genuine nourishment of Yi to sustain it.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1: The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2: The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Yi in Practice
- Part 4 (This Article): Philosophy — Nourishment in Confucian, Taoist, and Classical Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Mindful Nourishment, Careful Speech, Temperate Living
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Nutritional Science, Mindfulness Research, Conscious Consumption
Keywords: hexagram 27 philosophy, yi confucian, yi taoist, nourishment confucianism i ching, shen du watchfulness yi, zheng ming rectification names, zi ran natural nourishment, gu shen valley spirit yi, yi invariant constant, 64 hexagrams philosophy, yi complete guide, i ching nourishment philosophy, mountain thunder philosophy, we become what we nourish, classical chinese philosophy i ching
