What’s the Highest State of Health Preservation? Hexagram Yi Top 9 Line: "由颐，厉吉，利涉大川 (Providing Nourishment for All, Danger Turns to Good Fortune, It Furthers One to Cross the Great Water)" — From Nurturing Yourself to Nurturing More People

The Yi Hexagram (Nourishment) reaches its final line, the Nine at the Top (上九),

which is its very peak.

This line represents the highest state of the entire Yi Hexagram.

The Line Text (爻辭) reads: "由颐，厉吉，利涉大川。"

Just nine characters short,

yet they carry immense weight.

Let me break it down for you word by word.

由颐 (You Yi) — 由 (you) means "from" or "through".

由颐 means all people under heaven receive nourishment through him.

Everyone's "nourishment" comes from him.

He is the ultimate provider, the one who holds everything together.

厉吉 (Li Ji) — 厉 (li) means danger, hardship, difficulty.

吉 (ji) means good fortune, a positive outcome.

厉吉 means — the path is perilous,

but the end result is good.

Hardship first, ease later; bitterness first, sweetness after.

利涉大川 (Li She Da Chuan) — 涉大川 (she da chuan) means crossing a great river,

a metaphor for overcoming major obstacles and achieving great things.

利涉大川 means — it is fitting to undertake great endeavors,

to brave hardships, to take on high-stakes challenges.

If you go for it, you will succeed.

Putting the whole line together:

When you become the one who can nourish all under heaven,

though the journey is arduous and dangerous,

the final outcome is auspicious.

If you have this capability,

you may take on great tasks, brave great trials, and bear great responsibilities.

You see,

at the Nine at the Top, the tone shifts abruptly.

The Six in the Fifth Place (六五) still said "do not cross the great water",

but at the Nine at the Top, it becomes "it furthers one to cross the great water".

Why?

Because the position, capability, and stage are different.

The Six in the Fifth Place is a stage of preserving what has been built,

where ability is not yet sufficient,

so one must stay steady, hold ground, and not stir up trouble.

At the Nine at the Top, strength, vision, and state of being have all matured,

so one may undertake great things.

"由颐" — From "Nourishing Oneself" to "Nourishing Others"

The two characters "由颐"

are the highest state of the Yi Hexagram.

What does it mean?

Let's first look back at the six lines of the Yi Hexagram,

and how they progress step by step:

Nine at the Beginning (初九) — Don't just watch and do nothing; take action and start nurturing yourself.

This is the start of "nourishing oneself".

Six in the Second Place (六二) — Don't go astray; return to common sense, eat well and sleep well.

This is the proper path of "nourishing oneself".

Six in the Third Place (六三) — If your method is wrong, cut losses in time; don't stubbornly stick to a dead end.

This is correcting course in "nourishing oneself".

Six in the Fourth Place (六四) — Learn from those above, find the right teacher, and focus on improvement.

This is advancing in "nourishing oneself".

Six in the Fifth Place (六五) — Live in peace and uphold correctness; keep your foundation stable.

This is preserving gains in "nourishing oneself".

What about the Nine at the Top?

It is no longer about "nourishing oneself".

It is about "nourishing others".

What does nourishing others mean?

It means you first nourish yourself well,

then gain the ability to nourish, help, and uplift others.

On a small scale,

you take good care of your family,

let your parents enjoy their old age in peace,

let your children grow up healthy,

let your partner live a happy life.

This is "nourishing others".

On a larger scale,

you have your own career,

you can pay your employees,

you can create value for society,

you can help more people live better lives.

This is also "nourishing others".

On an even grander scale,

you become a leader in an industry,

or a great figure of an era,

you change the fate of many people,

you drive social progress.

This is even more so "nourishing others".

The meaning of "由颐" is —

everyone relies on you for nourishment.

You are the source, the support, the pillar.

This is the highest state of the Yi Hexagram.

The Yi Hexagram speaks of "nourishment",

starting with nourishing oneself well,

then nourishing those around you,

then nourishing even more people.

It progresses layer by layer,

finally reaching "由颐" — all under heaven are nourished through me.

That is a grand vision indeed.

"厉吉" — Glory Is Built on Hardship

However, "由颐" does not come easily.

That is why the Line Text immediately follows with "厉吉".

厉 means danger, hardship.

Why is there "厉" (hardship)?

Because the higher you stand,

the heavier the burden on your shoulders.

The more people you have to nourish,

the greater your responsibility.

When you only support yourself,

you only need to take care of your own needs.

When you support a whole family,

you have to consider everyone's daily needs.

When you support a whole company,

you are responsible for all employees and their families.

When you support the people of a region,

the burden on your shoulders is even heavier.

The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.

The higher the position, the greater the risk.

You only see the glamorous side of others,

not the pressure, risk, and torment they bear behind the scenes.

You only see how much money they make,

not how much they worry, how many problems they carry,

how many sleepless nights they go through.

This is "厉" (hardship).

It is not easy, it is difficult, it is dangerous.

One wrong step

could lead to irreversible ruin.

Then why is there also "吉" (good fortune)?

Because although it is hard,

as long as you walk the right path, endure, and do well,

the outcome will be good.

Your efforts are worthwhile.

Your responsibility will be rewarded.

What kind of reward?

Not a monetary reward,

but something more profound —

the sense of value from being needed,

the sense of achievement from helping others,

the sense of fulfillment from building something great.

These things

bring more joy than money ever could.

The two characters "厉吉"

capture the truth of life —

no one succeeds by accident.

All great achievements

come with great risk, great pressure, and great sacrifice.

How much glory you wish to attain

depends on how much cost you are willing to bear.

But as long as you hold on,

and make it through,

light awaits.

"利涉大川" — The Greater the Ability, the More You Can Bear

The last phrase is "利涉大川" (It furthers one to cross the great water).

At the Six in the Fifth Place, it said "do not cross the great water",

because ability was insufficient — don't overreach.

At the Nine at the Top, it says "it furthers one to cross the great water",

because your ability and strength are sufficient now,

you can take on greater challenges.

This is very dialectical.

The I Ching never speaks in absolutes;

it always depends on the situation.

Whatever stage, ability, and position you have,

act accordingly.

When you don't have the skill, don't meddle recklessly.

When you do have the skill, don't hold back.

Step up when the time is right.

What does "利涉大川" mean?

It means —

undertake tasks that match your ability.

How much you can bear

determines how much you can achieve.

No matter how dangerous the great river is,

if you have a boat, a steersman, and experience,

you can cross it.

Without these things,

forcing a crossing is just asking for disaster.

So what is the key in life?

Having a clear understanding of yourself.

Knowing your own limits,

knowing what stage you are at right now,

knowing what you can and cannot do.

Hold back when you should hold back,

advance when you should advance.

Hold back when you need to,

charge forward when you should.

Those who can do this

are truly formidable.

What This Means for Us

The state of the Nine at the Top of the Yi Hexagram is very lofty,

not everyone can reach the height of "由颐".

But its principles

are useful to every one of us.

I think there are three lessons.

Lesson 1: Life has levels; start by nourishing yourself well.

Many people want to do great things right away,

want to change the world, want to save all living beings.

But if you can't even support yourself,

can't even take care of your own body,

can't even sort out your own life,

what do you have to nourish others with?

"由颐" is the highest state,

but it is built step by step from the very bottom.

You have to start with the Nine at the Beginning —

take action, nourish your body well.

Then the Six in the Second Place — walk the right path, return to common sense.

Then the Six in the Third Place — correct mistakes, don't go down the wrong path.

Then the Six in the Fourth Place — learn, improve yourself.

Then the Six in the Fifth Place — preserve gains, keep your foundation stable.

Only then can you reach the Nine at the Top — have the ability to nourish more people.

Not a single step can be skipped.

Only with a solid foundation

can you build a tall building.

Only when you have figured out your own life

are you qualified to help others.

So don't rush,

take it slow.

First live your own life well,

first nourish your own body well,

first improve your own abilities.

When you are strong enough,

you can help as many people as you want.

Lesson 2: If you want to do great things, you must be able to bear great burdens.

No one succeeds easily.

How much achievement you wish to gain

requires how much effort you put in.

How high a position you wish to stand in

requires how much pressure you can bear.

Don't only see others' glory

and ignore their efforts.

Don't only envy others' gains

and refuse to bear their risks.

If you want to be a formidable person,

first ask yourself —

can you bear it?

Can you endure that hardship?

Can you shoulder that responsibility?

If you can bear it, go for it.

If you can't, don't complain.

Live your own small life steadily and contentedly —

that is also wonderful.

Everyone has their own aspirations.

Not everyone has to do great things.

Living your own small life well,

taking good care of your small family,

is just as much a successful life.

Lesson 3: The highest joy in life is "being needed".

Why do some people choose not to live a comfortable life,

but instead start businesses, push themselves, and bear so much pressure?

Because — the feeling of being needed is truly wonderful.

When you support your family,

your family needs you.

When you run a company,

your employees need you.

When you do something meaningful,

many people become better because of you.

This sense of value, achievement, and fulfillment

cannot be bought with any amount of money.

This is the joy of "由颐".

It is not about how much you possess,

but how much you can give.

It is not about what you get from the world,

but what you contribute to the world.

At a certain stage of life,

you will realize —

giving brings more joy than receiving.

Contributing brings more fulfillment than gaining.

Nourishing others is more meaningful than nourishing oneself.

This is what the final line of the Yi Hexagram tells us —

the highest state of nurturing life

is not immortality,

not eternal health.

It is —

you live well,

and you also enable more people to live better because of you.

Final Thoughts

From the Nine at the Beginning to the Nine at the Top, the Yi Hexagram

tells the whole journey of a person from "nourishing oneself" to "nourishing others".

From the initial step of taking action and starting to nurture oneself,

to walking the right path and returning to common sense,

to correcting mistakes and cutting losses in time,

to learning from others and focusing on improvement,

to living in peace, upholding correctness, and keeping the foundation stable,

and finally to 由颐 — nourishing all under heaven.

One step at a time, climbing upward,

layer by layer, rising higher.

Every step has its own truth,

every step has its own wisdom.

What stage are you at right now?

No matter what stage you are at,

it doesn't matter.

Just keep moving forward.

May you —

first nourish yourself well,

then nourish those around you.

Shine as brightly as your ability allows.

Even if you can only light up a small corner,

it is better than doing nothing at all.