ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author explores the processes of change and balance as reflected in the hexagrams for the contemporary reader. The name of the hexagram, taken from the firm and yielding lines that resemble an open mouth, suggests that we are considering a very ordinary, human feature and its activities, eating and speaking, taking in and giving out. The structure of the hexagram emphasizes the importance of these considerations. This hexagram, therefore, represents the beginning of all motion and the ending, or perfecting, of it. As our words leave our mouths they take on a life of their own; they may give rise to actions for which we will bear some responsibility, for we have nourished the growth of something in speaking. The words that we speak may come out thoughtlessly, with little awareness of their potential to harm or to nurture, or they may be chosen with care.
