Sun 山澤損
A time when less is more
It may look like a loss now, but letting go pays later. Reduce your greed and your load.
What does I Ching hexagram 41 (Decrease) mean?
Reducing below to benefit above. Sincerity in accepting a small loss ends up profitable.
- Decrease in love
- Yielding a little for the other person grows the relationship.
- Decrease at work and with money
- Accept a small loss to gain greater trust.
- Advice
- Trim what should be trimmed and add sincerity.
The judgment and the image
Judgment · Decrease
Very auspicious“Sincerity and supreme good fortune. No blame, one can persevere, it is fitting to undertake something. How should it be done? Two simple bowls are enough for the offering.”
The Image: A lake at the foot of the mountain: decrease. The noble person controls anger and restrains desire.
原文 · 有孚，元吉。无咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享。 / 山下有澤，損；君子以懲忿窒欲。
The six lines of hexagram 41
Lines are read from the bottom up. When you cast a reading and a line is changing, its statement becomes the key message.
Line 1 · 初九
No blame“Stopping one’s own affairs to go quickly; no blame. Consider how much to reduce.”
Help quickly when needed, and weigh how much to give.
原文 · 祀事遄往，无咎，酌損之。
Line 2 · 九二
Misfortune“It is fitting to persevere; going forward brings misfortune. Without reducing yourself, you increase others.”
Hold firm; don’t overextend yourself for others.
原文 · 利貞，征凶，弗損益之。
Line 3 · 六三
Neutral“When three people walk together, one is lost; when one walks alone, he finds a friend.”
Three is a crowd. One-to-one connection works best.
原文 · 三人行，則損一人；一人行，則得其友。
Line 4 · 六四
No blame“Reduce your illness; let joy come quickly; no blame.”
Getting rid of a fault brings quick relief.
原文 · 損其疾，使遄有喜，无咎。
Line 5 · 六五
Very auspicious“Someone adds to you; a tortoise shell worth ten strings of cowries cannot refuse: supreme good fortune.”
A great gift arrives that you simply can’t turn down. Lucky.
原文 · 或益之，十朋之龜弗克違，元吉。
Line 6 · 上九
Very auspicious“Without reducing, increase; no blame, perseverance brings good fortune. It is fitting to undertake something; one gains servants without a household.”
Benefiting others without loss to yourself, with wide support.
原文 · 弗損益之，无咎，貞吉，利有攸往，得臣无家。
Related hexagrams
- Opposite hexagram (every line flipped): 31. Xian (Influence)
- Reversed hexagram (turned upside down): 42. Yi (Increase)
The classical text is in the public domain; the English translations and readings are our own, for reflection and entertainment.