I Ching hexagram 41
I Ching hexagram 41: Decrease
损 sǔn · a mountain above a lake
The lake lies low beneath the mountain: give up a little now, sincerely, and two plain bowls will be enough.
- The judgment
- With sincerity: great good fortune, no harm. You can hold to it and go forward. What should be offered? Two plain bowls of grain are enough.
"In (what is denoted by) Sun, if there be sincerity (in him who employs it), there will be great good fortune: freedom from error; firmness and correctness that can be maintained; and advantage in every movement that shall be made. In what shall this (sincerity in the exercise of Sun) be employed? (Even) in sacrifice two baskets of grain, (though there be nothing else), may be presented."
- What it says to you
- The lake sits at the foot of the mountain and gives up its water to feed the slopes above. That is Decrease: something taken from below to strengthen what is higher. It sounds like loss, and it is, but the judgment is surprisingly bright. With sincerity, great good fortune. Its famous image is about ritual: what should you offer in lean times? Two plain bowls of grain are enough. The size of the gift matters less than meaning it. So if you are cutting back, spending less, giving time, letting go of an extra commitment, do it willingly and plainly. Trim your own excess first, as the fourth line trims its illness. Three people traveling lose one; one alone finds a friend. Choose one thing to give up this week, and give it up without resentment.
Matter by matter
- Love
- Simplify. Less display, more sincerity. Cut what crowds the relationship and a closer bond follows.
- Work
- Lean times or cutbacks. Put resources where they truly matter; humble effort is noticed.
- Money
- Spend less, save more. Reduce excess willingly; a modest outlay now brings good fortune later.
- A yes or no question
- Yes, with a condition: proceed simply and sincerely, without extravagance.
The six lines of Decrease
A hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first line is the lowest. You read a line's text only when your cast made it a moving line.
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Bottom line, solid
Drop your own affairs and hurry to help; no mistake. But weigh how much to take from yourself.
Someone needs you and you can go quickly. Help them, but think about how much to give. Generosity that leaves you empty helps nobody for long, including the person you are helping.
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Second line, solid
Steadfastness is favorable; setting out brings misfortune. Without decreasing himself, he can increase others.
Stay where you are and keep your integrity. You don't need to sacrifice yourself to be useful here. Simply being steady benefits others more than any grand gesture would.
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Third line, broken
When three people travel together, they lose one. When one travels alone, he finds a friend.
A crowd is too many and a pair works. If you are in a triangle, someone will drop out. If you are alone, a companion is coming. Make room for one true partner.
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Fourth line, broken
He lessens his illness by having someone hurry over, and there is joy. No mistake.
Admit your weakness or fault and cut it down. As soon as you do, help arrives quickly and things lighten. Being honest about the problem is half of the cure.
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Fifth line, broken
Someone enriches him with a tortoise shell worth ten strings of cowries, and it cannot be refused. Great good fortune.
A gift or blessing comes that you didn't ask for and can't turn away. Accept it with grace. Once you stopped grasping, good things found their way to you instead.
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Top line, solid
Increase without decreasing anyone; no mistake. Steadfastness brings good fortune; going forward is favorable. He gains followers who belong to no single household.
You can now benefit others without anyone losing. People rally to you for the common good rather than private gain. Go forward; this support reaches well beyond your own circle.
About hexagram 41
What does I Ching hexagram 41 mean?
Hexagram 41, Decrease, puts a mountain above a lake. The lake lies low beneath the mountain: give up a little now, sincerely, and two plain bowls will be enough. Its judgment reads: With sincerity: great good fortune, no harm. You can hold to it and go forward. What should be offered? Two plain bowls of grain are enough.
Is hexagram 41 a yes or a no?
Yes, with a condition: proceed simply and sincerely, without extravagance.
What does hexagram 41 mean for love?
Simplify. Less display, more sincerity. Cut what crowds the relationship and a closer bond follows.
What does hexagram 41 mean for work?
Lean times or cutbacks. Put resources where they truly matter; humble effort is noticed.
Cast the coins for a new question , or for a straight yes or no, throw the moon blocks
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The judgment and lines are rendered from the Chinese text; the quoted judgment is Legge's 1882 translation, and every other English line is Jade Almanac's own. A cast is a prompt for reflection, not advice about health, money or the law.