Decrease (損, Sǔn) is hexagram 41 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, in
the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Mountain (☶) above Lake
(☱).
Meaning of hexagram 41
Reducing the outer to strengthen the inner. A modest, sincere offering
carries more weight than a lavish one.
Advice
Cut back on the unnecessary and give sincerely, not extravagantly.
The two trigrams
Decrease places ☶ Mountain (Gèn), still, steady and restrained, above
☱ Lake (Duì), joyful, open and pleasing. The lower trigram is the inner
side of the situation and the upper one its outer side.
Hexagram
41. Decrease
Chinese name
損 Sǔn
Upper trigram
☶ Mountain (Gèn)
Lower trigram
☱ Lake (Duì)
Lines
3 yang (solid) and 3 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
41 of 64 (King Wen order)
The six lines of Decrease
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. In a reading, a changing
line (a 6 or a 9 in the three-coin method) draws attention to its
position.
First line(yang, solid): the beginning. The root
of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet
shown itself.
Second line(yang, solid): the inner circle. Your
immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close
range.
Third line(yin, broken): the threshold. A point
of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push
forward.
Fourth line(yin, broken): the approach. Stepping
into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good
relationships matter here.
Fifth line(yin, broken): the center of power. The
place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most
fully expressed.
Sixth line(yang, solid): the culmination. The far
edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.