Decrease
损
Upper: 艮/山 | Lower: 兑/泽
Overview
Hexagram 41, Decrease, consists of Mountain above and Lake below. The image suggests the lake giving of itself to nourish the mountain, forming the idea of reducing one part to benefit another. In the Book of Changes, decrease is not mere loss or deprivation. It means conscious restraint, simplification, and the willingness to let go of excess so that a healthier balance can emerge. Its wisdom lies in sacrificing what is secondary in order to preserve what is essential. This hexagram teaches that sincerity, moderation, and self-discipline turn apparent reduction into real blessing. One must not cling to every possession, emotion, or ambition. Instead, by reducing greed, anger, vanity, and waste, one creates space for clarity and steady progress. On a personal level, Decrease points to cultivation through self-restraint and inner refinement. In practical affairs, it suggests trimming excess, reallocating resources, and focusing on core priorities. True decrease is not collapse, but an intentional adjustment that leads to renewal, trust, and durable good fortune.
Judgment
Decrease combined with sincerity brings about supreme good fortune without blame. One may be persevering in this. It furthers one to undertake something. How is this to be carried out? One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.
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Get Decrease ReadingJudgment Commentary
The Judgment says: “Decrease. There is sincerity. Supreme good fortune. No blame. Perseverance is favorable. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go. How may this be carried out? Even two small bowls may be used for the offering.” The key phrase is sincerity. Decrease becomes auspicious only when it is rooted in honesty rather than compulsion, display, or hidden calculation. The Tuanzhuan explains: “Decrease means reducing below to benefit above; its way moves upward. Decrease with sincerity brings supreme good fortune, no blame, and favorable perseverance. Even two bowls may be used in sacrifice, for simplicity has its proper time. Decreasing the firm and increasing the yielding occurs according to time; decrease and increase, fullness and emptiness, go forward with the times.” This commentary makes clear that decrease is not blind austerity. It is a timely rebalancing. Outer forms may be simplified, yet inner devotion must remain whole. What should be reduced are excess, rigidity, pride, and waste. What should be preserved are truth, order, and purpose. Thus the hexagram teaches measured sacrifice, not self-harm: by letting go at the right time and in the right spirit, one creates conditions for genuine advance and lasting benefit.
Image
At the foot of the mountain, the lake: the image of Decrease. Thus the superior man controls his anger and restrains his instincts.
Image Commentary
The Image says: “At the foot of the mountain is the lake: the image of Decrease. Thus the superior person restrains anger and curbs desire.” The lake beneath the mountain suggests that what is below gives upward, making the mountain more stable while preventing the lake from overflowing. This is not destruction, but disciplined reallocation. From this image, the noble person learns that many human troubles come less from external shortage than from internal excess. Therefore the work of self-cultivation lies in restraining anger and limiting desire. To restrain anger is to check impulsiveness, aggression, and reactive pride. To curb desire is to reduce restless craving, vanity, and endless appetite. When these are moderated, one’s judgment becomes clearer and action becomes proportionate. The image of Decrease is therefore not bleak repression, but constructive refinement. By removing excess emotion and appetite, a person restores balance, dignity, and inner strength.
Interpretation
Sun symbolizes decrease and sacrifice. The lake at the foot of the mountain evaporates to nourish it. Sincere self-sacrifice for the greater good brings supreme fortune.
Line Texts
Nine at the beginning: Going quickly when one's tasks are finished is without blame. But one must reflect on how much one may decrease others.
Finish your own tasks quickly and go to help. Consider how much to give.
“When affairs are completed, go quickly. No blame. Consider carefully what should be decreased.” At the beginning of Decrease, this line shows energetic action joined with moderation. Once something must be handled, hesitation is harmful. Yet the reduction must be measured, not excessive. Timely and proportionate adjustment prevents blame.
Nine in the second place: Perseverance furthers. To undertake something brings misfortune. Without decreasing oneself, one is able to bring increase to others.
Persevere in your position. Rash action brings misfortune. One can benefit others without diminishing oneself.
“Perseverance is favorable. To advance brings misfortune. Do not decrease it; this will increase it.” Firmly centered, this line advises stability over aggressive advance. Forced movement creates trouble. Sometimes the best increase comes from not diminishing oneself unnecessarily. Hold the center, and quiet strength grows on its own.
Six in the third place: When three people journey together, their number decreases by one. When one man journeys alone, he finds a companion.
Three travelers lose one companion. A lone traveler finds a friend. Proper pairing is essential.
“If three people travel together, one will be lost. If one goes alone, one finds a companion.” This line concerns selection in relationships and alliances. Too many participants bring friction and dilution. By reducing unnecessary company, one may find a true partner. Decrease here means refining associations so authentic cooperation can emerge.
Six in the fourth place: If a man decreases his faults, it makes the other hasten to come and rejoice. No blame.
Decrease your faults and others will joyfully come to you. No blame.
“Decrease his illness. Make haste and there will be joy. No blame.” This line shows the most constructive form of decrease: removing what is diseased or harmful. What is reduced is not one’s true value, but one’s trouble. Quick correction brings relief and happiness. It often points to cutting off bad habits, errors, or ongoing damage.
Six in the fifth place: Someone does indeed increase him. Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it. Supreme good fortune.
Someone bestows increase. Even ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose this. Supreme good fortune.
“Someone indeed increases him with tortoise shells worth ten pairs of friends. One cannot refuse them. Supreme good fortune.” Occupying a central and receptive place, this line shows that one who is humble and self-restrained attracts real support. Because ego is reduced, help arrives freely and abundantly. This is the paradox of Decrease: sincere self-limitation invites greater blessing.
Nine at the top: If one is increased without depriving others, there is no blame. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers one to undertake something. One obtains servants but no longer has a separate home.
Increase without decreasing others. No blame. Perseverance brings fortune. One gains followers who share a common purpose.
“Do not decrease, but increase this. No blame. Perseverance brings good fortune. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. One gains servants but has no separate home.” At the top of the hexagram, decrease reaches transformation. The person is no longer preoccupied with personal loss, but serves a larger purpose. By transcending selfish possession, one benefits others and advances without blame.
Modern Application
matters, it advises against reckless expansion and scattered commitments. When necessary, one should cut inefficient projects, simplify operations, and concentrate effort on what is truly strategic. What looks like short-term loss may become long-term gain
Decrease suggests reducing control, possessiveness, and emotional overreaction. Less ego and less demand often create more trust, ease, and genuine closeness. In financial matters, this hexagram discourages luxury, waste, and impulsive spending, while favoring savings, debt reduction, budget discipline, and cautious asset allocation, especially in unstable times
it points toward removing what drains vitality: overeating, lack of sleep, excess stimulation, addictive habits, and chronic stress. Recovery often begins not by adding more remedies, but by stopping unnecessary depletion. Overall, Decrease is a guide to restructuring life through simplicity and restraint. The mature person does not merely seek more; they know what to release, when to scale back, and how much to sacrifice so that balance, strength, and lasting benefit can return
People Also Ask
What does Decrease hexagram mean?▾
Decrease combined with sincerity brings about supreme good fortune without blame. One may be persevering in this. It furthers one to undertake something. How is this to be carried out? One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.
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Get AI Reading →What is the advice of Decrease?▾
Sun symbolizes decrease and sacrifice. The lake at the foot of the mountain evaporates to nourish it. Sincere self-sacrifice for the greater good brings supreme fortune.
Get AI Reading →Historical Story
A fitting historical parallel for Hexagram 41 can be seen in the governing style attributed to King Wen of Zhou. Rather than seeking dominance through harsh force or extravagant display, he strengthened the state by cultivating virtue, lightening burdens, supporting agriculture, and practicing benevolence. On the surface, this meant reducing the ruler’s appetite for luxury, taxation, and immediate extraction. In substance, it increased the true foundation of the realm. This reflects the hexagram’s line about simple offerings: sincerity matters more than excess. In both ritual and government, authenticity outweighs splendor. By restraining indulgence, conserving resources, and thinking beyond short-term gain, King Wen won trust and gradually built lasting power. The story illustrates a central lesson of Decrease: wise leadership often begins with self-limitation. One gives up display and personal appetite so that a deeper, broader form of prosperity can emerge.
Related Trigrams
损与第四十二卦“益”互为综卦，一减一增，相反而相成。损教人节制、舍弃、调亏补偏；益教人滋养、扶助、扩大善果。二者都强调“与时偕行”，不是固定追求增加或减少，而是依据时势决定何时该收、何时该放。懂损，方能真益。
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Further Reading
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