Decrease

Decrease combined with sincerity brings supreme good fortune without blame. One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.

Decrease is not loss but concentration. The mountain over the lake — what is above reduced to feed below. The superior person controls anger and restrains instincts. Sometimes you must give up something good to make room for something essential. Two small bowls suffice for the sacrifice.

Hexagram 41, Decrease, depicts 有孚，元吉，无咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享。. The judgment states: Decrease combined with sincerity brings supreme good fortune without blame. One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice. This hexagram belongs to the Exchange group and addresses a specific configuration of forces. The I Ching describes the present moment with precision so the next natural movement becomes visible. Understanding this particular pattern of change is the first step toward responding with wisdom rather than reaction. The I Ching describes the present moment with such precision that the next natural movement becomes visible. Understanding the pattern you are in is the first step toward wise action.