Decrease
Mountain (艮 Gèn) above, Lake (兌 Duì) below
Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens
I Ching Hexagram 41, 損 (Sǔn), represents Decrease.
SourceZhouyi (周易, The Book of Changes) — hexagram 41 (損 Sǔn). Chinese source: Chinese Text Project, based on 《武英殿十三經注疏》本《周易正義》 (ctp:book-of-changes/sun). Judgment: received Zhouyi hexagram statement (卦辭). English: Translation by Oriens Editorial Translation. Image: Xiang / Image commentary layer (象傳), distinct from the Judgment and line texts. Image and line English: named translation by James Legge, The Yî King (1899), public-domain translation; online reproduction. The named translation is used for the Image and line statements only.
1. Judgment (卦辭 Guàcí)
損：有孚，元吉，无咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用，二簋可用享。
Oriens Editorial Translation: There is trust: great good fortune, no blame. It may be held steadfastly. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. What may be used? Two guǐ vessels may be used for the offering.
2. Image (象 Xiàng / Xiang commentary)
山下有泽,损。君子以惩忿窒欲。
James Legge: (The trigram representing) a mountain and beneath it that for the waters of a marsh form Sun. The superior man, in accordance with this, restrains his wrath and represses his desires.
3. Line Statements (爻辭 Yáocí)
Line 1 of 6 (from the bottom):
初九：巳事遄往，无咎，酌損之。
James Legge: The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject suspending his own affairs, and hurrying away (to help the subject of the fourth line). He will commit no error, but let him consider how far he should contribute of what is his (for the other).
Line 2 of 6 (from the bottom):
九二：利貞，征凶，弗損，益之。
James Legge: 2 . The second NINE, undivided, shows that it will be advantageous for its subject to maintain a firm correctness, and that action on his part will be evil. He can give increase (to his correlate) without taking from himself
Line 3 of 6 (from the bottom):
六三：三人行，則損一人；一人行，則得其友。
James Legge: The third SIX, divided, shows how of three men walking together, the number is diminished by one; and how one, walking, finds his friend.
Line 4 of 6 (from the bottom):
六四：損其疾，使遄有喜，无咎。
James Legge: The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject diminishing the ailment under which he labours by making (the subject of the first line) hasten (to his help), and make him glad. There will be no error.
Line 5 of 6 (from the bottom):
六五：或益之，十朋之龜弗克違，元吉。
James Legge: The fifth SIX, divided, shows parties adding to (the stores of) its subject ten pairs of tortoise shells, and accepting no refusal. There will be great good fortune.
Line 6 of 6 (from the bottom):
上九：弗損益之，无咎，貞吉，有攸往，得臣无家。
James Legge: The topmost NINE, undivided, shows its subject giving increase to others without taking from himself. There will be no error. With firm correctness there will be good fortune. There will be advantage in every movement that shall be made. He will find ministers more than can be counted by their clans.
For the general method for changing lines and relating hexagrams, see How to Read the I Ching.
4. Modern Interpretation (Oriens commentary)
This is an Oriens interpretation, not part of the Zhouyi text.
Decrease can prompt a careful question about reduction: what could be deliberately lowered here — cost, weight, self-importance — so that something below or within is fed? The figure treats decrease done sincerely as movement that benefits what receives it.
The Chinese source and translation provenance are identified above. The Judgment is an Oriens Editorial Translation; the Image and line statements are labeled with James Legge. This keeps the modern reflection separate from both the received text and the named translation.
Read at the figure level, this is not about poverty or wealth and does not predict whether anything diminishes.
Continue with the Hexagram 41 card and the I Ching guide; these are reading paths, not additional predictions.