Hexagram 41 of 64
損 Sǔn · Decrease
上 艮 Mountain (Gèn) over 下 兌 Lake (Duì)
What you let go returns another way.
Judgment
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, judgment. English translation in preparation.
Image
In short: a lake below the mountain.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, Great Image. Short gloss by Koyonari; full translation in preparation.
Commentary
Sǔn is a lake below the mountain: earth taken from the lake to raise the mountain higher. Sǔn speaks of letting go: what is given up today often returns elsewhere in another form, though not on the same day nor in the same place. In letting go, do not calculate debts; calculating too closely makes letting go impossible.
Koyonari commentary.
The Six Lines
“Suspending affairs and going swiftly brings no blame. Weigh carefully how much to decrease.” Putting aside one's own affairs and promptly helping the other person brings no blame, meaning no fault. Yet giving up something of one's own to help others requires care over how much to give. The opening of Sǔn concerns timely help while weighing the extent of the reduction.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 1. Koyonari translation.
“Concluding affairs and going quickly: united in will with what is above.” The line statement speaks of hastening forward once affairs are completed because Initial Nine corresponds with Six in the fourth place above, and their wills are aligned (the word shàng, normally “still” or “esteem”, is read as the homophone shàng, “above”, meaning union of purpose with the one above), so one is willing to assist without delay. Another view takes yǐ to mean halting, meaning one puts aside immediate tasks to hasten forward.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 2. Koyonari translation.
“Favorable to persevere; advancing brings misfortune. Without decreasing, increase it.” Favorable for steadfastness means that holding to what is right is favorable. Rashly advancing brings misfortune, an unfavorable outcome. Others can benefit without sacrificing one's own principles. This line emphasizes maintaining proper principles rather than compromising oneself to accommodate others as a way of helping them.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 3. Koyonari translation.
“Nine in the second place benefits from steadfastness: taking the center as purpose.” Nine in the second place favors steadfastness because it holds the lower trigram’s center, taking the central way as its purpose.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 4. Koyonari translation.
“When three walk together, one is lost. When one walks alone, a companion is found.” Three traveling together lose one member; someone traveling alone gains a companion. These changes in number illustrate that unity depends on an undivided commitment. When relationships become too entangled, some must be reduced, while traveling alone does not mean remaining isolated forever.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 5. Koyonari translation.
“When one person travels, three will produce doubt.” Traveling alone with single-minded purpose allows one to find a true companion; when three walk together, divided feelings inevitably breed suspicion. Another view holds that suspicion arises in the other party, as three advancing together makes the superior figure doubtful.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 6. Koyonari translation.
“Decreasing one's affliction makes gladness arrive quickly. No blame.” Reducing one's own faults and correcting them promptly leads to a welcome result. Chuán means swiftly, and no blame means no fault. This line locates the value of decrease in removing shortcomings, emphasizing the importance of acting in time.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 7. Koyonari translation.
“Decreasing affliction is also cause for joy.” Six in the fourth place diminishes its own faults, which is indeed cause for joy.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 8. Koyonari translation.
“Someone enriches him; tortoises worth ten pairs of cowries cannot oppose it. Supreme good fortune.” Someone benefits him; even the divination of a ten-péng tortoise, meaning a valuable large tortoise, cannot contradict this. Thus there is great good fortune. In his Yìzhuàn (Commentary on the Changes), Chéng Yí also reads ten péng as meaning many. Both readings are valid. This line describes someone in an honored position receiving benefits.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 9. Koyonari translation.
“Six in the fifth place has supreme good fortune: blessing comes from above.” Six in the fifth place attains supreme good fortune by staying humble in an honored station; blessing arrives from above, where “above” signifies Heaven.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 10. Koyonari translation.
“Without decreasing, increase it. No blame. Perseverance brings good fortune. Favorable to have somewhere to go. Gaining servants without private household.” Decrease ceases and turns into benefiting others, bringing no blame, meaning no fault. Holding to what is right brings good fortune, and going somewhere is favorable. Assistance from subordinates extends beyond one's own private household. At its limit, decrease turns into broadly giving help.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 11. Koyonari translation.
“Not decreasing but increasing it: one fully attains one’s will.” At the culmination of Sǔn (Decrease), Top Nine does not diminish itself but instead benefits others, so that its aspirations are grandly realized.
Zhouyi, hexagram 41, line 12. Koyonari translation.